Overview
This article serves as a guide for moderators on how to effectively manage flagged posts within online discussion forums. It details the flagging process for users, the prioritization of flagged content for admin review, and the various actions administrators can take, including agreeing with flags, disagreeing, ignoring, or deleting posts to maintain a constructive community environment.
Information
Discussions user's view
When users don’t like a post, they can flag it for moderators. The flag dialog has 4 options: off-topic, inappropriate, spam, and something else. The first three cast the flag, something else allows for a custom message and then casts the flag. Learn more about how user flags discussions topic - Discussions 2.0: Notifications, Flag, Delete
Admin Review & Flag Handling
All flagged posts and pending approvals will appear in the Administrator Moderation page. This page can be accessed through your Admin view > Discussions > Moderation .
When a flag is a cast, it will be prioritized (for the admin to review) based on:
- The type of flag and any extra priorities
- The number of flags
- The flagging accuracy of user(s) who flagged the post
- Whether it was flagged by another Hub Administrator
There are four options for admins when handling flags
1. Agree
Agreeing with a flag confirms that the post is off-topic, spam, inappropriate, or something else. When you agree with a flag, a dropdown menu will open giving you options for how to handle the post and its creator.
- Keep Post: Agree with the flag, but keep the post visible.
- Suspend User: Agree with the flag and suspend the user. A suspended user cannot login to the Hub anymore.
- Silence User: Agree with the flag and silence the user. A silenced user has all posting disabled (they cannot reply to topics, create topics, or create flags).
- Hide Post: Hide this post and automatically send the user a message urging them to edit it.
2. Disagree
Choosing Disagree will remove the flag from the post and leave the post visible.
3. Ignore
When a flag is Ignored, the flag will stay in place, but the flag will be removed from the Pending flags list in the Review Queue. You can search for ignored flags on the Review page by selecting ‘Ignored’ from the Status dropdown menu.
4. Delete
Clicking the Delete button for a post in the Review Queue will cause the post to be deleted. You will be given two options when you select the Delete option. ‘Delete Post and Ignore’ will remove the post, but not penalize its creator with the flag. ‘Delete Post and Agree’ will delete the post and penalize its creator with the flag.
FAQ
What options do users have when flagging a post?
Users can flag a post as off-topic, inappropriate, spam, or they can choose 'something else' to provide a custom message before casting the flag.
How are flagged posts prioritized for admin review?
Flagged posts are prioritized based on the type of flag, the number of flags received, the flagging accuracy of the users, and whether the post was flagged by another Hub Administrator.
What actions can administrators take when they agree with a flag?
Administrators can select the 'Agree' option, which presents a dropdown menu with various actions that can be taken regarding the post and its author, including deletion or other measures in line with community guidelines.
What does selecting the "Disagree" option do?
Selecting "Disagree" removes the flag from the post, and the post will remain visible in the forum.
How can administrators manage ignored flags?
Ignored flags are removed from the 'Pending flags' list but can be located by going to the Review page and selecting 'Ignored' from the Status dropdown menu.