XF 1.0 Managing Reported Content

Well, you wouldn't have seen it because it's only exposed to moderators.

Moderator actions are invoked using the moderator bar that is at the top of every page. In this post, I'll be focusing on how moderators handle reported content.

Handling a report is a little more formalized than you might be used to. Reports are now tracked with a status, so that it's clear what has happened and, if you leave a comment, why.

This bar makes it easy to see when you have tasks outstanding, but doesn't get in the way of reading the forum.

Inside the reported items section, you are presented with a list of outstanding (open or assigned) reports:

This does not just have to show a list of reported posts. It will show any type of comment, including profile posts or those added by add-ons. (Add-ons simply need to implement the basic reporting functionality and write some code to interact with this system.)

You can also use the button in the upper right to view recently closed reports.

Diving into the report listed, we see:

This shows us the content that was reported and any comments that may have been made. If a piece of content is reported multiple times, only one report will be created but all the comments will be listed here. Each moderator that can manage the report has the option of making a comment as well. This is important when the type of action that needs to be taken isn't 100% clear. Note that users that report content can't see this page or any of the comments that are made; they are for internal use only.

To modify the report's status, you must first claim the report. This is mostly important if you have two or more people who might handle the report. Once one person claims the report, the other can see that it's being handled. After claiming the report, the view switches slightly:

Now, using the "go to content" button (which opens in a new window), you can manage the content directly. After you have taken your course of action, you'd come back to the report view and change the status. After submitting, you're taken back to the report list view to move on to the next thing.

After a report has been closed, it can be re-opened if needed:

A moderator's comment will automatically re-open it. Another user reporting the content will cause it to be re-opened; however, all of the comments will still be available to help you decide whether an action is really necessary.

Added September 22nd:
Floris has put together a video showing how the system works. Thanks, Floris!

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[Grover]

IMO,

There is no reason Admins can not create a forum for moderators to discuss certain reported items. Of all the reported items you receive, how many warrant discussions beyond what the comments section provides. Problem members (those whose posts are reported regularly for flaming, for example), IMO would have their own thread created in the mod forum for mods to discuss, keep, and ref, but if someone's posts gets reported as spam (ie: selling shoes), why bother wasting a thread on them?

Yes, you are right when you take that last example. I understand. But especially when you have a troubled user who created more problems already in the past it would be really convenient to be able to refer to the reported items (being it in a dedicated reports section or a software generated thread) in the dedicated thread that was setup for this problematic user. This is what I said in my previous post... often it is all connected to each other. Reports, already opened Problematic User Discussions, Infractions, Banning options... you name it. In the ideal world stuff like that could be combined or at least somehow really work together.

 

[Brandon_R]

Huh?! Where did I state anything of the sort? A reported post results in a new thread. Therefore, it should appear when you select "What's New". A new reply to that report also results in a new post, which also should show up with "What's New". What you've alluded to in your post has absolutely nothing to do with my complaint on how the system will work.

Most of the staff, myself included, uses "What's New" type link as our primary link to view new threads. As I tend to place that link where it does the most good for our users (right side of forum), any red number at the top is going to get overlooked. This is why it's imperative that new comments be included in the "What's New".

Please excuse me if i misunderstood but you want to include comments that are posted in the moderated system in the what's new threads? If that's so then it would just lower the quality of things that shows up in the What's New Threads ie new threads.

If that's not what you meant then please execuse me.

 

[Dean]

Or.. A choice to have reported posts go to a staff forum and bypass the report center altogether.

Is there a downside to having the reported posts go into a separate area that can be searched, organized, and archived? Even if they are completely ignored?

I think that may be a question that I could not answer without knowing a bit more about the system than they revealed at this time.

 

[Biker]

Please excuse me if i misunderstood but you want to include comments that are posted in the moderated system in the what's new threads? If that's so then it would just lower the quality of things that shows up in the What's New Threads ie new threads.

If that's not what you meant then please execuse me.

What is the difference between a new post in the report area and a new post in the moderator forum? In my book, none.

Is there a downside to having the reported posts go into a separate area that can be searched, organized, and archived? Even if they are completely ignored?

I think that may be a question that I could not answer without knowing a bit more about the system than they revealed at this time.

This system looks and feels just like IPBs system from what I'm seeing the dev's describe. It's totally separate from the forum with absolutely no integration with the existing forum features other than a "pretty" red number at the top of the forum when something new is reported. Screw that.

 

[Grover]

We haven't really had to discuss anything. It's mostly been Lawrence and I handling reports, and they've been fairly simple, so far.

Thanks for explaining! But what if I have 10 Moderators on my team? I try to look at the bigger picture... I mean I do run a big board... and in our case we actually often need to discuss things at length. Especially if the user was reported many times before or there are other related isses, then a fair amount of Mods and discussion can be involved. And threads are ideal for that, obviously.

But if it's just a clear cut case of needing to close a thread, or something else very cut & dry, then why a thread? Just take it, do it, and close it.

Sure enough, but this is always possible. Also with threads. And also with the current XenForo system. But what when we need to do more then this? This is what we are talking about. You see...

It wouldn't really be possible to fit it into what's new (most significantly for technical reasons), so they will have to check it if they're looking for responses. It probably wouldn't be a big issue to expose the last modified report time to the moderator bar.

... if we really need to manually check what new posts/comments are being made in reports, then this would be rather counter productive. The beauty of using a thread is that when you are posting in it, you automatically get subscribed to it (vBulletin 3.8) and can see on 'What New' etc if their is any new posting made that you might need to look at when managing a reported post (which is a thread) . It is all managed automatically. And this is what I would like to see in XenForo's system: functionality that makes managing reports as easy and time saving as possible for our staff.

Edit... and when we need to manually check for updates/comments... it is not really time saving. Look... what I love in XenForo is the fact that you get an alert if you have been quoted in a thread. It immediately gets your attention if someone is replying on you and it works wonders for the activity and interaction on this site. So, this is something what I also would need if a Mod makes a comment in a Report. Imagine if ModP writes something in a comment as a quote-reply to ModL in a Report... it would attract the attention of ModL immediately when he gets an alert for that, so he/she knows to check it out, because it might need some action. This is how threads work for us and I would need something along those lines in the XenForo Report Center as well.

 

[Walter]

Don't forget, it's quite different to run a small forum or a forum with hundreds or thousands of users online during the whole day, and having 30 moderators makes quite a difference to having two moderators.

As soon as forums grow large, administration and moderation of a forum can become a nightmare. We need as many good tools as we can get.

 

[Mike]

I've noted a bunch of ideas down and will look at implementing what's feasible down the line.

 

[Shamil]

Thanks Mike. Would you be able to share with us what you've got down?

 

[Enigma]

Thanks Mike. Would you be able to share with us what you've got down?

All the best ideas from this thread?

 

[Mike]

Things like search, going to a forum instead, ensuring that the content shows the report, etc. Basically the stuff that has come up in the thread.

 

[Shamil]

Things like search, going to a forum instead, ensuring that the content shows the report, etc. Basically the stuff that has come up in the thread.

Cheers Mike.

 

[Walter]

Thanks a lot.

 

[Grover]

Very much appreciated, Mike!

 

[Brandon_R]

I've noted a bunch of ideas down and will look at implementing what's feasible down the line.

I like it. Lets see something cool

 

[Onimua]

Looks very cool, and I can't wait to try it for myself in the future. It definitely handles better than previous software I've used, and I actually like that it's separate so I don't have to be distracted by the rest of the forum.

 

[Grover]

Often a reports has a relation/connection with another report you see and because of that... often reports also triggers Staff to use The Infraction System... or setting Banning options... or many stuff that is just related to each other.

This is what I said in my previous post... often it is all connected to each other. Reports, already opened Problematic User Discussions, Infractions, Banning options... you name it. In the ideal world stuff like that could be combined or at least somehow really work together.

This is why I like this suggestion from Alfa1 very much:
An overhaul and integration of the report system, infraction system, user note system

...something along those lines. Integrate it. XenForo could be really innovate in this area.

 

[Brandon_R]

This is why I like this suggestion from Alfa1 very much:
An overhaul and integration of the report system, infraction system, user note system

...something along those lines. Integrate it. XenForo could be really innovate in this area.

Agreed, I think there is definitely room to innovate here but they should rethink the infraction system and user note system [?] (not sure they should even have it here since the report system can be used for this more effectively) . The report system is progressing nicely though.

 

[Peggy]

We don't have an infraction system that I know of. (not an official statement)

 

[Shamil]

We don't have an infraction system that I know of. (not an official statement)

I thought so. I remember someone saying that there might not be one. Let me check my threads.

 

[Dean]

We don't have an infraction system that I know of. (not an official statement)

Cool!

Bwah hhhaaaaa