Change RBP Icon Into Text-Based
 

To insure maximum potential exposure and utilization by members, I would like to suggest that the RBP icon (red-bordered triangle with exclamation point in the middle) be replaced with a simple text-link 'Alert Moderator' or 'Report This Post To Moderator' or other related text.

Plenty of Mods have observed that RBPs aren't necessarily a good indication of member dissatisfaction with problem posts, because they believe that many members aren't aware of the RBP function in general or about the identity of the current RBP icon.

This is an extremely easy technical fix, just a question of will.

Do the mods feel this way because people are telling them that they don't understand the icon, or because people PM them with concerns instead of using the icon?

What happens to a reported post? Does the report go to all mods or just to the mods of the forum containing the post? Is it possible that people do understand the icon, but prefer a PM as theywant feedback?

In any event, I think it is a good idea and, if it only helps a small number of people, it still sounds worth doing.

Then surely they can ask for feedback while entering the relevant info in the RBP message box...

All the mods of the relevant forum, or if that forum has no mods all the senior mods. The forum mods are listed bottom right on the forum page.

FWIW I, and some other FTers I know, use the RBP icon as a quick way to contact the forum mods - not just about bad posts. It is easier than PMing/emailing all the forum mods.

Thank you, Kiwi Flyer.

Has it been your personal experience that posters in the fora you moderate are unaware of the report post icon?

Seems that even longtime members cannot find the Report Bad Post function.

That's an invitation to prove a negative if ever I saw one...

I apologize if the meaning of my question was unclear. Please let me rephrase it for you. Have people in for fora you moderate told you that they were unaware of the Report Post icon?

If they told me they were unaware of the RBP icon they would be lying, as they would have to be aware of it to tell me they weren't aware of it...

I think there are two issues with the icon as it stands. Firstly, it's not clear what it's for. Secondly, it puts a negative connotation on reporting a post - the icon itself (and, to an extent, the word report) suggest criticism of the post. Personally, I find the more feedback I receive from members about posts in the forums I help moderate, the better I'm able to help serve those members, so I'd like to make it as easy and obvious for people to be able to communicate with me as possible. I'd like to encourage it - not just make it possible for those who seek it out.

Yes, but if they PMed or e-mailed you, you could have asked them if they were aware of the Report Bad Post feature and gain data that way.

Wingnut writes:

Isn't that the purpose of this particular feature, "To report a bad (or misplaced) post"?

Are you saying that you would like another button that people could easily click to communicate with you regarding issues other than bad posts? That sounds reasonable to me.

Or are you saying that you would just like to have a handy "Talk to the Moderator" button which could be used for any member-moderator communications?

Having it as an RBP button is rather limiting - it's used by some members in a much broader sense than only reporting bad posts, but we think many members don't realise it can be used in many situations, and not just for problematic posts. And we also think that many members just don't realise it exists, so converting it over to a text button does at least make it a little bit more explicit/obvious as to its existence and a bit more user friendly.

I support this idea. I think it's a good idea which has no downside.

Posts aren't necessarily "bad" - they might be "good" and worthy of being stickied, they might be "good" but the poster (who may be new) may get better answers if the post were moved to a more suitable forum or merged with an existing thread on the same subject. The current set-up, IMHO, emphasises the negative.

I think there should be one button (not an additional button), it should be clearer and more obvious what it's for (possibly by being text based as discussed above), it shouldn't be framed as only for bad posts (either in its graphical form or its rubric), and it should invite communicate from members to moderators.

And you don't feel that this would place an additional and unduly heavy burden on the moderators' shoulders?

My shoulders are broad enough ;) - although it's a good point - it should be made clear in the rubric that mods may not be able to reply to all messages - that's a luxury only really available to those of us who plough the quieter fields of FT.

No... managing the forums and the threads is a major part of our job afterall. If it means we get an earlier heads up when a thread is going bad, rather than hearing about it two hours after the thread has gone past the point of no return, then I think there are times when it would actually reduce our workload and the requirement to start disciplining members who get too heated. That can only be a good thing.