Mods and Rocks: a proposal

[ellelloo]

Hello Andrew,

Originally Posted by macondo

Lasse, in case you are wondering why it says your post was last edited by me, you had not closed the quote off properly, so I inserted (/QUOTE) for you.

Thanks for doing that for me! Thanks also for replying to my last entry in the now closed thread. Your answer replied very well to my question.

About this proposal. It was actually first made by Keith:

Originally Posted by Keitht

If there was a way to 'lock' a photo to prevent critiques being posted but keeping the image visible it might be a way forward. An accompanying notice to the effect that the mods are concerned that the image may fall outside the TOS would also be required. Such a system might also have the benefit of allowing a wider audience see the kind of image which is considered borderline.

My entry was more or less just thoughts how it could be done technically.

Originally Posted by macondo

I wonder if the 'locked' photos awaiting a final decision should be visible to signed-in members only.

That is a good addition. It should be made that way.

Originally Posted by macondo

Also, I appreciate that some members believe such a mechanism would improve the atmosphere and alleviate the tension; but I think that it could also have the opposite effect. We don't really know how it would go.
It might 'lift the curtain' as Romana put it, but some members might not like the curtain being lifted on their locked photos.

I did not think that. Maybe my own thinking is too much fixed to those cases, which we have seen in forum, members wondering why their photos have been deleted and also long chains of other members supporting the member, even that they might not have even seen the deleted photo.

Maybe there could be some solution to this, for example to allow the member himsel/herself to delete his/her locked photo (more precisely move it to that folder, which is now accessible for the mods). Not a perfect solution that either because of time differences.
Another alternative could be that a photo would be set to visible but locked only if a Review Request has been received or (a not preferred) question in the forum has been made.
I'm afraid that both these refinements would mean a bigger programming task and with the latter it would mean more manual work for the mods. And the latter one more or less ruins the original idea.

Originally Posted by macondo

Moderators might find themselves being subjected to criticism or attack which makes their deliberations very difficult.

Romanaa was seeing that this approach on the contrary would help to the atmosphere of the site. I wonder if those obviously few cases, where a member would not like the curtain to be lifted, would increase the criticism against mods more than what this approach would decrease them.

Originally Posted by macondo

On the other hand, coming across photos in the gallery that are locked pending a final decision might be a good way of constantly reminding members of the TOS.

Yes, if there are roughly 150 deletions now per month as Keith hinted, it means in average 5 /day. With an accompanying notice of suspected break against TOS it sure would have that benefit.

Originally Posted by macondo

I think a lot more thinking has to be done about a proposal like this; I can see advantages and disadvantages.

Yes, there might also arise other solutions to avoid or soften the disadvantages, which you have pointed out and other refinements as well.

BTW, I remember that there was a section for suggestions/proposals inside forum, but cannot see it. Has it been removed, or do i remember wrong?

Lasse

[Keitht]

Lasse,

When I said I had 130 e-mails I didn't mean that was all that had come through for January. We average around 10 per day, or 300 per month! That takes a bit of handling. Bear in mind that mods live in various timezones so it takes a while to discuss images if there is a review request.

Donato - I wish the image you found did indicate that a new process was in place. Unfortunately the reality is that we don't know why some images disappear completely from the public Gallery and others are effectively locked like the one you found. As Andrew has already mentioned, there are concerns that if locked and visible images became the norm we would get even more e-mails / forum threads arguing the merits of the image removal. I fear that would create far more problems than it would solve.