Mods seeing reported posts

flahavaj · 10-11-2011 11:36pm #1

Can a mod of one forum - say After Hours see a post thats reported on say the Soccer Forum or the identity of who has reported them?

Bit sh*t if so that you can't report a mod from another forum without the anonymity ydou' be guaranteed if it were a "normal" poster.

Steve · 10-11-2011 11:47pm

Yes, all mods have access to the reported posts forum.

That said there are several hundred reports per day so it's not something most mods would be reading randomly unless it's to do with their own forum.

*edit* Mods are considered users outside their forum - I see where you're going there. If you've a specific problem with them then pm their cmod.

Bobeagleburger · 10-11-2011 11:49pm

Steve wrote: »

Yes, all mods have access to the reported posts forum.

That said there are several hundred reports per day so it's not something most mods would be reading randomly unless it's to do with their own forum.

They might now though

Steve · 10-11-2011 11:53pm

rarnes1 wrote: »

They might now though

Doubt it.. most of it is incredibly boring if it's not directly to do with you.

That said, it's required reading for newbie mods in order to see how stuff in general gets dealt with.

TheZohanS · 10-11-2011 11:56pm

Steve wrote: »

Doubt it.. most of it is incredibly boring if it's not directly to do with you.

That said, it's required reading for newbie mods in order to see how stuff in general gets dealt with.

Reported Posts forum is the best forum on boards, the funniest anyhue..

Steve · 11-11-2011 12:00am

TheZohan wrote: »

Reported Posts forum is the best forum on boards, the funniest anyhue..

You now that first hand?

Insect Overlord · 11-11-2011 12:02am

Steve wrote: »

You now that first hand?

He used to mod After Hours. Do keep up, Steve! :P

TheZohanS · 11-11-2011 12:05am

Steve wrote: »

You now that first hand?

I haz mad h@cker skilz.

Steve · 11-11-2011 12:05am

Insect Overlord wrote: »

He used to mod After Hours. Do keep up, Steve! :P

Shíte, I mean oops..

TheZohan, stop wasting mod time you hasbeen..

flahavaj · 11-11-2011 12:08am

Steve wrote: »

*edit* Mods are considered users outside their forum - I see where you're going there. If you've a specific problem with them then pm their cmod.

No, no specific problem. It has stopped me from reporting mods before outside their own forum though.

I'm sure no one would bother idly wading through hundreds of reported posts, but if a mod was specifically reported they would have a reason to seek out who reported them. Indeed I've seen a mod admit to reading such posts before.

Kind of unfair. Probably too huge an undertaking to fix?

Steve · 11-11-2011 12:15am

flahavaj wrote: »

No, no specific problem. It has stopped me from reporting mods before outside their own forum though.

I'm sure no one would bother idly wading through hundreds of reported posts, but if a mod was specifically reported they would have a reason to seek out who reported them. Indeed I've seen a mod admit to reading such posts before.

Kind of unfair. Probably too huge an undertaking to fix?

Yeah, it's unfair but any mod found to be abusing their position would be in for a lot of grief from the admins - mods are given a position of trust and with that comes a responsibility to be honest.
I've had stuff I've posted as a mod reported and stuff I've posted as a user reported - it's all dealt with the same way.

jor el · 11-11-2011 2:16am

flahavaj wrote: »

No, no specific problem. It has stopped me from reporting mods before outside their own forum though.

It shouldn't, and no mod will be that upset about someone reporting their posts. If it deserves to be reported, then report it. Mods will often get their own posts reported in the forums they moderate, I got one this morning (same post twice!), so don't be worried about reporting a mod's post from outside their forum. It's not going to be taken personally, and even if it is then that's the mods problem, not yours.

I don't imagine too many mods go wading through the reported post forum that often. 99% of it is spam reports. Prison is far funnier.

Tom Dunne · 11-11-2011 6:54am

flahavaj wrote: »

No, no specific problem. It has stopped me from reporting mods before outside their own forum though.

As others have said, mods are just regular users outside their own forums. If they are behaving inappropriately, they will be treated just like any other user, with infractions and bans being handed out.

You just have to trust us that this is the case. I can think of at least 2 or 3 cases where mods have been infracted outside their own forums, and in one particular case, where a mod has been banned from a forum.

tbh · 11-11-2011 10:48am

flahavaj wrote: »

No, no specific problem. It has stopped me from reporting mods before outside their own forum though.

I'm sure no one would bother idly wading through hundreds of reported posts, but if a mod was specifically reported they would have a reason to seek out who reported them. Indeed I've seen a mod admit to reading such posts before.

Kind of unfair. Probably too huge an undertaking to fix?

Just so as you know, if you report a post made by a mod outside of one of their own forums, it's a massive no-no for that mod to respond in the reported posts forum, and people can and do get slapped down for trying to do that, by the forum mods, cmods and admins.

stovelid · 11-11-2011 11:30am

If I report a post - which is relatively rare - there's no subterfuge about it and I'll stand over reporting it so I don't care who sees it.

MungBean · 11-11-2011 1:00pm

Have to say I find this a bit disconcerting. If a mod is reported for a post in a forum where they post as a user then they can see who reported them, something a normal user cannot. That sets them apart from normal users of that forum.

So a mod of one forum is not just a typical user of another forum.

MungBean · 11-11-2011 1:02pm

TheZohan wrote: »

Reported Posts forum is the best forum on boards, the funniest anyhue..

So the entire report system is a joke and source of fun to mods who really have no business looking at them ?

Taltos · 11-11-2011 1:16pm

Mung - if you have an issue with a post then just use the report button.
If you fear lashback for whatever reason then PM the Cmod of the forum in question.

Mods don't take reported posts lightly - and to be honest there are so many each day it is quite difficult to find the time to even look at one outside of your own forum.

At the end of the day Mods are just users who have been given a bit more responsbility - so we still do mess up - sometimes quite magnificiently. No shame in reporting us when that happens. No favouritism is shown or is meant to be shown and sometimes the mod in question is treated a lot more harshly as we are meant to know better.

In terms of the jokey posts earlier in this thread - that is the "After Hours" crew - they are a different breed - we all have to tread carefully around them - they are prone to sillyness and inane laughter - a pre-requisite for modding that forum...

The advantage of using the report function is it is transparent to the Mods, CMods and Admins, where as a PM is only visible by the person you sent it to and cannot be shared without your consent.

LoLth · 11-11-2011 1:16pm

MungBean wrote: »

So the entire report system is a joke and source of fun to mods who really have no business looking at them ?

I dont think (at least I hope) he wasnt being serious with that comment.

Once a user becomes a mod, there are going to be certain differences in their level of access to areas of boards. As things stand, there is no way to segregate the reported posts to deny mods visibility of posts reported from outside their own forum. Its never really been an issue. Mods are selected for their behaviour and general cop on and we would trust a mod not to abuse their access in such a way.

In all the time I've been on boards I think I can remember one incident where a mod abused their access to reported posts and that mod did not remain a mod after that.

Mods , outside of their own fora, are *treated* as users by other mods. that does not mean that they are users. There has to be an element of trust that mods, outside of their own fora, will behave like users and so far, I have yet to see a gross enough abuse of powers/access or enough frequency to make me think that programatically imposed segregation is necessary. (it is something I have suggested in the past but more from the point of view of making the reported post forum easier to search and manage than from a restriction requirement).

Penn · 11-11-2011 1:21pm

MungBean wrote: »

Have to say I find this a bit disconcerting. If a mod is reported for a post in a forum where they post as a user then they can see who reported them, something a normal user cannot. That sets them apart from normal users of that forum.

So a mod of one forum is not just a typical user of another forum.

So?

Any mod who is unnecessarily harsh to another user because that user reported one of their posts would be found out because the user could then use things like the Dispute Resolution Procedure, a PM to CMods or other mods of the forum, a PM to an Admin, A Helpdesk thread etc etc.

Being a mod affords you certain tools and access to certain forums in order to do mod duties. But being a mod means you have the exact same responsibility to mod in a fair and balanced manner regardless of personal opinions.

I know when I started modding, being able to see reported posts was great because I could see how different mods dealt with different problems and I could learn from that. Helped me not to just jump in with the banhammer straight away and go overboard.

I've seen posts of mine which have been reported. Big deal. I never did anything about it nor do I even remember who reported them. It's up to the mod of that forum to take whatever action they feel is best, and if a post of mine warrants action, that's my fault, not the fault of the person who reported it.

11-11-2011 1:23pm

jor el wrote: »

Prison is far funnier.

+1 Prison is funny. Some threads are like a small 2-3 person comedy play.

Zaph(pronounced Zaph, even though he'd like to think it is pronounced Zaphe), Silverfish, and Thunder Gati are truly excellent comedic thespians.

TheZohanS · 11-11-2011 1:36pm

MungBean wrote: »

So the entire report system is a joke and source of fun to mods who really have no business looking at them ?

God no, I didn't mean it that way!

I was mostly talking about when the likes of a spammer gets reported for spamming, if it's reported by a mod from a different forum there'll generally be a funny comment in the report. Also if someone reports a post for porn there's a big investigation, the Admin team normally send in their best on the case and they meticulously go through the reported site to find out how bad the porn is so they can draw up a report. This report is then passed onto Shield so he can work out what rules under which" section" the offending post had breached and which action to take.

MungBean · 11-11-2011 1:45pm

I get what your all saying and I'm not saying its a massive issue or that theres not good things to be gained from it just that as a user in a forum talking to a mod from another forum its disconcerting to know he or she is not just another user but part of the "mod club" and not just a user with extra responsibility.

I understand its probably a rare occurrence when a mod is pinged in other forums as they are picked for among other things level headedness in dealing with people.

But it just strikes me as disconcerting to know that reporting a mod for a post you have issue with would be viewable to them and makes me less likely to report a mod than a normal user. As once both parties know they have had issue they wont be as likely to interact. So if I reported any of you for some reason you may take issue with it and develop a dislike of me. May not affect your modding or reflect badly on you whatsoever but it would make interaction between us strained and lessen the value of my opinion in a mods eyes which could affect a discussion even here if feedback.

As for using the report system as a source of entertainment I have no doubt a great many mods have a good old chuckle at the concerns of people who report posts. So although it may be beneficial to people looking at other mods handling situations its also another separation of mods/users as far as opinion is concerned in that my reporting my concern of a post will more than likely be only taken seriously by that forums mods and any other mods that see it will be basically nosing in out of self interest to see if what I have said is entertaining.

Once again I'm not arguing that its a huge issue only trying to explain why I find it a bit disconcerting.

tbh · 11-11-2011 2:32pm

MungBean wrote: »

I get what your all saying and I'm not saying its a massive issue or that theres not good things to be gained from it just that as a user in a forum talking to a mod from another forum its disconcerting to know he or she is not just another user but part of the "mod club" and not just a user with extra responsibility.

disconcerting to realise, maybe, but if it hasn't been a problem for you before you read this thread, then it should be a problem for you. Mods are not just users, and that's always been the case.

But it just strikes me as disconcerting to know that reporting a mod for a post you have issue with would be viewable to them and makes me less likely to report a mod than a normal user. As once both parties know they have had issue they wont be as likely to interact. So if I reported any of you for some reason you may take issue with it and develop a dislike of me. May not affect your modding or reflect badly on you whatsoever but it would make interaction between us strained and lessen the value of my opinion in a mods eyes which could affect a discussion even here if feedback.

everything you've just said there is 100% true, no point in pretending it isn't. I'd argue tho, that it's worse for mods, because, for example, if you report a post of mine, well then yeah, I can see that you've reported it, but - and here's the important thing - I can't do anything about it I can't post on the RP thread, i can't mention the RP in the original thread, I can't even PM you to apologize, because if I did, I'd most likely be de-modded.
Also, all the other mods can see that you've reported the post, so in a sense, it's like a rebuke (especially if the RP is valid) in front of all the mods.

As for using the report system as a source of entertainment I have no doubt a great many mods have a good old chuckle at the concerns of people who report posts. So although it may be beneficial to people looking at other mods handling situations its also another separation of mods/users as far as opinion is concerned in that my reporting my concern of a post will more than likely be only taken seriously by that forums mods and any other mods that see it will be basically nosing in out of self interest to see if what I have said is entertaining.

Once again I'm not arguing that its a huge issue only trying to explain why I find it a bit disconcerting.

I would say very very few RPs are actually funny. Some are interesting, as they cause a discussion about rules or charters or acceptable behavior, but out of every 100 rps:

75 will be obvious spam
15 will be obvious breaches of charter (I mean stuff like a low post counter telling someone to fcuk themselves)
7 will be poster-a-reporting-poster-b-and-poster-b-reporting-poster-a (which are just tedious)
2 will be "wtf?" reports
and 1 will be Tom Dunne reporting a post in one of his own forums

Very very rarely do you see a genuinely "entertaining" reported posts -in fact, RPs are the main drawback of the mod role.

Sarky · 11-11-2011 2:39pm

Nobody remembers who reported what beyond a day or so. And the only times I've seen reported posts counting against someone is when they abuse the system and go on some really crazy reporting spree to prove some sort of point. That fills up the inboxes of a few mods and pretty much amounts to spamming, so it kinda needs to be actioned.

The rest of the time, nothing more than the user history (past bans and infractions) informs a mod. And we rarely look that stuff up unless someone is already causing a problem.

tl;dr

Pretty much all the mods are just too lazy to keep track of stuff like that except when the user is genuinely causing trouble. It's far more effort than it's worth the rest of the time.

LoLth · 11-11-2011 2:50pm

Sarky wrote: »

Pretty much all the mods are just too lazy to keep track of stuff like that except when the user is genuinely causing trouble. It's far more effort than it's worth the rest of the time.

laziness is a pre-requisite for the job. if you bother your ass turning up for the interview you've already been disqualified. the best mods never even realise that there's an interview process

MungBean · 11-11-2011 3:01pm

tbh wrote: »

disconcerting to realise, maybe, but if it hasn't been a problem for you before you read this thread, then it should be a problem for you. Mods are not just users, and that's always been the case.

Well personally I already knew as much from being contacted when reporting spam by mods outside the the forum I was reporting in. I didnt think it was an issue as such but did find it a bit disconcerting at the time and still do. But I take your point that the majority of people wouldnt know and wouldnt have any bearing on most cases whether anyone knew or not.

So upon seeing this thread I thought I'd just say what I personally thought about it.

everything you've just said there is 100% true, no point in pretending it isn't. I'd argue tho, that it's worse for mods, because, for example, if you report a post of mine, well then yeah, I can see that you've reported it, but - and here's the important thing - I can't do anything about it I can't post on the RP thread, i can't mention the RP in the original thread, I can't even PM you to apologize, because if I did, I'd most likely be de-modded.
Also, all the other mods can see that you've reported the post, so in a sense, it's like a rebuke (especially if the RP is valid) in front of all the mods.

Well the fact that the mods has absolutely no opportunity to publicly acknowledge it while its been available to view for all other mods may direct any animosity over the issue directly at the user who reported it. I dont think it would happen very often but I'd imagine it would happen and even if the mod does their duty excellently and never mentions it and is never seen to be affected by it, it may still affect them and how they interact with that user.

I would say very very few RPs are actually funny. Some are interesting, as they cause a discussion about rules or charters or acceptable behavior, but out of every 100 rps:

75 will be obvious spam
15 will be obvious breaches of charter (I mean stuff like a low post counter telling someone to fcuk themselves)
7 will be poster-a-reporting-poster-b-and-poster-b-reporting-poster-a (which are just tedious)
2 will be "wtf?" reports
and 1 will be Tom Dunne reporting a post in one of his own forums

Very very rarely do you see a genuinely "entertaining" reported posts -in fact, RPs are the main drawback of the mod role.

Fair point, I dont know what the process actually is or whats interesting and not so I'll take your word that its not a system to be entertained by so much as routine stuff to be dealt with.

Rabies · 12-11-2011 3:53am

Taltos wrote: »

In terms of the jokey posts earlier in this thread - that is the "After Hours" crew - they are a different breed - we all have to tread carefully around them - they are prone to sillyness and inane laughter - a pre-requisite for modding that forum...

Hey!!!

Oh wait

Fvck.

You're right.

There are some gems in the RP forum. Gem on the other hand is a girl not to be messed with.
Most threads are boring as already mentioned.
Most mods only link directly to their own reported threads to take action directly from email.
Its a tedious job... sometimes fun.

Sharpshooter · 12-11-2011 4:35am

MungBean wrote: »

but part of the "mod club".

I'd love to know why you think there is a "mod club".
Do you really believe that mods have to like each other and agree with each other because they are mods?
If you think that you are wrong.:)

MungBean wrote: »

I understand its probably a rare occurrence when a mod is pinged in other forums.

I have banned a mod from another forum because they broke the rules in AHs, it does happen.

MungBean wrote: »

But it just strikes me as disconcerting to know that reporting a mod for a post you have issue with would be viewable to them and makes me less likely to report a mod than a normal user.

You really shouldn't feel that way, it's not just mods that see the Reported Post Forum, C-Mods and Admin can view it too.

MungBean wrote: »

So if I reported any of you for some reason you may take issue with it and develop a dislike of me.

If you report a post that needs looking at, it will be,whether it's a mod or a regular user.

MungBean wrote: »

As for using the report system as a source of entertainment I have no doubt a great many mods have a good old chuckle at the concerns of people who report posts.

I can say on my behalf that the amount of reported posts in AHs takes up so much time that I don't want or need to read reported posts in forums I don't mod.

MungBean wrote: »

Once again I'm not arguing that its a huge issue only trying to explain why I find it a bit disconcerting.

There is no "Mod Club",honestly.:)

minidazzler · 12-11-2011 6:42am

No mod club?

But what about the stories of the coke, hookers, BDSM dungeons and trips to Thailand? Stop ruining my dream of being a mod.

Kiera · 12-11-2011 8:46am

minidazzler wrote: »

No mod club? But what about the stories of the coke, hookers, BDSM dungeons and trips to Thailand? Stop ruining my dream of being a mod.

I'd give up that dream if I were you :P

Mods seeing reported posts

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