Preventing unnecessary modifications, work, and conflicts within a dispersed storage network

A computing device of a dispersed storage network (DSN) comprises:

• memory;
• an interface;
• and
• a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the memory, wherein the processing module is operable to:
• receive, via the interface and from a requesting device of the DSN, a write request to edit existing data with new data, wherein the existing data is stored in the DSN, and wherein the write request includes the new data and information regarding the new data;
• determine, based on existing data information and the new data information, whether the existing data has already been edited with the new data, wherein the existing data information corresponds to a current state of the existing data, wherein, when the write request is a first write request regarding the editing of the existing data with the new data, the current state of the existing data is prior to execution of the first write request and, when the write request is a second write request in time to the first write request, then the current state of the existing data is subsequent to the execution of the first write request, and wherein the second write request includes the new data and is requesting editing of the existing data with the new data;
• when the existing data has already been edited:
• send, via the interface and without executing the write request, a favorable response to the requesting unit indicating the existing data has been successfully edited;
• and
• when the existing data has not already been edited:
• execute the write request to edit the existing data with the new data to produce edited data, wherein the edited data is stored in the DSN;
• and
• after successful execution of the first write request, send, via the interface, the favorable response to the requesting device.