It's come to my attention that when reporting posts, some people may try to sneak in their own opinion here and there, implementing their prejudicial views on the person they are reporting. Along with that, some people may not even know what to put in a report (possibly saying 'he/she did something bad' or 'offending others' etc) without any elaboration whatsoever. I myself sometimes am at a loss for what to put in the report. So with that being said, I propose a small guide (or some points to remember) for reporting posts. Perhaps:

Concerning Reports

When reporting a post to the staff (by using the button), pleasure be sure to provide the specific section of the post that is the purpose of the report. For example, if you are reporting a post for offending others, provide the staff with the section of the post you find offensive. This is to ensure a complete understanding set between the staff and the reporter. If one bumps a thread or double posts, be sure to state that 'poster x double posted/bumped/etc'. Reports with just the name of the offending poster or reports that find themselves to vague to be acted upon will be discarded with no action taken.

Or something to that effect. On the matter of reports, I also suggest for some sort of 'Report Criteria' to be posted somewhere. This Criteria would help all members (new or old) to understand the things needed for a report to be submitted. For example:

Criteria for Reports

When submitting a report (especially one that you think deserves a warn), there are some things that need to be considered.

1) Is the offending poster breaking any of the rules? - Are you reporting a poster that is breaking any of the rules? Be sure to read the rules before reporting to ensure that what they're doing is not accepted in the applied forum. For example, you shouldn't report a poster for one word posts when they are posting in the Fun 'N Games forum seeing as that particular forum allows said posts.

2) Is the offending poster fully aware and understanding of the rules? - If the poster has just validated and is completely new to the forum, he or she may not be used to the rules and what actions break them. They may double post to Bump a topic without the knowledge of the Bump button being there (in the Marketplace perhaps). All this requires is for a simple PM perhaps to be sent to the poster informing them that there is a Bump button available. Or you can inform a staff member (through PM) telling them that the poster double-posted without complete knowledge of the bumping system etc. Reports should be saved for reporting a poster who is breaking the rules and is well aware of that - not posters who are oblivious to them breaking said rules.

3) Are there any of your own opinions in a report? - Reports should not contain any of your own opinions. You are not allowed to submit a report with it stating that you strongly believe the poster should be warned or banned etc. This report may be considered false if it is just your opinion throughout the entire thing. Those decisions of whether the poster should be warned/banned/etc is up to the staff team and them alone. Reports should only include the offending poster and what they are doing that is not in agreement with the rules. If one consistently sends reports with opinions throughout them - they will be punished accordingly.

4) Is there sufficient evidence for a report to be acted upon? - Reports should include evidence of the poster breaking the rules. Said evidence should be proper and sufficient for the report to be acted upon. If reports contain one or two words stating that the poster: 'offended another', without evidence that the poster did so - the reporter will be punished accordingly. Extract the offending material from the post and include it in the report, as to distinguish which section of the post is offensive. False reporters will be punished if reports have little or no legitimacy.

5) Is your report concerning the post in that particular thread? - [size="1"]Reports should be entirely based on the particular offending post of which you clicked in. Do not report a post from the poster in the Scape Lounge because they did wrong elsewhere. Also do not report a poster in the Scape Lounge if their behavior throughout the board is wrong and offensive. Instead send a PM to a staff member explaining to them of the member's bad behavior, providing evidence and whatnot. Keep in mind that reports are for the one post/thread only.

This is just my suggestions concerning reports, as I believe some members have yet to understand what goes into a report and what a report does and should be used for.

Now I'm moving onto the Pixel Garage and my concerns on it. I've been browsing the Pixel Shops & Requests section and I've noticed one particular thing: the posts in there have got nothing to do with pixels. The majority of the requests in the recent past have been more suited for the Digital Gallery. For example, one member requests for a pixel signature, following that, another member comes along, gladly fulfills the requests and posts the completed signature. Now that signature is not pixel art and is just a signature made in Photoshop or Gimp using renders, c4D's, stock images etc. This is a Digital Gallery thing than a Pixel Shops & Requests. If you go to the last page in that section, everything was fine then, there were some odd requests here and there, but most of it suited the select forum. Nowadays, the Pixel Shops & Requests forum has just become a branch off the Digital Gallery. I propose perhaps a stickied thread in that forum stating:

Pixels and Graphics.

The Pixel Shops & Requests forum is specifically meant for the requesting and completion of pixel signatures/avatars/icons. These pieces of art should be pixel art only. Other avatars/icons/signatures belong in the Digital Gallery requests section, not here. Look below for an example of a pixel piece of art and a graphics piece of art:



Members should be aware of this and understand this. And if need be, get some staff down there to clear the mess. I understand that staff members have other more important priorities and may not have the time to do so. But if you get some free time, why not take a peek down there and move some of the threads that don't belong. Members should also get in, get others to understand the difference - the pixel artists mainly. Those great pixel artists here influence others greatly, even more so than staff. Newer members can relate to them and understand them. PMing those posters who aren't in the right forum can even make a difference. I admit, I have just noticed the sudden mis-understanding that's swept that forum, and I plan to get others on the right track.

I think I'm done with all that. Disagree? Agree? Thoughts? Opinions?

How would you know that?


I haven't seen a single report from that section in my short time as a moderator. If it is such a problem, why haven't those topics been reported?

Perhaps better wording would do, I'm presuming that some people would sneak in their opinions (or hypotheitcally if they were - and then the suggestion would be a precaution if that hypothetical event was actualized).



I believe that some people, as the term goes, 'can't be stuffed'. It's mainly newer members that roam those forums (judging by the posts there). However I may be wrong on that belief.

I'm not quite sure that I have ever had a problem reporting. It's simple. You just write what needs to be done and click submit. Just put down something simple like

-close please
-spam
-double post
-move to ....

Etc.

Yes, you presume. And even if they do, why should you care? It shouldn't be a big deal to anyone.


New members, no, all members, should always try and learn from mistakes. You'd only be doing them good by reporting their posts.

If this was the case (and it may be) I don't see what the problem is. The Moderator deals with Reports, and if they happen to contain opinions, it doesn't matter. It won't affect their judgement on what is to be done about the Report.



It's the Moderator's job to decide what action is taken, not the person who reports the Post.


I can't really comment on the Pixel Area, I don't go in there much.

Usually my reports are just Rule # and then a quotation of the rule or three dots, I can't remember the last time I did anything besides that, and aren't moderators supposed to use their own discretion regarding warns?

Even if they do have their own opinion, if the topic isn't breaking the rules or full of flaming, it'll stay open.

For my reports, I put in things that make the readers go "....Well played, Twist. Well played."