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Aug 19, 2016 2:25 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
We (Trish, the staff, me) do not ever want to be in a position of becoming "the forum police". We've been put in that position in the past and we are never comfortable with making judgments about what's appropriate for the forums and what's not appropriate.

So, this is a set of features that we've been planning for a long time, and it's finally time to put them in place.

1) You can now ignore other users. If there is another person for whom you simply don't want to see their posts anymore, then go to your preferences and click on "Add or remove members to your ignore list". From there, you can add people to the ignore list. Then in the future, when you run into a post by them, instead of seeing what they wrote, it'll give you a message telling you that the post is hidden per your preferences. You can always remove people from the list if you change your mind. Nobody knows about your list - it is 100% private and nobody will know who you are ignoring.

2) You can now report problem posts. In the post, in the area where you see the acorn/thumb/star icons, is a new red report icon. Clicking on that is safe - it will first take you to a page where it explains what this is, and it gives you a chance to confirm or cancel your report.

If you follow through with the report, then nothing will immediately happen, but a record of the report is made in the system. Then if other people also report the same person, then eventually (and this is not disclosed exactly how this works) the system will automatically deal with the person by revoking their ability to post to the forum in which the reports were made. After you report the post, you will also be given the option to add that poster to your ignore list.

So if someone is abusing the a specific forum, they may have their posting privileges removed from that forum. They would be able to continue posting in other forums (until they are reported a lot there, too.)

NGA staff does have the power to over-rule any automatic blocks that occur using this tool, although we will not over-rule the community's decision unless it is clear that the system is being abused.

I don't foresee anybody abusing this tool, but the use of the tool will be monitored by me, and if people are abusing it to bully members by reporting content that is clearly not inappropriate, then those members may be prevented from issuing reports in the future. New members can not report posts. Only long-term members with a certain threshold of their own posts will be allowed to report posts.

So, I feel like these two features will be all we need to allow the community to continue to police itself, and keep Garden.org as the friendly gardening community that it always has been. Smiling
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Aug 19, 2016 2:36 PM CST
Name: Rj
Just S of the twin cities of M (Zone 4b)
Forum moderator Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 1
Thanks, good practical features.
As Yogi Berra said, “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
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Aug 19, 2016 2:58 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Smart!

I often wonder how you and Trish, even with help from other family members, could keep such a close watch over such a big website.

I've often wished for a feature like your "Report exclamation point" that we could use to report crazy drivers on highways.

Will there be any way to find out how many times you have been "ignored" or an individual post has been "reported"? I got four-thumbs-up really fast, when I commented about how some people no doubt see a too-long post from me and right away hit "page-down" many times.
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Aug 19, 2016 3:34 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
You do not have a way to look at whether you are being ignored, or reported. So assume that you are not being ignored by anyone, and that your posts are never reported. Which is probably true. Our community is a good one, and only truly inappropriate stuff will be reported.

There are a few in the sandbox right now, for example, that have already received reports. They are off topic, political and probably not appropriate for this gentle and diverse community of gardeners.
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Aug 19, 2016 3:50 PM CST
Name: Rose
Oquawka, IL (Zone 5a)
Echinacea Hibiscus Dahlias Clematis Charter ATP Member Region: Illinois
Garden Photography Heucheras Hummingbirder Hostas Garden Art Birds
Well this explains the new badge! So far I haven't seen the need for this option, but it's nice to know it's there. It's certainly come in handy on Facebook!
When all is said and done, there’s more said than done.
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Aug 19, 2016 4:29 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
We had the red exclamation point when I was a member of a different plant-related site. It was used mostly to report spam. Your new features are very good, thank you.
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Aug 19, 2016 4:48 PM CST
Name: Lin Vosbury
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)

Region: Ukraine Region: United States of America Bird Bath, Fountain and Waterfall Region: Florida Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Birds Butterflies Bee Lover Hummingbirder Container Gardener
@Dave, what happens if someone is on our *ignore* list and they summon us to a thread using the @ sign? Would we still get the notice that we are being called to that thread?
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!


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Aug 19, 2016 4:59 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Yes, you will still get summoned by the @ sign but when you go there, the message will not show for you. (It will give you an option to view it anyway)
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Aug 19, 2016 5:12 PM CST
Name: Lin Vosbury
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)

Region: Ukraine Region: United States of America Bird Bath, Fountain and Waterfall Region: Florida Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Birds Butterflies Bee Lover Hummingbirder Container Gardener
Thumbs up Thanks Dave!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!


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Aug 19, 2016 5:25 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
I was more thinking that a couple of reported posts would remind to try harder to keep them short. In other words, deserved!
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Aug 19, 2016 5:44 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
RickCorey said:I was more thinking that a couple of reported posts would remind to try harder to keep them short. In other words, deserved!


Yes, but Rick your posts are on topic and helpful. Not the kind of thing anyone should be reporting or complaining about.
Avatar for Dutchlady1
Aug 19, 2016 5:55 PM CST

Plumerias Photo Contest Winner: 2015 Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Forum moderator
Region: Florida Cat Lover Garden Sages Cactus and Succulents Tropicals Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
Very nice features. Thumbs up
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Aug 19, 2016 5:57 PM CST
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I am hopeful that neither one will need to be used very often.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Aug 19, 2016 6:10 PM CST
Name: Rick R.
Minneapolis,MN, USA z4b,Dfb/a
Garden Photography The WITWIT Badge Seed Starter Wild Plant Hunter Region: Minnesota Hybridizer
Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Identifier Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I see that the "report" option is not available when you view only a single post (while the other accompanying icons are). That's very smart, since a comment could be taken out of context without reading the whole thread. Thumbs up Thumbs up Thumbs up

I also hope that the report icon will not keep a visible count, like the acorns and thumbs up do. This is not something to be taken lightly, and "getting on the bandwagon" is not something we should encourage with this feature, in my opinion. Reporting a post should be one's own decision, and not be encourage by others.
When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers. - Socrates
Avatar for KyWoods
Aug 19, 2016 6:54 PM CST
Name: Renée
Northern KY
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Kentucky Cat Lover Dog Lover Sempervivums
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
If we see spam, should we use the "report this post" feature, or go directly to admin?
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Aug 19, 2016 7:07 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
KyWoods said:If we see spam, should we use the "report this post" feature, or go directly to admin?


I would think that if the thread is a spam thread then you would use the Suggest a Change link at the bottom of the thread. Click on that link then select delete and give and explanation why. If it is a single post within a valuable thread the I would tree mail dave with a link to that post, with explanation.
wildflowersoftexas.com



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Aug 19, 2016 7:12 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
>> I also hope that the report icon will not keep a visible count,

I agree! That would be bad for morale.

Maybe some threshold could be added where the offender would get a preliminary warning before being blocked.

Or maybe not - Dave, Trish and the staff thought about it for a long an have probably already balanced the pluses and minuses and have already minimized the downsides. Maybe invisible-until-critical is the best overall approach.
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Aug 19, 2016 7:19 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Leftwood said:I also hope that the report icon will not keep a visible count, like the acorns and thumbs up do.


It will not. Both of these features are completely silent. Nobody gets notification, and nobody can see any reports or even that there are any (except for me, obviously, but even I have to dig in to the internals to see the numbers.)
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Aug 19, 2016 7:29 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Just noticed the "report a problem" icon a little while ago. These are good additions to the site, Dave; thank you!
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
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Aug 19, 2016 7:38 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Thanks, Dave!

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