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How to report spam

TheMixTheMix Posts: 3,130 Boards Guru
edited April 2021 in Help Desk
In light of some recent issues with spam and trolling, we've decided to enable a new post reporting feature that gives the community some ability to zap spam when mods aren't around. :)

How to use the new report buttons


Flag a post as you usually would, but instead of clicking report, use the spam option:



If a post gets one spam report, mods will be notified of the post.

If a post gets three spam reports, it will be removed until a mod can review it.

Note: misuse of the feature will result in points, so please only use appropriately!
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Obnoxiously Large Anchor Posts: 1,201 Wise Owl
    This is a fantastic feature!
  • DancerDancer Community Champion Posts: 8,111 Legendary Poster
    Great idea. Thank you.
    "There's a part of me I can't get back. A little girl grew up too fast. All it took was once. I'll never be the same." ~ Demi Lovato
    "The way that I have found the light in my life is through the expressive arts because I know that I will be accepted for the way I am." ~ Me
    "I'm going to get strong again and see you soon. " ~ Anonymous 
  • independent_independent_ Community Champion Posts: 9,051 Supreme Poster
    I was confused about the new reactions on the profiles but then I saw this post :joy: I’m not very observant. This is a very good feature to have as we can help to remove trolling posts :)
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    Glad you guys like it!
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    Thanks for bumping @Eleanor! When we came in this morning, it was a relief to see so many of this person's posts taken down by using this feature. It sucks that it's needed, but good job. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member ☕🌻☕ Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Can I just ask, if so many posts from the same user are flagged and removed from this, does it prevent a user from posting further? I'm just asking because if a troll comes in and repeatedly posts while users battle to get the post removed, it just feels like it might become a exhausting situation
  • DancerDancer Community Champion Posts: 8,111 Legendary Poster
    I don't actually think that it happens automatically although it could be a suggestion that could work for in the future. It is a great idea. 
    "There's a part of me I can't get back. A little girl grew up too fast. All it took was once. I'll never be the same." ~ Demi Lovato
    "The way that I have found the light in my life is through the expressive arts because I know that I will be accepted for the way I am." ~ Me
    "I'm going to get strong again and see you soon. " ~ Anonymous 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Obnoxiously Large Anchor Posts: 1,201 Wise Owl
    I love @GreenTea idea. It could put a temporary block until it's reviewed? 

    Say 3 posts removed by this system within a certain time period leads to an automatic suspension of the account? 

    I guess that doesn't help if they make a new account but idek hopefully this person would get bored. 
  • SienaSiena Posts: 15,687 Skive's The Limit
    edited January 2021
    GreenTea said:
    Can I just ask, if so many posts from the same user are flagged and removed from this, does it prevent a user from posting further? I'm just asking because if a troll comes in and repeatedly posts while users battle to get the post removed, it just feels like it might become a exhausting situation
    I think that used to happen. Where they couldn’t post on the boards but still used the activity wall. I could be wrong but pretty sure that used to be a thing

    also is it that they need 3 reports altogether. Or they need 3 reports from one of the abuse or spam. Because the other night. I saw some posts had like 2 abuse and 1 spam. But didn’t get removed so I always just clicked on the ones that had the 2 on. Then would be removed. Because if so then you should only have one. Especially if they’re abusive  and spamming
    “And when they look at you, they won't see everything you've been through. They won't see the **** that turned to scars that began to fade with time. They won't see the heartbreaking things that shook up and changed your entire world. They won't know how many tears you cried or even what it was you were crying about. They won't see how strong you had to be because you had no other choice. What they will see though is how compassionate you are because you experienced pain. What they will see is how kind you are because you experienced how cruel the world is. What they will see is how good you are because you've seen how bad things or people can be. The difference between you and your experiences are who you choose to be, despite everything that could have turned you cold and unkind.You are the good the world needs and the best of us.” ~ Kirsten Corley
  • DancerDancer Community Champion Posts: 8,111 Legendary Poster
    edited January 2021
    Shaunie said:
    GreenTea said:
    Can I just ask, if so many posts from the same user are flagged and removed from this, does it prevent a user from posting further? I'm just asking because if a troll comes in and repeatedly posts while users battle to get the post removed, it just feels like it might become a exhausting situation
    I think that used to happen. Where they couldn’t post on the boards but still used the activity wall. I could be wrong but pretty sure that used to be a thing

    also is it that they need 3 reports altogether. Or they need 3 reports from one of the abuse or spam. Because the other night. I saw some posts had like 2 abuse and 1 spam. But didn’t get removed so I always just clicked on the ones that had the 2 on. Then would be removed. Because if so then you should only have one. Especially if they’re abusive  and spamming
    They have to have either 3 reports of spam or 3 reports of unkind for the post to be removed.
    "There's a part of me I can't get back. A little girl grew up too fast. All it took was once. I'll never be the same." ~ Demi Lovato
    "The way that I have found the light in my life is through the expressive arts because I know that I will be accepted for the way I am." ~ Me
    "I'm going to get strong again and see you soon. " ~ Anonymous 
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    Shaunie said:
    GreenTea said:
    Can I just ask, if so many posts from the same user are flagged and removed from this, does it prevent a user from posting further? I'm just asking because if a troll comes in and repeatedly posts while users battle to get the post removed, it just feels like it might become a exhausting situation
    I think that used to happen. Where they couldn’t post on the boards but still used the activity wall. I could be wrong but pretty sure that used to be a thing

    Good question @GreenTea. :) 

    As you said @Shaunie, this is something moderators can do when needed but it's not part of these new report features at the moment.

    We're also mindful that we don't want you guys to feel you need to 'battle' trolls. We'd encourage everyone to report any existing posts, then set them to 'ignore' and move on. Particularly with trolling behaviour, evidence suggests ignoring tends to make them go away. :tongue:    

    And if a situation does de-escalate and someone then feels able to post within guidelines, we'd like them to have that option. With the exception of trolls which are usually quite rare, these things tend to be heat of the moment, so a ban on posting might be a little much.

    Shaunie said:
    also is it that they need 3 reports altogether. Or they need 3 reports from one of the abuse or spam. Because the other night. I saw some posts had like 2 abuse and 1 spam. But didn’t get removed so I always just clicked on the ones that had the 2 on. Then would be removed. Because if so then you should only have one. Especially if they’re abusive  and spamming
    Dancer said:
    They have to have either 3 reports of spam or 3 reports of unkind for the post to be removed.

    @Dancer's right on this - my wording wasn't super clear so I've edited the main post. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    edited January 2021
    Update: 'abuse' has been renamed to 'unkind'. 'Abuse' is quite a strong word that we're not sure is appropriate for all posts that might get this flag. If someone gets their post reported for something relatively minor, 'unkind' feels more fitting. It's also a bit broader than 'abuse'.

    Also, if a post gets one of these reactions, mods will be notified. If a post gets three, it will be taken down until a mod can review it. We've updated the main post to reflect this. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member ☕🌻☕ Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Mike said:
    Update: 'abuse' has been renamed to 'unkind'. 'Abuse' is quite a strong word that we're not sure is appropriate for all posts that might get this flag. If someone gets their post reported for something relatively minor, 'unkind' feels more fitting. It's also a bit broader than 'abuse'.

    Also, if a post gets one of these reactions, mods will be notified. If a post gets three, it will be taken down until a mod can review it. We've updated the main post to reflect this. :)

    Thank you! This is helpful
  • Former MemberFormer Member Obnoxiously Large Anchor Posts: 1,201 Wise Owl
    Can we please get a report user button that works the same way as the posts but it temporarily suspends the user until it can be reviewed by a mod to decide 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Living the Zen life 🧘🏼‍♀️ Posts: 1,989 Extreme Poster
    I think it could be useful to have an option to report a user's profile too, so when things are posted in the about me section but they have no posts, we can still flag it? :) 
  • independent_independent_ Community Champion Posts: 9,051 Supreme Poster
    Eleanor said:
    I think it could be useful to have an option to report a user's profile too, so when things are posted in the about me section but they have no posts, we can still flag it? :) 
    I second this @Eleanor
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • DancerDancer Community Champion Posts: 8,111 Legendary Poster
    That is a great idea
    "There's a part of me I can't get back. A little girl grew up too fast. All it took was once. I'll never be the same." ~ Demi Lovato
    "The way that I have found the light in my life is through the expressive arts because I know that I will be accepted for the way I am." ~ Me
    "I'm going to get strong again and see you soon. " ~ Anonymous 
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    edited January 2021
    Anch0r33 said:
    Can we please get a report user button that works the same way as the posts but it temporarily suspends the user until it can be reviewed by a mod to decide 
    Eleanor said:
    I think it could be useful to have an option to report a user's profile too, so when things are posted in the about me section but they have no posts, we can still flag it? :) 

    Thanks for the suggestions @Anch0r33 @Eleanor. :)

    Being able to report a specific member isn't currently technically possible for us, unfortunately!

    With stuff in the 'about me' section of profiles, the best thing to do there is drop us a PM with a link to that profile so we can check it out. Someone should be on it very soon after. :)

    Regarding suspending someone's account: similarly to the above, we don't currently have that technical capability, but we would also be very wary of how that could be misused. For example, someone could theoretically create three different accounts and get someone suspended.

    To guard against that sort of behaviour and potential tribalism, being able to suspend an account is likely to remain strictly a moderator power for now. :)

    This also ties in a little with our answer to @GreenTea's question: 

    Mike said:
    Shaunie said:
    GreenTea said:
    Can I just ask, if so many posts from the same user are flagged and removed from this, does it prevent a user from posting further? I'm just asking because if a troll comes in and repeatedly posts while users battle to get the post removed, it just feels like it might become a exhausting situation
    I think that used to happen. Where they couldn’t post on the boards but still used the activity wall. I could be wrong but pretty sure that used to be a thing
    ...

    We're also mindful that we don't want you guys to feel you need to 'battle' trolls. We'd encourage everyone to report any existing posts, then set them to 'ignore' and move on. Particularly with trolling behaviour, evidence suggests ignoring tends to make them go away. :tongue:    

    And if a situation does de-escalate and someone then feels able to post within guidelines, we'd like them to have that option. With the exception of trolls which are usually quite rare, these things tend to be heat of the moment, so a ban on posting might be a little much.
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Obnoxiously Large Anchor Posts: 1,201 Wise Owl
    @Mike would we be able to get the spam/unkind buttons to alert the mods to the about me section? I think that's a big thing right now. 

    Similar to what we do with the regular comments?  
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    edited January 2021
    Anch0r33 said:
    @Mike would we be able to get the spam/unkind buttons to alert the mods to the about me section? I think that's a big thing right now. 

    Similar to what we do with the regular comments?  

    Interesting idea @Anch0r33... Profile reporting is a different technical ballgame, so I don't think we'd be able to do that right now. For now, if you need to flag a profile, I'd suggest either:
    • Report any post in the usual way, select 'other' for the reason, and let us know there
    • Or drop us a PM and link us to the profile you're concerned about
    Someone should be able to pick either of those up quickly enough to avoid any real damage. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member ☕🌻☕ Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    I've noticed these have appeared back on profiles?
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    GreenTea said:
    I've noticed these have appeared back on profiles?
    Ah, so they have! Thanks @GreenTea - we'll look into it. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • SienaSiena Posts: 15,687 Skive's The Limit
    Mike said:
    GreenTea said:
    I've noticed these have appeared back on profiles?
    Ah, so they have! Thanks @- we'll look into it. :)
    Any update with this?  @The Mix  @Mike
    “And when they look at you, they won't see everything you've been through. They won't see the **** that turned to scars that began to fade with time. They won't see the heartbreaking things that shook up and changed your entire world. They won't know how many tears you cried or even what it was you were crying about. They won't see how strong you had to be because you had no other choice. What they will see though is how compassionate you are because you experienced pain. What they will see is how kind you are because you experienced how cruel the world is. What they will see is how good you are because you've seen how bad things or people can be. The difference between you and your experiences are who you choose to be, despite everything that could have turned you cold and unkind.You are the good the world needs and the best of us.” ~ Kirsten Corley
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    Shaunie said:
    Any update with this?  @The Mix  @Mike
    Still working on it @Shaunie. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
  • SienaSiena Posts: 15,687 Skive's The Limit
    Please get rid of this. It’s making me feel very very low about my self @Mike @The Mix 😭
    “And when they look at you, they won't see everything you've been through. They won't see the **** that turned to scars that began to fade with time. They won't see the heartbreaking things that shook up and changed your entire world. They won't know how many tears you cried or even what it was you were crying about. They won't see how strong you had to be because you had no other choice. What they will see though is how compassionate you are because you experienced pain. What they will see is how kind you are because you experienced how cruel the world is. What they will see is how good you are because you've seen how bad things or people can be. The difference between you and your experiences are who you choose to be, despite everything that could have turned you cold and unkind.You are the good the world needs and the best of us.” ~ Kirsten Corley
  • independent_independent_ Community Champion Posts: 9,051 Supreme Poster
    I definitely think it would be good if this could be removed from our profiles (particularly the unkind reaction, spam isn’t as much of an issue). 
    “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”
  • JustVJustV Community Manager Posts: 5,612 Part of The Furniture
    Still working on a fix for this, but we've disabled the report option altogether for now. Aware it's not a nice thing to see on your profile (and def doesn't mean you're an unkind person!).

    We'll report back when we have another update. Thanks for bearing with us, guys. :)
    All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
    The truth resists simplicity.
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