Can we have an Urgent flag when reporting?

[HauntedNoddyCar]

The horrible posts on the miscarriage thread today were beyond the pale. They were on an active thread for 40 minutes despite prompt reporting.

Fair enough that MNHQ may not have realised the urgency until the flood of reports started. But there are occasionally these situations where an obvious and offensive troll needs dealing with immediately. And unless a slew of reports alert you, there's no way to jump the queue.

Could we revisit the idea of a flag to check for urgent reporting? Not for probable troll or a regular poster forgetting the guidelines, but for things like this.

[Northumberlandlass]

Agree Haunted - it was repulsive and a step above usual trolling/ breaking guidelines.
I was speechless and so so sorry Chicken had to read them when going through such a sad time.

[AdoraBell]

Good idea Haunted, I didn't see the offending posts but agree some things need To be dealt with immediately.

[OneStepCloser]

Agreed as well, it took too long for those comments to be deleted, which is why I reported twice hoping it would flag up quicker.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

I agree it would be a good idea, but would people over-use it or abuse it?

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Absolutely agree, it took 11 hours the other evening to take down a thread with a link to the most revolting racist forum.

[AuntieStella]

I suppose the snag is that it would be hard to be sure that it would only be used for exceptional cases.

Some cases are clear cut, others aren't.

And even long-standing guidelines such as 'report, don't comment on thread' get ignored when an objectionable post is seen. The miscarriage thread trolled today now has more posts about the troll than about the issue OP posts about. So I don't think adding more options that rely on judgement would, in practice, stay exclusively for the worst for very long.

[ChippingInWadesIn]

I was going to start a thread about this too, but I didn't want to alert everyone to the thread as it's very personal, so hopefully no one will link to it or anything.

Hearts - I did wonder that, but then though, all MN have to do is warn the poster if they abuse it or ban them if it's deliberate.

[ChippingInWadesIn]

It would just need to be made clear that it is for reporting vile posts that no-one with a single brain cell would find acceptable, something that doesn't require any 'looking into' or is just mildly unacceptable to a few posters.

[HauntedNoddyCar]

Sorry for starting three threads. Phone went feral on me.

Hearts yes overuse would be the issue and I don't know how you stop it. If the wording is right then perhaps it could be trialled?

[ChippingInWadesIn]

Haunted - have you reported your OP and asked MNHQ to join us here?

[HauntedNoddyCar]

I hadn't Chipping but I will now.

[OneStepCloser]

You wouldn't need to write an explanation, just a button to press to alert HQ to an extremely offensive/racist comment. I just think the one this morning was so horrible, could have been very damaging to someone, it's just a shame it took so long to be seen.

[StealthPolarBear]

Yes I agree the problem is that without the comments on todays thread to compare it to, how do you explain what "absolutely vile" is? Before long it would be used for "you're acting like a bit of a twat" on a thread about private schools.
I personally think if youve been here a year you shoukd have the ability to blast posts like that personally, only to be used in exceptional circumstances such as these and if you misuse it's ban time.

[OneStepCloser]

That's a good idea stealth.

[KateSMumsnet]

Hi all - we've posted on the other thread, but we'll post here too.

Thanks for raising this with us - we completely agree those posts were beyond the pale and understand why people were upset.

We can see the logic behind the flagging idea, but our worry is that the definition of urgent will vary a lot between posters, and the majority of reports will end up being flagged as urgent, making it's function slightly defunct.

Please do keep your posts coming, we're interested to hear what you think.

[HauntedNoddyCar]

It would be possible to grant or revoke a klaxon reporting function in the same way though, SPB

[StealthPolarBear]

Well give the power to (say) me. Im always here :) to be used in absolute extreme emergencies only. If I use it to delete someone who is goading me about breastfeeding, ban me.

[MothratheMighty]

Copied my post, I was on the wrong thread.
'Perhaps the flag could be linked to specific, sensitive boards, so that if a post is reported on Miscarriage, Bereavement, Mental Health etc then it shows up as needing urgent attention.'

[StealthPolarBear]

Ooh yes even better
so yiu get the "emergency" button but if you misuse its taken away and you go back tk bog standard

[AuntieStella]

Rather than introducing a whole new function for us, is there something that could be done behind the scenes for you that starts a klaxon in MNHQ when a thread is reported multiple times in a shortish amount of time?

[StealthPolarBear]

Also good mothra

[OneStepCloser]

I would be interested as to why it took so long to zap, it appears that it was reported many times in a very small time frame, does that not flag up at HQ?

[HaroldLloyd]

I agree, I think whilst people's perceptions may differ slightly on things the vile trolling is quite obvious and can be agreed on.

If urgent is misused and it's obvious a warning could be given?

I didn't see the posts but sounds really upsetting and especially in a topic where people have quite enough to deal with already.

[StealthPolarBear]

I dont know. I imagine it will get used to delete those trolls who come on every now and then, yiung and pregnant with twins/triplets. Which they lose. And have a million other complications in their lives usually involving mners meeting them or sending money. Vile and harmful but not the same as the sort of thing we are discussing.

[ChippingInWadesIn]

Kate - I think it would be relatively easy to do at your end. Post a note that flags up when that radio button is used saying something like 'Are you very sure that this report warrants the use of the Urgent button, please check with the criteria if unsure. Misuse of this function will result in you being banned'.