Report Abuse - process needs improvement?

[JozsefSzikszai]

hi all,

it is nice that we have the Report Abuse Button, I use it rather frequently

Unfortunately most of the time action is taken too late, when the thread sinked already and users don't see what and why was locked/moderated. I think the reason is that moderators can only take action when the Abuse falls into their area of responsibility. Wouldn't be possible that any moderator who is online at the time could take action in any forum in such cases, not just in the forums she/he is assigned to?

The reason I open this topic now is, that user registered this morning and asked the same question 7 times. The question is not too complicated (could also solved by RTFM...) and as usual there good and bad answers. I clicked on Abuse when it was asked 4th times (appr. an hour ago) but nothing seemed to happen and the user keeps open the same question (with the infamous subject 'Urjent'...) again and again...

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/profile?userid=3829490

thanks

ec

UPDATE : While I was writing this, question was asked for 8th time...

[Former Member]

How about if a certain number of abuses were reported (say 5), the thread would be automatically locked and a moderator notified. Then the moderator would have the option of unlocking the thread.

Rob

[Former Member]

If 5 abuses on the same thread are posted then thread is automatically removed until reviewed.

[Former Member]

It would be very nice to see threads like the below one reported as Abuse. It is highly unethical and unprofessional that anyone would/should ask for some one else to write ABAP Code for them after posting a Well Defined Spec. I do not think this should be promoted nor supported, not to mention help eliminate long posts to threads.

Thanks Blag and Jan for the extra effort of keeping the ABAP General forum cleaner than what was seen in the past. The ABAP General has stricter moderation than some of the other forums I visit.

[JanStallkamp]

Hi Eric.

First of all: Thanks for using the abuse button. You're one of the most active users in ABAP General and your abuse messages are very wellcome.

Giving all moderators access to all forums has some risks. Different forums have different styles and different moderation habits. For example I'm focused on the 'SAP on DB2 for i5/OS' forum. If someone posts a question there and uses 'urgent' in the subject I would not like that posting being deleted at once. That poster would get a private e-mail and I would change the subject. It's a nice, small community and people know each other. And if I give a moderation advice there people normally change their posting style and everyone is happy.

In contrast in ABAP General there is much more traffic and posting style is completly different. If I get an abuse message there regarding 'urgent in subject' the posting is deleted without prior warning. You cannot write everyone personal e-mails there. I write some e-mails there but that normally is a kind of last warning before I ask SDN user administration to delete an account.

So, forums differ and moderation should differ too. And therefore I think we should not give every moderator rights for every forum.

/Jan

[JozsefSzikszai]

hi Jan,

thanks for the clarification and keep up the good work!

ec

[ThomasZloch]

Same impression here. It was a good start after the rules enforcement was announced, but enforcement has subsided somewhat recently.

Here is what I'm usually reporting:

- meaningless subject (e.g. "Hi")

- "urgent" in subject

- duplicate question

- wrong forum

- requesting copyrighted material

- multiple/interview questions

- copy/paste incl. sources that I googled up

anything else?

[JanStallkamp]

Hi Thomas.

Thank you to you for using the abuse button too. Most likely you two are the most 'rule enforcing' members of ABAP General. Thanks a lot.

I think the difference between the first days after the new moderation policy and now are (in ABAP General) that moderators now moderate more silent. We just delete postings or edit them and you don't see many locked postings with a moderation notice in the forums. We started with locking to make people aware but that takes a lot of time and most moderators (me too) do moderation voluntaryly and beside their normal job. And what you don't see are private warning e-mails to users reported for copy-and-paste. I maintain a list of people that have been warned and some responded and I can see that most do change their beahvior. Ok, some don't learn it but they then have to learn to find a place outside SDN to do so.

I like your list of things to report as abuse. Especially when you give links to the sources of copy-and-paste answers or to duplicate postings.

I think we have achieved some improvements in the forums with strict moderation. One of my 'hobbies' is to lock all interview question threads. And I see that the number of this questions is decreasing. I have the feeling that the number of 'urgent' questions is decreasing, too.

/Jan

[ThomasZloch]

Hi Jan,

many thanks for clarifying. I just wanted to make sure that it still makes sense to push that button.

I hope more people will do so after reading this thread.

Cheers

Thomas

[JozsefSzikszai]

>

> anything else?

email address (sometimes even phone number)

[Former Member]

Hi Jan,

I agree with your point of view in moderating each forum according to its own usage/style. However I feel there are some stupid postings which can be seen breaking the "Rules of Engagement" by every one can be moderated by any moderator online.

Eg: User asking for copyright materials, Interview questions etc..

I have reported this thread as abuse. But before a moderator steps in there are already quite a few responses and the user has marked the thread as "solved" even.

Regards,

Jaishankar