REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
- Mel Lindauer
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REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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:
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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 box 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 box 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.
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 box 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 box 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.
Best Regards - Mel |
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Semper Fi
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Thank you for your service, Mel.
Latecomer
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- LazyNihilist
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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 wrote: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.
Gordon
- Mel Lindauer
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
When you have an offending post open and click on the triangle, you're reporting that post.gkaplan wrote: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 wrote: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.
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.
Best Regards - Mel |
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Semper Fi
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Thank you Mel and all other moderators for the service that you provide to us.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Newish posters are always suspicious, to some degree, until proven otherwise...sscritic wrote:I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?
Attempted new signature...
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.sscritic wrote:I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
I am still suspicious of those with 10,000+ posts.The Wizard wrote:Newish posters are always suspicious, to some degree, until proven otherwise...sscritic wrote:I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Whew! I was worried you were talking about me.Boglenaut wrote: I am still suspicious of those with 10,000+ posts.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Will the punishment be less severe if I report my own violation?
- Mel Lindauer
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
I suspect you're being facetious, but you and other posters need to know that you can delete or edit your own posts.natureexplorer wrote:Will the punishment be less severe if I report my own violation?
Best Regards - Mel |
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Semper Fi
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
And how can we report avatars with too much skin?gkaplan wrote:Got it, Mel.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.Alex Frakt wrote: . . . If you see something suspicious, especially from a new poster, please let us know via the report button.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
sscritic wrote:Whew! I was worried you were talking about me.Boglenaut wrote: I am still suspicious of those with 10,000+ posts.
I just hope you are still posting when I get to the age where I need to make SS decisions!
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
If you hold your mouse over the inverted triangle, the words "report this post" will eventually appear (it's the "mouseover text").MarcMyWord wrote: 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.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
^ All this time I thought it turned off the passenger side airbag!
- House Blend
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
^ 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
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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?
Is it 'inverted'?
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.MarcMyWord wrote:Then I noticed--for the first time ever--that little inverted triangle thing-y with the exclamation point in it.
Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake |
Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. |
Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Area of a triangle is 1/2 base X height.
base definition on dictionary.com:
base definition on dictionary.com:
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.the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.JeremyM wrote:Area of a triangle is 1/2 base X height.
base definition on dictionary.com:
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.the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.
Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake |
Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. |
Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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
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
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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*)?MarcMyWord wrote: 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.
* why does ¡ sit so low on the line?
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.sscritic wrote: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*)?MarcMyWord wrote: 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.
* why does ¡ sit so low on the line?
Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake |
Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. |
Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
Re: Is it 'inverted'?
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.VictoriaF wrote: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.MarcMyWord wrote:Then I noticed--for the first time ever--that little inverted triangle thing-y with the exclamation point in it.
Victoria
Jerry
"I was born with nothing and I have most of it left."
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
I also received a similar PM but I suspect it was the Administrators that pulled the link. Correct?zaplunken wrote: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.
Bob
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.CABob wrote:I also received a similar PM but I suspect it was the Administrators that pulled the link. Correct?zaplunken wrote: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.
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.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.CABob wrote:I also received a similar PM but I suspect it was the Administrators that pulled the link. Correct?zaplunken wrote: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'm not sure who said to report retracted PMs, but I can't think of a reason why it would be necessary.
- gotherelate
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.Alex Frakt wrote:I'm not sure who said to report retracted PMs, but I can't think of a reason why it would be necessary.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
I feel left out. I've never received a PM, unwanted or otherwise, from said troll.
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
I'm a troll. I'll send you one.exigent wrote:I feel left out. I've never received a PM, unwanted or otherwise, from said troll.
Petrocelli (not the real Rico, but just a fan)
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Yes, it did come from there. I've corrected my post. Retracted PMs contain no useful information.gotherelate wrote: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.Alex Frakt wrote:I'm not sure who said to report retracted PMs, but I can't think of a reason why it would be necessary.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.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.
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.
((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.
the best decision many times is the hardest to do
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Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.SnapShots wrote: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.
2) If you don't know the answer, it is a google click away
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.sscritic wrote:I am suspicious of a first time poster reviving a thread where the last post was over a year ago. Should I be?
Newbies often do things different than the rest of us vets may do it.
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- Taylor Larimore
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Definition of a "Troll."
This is your answer:SnapShots wrote:Excuse my ignorance: But, what is the Bogelhead definition of a troll? .
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warrio ... roller.htm
Best wishes.
Taylor
"Simplicity is the master key to financial success." -- Jack Bogle
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Thanks, Taylor for the Troll Link. Pretty darn cute cartoon with the explanation.
the best decision many times is the hardest to do
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
Or billy goats.SnapShots wrote: ((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. ))
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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 )
(Edit : But please keep it below 280 )
Ram
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
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.ram wrote: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 )
Re: REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND UNWELCOME PMs
This is a reminder that forum policy applies to private messages. If you receive an unwelcome solicitation, for example, do not reply. Instead, please report the Private Message using the ! in the top-right corner of the PM.
Did something happen to cause this reminder? Yes. Will there be any details provided? No.
(Thread remains locked.)
Did something happen to cause this reminder? Yes. Will there be any details provided? No.
(Thread remains locked.)