Lock posts after being hidden by flags so they can't be edited

Forum Help Forum Features
#1

As a Roblox developer that frequents this forum, it is difficult to help moderators by flagging posts for them to review, when the flaggee edits their post once it gets hidden by enough flags, with the sole purpose of bypassing moderation.

While this can be used for good, e.g. maybe you were a bit mean in your reply, and you realize it after it gets hidden by flags, so you change it to be less mean, and your post is no longer hidden, the flags are cleared.

However, when we think about the forum’s audience, a big portion not knowing proper etiquette, this “second chance” is used maliciously. You can just wrap some text in <> so that it doesn’t render, and it would still count as an edit. It visually would look the exact same. Yeah you could also change a character and undo that change.

About 100% of the time, no exaggeration, the posts that do this aren’t changed to fit the guidelines better, they just do it to bypass moderation.

With that being said I am proposing two things, more of a “one or the other” kind of thing:

  • Locking* posts, so that they can’t be edited; or
  • Making it explicitly against the rules to not use your second chance maliciously

It wouldn’t make sense to have both, since there is no point in the rule existing if you can’t break it at all.

If this is added, it will improve the experience for users that regularly flag, which is a lot of users, since they don’t have to go back and flag the same post twice. Will make it easier for moderators as well.

* I want to make a distinction between closing and locking, since they seem to be used interchangeably. On Discourse, a “locked post” is a post that can’t be edited by the author anymore, this can be done manually or it can happen to the OP + replies when a topic is archived. Closed topic on the other hand, means a topic that doesn’t accept new replies.
49 Likes
Automatically unlist topics hidden by the community flags
#2

Noticed this too. Never thought it was an issue until now, but thinking about it does indeed make me concerned.

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#3

This is truly a problem. I always wondered how did they do that. Imo flagged posts should be automatically UNLISTED rather than hidden, but idk if discourse allows that

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#4

Thanks for pointing this out, I’ve noticed this also. It shouldn’t be this easy to maliciously hide posts by flagging them, I think once you flagged it, it should automatically be archived into a DM or something, just a suggestion.

1 Like
#5

An interesting side effect I saw yesterday too was that editing an unlisted post that was hidden from flags re-listed it. A forum mod ended up having to unlist it a second time after the edit anyways, so I can only assume it was that.

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Unlisting Threads Bug
#8

The bigger problem is you can’t flag a post again, but that’s a separate issue.

1 Like
#9

I don’t see how that has anything to do with this topic about bypassing flags.

@FxllenCode The only reason you won’t be able to flag a post again is if a mod marked it as not breaking the rules. You can reflag if they edit, and you even get notified of the edit so you can do so right away.

3 Likes
#12

Are you sure? Here is a post I flagged to get moved, after it was moved I couldn’t flag it:

Screenshot_20201113-143756
Screenshot_20201113-143756970×2048 301 KB

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#13

There should be a restriction where you have to change a certain amount of characters to be allowed to be unflagged.

#14

Probably wouldn’t work either.

A Dev Discussion post:

HEY GUYS WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BUILT-IN STUDIO TOOL MOVE OR TRANSFORM???

Flagged by 5 users

Edited:

HELLO PEOPLE WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE IN-HOUSE ROBLOX STUDIO TOOL IS IT MOVE OR MAYBE IT’S TRANSFORM?!?!

It just needs to be turned off.

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#15

Flagging sends a PM to DevRel and I don’t think that PM gets removed by doing that so staff will remove your post anyway if it gets flagged and it breaks the rules.

1 Like
#16

I think its a bit of a double edged sword, this feature does give a lot of users the ability to modify their post if perhaps the category it was in / one of the statements they made was counted as a low level incorrect use of the forum which is better to be rectified by the good willing member of the community then DET.

However of course there is the other edge, which once again I would say is most likely linked to the increase of members joining the forum (While it could be argued that users is directly proportional to moderation incidents its un-deniable to say that in recent times the forum has been declining in quality a lot faster then expected), I would propose that if possible this feature was allowed for regulars who likely were only flagged because of an accidental mistake which they would be willing to fix in good will. (I think we can all say we have posted in the wrong catagory before wether through confusion or a discourse bug), however members should not get this function due to as incapaz rightly highlighted, it is being abused to no end.

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#17

Discourse Meta wasn’t too helpful however I got an answer to this question.

and the answer is no, the flag isn’t kept. It is cleared. Part of giving users a second chance. And they say it is something for moderation to handle, not tools :\

Can we get a rule that explicitly states to use your second chance sparingly at least?

4 Likes
#18

Well if you’ve been flagged, then perhaps they should make it so users aren’t able to edit their flagged post? Of course, mistakes happens, but you can clarify that with DET and they can choose to listen.

I think accidental mistakes can happen between anyone. I guess the only reason to keep it regular only is those scenarios incapaz provided. If you’ve been flagged, then it’s probably for a reason. Users should be able to rectify that reason, regardless.

But, I do agree with OP.

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#19

If the thread gets unlisted it says in the private message they have 5 minutes to edit it.

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#21

Well first of all I don’t think editing your post helps you become better at acknowledging the system of flagged posts. And second of all if you post gets flagged don’t cry about it read/ask what you did wrong in a polite way and remember next time to fix that problem.

#23

LOL, I don’t seriously cry about them. They usually respond with “That’s off-topic.” (Most of my posts make no sense whatsoever.) Thanks for the advice, though. :wink:

#25

That’s not the issue being described. Please read the above posts:

Please read the OP before replying. This is an entirely separate topic.

#26

Oh… Well I was just telling a story about something related to this, lol. :flushed:

1 Like
#27

Still bypasing…

https://devforum.roblox.com/t/nexted-outreach-program/889307
I was the 5th person to give him flag, now he says they closed the topic.

2 Likes