REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs

[Mel Lindauer]

If you see a violation of forum policy, you can use the new features incorporated in the latest forum software update to report it to the Moderators. In addition to offending posts, we've had complaints that some members have received unwanted solicitation/spam PMs from other members. We've also have reports of at least one personal attack that was made via PM. With the new forum software, there's now a way that you can also report these violations and unwanted PMs to the moderators for action.

If you want to go this route, here's a start:

=======================================
How can I report posts to a moderator?
You should see a button for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. In the upper right corner look for a triangle with a "!" inside. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the post.

How can I report Private Messages to a moderator?
Similar to reporting posts, look for the triangle with a "!" inside. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the PM. Reporting should generally be used only if the message breaks forum rules. Reporting a private message will make its contents visible to all moderators.

[Latecomer]

Thank you for your service, Mel.

Latecomer

[LazyNihilist]

Thanks Mel and other moderators. This forum has been of very high quality. Though at times I feel some topics are locked down too soon, I think it keeps the discussions overall very civil

[gkaplan]

How can I report Private Messages to a moderator?
Similar to reporting posts, look for the triangle with a "!" inside. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the PM. Reporting should generally be used only if the message breaks forum rules. Reporting a private message will make its contents visible to all moderators.

I don't understand this. If you click on the triangle with an "I" inside, aren't you reporting the post in which the triangle is located, when you just want to report an offensive private message?

[Mel Lindauer]

How can I report Private Messages to a moderator?
Similar to reporting posts, look for the triangle with a "!" inside. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the PM. Reporting should generally be used only if the message breaks forum rules. Reporting a private message will make its contents visible to all moderators.

I don't understand this. If you click on the triangle with an "I" inside, aren't you reporting the post in which the triangle is located, when you just want to report an offensive private message?

When you have an offending post open and click on the triangle, you're reporting that post.

When you have an offending PM open and click on the triangle, you're reporting that PM. Go to your PMs and open one up and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[gkaplan]

Got it, Mel.

[RJB]

Thank you Mel and all other moderators for the service that you provide to us.

[Alex Frakt]

Bumping. We have a persistent and malicious troll that keeps signing back in. If you see something suspicious, especially from a new poster, please let us know via the report button. Thanks.

[sscritic]

I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?

[The Wizard]

I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?

Newish posters are always suspicious, to some degree, until proven otherwise...

[Alex Frakt]

I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?

Sometimes people end up at a post as a result of a google search, so it could be legit. But yes, that's one reason to be suspicious.

[Alex Frakt]

I should note that the moderators now review and have to manually approve all first posts. This is our chief weapon against spammers and it also lets us get most insurance shills and many of this troll's new identities. But it's not perfect. The troll, in particular, has learned to post a couple of innocuous comments before he gets nasty. So the ones to really look out for are recently signed up members with a handful of posts who appear to bear a grudge towards certain forum members or a surprising knowledge of forum history for a newbie.

[Boglenaut]

I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?

Newish posters are always suspicious, to some degree, until proven otherwise...

I am still suspicious of those with 10,000+ posts.

[sscritic]

I am still suspicious of those with 10,000+ posts.

Whew! I was worried you were talking about me.

[natureexplorer]

Will the punishment be less severe if I report my own violation?

[Mel Lindauer]

Will the punishment be less severe if I report my own violation?

I suspect you're being facetious, but you and other posters need to know that you can delete or edit your own posts.

[natureexplorer]

Got it, Mel.

And how can we report avatars with too much skin?

[MarcMyWord]

. . . If you see something suspicious, especially from a new poster, please let us know via the report button.

Had never heard of a "report button." Didn't see it on this thread, either, or on the forum index page. Wondered if I'd see something different if I actually logged in, but still didn't see anything with the word "Report." Then I noticed--for the first time ever--that little inverted triangle thing-y with the exclamation point in it. . . . So, clicking on that automatically reports a post to a moderator, without needing to separately use the Private Message feature? If so, very convenient, but I never knew it until now.

[Boglenaut]

I am still suspicious of those with 10,000+ posts.

Whew! I was worried you were talking about me.

I just hope you are still posting when I get to the age where I need to make SS decisions!

[sscritic]

Had never heard of a "report button." Didn't see it on this thread, either, or on the forum index page. Wondered if I'd see something different if I actually logged in, but still didn't see anything with the word "Report." Then I noticed--for the first time ever--that little inverted triangle thing-y with the exclamation point in it. . . . So, clicking on that automatically reports a post to a moderator, without needing to separately use the Private Message feature? If so, very convenient, but I never knew it until now.

If you hold your mouse over the inverted triangle, the words "report this post" will eventually appear (it's the "mouseover text").

[SteveB3005]

^ All this time I thought it turned off the passenger side airbag!

[House Blend]

^ Cool! I've often had airbags sitting in the passenger seat of my car. Didn't realize I could shut them up with a push of a button.

[mephistophles]

What about sleeper trolls. People who open up multiple identities and post innocently for months or longer before they begin their trolling behavior. That said, I have never understood why anybody wants to keep posting on a forum that doesn't tolerate their posts and bans them. What is gained by keeping on coming back to do the same thing which doesn't work before?

[VictoriaF]

Then I noticed--for the first time ever--that little inverted triangle thing-y with the exclamation point in it.

I think a triangle is just a triangle however it may be rotated. The essence of a triangle is that it has three angles, not that these angles are specifically arranged; and of course, the angles could be acute, obtuse or right. The adjective inverted is appropriate for a pyramid, because a pyramid is a physical structure that is intended to sit on its base. A triangle, in contrast, is a geometrical object, an abstract; it does not have any mass and thus it does not have to sit on its side.

Victoria

[runner9]

Area of a triangle is 1/2 base X height.

base definition on dictionary.com:

the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.

So, the icon's area would be 1/2 times a base of .01 inches x height if the base was on bottom, I'm guessing, which of course would not be the correct answer.

[VictoriaF]

Area of a triangle is 1/2 base X height.

base definition on dictionary.com:

the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.

So, the icon's area would be 1/2 times a base of .01 inches x height if the base was on bottom, I'm guessing, which of course would not be the correct answer.

Any side of a triangle can be used as the base for the purpose of calculating its area, and the corresponding height will change accordingly. The cited definition of a base is one of the multitude of definitions. Bottom is associated with physical objects that need to rest on something.

Victoria

[MarcMyWord]

Oh, man, you folks have taken my innocent little description (above) of the "Report" feature as being represented by an "inverted" triangle, and have taken this thread off into Another Direction. I should have known that there is almost nothing said on this forum which someone cannot parse/dissect/dispute.

So I will simply observe that Victoria's geometry lesson is well taken--a triangle is a triangle, regardless of its orientation--but I will add that, because of my own particular interests, when I conceive of a "triangle" I often think first of this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_%28instrument%29

which, if rotated 180 degrees so that the main suspension corner faced downward, would most definitely be an "inverted"--not to mention unplayable--"triangle."

And now, having learned from this thread how to report a post to moderators by clicking on the symbol with an exclamation point inside "a triangle"--without reference to the positioning of that particular triangle, or indeed any other triangle in the known Universe --I think I'll go read other threads that are actually about money.

Marc

[sscritic]

And now, having learned from this thread how to report a post to moderators by clicking on the symbol with an exclamation point inside "a triangle"--without reference to the positioning of that particular triangle, or indeed any other triangle in the known Universe --I think I'll go read other threads that are actually about money.

But what about the orientation of the exclamation mark (and it's preferred name is Mark, not Point - I would think you of all people would know that, or are you strictly a C and not a K person?) inside the triangle? Why not use the Spanish ¡ (but raise it up a little*)?

* why does ¡ sit so low on the line?

[VictoriaF]

And now, having learned from this thread how to report a post to moderators by clicking on the symbol with an exclamation point inside "a triangle"--without reference to the positioning of that particular triangle, or indeed any other triangle in the known Universe --I think I'll go read other threads that are actually about money.

But what about the orientation of the exclamation mark (and it's preferred name is Mark, not Point - I would think you of all people would know that, or are you strictly a C and not a K person?) inside the triangle? Why not use the Spanish ¡ (but raise it up a little*)?

* why does ¡ sit so low on the line?

The inverted exclamation mark could be used for praise-worthy posts. If this mark could be raised when typing, such capability could be used to indicate the amount of praise. But then we would need the counterpart capability to drop the regular exclamation mark used for reporting offending posts.

Victoria

[NAVigator]

Then I noticed--for the first time ever--that little inverted triangle thing-y with the exclamation point in it.

I think a triangle is just a triangle however it may be rotated. The essence of a triangle is that it has three angles, not that these angles are specifically arranged; and of course, the angles could be acute, obtuse or right. The adjective inverted is appropriate for a pyramid, because a pyramid is a physical structure that is intended to sit on its base. A triangle, in contrast, is a geometrical object, an abstract; it does not have any mass and thus it does not have to sit on its side.

Victoria

My avatar is a triangle - you can tell by the sides. If it was sitting on its side, we couldn't see it because it is so thin.

Jerry

[zaplunken]

Since it was said to report pm's that were retracted in another thread, I want to report that I received one a few days ago. I thought it was odd I had a pm and when I clicked on the link to go to it it was not there having been retracted by the sender.

[CABob]

Since it was said to report pm's that were retracted in another thread, I want to report that I received one a few days ago. I thought it was odd I had a pm and when I clicked on the link to go to it it was not there having been retracted by the sender.

I also received a similar PM but I suspect it was the Administrators that pulled the link. Correct?

[sscritic]

Since it was said to report pm's that were retracted in another thread, I want to report that I received one a few days ago. I thought it was odd I had a pm and when I clicked on the link to go to it it was not there having been retracted by the sender.

I also received a similar PM but I suspect it was the Administrators that pulled the link. Correct?

I know I change my mind. Do you? When you change your mind about a post, do you ever delete it? Do you think it is possible that someone might have sent you a PM (it was in the sender's outbox) so you got a notice, but deleted it before you went to pick it up? I have. Actually, I only leave PMs in my outbox for three days, figuring if you don't want to read what I wrote, I won't let you see it. Nyah, nyah! It doesn't have to take three days, as I had a PM withdrawn before I read it. Several weeks later, I had an occasion to PM that person and asked about it. It turned out that he thought he was deleting from his sent box (meaning I had already picked it up). But if you want to see evil intent in a message that you didn't pick up quickly enough, that's your choice.

P.S. I don't know what you both mean by "the link." I get an email with a link that takes me to my inbox (or login screen). In my inbox, there is a message that the PM has been deleted by the sender, but there is no link to click, other than a delete link.

This message has been removed by its author before it was delivered.

I think that means what it says.

[Alex Frakt]

Since it was said to report pm's that were retracted in another thread, I want to report that I received one a few days ago. I thought it was odd I had a pm and when I clicked on the link to go to it it was not there having been retracted by the sender.

I also received a similar PM but I suspect it was the Administrators that pulled the link. Correct?

The troll went on a bit of a rampage two days ago, using 6 hijacked accounts to send PMs to various people. We were only able to delete maybe half of the messages before they were received. So it is quite likely that CABob is correct.

I'm not sure who said to report retracted PMs, but I can't think of a reason why it would be necessary.

[gotherelate]

I'm not sure who said to report retracted PMs, but I can't think of a reason why it would be necessary.

I think it may have come from this thread. I don't really see how a retracted PM violates forum rules unless one considers it unwelcome.

[exigent]

I feel left out. I've never received a PM, unwanted or otherwise, from said troll.

[Petrocelli]

I feel left out. I've never received a PM, unwanted or otherwise, from said troll.

I'm a troll. I'll send you one.

[LadyGeek]

I'm not sure who said to report retracted PMs, but I can't think of a reason why it would be necessary.

I think it may have come from this thread. I don't really see how a retracted PM violates forum rules unless one considers it unwelcome.

Yes, it did come from there. I've corrected my post. Retracted PMs contain no useful information.

[zaplunken]

Do you think it is possible that someone might have sent you a PM (it was in the sender's outbox) so you got a notice, but deleted it before you went to pick it up? I have. Actually, I only leave PMs in my outbox for three days, figuring if you don't want to read what I wrote, I won't let you see it. Nyah, nyah! It doesn't have to take three days, as I had a PM withdrawn before I read it.

sscritic, I often don't log in or check the email account that would receive the email telling me about a pm for 4-5 weeks at a time. I have been logging in every 2nd or 3th day for the past week because I have posted things that I was following up on. I never knew the pm was in my outbox UNTIL the receiver opened it. I often wondered why it was there for any time at all. Thanks for telling me about this.

[SnapShots]

Excuse my ignorance: But, what is the Bogelhead definition of a troll? How does the troll - hijack - several PM e-mails?

((I think of a troll as being an ugly monster hiding under a bridge who jumps out and scares children when they cross the bridge. ))

I had my e-mail account hijacked from someone in Taiwan, which sent bogus e-mails to everyone in my contact list. This happened after someone send me a PM from the Boglehead website with a screen name HongKong. Have no idea if this incident was related but I associated the attack with the PM.

[Aptenodytes]

Excuse my ignorance: But, what is the Bogelhead definition of a troll? How does the troll - hijack - several PM e-mails?

((I think of a troll as being an ugly monster hiding under a bridge who jumps out and scares children when they cross the bridge. ))

I had my e-mail account hijacked from someone in Taiwan, which sent bogus e-mails to everyone in my contact list. This happened after someone send me a PM from the Boglehead website with a screen name HongKong. Have no idea if this incident was related but I associated the attack with the PM.

1) In probability terms, your post has significant chance of being a troll, so there's some likelihood you already know the answer to your question.
2) If you don't know the answer, it is a google click away

[mickeyd]

I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?

You could be on to something sscritic, but I seem to recall that I was a new member (to this forum or others) I tended to read many, many posts (old and new) and responded to many of them with dumb questions or comments as I was trying to get in the flow of things.

Newbies often do things different than the rest of us vets may do it.

[Taylor Larimore]

Excuse my ignorance: But, what is the Bogelhead definition of a troll? .

This is your answer:

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warrio ... roller.htm

Best wishes.
Taylor

[SnapShots]

Thanks, Taylor for the Troll Link. Pretty darn cute cartoon with the explanation.

[Minot]

((I think of a troll as being an ugly monster hiding under a bridge who jumps out and scares children when they cross the bridge. ))

Or billy goats.

[ram]

Should the ability to "PM" be restricted to those who have 100 (or other suitable number ) of posts?
(Edit : But please keep it below 280 )

[grabiner]

Should the ability to "PM" be restricted to those who have 100 (or other suitable number ) of posts?
(Edit : But please keep it below 280 )

No, it shouldn't be restricted. I have often had new posters and lurkers PM me with details that they considered too sensitive to be posted to the world. In particular, after the annual meetings, I have sometimes received PMs from people I met there; these people know me and feel more comfortable discussing their finances with me than posting them publicly.