Hi all,

To help us identify reported content more quickly, we've added categories to the report system for you to select in the event you need to report a post. The categories are as follows:

Abusive behaviour

Alias account

Bringing forum into disrepute

Derailing thread

Discriminatory comment / hate speech (racist, homophobic, sexist, etc)

Harassment

Illegal material

Inappropriate language

Off-topic

Personal attack

Spam

Threatening or intimidating behaviour

Trolling or baiting

Worried about poster safety

This is not intended to be fully comprehensive and you will still be able to report something that doesn't fit the categories above if you feel it's appropriate. We may add to this list in the future if we think of anything that's been missed. Please do check the drop-down list when reporting content, though - it'll help us figure out what needs to happen faster, and be able to prioritise reports and act faster in issuing sanctions.

More information will come soon about a more standardised approach to warnings and suspensions, but in the meantime, a report is the fastest way to make us aware of anything that needs our attention.

Similarly, please don't abuse the reporting system. It's not for any posts you disagree with or simply don't like, it's for posts that go against the forum terms of service or fall into the above categories. Abusing the report system, or reporting the same post multiple times, will only slow down any response we take. Outcomes of reports will not generally be shared with posters unless deemed necessary, but you're always welcome to drop one of us a PM after some time has passed, if you want to follow up your report.

Thanks,

The management team

Can I ask what exactly would count under 'off-topic'? I presume it's for some kind of extreme cases, as obviously that kind of thing does happen naturally sometimes but often doesn't cause a problem.

I would say look at the extent of it, a couple of posts deviation or chat about things other than the topic at hand is fine as long as it naturally fades and doesn't become continuous and purposeful, I would also look at what's being discussed - things like politics or current news/controversial events are usually divisive and can attract arguments so should be shut down or redirected as soon as possible. Most can be shut down by just a verbal reminder to stay on topic, it's if the individual continues despite this or if it's a pattern of behaviour where it becomes report-worthy.

This is a great addition imo and I think all of those categories are pretty self explanatory

I think you genuinely have all bases covered with those but do you think it would be worthwhile having an "other/issue is not listed" option, assuming there's still a text field available to expand/explain why you're reporting the post?

2 hours ago, Lindsey. said:

I think all of those categories are pretty self explanatory

Not necessarily. I agree with having this but it's fine to ask for clarification for pretty much anything imo. One could in theory ask what counts as inappropriate language? People swear on here sometimes (including me the odd time), of course it's often censored or they switch letters around but is that inappropriate or not, for example?

Or even the issue of harassment can be seen differently. My flatmate and I went to the police the first time we lived together, about our neighbour randomly threatening us several times (without us ever having had any other interactions), and they said it didn't count as harassment, even though we felt pretty harassed when he came knocking on our door to announce that he's gonna kick my flatmate's teeth in and hurling insults whenever we walked past. (They did eventually have a quick chat with him at least)

I'm just saying things aren't always so clear-cut and sometimes it takes some amount of more complex navigating.

Don't worry too much about the definitions, report stuff as you usually would and select what you feel best suits the incident, it'll just help us identify what's going on faster!

@Lindsey. If something doesn't fit the category then keep it on the top option (as per the screenshot), the comment box is still there and was just hidden by the dropdown in my screenshot!

Sorry if I was splitting hairs, didn't mean to be challenging or anything. I realize it makes things easier, even if it's not all self-explanatory.

@matto I think if you're not sure on something but it's close to the border then report it anyway and let the management team decide. I think the mod team have been on the forum long enough and are familiar enough with the community guidelines to know what is okay and what isn't, at least in 99% of cases (I'd have thought anyway 😅)

I think having different categories is a good idea. Personally, I would never report a comment simply because I was “ok with it, but I would like to be able to bring something to the moderators' attention.”

I would just like to make a point about multiple reporting, without taking away from the message that it shouldn't be encouraged. I don't think people will be making multiple reports to deliberately "abuse" the system, but rather because something has genuinely bothered, upset or shocked them.

My recommendation to all moderators would be to approach these situations with sensitivity, rather than lecturing people about how they are making themselves look "bad". I appreciate that the issue may need to be addressed, but it can be done in a way that doesn't make the original poster feel worse, particularly when they may already be unhappy or distressed by whatever prompted them to report in the first place.

I would also add that where false accusations are made by moderators in these messages, such as “encouraging others to report said comment,” and the person receiving them responds by explaining why those accusations are incorrect, an apology or acknowledgement should follow. After all, making "baseless" accusations is not appropriate either, is it?

Edited November 3Nov 3 by Spiceboy

16 minutes ago, Spiceboy said:

I think having different categories is a good idea. Personally, I would never report a comment simply because I disagreed with it, but I would like to be able to bring something to the moderators' attention.

I would just like to make a point about multiple reporting, without taking away from the message that it shouldn't be encouraged. I don't think people will be making multiple reports to deliberately "abuse" the system, but rather because something has genuinely bothered, upset or shocked them.

My recommendation to all moderators would be to approach these situations with sensitivity, rather than lecturing people about how they are making themselves look "bad". I appreciate that the issue may need to be addressed, but it can be done in a way that doesn't make the original poster feel worse, particularly when they may already be unhappy or distressed by whatever prompted them to report in the first place.

I would also add that where false accusations are made by moderators in these messages, such as encouraging others to report said comment, and the person receiving them responds by explaining why those accusations are incorrect, an apology or acknowledgement should follow. After all, making "baseless" accusations is not appropriate either, is it?

Just going to address this publicly since several of your comments there are indirectly aimed at me; opting to make something of it here instead of actually approaching me if you've been feeling some type of way since we last spoke directly with one another (which to me, ironically, felt friendly and that there was some understanding of where I was coming from on your end... but clearly not since it's starting to sound like you don't want moderator decisions to be balanced and what's deemed fair with input/awareness from multiple people but instead just reactionary and the outcome that you're seeking or else).

When you've reported posts I have, on more than one occasion now, specifically reached out to you and have explained things in more detail (far more than I or others normally would), and I've always tried to be friendly, pragmatic and neutral. I haven't tried to lecture you - I've given you a balanced response and tried to explain how I (or we, when there's been input from other moderators or members of management) have arrived at a decision made about reported posts.

I have also enquired behind the scenes to a member of management about whether there's a possibility of automated responses being enabled on the forum as acknowledgement to members that their reports have been received, that they will be reviewed, to allow time for that to happen, etc, on the back of you raising this as something you'd want implemented 'as standard'. So I'd be grateful if you don't try and make out like nothing's being done and that your reports aren't taken seriously. Moderators also have lives outside of BuzzJack, so it's natural that sometimes we don't always have the time to personally respond to every report received.

I won't be apologising to you for 'baseless accusations' since I did not accuse you of doing anything as you've described; I pointed out an example of something that would not impact the length of time it takes for a report to be reviewed by moderators, whether it's multiple reports from the same person or others being encouraged to also report the same post, because they all fall under one single report. You immediately responding knowing exactly what I may have been referring to when no other information was provided does, however, paint a picture. But by all means you can reach out to another moderator, GM or admin for further clarification if you feel your report hasn't been dealt with appropriately or the outcome isn't as you desired, but the reports themselves are readily viewable by GMs, admins (and moderators of the same section), as well as other information relevant to the report that I've already included.

And as I've said to you privately already, I do like you Spiceboy, but it's starting to come across like you're being spiteful because you haven't gotten your way, or that you're going to use people's words against them to make it seem like you've been hard done by and that you're not being listened to, because a moderator won't bite back and explain the other side of the conversation had. What I will, however, apologise for is if you haven't felt that my messages to you have been as supportive or as sympathetic as they could have been or you'd like them to have been. I can't speak for everybody but when I do make moderator decisions I try and remain as neutral as possible to arrive at an appropriate solution, and ultimately that's not going to please everybody 🤷‍♂️ so while I stand by the decisions I've made, I'm sorry that what, in my head, appeared to be a friendly, productive conversation about how to move forward, didn't translate as such to you.

36 minutes ago, Calum said:

Just going to address this publicly since several of your comments there are indirectly aimed at me; opting to make something of it here instead of actually approaching me if you've been feeling some type of way since we last spoke directly with one another (which to me, ironically, felt friendly and that there was some understanding of where I was coming from on your end... but clearly not since it's starting to sound like you don't want moderator decisions to be balanced and what's deemed fair with input/awareness from multiple people but instead just reactionary and the outcome that you're seeking or else).

When you've reported posts I have, on more than one occasion now, specifically reached out to you and have explained things in more detail (far more than I or others normally would), and I've always tried to be friendly, pragmatic and neutral. I haven't tried to lecture you - I've given you a balanced response and tried to explain how I (or we, when there's been input from other moderators or members of management) have arrived at a decision made about reported posts.

I have also enquired behind the scenes to a member of management about whether there's a possibility of automated responses being enabled on the forum as acknowledgement to members that their reports have been received, that they will be reviewed, to allow time for that to happen, etc, on the back of you raising this as something you'd want implemented 'as standard'. So I'd be grateful if you don't try and make out like nothing's being done and that your reports aren't taken seriously. Moderators also have lives outside of BuzzJack, so it's natural that sometimes we don't always have the time to personally respond to every report received.

I won't be apologising to you for 'baseless accusations' since I did not accuse you of doing anything as you've described; I pointed out an example of something that would not impact the length of time it takes for a report to be reviewed by moderators, whether it's multiple reports from the same person or others being encouraged to also report the same post, because they all fall under one single report. You immediately responding knowing exactly what I may have been referring to when no other information was provided does, however, paint a picture. But by all means you can reach out to another moderator, GM or admin for further clarification if you feel your report hasn't been dealt with appropriately or the outcome isn't as you desired, but the reports themselves are readily viewable by GMs, admins (and moderators of the same section), as well as other information relevant to the report that I've already included.

And as I've said to you privately already, I do like you Spiceboy, but it's starting to come across like you're being spiteful because you haven't gotten your way, or that you're going to use people's words against them to make it seem like you've been hard done by and that you're not being listened to, because a moderator won't bite back and explain the other side of the conversation had. What I will, however, apologise for is if you haven't felt that my messages to you have been as supportive or as sympathetic as they could have been or you'd like them to have been. I can't speak for everybody but when I do make moderator decisions I try and remain as neutral as possible to arrive at an appropriate solution, and ultimately that's not going to please everybody 🤷‍♂️ so while I stand by the decisions I've made, I'm sorry that what, in my head, appeared to be a friendly, productive conversation about how to move forward, didn't translate as such to you.

I apologise if my post came across as "spiteful", it certainly wasn't intended that way. I was simply raising what I felt was a valid point going forward for other members. That section I brought up in the original post did also feel somewhat indirectly aimed at me, considering it came the day after said incident, if I'm being honest, although I'm sure that wasn't the intention.

Since you've brought it up, I am not happy with the outcome, but I said I accepted it, and I do. I do, however, think it is unfair that you are now saying you did not accuse me of that, when it is quite clear in the message, having re-read it. I also feel that the same accusation is still being made in your latest message. I can't help but feel that perhaps this is why you chose not to address my explanation, because you simply don't believe me. That's your prerogative, of course, but I did explain my side, and I'm happy to send you screenshots if you feel that would help.

My original message was not intended as an attack, but rather to raise something I felt could be handled more kindly in future, that's all. I really did not need to be told it only served to make me look bad (with the You in Italliacs, maybe we just disagree on how that comes across). I apologise that it came across that way, though. I can see how it has done, and I'm sorry for that. On reflection I can see the "baseless" accusations bit wasn't needed, I am still angry about that claim on me, which I disagree with, considering I have more evidence than you do for the claim you "suggested" against me. That was an error on my part.

I also like you very much, and always have done. This doesn't change that on my side.

Edited November 3Nov 3 by Spiceboy