The "Report Post" feature & General Decorum...

Mrs. Peel · November 12, 2019

I've been noticing some things lately that I wanted to address:

1) Some of you tend to call out the name of an administrator and/or mod (using the @ sign and their individual name) to draw attention to something (a technical difficulty, an obvious spammer, someone hurling personal insults, etc.) Let me say... it is always good to draw our attention to problems. There are only a few mods and we do NOT follow every single thread with eagle eyes, so chances are excellent that a poster will notice something before we do (simply because there's far more posters than mods).

2) But, there's a much better way to get our attention. Within each post you have the ability to click on "report post"... and then write in your description of the problem. On the backend, this sends an immediate email to ALL admins/mods and it also flags ALL of their screens on their next login (if the issue is still open). This is the fastest, most efficient way to get an actual problem addressed. Some of you have been really outstanding about using this feature to alert us to spammers - we appreciate your ongoing help with that!! :wub:

3) I've noticed some of you prefer to Private Message (PM) an admin/mod.... maybe because you have more of a relationship with that individual. Of course, you can always reach out to us individually using a PM, but again, just keep in mind if that individual you PM'd is offline for a day or 2, your issue will be sitting there in their messages... unopened. So if it's a time-pressing matter, use that "report post" feature! That way, the first of us to see it will jump in to help.

4) I will speak only for myself on this next point: I like to moderate "lightly" - with a robust respect for free speech. With very few exceptions - like spamming, vulgar language, etc. - I try not to interfere with your conversations even when they get, shall we say, "lively". That said, I think many of you are unaware of just how many "clicks" these forums get! For every one of you that makes a post - there will be thousands more who have read what you posted. In this hostile anti-2A environment that is the State of New Jersey, I believe it's imperative that we not only continually attract new members, but provide a welcoming environment that invites those lurkers in. As such, a platform chockful of bickering posters is not helpful to that end, don't you agree?

5) If you have a "problem" with another poster on here - their opinions, their politics, or their posting style irks you - pls handle that like a mature adult. Look away. Turn the other cheek. Don't engage. Don't harass. Don't insult. Don't pick fights. Don't engage others in your ongoing battle. If you feel they have broken forum rules, use the "report" feature and let the admins/mods sort it out. And if you really feel (for some ridiculous reason) that you must engage with that poster "mano a mano" - here's a thought - move it to a PM or the chat feature! Why clog up everyone else's screens with your personal vendettas? It gets old - and I do suspect a majority of you agree with this statement. Thanks for your consideration!