I've noticed as of late that many people on the forum are trying to take the law into their own hands and indicate to the moderators when threads have been wrongly bumped, resurrected or spam is occuring. This not only gets frustrating when others are trying to do our jobs (we are perfectly capable, don't worry) but also sparks a new discussion in threads about whether or not said thread has been resurrected or not. Its getting a tad annoying...

I'd like to point people to the "Report Post To A Moderator" feature. I check my email daily so reported posts will be checked up on. The only member known to actually use this feature effectively is Peregrine *claps*

So, when you see an example of thread necromancy, spamming or wrong doing don't start replying to the thread with reasons why it should be deleted et cetera, because more than likely your post will be deleted too and you'll be affected by the same -4 post count deducted the spammers get.

So, conclusion: Use report moderator feature, don't start telling people what they can and can't do. Thats our job.

Thanks.

Yes what Dark0ne said but, Dark0ne, what Report feature?? It still doesn't work for me. I've never received any emails reporting a bad thread... ever.

Well I have made the odd report directly by PMing the Moderators as they can confirm. I wasn't aware of the other feature I will check it out. Sometimes, though, a reply is an attempt to be helpful and stop the other person getting slammed. But I will accept the hand smacking and not do again sir. Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir!

I haven't received any reported posts either, just the occasional pm. Could someone perhaps report a post and then let us know in this thread that this was done, so we can check that the feature actually works?

I usually check my e-mails several times a day, and the last time I received a 'reported post' e-mail was several months ago....

Strange, I've used it once or twice (re: backinblack), so it obviously hasn't worked properly for me.

I have reported my own previous reply in this thread. Now you can see if it works y'all.

Nothing received yet.

I'll keep checking my e-mails - but if it doesn't reach my inbox within the next hour or so I think it's safe to assume that the feature is not working.

Either that or my e-mail server suffered heart failure again....

EDIT: I have just sent myself an e-mail - which arrived promptly...so I guess my ISP isn't to blame (this time :lol:). Still no reported post.

I got the reported post. Maybe its just me who gets them

Must be. I haven't received any email either.

Well, it has been an hour since the post was reported, and there's still nothing in my mailbox - so I think we can assume that the 'Report to Moderator' feature isn't working correctly.... <_<


Could I ask everyone who wants to point out that a post contains SPAM, flaming, constitutes necromancy, is in the wrong forum or that a thread should be locked sends a PM to a moderator as well as reporting the post - at least until the report function can be fixed.

I received the reported post notification via email as well.

Looks like only Dark and I get the reported post emails.

Darky, that has to be a setting in the admin group... maybe we can add it to the moderators group?

-- D

Looked through the settings, no mention of report email feature

I myself have said once or twice something like "Could we move this to spoilers please?" Didnt know it was a big deal, Sorry Moderators/Administrators...i didnt really think i should waste your time by clicking on "report", unless it was truely necessary, as something that had to do with racism, flaming, etc...but now i know it can be used for anything thanks for clearing this up for me!!

I used to get them, until i clicked the conceal email, feature, and oddly they stopped. I wasn't attempting to stop them, but that's what happened, perhaps this is the same problem that is affecting the other moderators.

-The Raven-out

Ok as a matter of forum guidance, I believe all moderators should include valid contact information in their profiles... and provide them "unmasked" on the forums. So as a test, remove the conceal option from your profile emails, and make sure your listed email address is a proper working address that you check, and we'll see if we can get this report feature fixed.

-- D

Well, my e-mail address is correct, and I had not chosen to hide it ....

And the forum e-mail feature works - I received one yesterday - it's just the report function which seems to have a glitch in it....

Though when I check my profile, under e-mail it just says 'click here to send an e-mail'...

*shrugs*

My email address is correct. The email feature works for me too, received one just the other day. I haven't got any option to hide my email or deny emails checked.

So erm... something's not right here.

I reported a post today, I dunno if any of you got it though... Its definatley wierd..

Yep, I got it. Dark0ne fixed the problem earlier, all seems to work now!

Yes, but, apparently mr. perigrine doesnt approve of replying to an obviously past answered thread with a hyperlink to the relevant information. Honestly, i dont see the problem with it, and it doesnt seem like vigilantying. Its not yelling at any moderators, and telling people how to do their job, its just answers the threads question (with out generating any more posts), and saves moderators the trouble of dealiing with lots of little sillynesses.

Perhaps i missed the point somewhere. either way, i suppose perigrine knows what hes doin...

Because you didn't just provide a link to information. Your post:

I have a question: Now I tend to do this, say if i create a post, that askes a question... and then the question is answered i normally say "Ok thanks for the help everyone, this can be locked up now" is that ok? asking for it to be locked... i only do it on my topics

Yes, requesting that your own topics be locked is just fine. But when you start posting in other threads like that, it's a problem.

Phew ok... well I have never done that


this thread can be locked now...


j/k i had to.. SORRY!

Oh, so now you want to do our jobs for us? Now you pay the price for your arrogance!

*rolls 3d8*

12 strikes for that comment. Enjoy your ban.

Your a hard one to understand sometimes... At first i thought you were serious, i guess im just so darn gullible!

As a reminder to those of you who still insist on trying to be moderators, this rule is still in effect. If you do not have a "moderator" title under your name, do not post like one. Do not tell people their thread is in the wrong place, too pointless, spam, they need to use the search function, etc. We have a report function, so USE IT.

I (and the other moderators) am completely out of patience for this. You have been warned. Do not test your luck with this.

Is directing the user to an older thread which he has overlooked, and which has the answers to his questions, considered acceptable behavior, or is that too a moderator's job?

e.g. : A has just joined the forums and asks a question that has already been asked countless times before. What should we do?

A) Just ignore him and wait for a moderator to answer him.
B ) Answer his question by providing a link to one of the older threads.
C) Answer his question by providing a link to one of the older threads, and at
the same time remind him - gently, without flaming him - of the existance of
the SEARCH function.
D) Do not answer him but rather report the thread to a moderator.

Which one of these is the correct behavior?

D) Report the thread to the moderators, providing a link to the old thread as well.

or

E) Answer the question by typing a new response, containing the information in the other thread if needed. But NOT instructing the poster to search for their answers in the other thread.


In any case, a helpful (but misworded) response is not the problem I was refering to. It's the "use teh saerch n00b" type of reply that I am seeing far too often from people who do NOT have the authority to make it. An honestly helpful reply will not get you a strike. Criticism for not searching WILL.

So valdir, about those spywares.....

We are trying to stop a proliferation of 'this is necromancy', 'don't hijack' etc as well as 'search, you ****head'. If relative newbies get the idea that anyone can do this, it leads to aggro. Whilst I can appreciate the more experienced of you getting fed up with seeing the same posts repeatedly (and we moderators do too), we cannot be seen to be biased in applying the rules against vigilantes.

Use the report button, we always check out what you report!

*points to the sig*
He's keeping track of his Vigilante counts for Hellbird.
So is there a happy medium where we can give polite reminders or is it all, "Use the f***ing Report button" all the way?
Cuz I think I might accidently be a Forum Vigilante without meaning to....

EDIT: Missed Hellbirds post about what was acceptable, sorry.

soooo not for tha bird main. i like to show a record of how i try to secure a moral equalization of the bad vibes shooting through the telephone wires. so therefore i lay into these overconfident lamoz that think they can uber flame someone else and get away without a gaping wound to the brain, effectively demoralizing them and sending the message that if the mods havent showed up yet to bust em, they better pray i dont swoop thu. im not a mod, im ur friend. uh... no implications there. just... dont read too far into that statement.

I can't understand a word you just said.

Translation: I keep track of all the people I've flamed so that Peregrine doesn't have to work as hard to give me strikes.

Do you think requesting for a thread to be locked would be counted as a vigilante act? I posted a request for my own thread "You know you've played too much morrowind when..." to be locked (didn't use report feature, I made a post) because people were just beginning posting stupid stuff and none of it was funny at all. Then Switch told me to be careful because Peregrine was being trigger happy with vigilantes. I didn't think it was that bad to request for a thread to be locked if it's obviously turning into pointless replies.

There is a difference between opening a thread asking a specific question and requesting locking when it is answered and requesting locking because you believe other people are spamming, hijacking or whatever. The former is fine, the latter best done by reporting - you are effectively criticising others and that can lead to flaming.

That's my two cents worth anyway.

I am not sure I should post here...but I don't know where to post...

If an admin reads this please move this post if necessary

I have a question: I have been reported it seems and I don't know why...

I believe when one guy is reported he should at least know why...

I don't believe my behaviour has been disrespectful or insulting in any ways...

In order for me to understand and correct myself if necessary I need to know the reason if any...

Also if there is no reason I feel the peron who reported me should be reported as well.

EDIT: I fear I might reported myself accidentaly, in this case just forget the nonsense of my post...

MasterAub, if somebody reports a comment you made, you and everyone else can see a slightly changed "report" button which means that post has already been reported.

What does this mean for you?

1. If a moderator has not contacted your or taken direct action (most likely within 24 hours), the report was either an accident because we get quite a few reports that were actually somebody trying to do a reply...or the report was unfounded or maybe not clear enough based on history to be considered breaking the rules. So if you were not corrected by a moderator, don't worry about it. We cannot remove the "marked" flag even if somebody did it by accident.

2. If a moderator takes action, you would not be wondering what you did wrong.

FYI - It is quite clear to us who did the reporting as well as who was being reported. Don't worry about that.

LHammonds

Umm, first of all, why are we not seeing a moderator flag under your name, secondly, that is ridiculous. Yes I wouldn't want to see people being rude about it but the moderators have lives too and politely linking someone to a thread and telling them the answer is in there should be perfectly acceptable behaviour. We shouldn't have to also reiterate the answer or pester a moderator. After all, that thread may contain more information than they even know they need.

Look at the date of what you are quoting. July 26, 2006 (over 2 years ago). From what I have heard, this particular person "was" a moderator (at TESSource) who eventually lost his moderator status and eventually got banned (came back temporarily as DuskRider or some such name and was banned again).

Don't worry about how busy moderators are. If things get too busy, more moderators will be "hired." The rule about vigilantism is there to protect YOU and to keep you from getting involved in a flamewar with somebody begging to be banned and to take somebody with him/her.

Nobody likes being told that their behavior needs to change or that they are not abiding by rules (basically having their actions judged) which might spark that member to turn their bad behavior towards you...thus causing a flamewar and both of you get in trouble.

When a moderator warns members of bad behavior, there is no room or allowance for a "fight" to ensue...at least not publicly. Said member and a moderator can cordially discuss actions privately but the result is either the behavior being corrected or the member eventually being banned if they cannot manage to comply with the forum rules.

Also keep in mind that just because somebody is "reported" does not mean they will automatically be found to be guilty of breaking rules. That will be determined by the moderator doing the investigation. Any additional info you would like to share beyond the obvious is appreciated though.

We also have a reporting feature on the site that TESSource did not enjoy. You can simply click a report button now which gives moderators a direct link to the problem area, who reported the problem and who made the post which was reported. You do not even really have to say much in the report other than the specific rule being broken like "spam" or "bumping" or "vigilantism" or "flamebaiting" etc.

Thanks,
LHammonds

Oops. Sorry, mate. I saw the July 26th but didn't check the year. Yikes. Umm, err, well spotted! That was my deliberate test to see if you were paying attention. Well done. Or something.....