Moderator Flag Etiquette?

Question

I often come across "bad" answers ("not an answer" or LQ answer), that already have a canned comment. Those comments typically come from:

• The LQP review queue, where you can select a canned comment when you vote to recommend deletion.

• The Auto-Comment browser add-in, which allows you to add a similar comment to any post. People sometimes use it in conjunction with a moderator flag, and sometimes use it just to advise the poster about a problem.

When you see these answers, sometimes it's a good bet that it has already been voted or flagged. Other times, it isn't clear.

Considerations

• If the comment was received in the LQP review queue, the answer is already on a path to the 20K queue, where users other than moderators can deal with it.

  Do moderator flags on those answers get treated as additional votes to send it to the 20K queue, or do they pull the answer into the moderator queue (losing the benefit of the 20K queue)?

• In the moderator queue, do multiple flags add value (for example, a higher priority, or an indication that it might be a fast disposition), or is it no different from a single flag?

It appears that mod-flagging answers that are already in the review system might provide no benefit and may even create additional work for the moderators. Bottom line, should I mod-flag a commented answer that is probably already in the review-for-deletion process?

Answer 1

In the moderator queue, do multiple flags add value (for example, a higher priority, or an indication that it might be a fast disposition), or is it no different from a single flag?

We have our own queue of flags that we work through, and flags are grouped together by answer or question. More flags on an answer or question will tend to raise it up the queue, the type of flag ("normal" vs spam) will also have an effect on an items position in the queue.

If you desperately want something gone from the site then more flags will help, if you're fine with "it'll be dealt with soon" then feel free to not flag it again if it has already got a flag.

Answer 2

You should Flag what should be flagged, the community creates and decides much of these things, the mods intervene as needed.

Yes, you should additionally place your OWN flagging , delete , or close as you feel it appropriate for the situations that are in dire need of it. You and the whole rest of the community would make these descisions.

You should not flag, but downvote instead incorrect and low quality stuff.
(different discussion altogether)

and jeez be nice to people they are only humans , and we certannly could use more people who can answer questions. People who ask what may seem like stupid questions, can often answer lots of questions they do have much experience with. We need the users to stick around and feel welcome, so they answer questions that are within the field of thier particular experience.

The Auto comment was to try and help people so they would know what to do instead of just being kicked in the teeth. It is not nessisary that everyone put in an auto-comment, but that at least one comment is existing to help clue in the newbie, before being beat down by the community.

Any previous comments, auto or personal , any prior flags wrong or right, for the most part should not influence the decision you wish to make about the same question or answer, Or the community does Not work ??? If we all just blindly follow the first flag or comment we see, then ONE person is making that descision not a community. You too would want to appropriatly flag what is in dire need of flagging. Or even un-flag (reopen).

There are specific quantities of users hitting the same flag , before the aggregate of these users flagging is then assumed by the machines to be the correct thing to do , and does it I didnt cover the ammount. I forget some of the numbers. We should not be saying "1 more and it is gone" or "What did the last person decide" or "Enough votes exist" or "It is done by others" We should not be rolling over to what someone else did, only making our own choice, then the community decided.

The MOD part I cannot cover, and I know what your saying, trying to avoid herassing the mods over stuff that is probably being taken care of already. The only thing I have seen that falls along those lines is Improper or Incorrect flagging, or possibly unnessisary whining via the "needs mod attention".

That just leaves, Have we beat the user down enough already? A few people already Voted on this, and there is already a comment that tries to point the user in the right direction. Should I also kick the user while they are down and insure that they never act this way ever again?
- If the user or other users are editng or correcting stuff, there is no reason to make things more frustrating or harder for the newbies. Judging when or if a correction would be made requires time and passing over the QorA later and again, a dedicated reviewer or reader would be going over and above the call of duty to do that, and they should get an extra award :-) It is not very practical, and it is time consuming, but dang that may be the right thing to do. (take it up with your karma advisor)
I have seen all good people make adjustment to things when informed and treated with respect, without a single flag, it is possible.