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Can there be a dispute and forum support section that only mods/admins can see?

b0nk

b0nk

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It works on Smashboards. They also allow you to post in that, and only that, when you're banned.

It allows transparency for complaints instead of dealing with individual mods with pm's only. I feel these conversations/questions are best dealt with in a setting where it's slightly more open, but not so open that you get troll threads to ask about disputes.

Thanks,

Blunk

(I make the best threads after 750ml of 151 proof rum afk)
 
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IIRC, something like this existed once and no one used it for its intended purpose. You can invite people into PM chats, so if you wanted to you could invite the entire moderation team into a chat.

(Pls don't do this unless it's important)
 
IIRC is too old school for most people now a days and the PM thing is less convenient than just having a place to post and know it's for the mods lol.

It doesn't really affect the forum since it's invisible to the majority of it.

This is customer support basic ayyy
 
No, it isn't customer support basic. Customer support basic is the need to have clear lines of communication between the people enforcing the rules and anybody who might need to contact them - that's why I used to have a link in my signature recommending people PM me if there was an issue, one of the main reasons the tag system was introduced and the reason why every post and thread has a 'report' link next to it. What you mean is that the synapses in your brain fired for once and you hope someone can validate it or else you're not sure what to do with the feeling.

Now, onto the actual request - The only real benefit of this is that the place where people can contact the mods is more visible by virtue of being on the forum index. This itself is a good idea, but the problems with it would include the possibility for mods to not engage with the support request (leaving it for the next guy), or else all piling on to the thread, offering their opinion and actually making it harder to decide what needs to be done. The benefit of sending a PM is that you've then got one person's attention and they will do what they can to resolve the issue because it's suddenly become their sole responsibility, and when considering the way the moderation currently works and the scale of the userbase, the benefits don't really outweigh the issues. Of course, if tons of users keep asking for it then I'll investigate some options.

Is there something specific you have a problem with? If so, send me a PM and I'll do my best to sort it out or get you in touch with someone who can.
 
Nah, I just believe that it's a good idea. Also I forget, can you still PM people while banned?

Not to mention when I made this thread, I just finished a bottle of 100 proof rum lmao.
 
b0nk said:
Also I forget, can you still PM people while banned?
Not currently, because if you get someone being abusive then they could just carry on that abuse after being banned. You can always email admin@skullheart.com which is a direct line to me, but obviously only use that if there's no other way.
 
Just pointing that out cause a forum section can more easily be monitored and control for abuse, especially when only mods, admins, and the person banned who made the thread can see what's being said there.
 
I don;t see how that makes controlling 'abuse' any easier.

Mods can also invite other mods into PM conversations, etc., and when a mod gets a complaint they often let all of the other mods know about it in case it's relevant to someone else's job later. Really either way the system is exactly the same with users anonymously contacting mods in a way that other users don't know about, the only difference being where people type in their problems.
 
Is there a way to limit who can be pm while banned? I honestly dont think a mod and banned group "board" is a bad idea but I dont think its needed.
 
Vadsamoht said:
I don;t see how that makes controlling 'abuse' any easier.

I meant like, if you allow PMing then they could abuse that.

They can't abuse a support and ban dispute section lol.

EDIT: It's also not really anonymous, since well it's not anonymous to the mods and admins lol.

Just would keep it more private, and while PMs can do that, there isn't currently a way to PM a group of mods when banned.

The idea is when you're banned, you're not allowed to post on the board. But why can't they discuss it with the mods and admins while banned? Email being the only way isn't very intuitive, and it isn't inherently obvious that it's an option for the banned user.
 
When you're banned you're banned so hard you can't even use the log out button without it telling you you're banned. You have to delete cookies to log out.

Banned members being able to post in the moderator problem thread by Isa or something similar wouldn't be too harmful would it?
 
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It would, IMO. If the post-ban PMs I get are any indication, people would take the opportunity to litter that thread with a bunch of inane garbage.

I was not aware that banned users couldn't create new PMs. In fact, I've gotten new PMs from banned users in the past. Are you sure that's accurate, @Vadsamoht? I think it's pretty important that they at least be allowed to PM the moderation team.
 
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Mr. X said:
Is there a way to limit who can be pm while banned? I honestly dont think a mod and banned group "board" is a bad idea but I dont think its needed.
No, at least not with things as they are. It's currently everyone or no-one.
Flotilla said:
It would, IMO. If the post-ban PMs I get are any indication, people would take the opportunity to litter that thread with a bunch of inane garbage.

I was not aware that banned users couldn't create new PMss. In fact, I've gotten new PMs from banned users in the past. Are you sure that's accurate, @Vadsamoht? I think it's pretty important that they at least be allowed to PM the moderation team.
I had a quick look at the permissions and it looks like banned users can create them in some situations. Not exactly sure when, though.
 
I don't get why it matters if it's filled with garbage.

This is all the ban user making a thread would ever see:

f2da2092c1.png


They can't see any other threads, only the threads they have made. No other users would be able to see the thread.
 
b0nk said:
IIRC is too old school for most people now a days
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
What you are thinking of is IRC = Internet Relay Chat

-----

@Flotilla
There once was a "Dicksquad" subforum, for which you could ask permission and then people spammed in it for a bit and then it died and then it was removed again;
I am not aware of other experiments of a similar nature. The Dicksquad thing has nothing to do with this request.

-----

On Topic:

#1: When you get banned, it's generally pretty clear why.. no real need to discuss anything, is there?

#2: If you can just continue posting (with mods-only, no less!) this makes cooling off .. more difficult.
Like, I insult Dime cus he's being a shit as per usual, then I get 24h banned to calm down with the slurs,
and instead of "You can't post" I am greeted with "Hi this is a subforum just for you and the people who banned you!".
I'm gonna fling so much shit in there that my 24h ban becomes a lifetime one straightaway.

#3: IF there is a legitimate reason to discuss your ban (= you were banned unjustly), the forum has some issues which ~the public~, not just the team, should see.
Tweet a pastebin with your thoughts to one of your friends and let them post it in this subforum, then. Rogue Mods running around isn't cool.

#4: A forum is no democracy, and this largely would just serve to undermine the moderator authority?
+ Makes it look like they run around randomly banning people and then demanding you to come up with reasons to get unbanned

#5: You would have to create a second "Banned" Group, like "Uber Banned" for people who are banned + can't post in this ominous sub forum, as they abused said right to start 50 threads full of crap?
Perhaps not that much of an issue, but still a hassle

-----

I understand the general idea, but I have seen similar in other forums and was never under the impression that it actually accomplishes anything other than additional bad blood.

E: Also you already know that some guy will let themselves get banned on purpose just so they can take a look at ~the secret forums~
 
IsaVulpes said:
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
What you are thinking of is IRC = Internet Relay Chat

oops



IsaVulpes said:
On Topic:

#1: When you get banned, it's generally pretty clear why.. no real need to discuss anything, is there?

No it isn't. So yes, there are needs to discuss things. I've had times when I've asked the person who has ban me why I was banned/infracted with no response so I went to forum support to get my question answered.

#2: If you can just continue posting (with mods-only, no less!) this makes cooling off .. more difficult.
Like, I insult Dime cus he's being a shit as per usual, then I get 24h banned to calm down with the slurs,
and instead of "You can't post" I am greeted with "Hi this is a subforum just for you and the people who banned you!".
I'm gonna fling so much shit in there that my 24h ban becomes a lifetime one straightaway.

Then mods can ban them from posting in that confidential subforum. Not a big deal.

#3: IF there is a legitimate reason to discuss your ban (= you were banned unjustly), the forum has some issues which ~the public~, not just the team, should see.
Tweet a pastebin with your thoughts to one of your friends and let them post it in this subforum, then. Rogue Mods running around isn't cool.

That's a lot more work than just simply posting in a place the entire moderation team can see. Why should your friends have to get involved?

#4: A forum is no democracy, and this largely would just serve to undermine the moderator authority?
+ Makes it look like they run around randomly banning people and then demanding you to come up with reasons to get unbanned

Doesn't look like this at all. Do you really think saying "If you have a problem with a user, moderator, or policy, post your issues here. This forum is confidential; only admins and mods will be able to see your threads," looks like it's undermining moderator authority? I think a small minority would see it as anything more than a support forum.

#5: You would have to create a second "Banned" Group, like "Uber Banned" for people who are banned + can't post in this ominous sub forum, as they abused said right to start 50 threads full of crap?
Perhaps not that much of an issue, but still a hassle

See #2. Those crap threads don't even have to be deleted since literally no once else can see them. If you want to delete them, then it won't take more than a minute. I doubt this would become a common occurrence.

-----

I understand the general idea, but I have seen similar in other forums and was never under the impression that it actually accomplishes anything other than additional bad blood.

It does. It got my questions answered.

E: Also you already know that some guy will let themselves get banned on purpose just so they can take a look at ~the secret forums~

What secret forum? You would be able to post in it even if you weren't banned. If someone makes a bunch of junk threads ban them from that sub-forum.

Responses above in bold.
 
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