What if people abuse the 'report' function?

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I suspect someone in particular (kind of obvious since the fact it's reported is being reported publicly) is deliberately provoking people - with multiple identical posts, though interspersed with links to (almost exclusively biased) sites - just so the other party could be blamed, despite being the instigator of idiotic content. The button has surely been used multiple times too, although someone with access to its log can tell...

I'm trying to point out that people around here should really be critical of anyone, especially if repeatedly reporting posts (after all, I or anyone else could resort to reporting too, but perhaps I'm foolish enough to formulate arguments). Critical, especially in this propaganda-fuelled 2016 election.

1) If a person is making multiple posts that people think are breaking the rules then it's likely there will be multiple reports. There could even be multiple complaints about one post. The report function doesn't cease on any user after 1 report is filed.

2) It's hypocritical to claim others engage in political discourse, berate them for it and then engage in it yourself.

3) I imagine the more excited you get the less sense your posts make. Try to relax a bit and focus on articulating your points instead of constantly venting. There's a chance people might take your side on certain matters or at the very least be more understanding. Right now your posts make little sense.

What specifically makes little sense? It's not hypocritical if I'm not resorting to reporting anything myself, surely... a political argument is either conducted or someone with just pompoms gets too scared and presses some button. I'm not berating discourse at all... this person seems to like indulging in mere propaganda, though (imagine trying to converse with Goebbels). If they do, on the other hand, only review reports if it's from multiple people then that would be more objective, but this one person must single-handedly have (ab)used it the most.

Wrong. The 'Report' button can be used only once per post. Further attempts to use the 'Report' button return a "This post has already been reported" message to the user.

However, this doesn't stop the users from reporting trolls, spammers, and other idiots through post submissions and personal messages.

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T minus 44 and counting.

People are allowed to use the function if someones post breaks rules like personally attacking posters or spamming the site, if the person isn't breaking rules nothing happens...if they are depending on the nature they may get warnings or banned. Also it's an anonymous feature the only way you'd know who reported a post is if they say they did...so suppose I am not really seeing the problem.


Abusing the report function would be reporting people for no reason, not ever using it in general.

If you think someone is trolling the forum, please report the posts that seem troll-like. If you have detected a broader pattern of this, send a mod a note about it.

But please don't report people for spreading propaganda in Politics, Philosophy and Religion. Partisan commitment and wrongheaded belief are not prohibited. The distinction between good argument for a political idea and bad propaganda is not about to made, outside of the already proscribed subjects: No personal attacks on other members, no attacks on members of protected groups.

Guidance on these issues already exists:
General rules for posting
Specific guidelines for PPR

Edited to add:
If someone seems to be repeatedly reporting another member for frivolous reasons, as a way of pursuing a vendetta against another member, this would be viewed as a form of personal attack and also a toxic attempt to game the system. The mods would discuss it before taking action but I think that member would be strongly encouraged to stop doing that and banned if it continued.

Is there nothing against "go [whoever]!" - multiple times over? Surely it hinders actual conversation... I suppose even 'propaganda' usually refers to something more intelligent.

No.

You can't use forum rules to silence the political expression of people you disagree with and they can't use the rules to silence you.

If you were to post many new topics that had no substance other than a single political phrase, or minor variations on it, that would be a violation of the existing spamming rules.

For example, it would be no problem to end many posts with "Go Cthulhu! Cthulhu for Prez 2016" or "Go Cx 666!" or whatever, but it would be a violation of the rules to posts many new topics that only had that content.

Being dislikeable is not against the rules. However, it might be a bad idea for social reasons.

Abusing the report function - reporting posts in bad faith - would result in moderator action.

Posts are considered in context, based on past behaviour and what has already gone on in the thread.

This seems like quite a thinly veiled attack on a user. If you have concerns about an individual, it's probably better to send a PM to a mod than post about them publicly.