Does "Report Bad Post" Work?
 

Hi, all.

I'm just curious to know if the "Report Bad Post" icon found on every FT post actually works. I've used it a few times to report flaming, bad handles, etc., but have never received any sort of reply to my report. Just curious to know if anyone actually sees these reports, and if so, if anyone investigates/takes action.

BTW, Thanks again to Randy, the moderators, TalkBoard, and everyone involved with FT! I love it!

Cheers,
LBBZman

Works on the AC forum. We have a grass on there who loves running to tell tales on naughty posts in wrong places....we havent found out who yet as they are too sad to admit it in public, but we will......;)

From my experience, it works so long as there is a Moderator in the Forum that the bad post is located. Apparently, if there is not a Moderator, it goes into the FlyerTalk 360 file. I posted this question publicly a while back, along with a private e-mail to Randy and didn't receive a response from anyone.

You've hit indirectly on the single most frustrating issue for me with Flyertalk. Volunteers are solicited - people taken the time to complete applications to become Moderators, try and resolve problems, etc, and they are ignored. At least, don't solicit volunteers if they aren't needed/wanted. @:-)

Report-Bad-Post works.

In forums that are moderated, the messages are sent to all moderators of the forum.

In forums that are not moderated, the messages are now (recent change) sent to the designated senior moderators.

As far as messages that I've received, I try to respond to them and I apologize if there have been times that I've just clicked the link to the thread provided, dealt with the issue, but not closed the loop with the member reporting the thread. There are times when I might check in between meetings, or right before going out, and I have the moment to address the problem but fail to thank the member.

When I disagree with the report a post, I try to write back to the member and explain my thinking. And I apologize if there are times when I fail to do that.

gleff

That's good to know that the report a post now is supposed to work in all of the Forums. Thanks for the work that you do here. ^ It is nice when the Moderators have the time and can explain action or non-action, as appropriate - that's the best way for the users to learn.

Thanks for the explanation, gleff. It answers my question I had posted in the other thread. I had not seen your post here.

Thank you very much, gleff. You really do an excellent job. I very much appreciate your unbiased, and sometimes humorous, approach.

So not moderated = moderated. In fact it = more moderated as it means moderated by people who spend no time in the forum.

Being an active member of a forum can actually be viewed as a case against being appointed moderator. Too difficult to be viewed as "unbiased".

This is of course balanced with asking a volunteer to spend extra time in a forum that they may care nothing about.

For <Censored> sake. Anywhone who wants to moderate = power! just admit it, be sad and move on .....................

I volunteered to become a moderator because I have benefitted a great deal from FlyerTalk and believed that moderating the Delta forum is one of the many ways I could give back to the FlyerTalk community.

Any FlyerTalk member is welcome to review my record as a moderator of the Delta forum. If you can find any solid unquestionable evidence that I volunteered to moderate the Delta forum simply for the sake of power, FatBoyYVR, by all means please present it and I will “admit” that — in your own words, FatBoyYVR — “moderate = power”.

Furthermore, while I do not intend to speak for other moderators, I know for a fact that there are many other FlyerTalk moderators who feel the same way as I do.

ROTFLMFAO! I've been a member here for a while (I lurk more than post as there's more knowledgeable folks out there than I), and despite seeing fair handed-ness of moderation, I can't comment for the mods on FT. But, for my own PoV, I'm a moderator on another board and I can tell you that I don't believe the majority of volunteers sign up for it as any sort of a "power trip" at all! Of course, if the mods were paid for their time, no doubt folks would accuse them of being on "performance related pay" ;)

Cheers

Michael
(first post in ORP, despite being tempted many a time ;) )

Yup, it works. In fact, IMHO, it works quite well. I have used it several times and on almost every occasion I have received an email from the moderator of the forum explaining any action taken.

To add another moderator's perspective on the Report Bad Post topic...

I tend to get quite a few posts reported from the combination of Mileage Run and Coupon Connection. In some cases, I do respond to the user, but to be honest, in most cases I don't. It's not because I don't respect the user -- it's mainly because of the amount of additional time I would be spending doing that and not being able to enjoy reading other posts. While I enjoy volunteering as a moderator, I still want to be able to benefit from FlyerTalk as a member, and though a single PM doesn't seem like much, the volume of them would quickly become too much.

In addition, in most cases the response to the report is evidenced by the post being moved, edited or deleted. In cases where it requires action against a particular user, that's not something I can discuss anyway.

I will say, however, that if you feel particularly strongly about getting a response, please indicate as such in your comments when reporting a post, and where possible, I (and I'm guessing most of my fellow moderators) will make every effort to respond.

Thanks for the (mostly) positive input, gang!

Dave, a.k.a. dmfriedman
Moderator, Mileage Run and Coupon Connection

Oooh yeah. Don't overlook the cash. and the babes. and the free liquor. The power is just icing.

FWIW, that has not been my experience.

Most of the time I get a response from the moderator who handles the issue, but if I do not, whoop-dee-doo. :)

I can usually see they took care of it while perusing the thread list, and if not, no real skin off my nose. Most of the time I report a Bad Post is to note that a topic is already being discussed in a current thread, not to report bad behavior (I've been fortunate that most of the forums I frequent seem to be well-behaved, in general).

Many thanks gleff.

I hope it works, there is a poster in the Amex forum who has a username, profile and posting habits worth looking at. One aim only: 100 posts and OMNI eligibility, achieving it by commenting on anything others say.

Just read these threads:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3683706

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3687177

and last but not least:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397790

Poster doesn't use the search or edit post functions, really these threads are not good for FT and I have never read anything like what this new poster has to say and how many posts he made in such a short time span. I wouldn't let him/her post in OMNI...or put plenty more threads in the normally very civilized Amex forum.

Hmm. I seem to recall numerous emails on your reported posts when I was an OMNI moderator. Is my memory faulty?

Err this thread isnt for reporting bad posts. Please continue to use the icon.

Yes, it is. I would characterize it as "several" e-mails. And that has now been some time ago. But, thank you for your service.

My comment probably should have been "FWIW, that has not been my recent experience.

But the single best post must be this one, referring to his post immediately above:

:rolleyes:

What dmfriedman said!

cblaisd
"Senior Moderator," and
Moderator, United and Coupon Connection

I used the report bad post function in the appropriate thread at one specific post of the supreme leader. I hope action will be taken by a senior moderator.

Thanks in advance.

Leaving aside this particular issue with this particular member, I wanted to clarify that report-a-posts go to the moderator of the forum where the post resides unless the forum is unmoderated in which case it goes to senior moderators.

If you report a post in the United forum, it goes to the UA moderators. If you report a post in the American Express forum, it goes to the AX moderator.

Furthermore, with the exception of SPAM or absence (e.g. due to travel) of a forum's regular moderator(s), the senior moderators are only likely to act in unmoderated forums.

There will certainly be some (rare) exceptions to this, but please don't let the appointment of a few senior moderators change expectations and interactions with existing forum moderators.

Thanks,
Gary

Thanks for the clarification gleff. And thanks to the Amex Moderator for solving the issue properly.

Best regards!

I'd like to add that since Gleff has taken his talents to Flyertalk he has set the standards for what and how an outstanding moderator should conduct his or herself.
He simply has a gift knowing just how to approach others always in civilized class act manner.
Not to mention he also brings his wealth of knowledge about the industry and other such contributions to the forum.

Thanks Gleff way to go........great moderator and contributor to Flyertalk.
We are one very lucky community to have your presence onboard.
I'm buying the first round of drinks if you make it to the Freddie's
Maybe the second round too ;)
If there was a moderator Freddie you would have my vote ^
Thanks Punki for your post to add my remarks
Cheers

Bump. I don't think that we ever got an answer to this question.

We didn't??? :confused:

I thought gleff did a clear job explaining how "Report Bad Post" works in post #4.

I'm thinking it was answered as well.

Another point to re-state is that many times our volunteers, including me do not have the volunteer time available to write a personal note back to each member submitting the Report Post. If nothing happens, it may be that in the mind of others, including the volunteer that it was felt that no action was required. I'd say from my own experience that around half the time no action is required, remembering of course that we each have our own perception. In cases where no action was taken it is often because from an outside view, the volunteer was no privy to the "insiders" take on what might have been posted.

Anyway, since as chex pointed out, the question has been answered.