Edit: Let's make this extremely clear: I'm not asking to remove reporting. Reporting is important and it would still exist

I'll leave it to others to define the term


We see this a lot on Scratch.
I'll list some typical examples here. Note however that usually mini-mod posts are a bit less concise; I've made my examples short because imitating large mini-mod paragraphs is difficult.

Mini-mod wrote:

OP wrote:

<some post in the wrong forum section>

Hey OP, it looks like this post is in the wrong forum section! I've reported it to be moved to <xyz> for you.

It's OK to ask the ST to move a topic to what you think is the appropriate section, but there's no reason to post about it. This is almost spam.

Mini-mod wrote:

OP wrote:

<some inappropriate thing or blockspam>

Your post appears to break the CG and I've reported it for <bad content>.

There's absolutely no reason to ever post something like this. It's not helpful to tell someone you've reported their post. Leave moderation to the ST.

Mini-mod wrote:

OP wrote:

<some rejected suggestion>

Hello, it looks like you've made a rejected suggestion. Remember to read the stickies!

quote of sticky

I think you get the idea.

Nobody appreciates when mini-mods appear and pretend to be the ST. And nobody appreciates the clear negativity from every other Scratch forum post being criticized by mini-mods for some reason or another. Mini-mods probably are trying to be helpful, but the most helpful thing to do is to stop mini-modding and leave it to the experts (by experts I mean the ST, in case you haven't guessed yet). It's only a matter of time before some mini-mod will make a bad judgement and incorrectly reprimand a poster, resulting in hurt feelings.

What people should do is report posts. Reporting is a very effective way to bring moderator attention to a problem. Nothing besides a report (or perhaps a Contact Us message) is necessary.

TDLR mini-modding needs to be stopped and the ST needs to take a harder stance against it.

Edit 2:

$(".box-head")[0].textContent = "committing AT crimes since $whenever"

No support.

A ST member will often look for a post giving the link to a duplicate topic in a previous post in the suggestions forum. If this isn't allowed, how will the ST know which topic? Putting the link in the report? That's a lot less intuitive than clicking quote and putting in the little statement.

It is also much better for Scratchers to make the statement since they have more time to look at the specific situation than the ST, so they usually can make a more helpful/appropriate response.

It doesn't really hurt anybody anyway. What problems arise from somebody doing this?

No support for the same reason as I don't support most rule-change ideas: I think the rules should be up to the ST, and it's clear from how they respond to minimodding that they don't have a problem with it.

In fact, given how small the moderating team is (I only see two mods regularly) it probably saves them some time, like the example you gave of pointing out a rejected suggestion. If the poster didn't put the quote there the ST would have to go there instead. The same goes for linking duplicates, which lets people know it's a duplicate and go to the right topic before the ST responds, and then lets the ST just use their standard “looks like this is a duplicate” copypasta. For moving topics to another forum, if no-one posts about it then the topic is normally just moved without comment which sometimes gets confusing.

IMO the worse type of minimodding is when people push things as if they were rules when actually they're just community conventions, I'm thinking of this topic especially. That needs to stop but I don't think there's much the ST could do about it, my preferred way of dealing with stuff like that would just be to leave a comment on the worst offenders' profiles (like repeatedly saying no support without a reason, or making a ton of topics without bothering to read the stickies), and otherwise just letting them get away with minor stuff. There's also the really patronising tone of some minimod comments but again that's not really something you can make a rule against.

Since this suggestion relates directly to the ST, I'll ask them what their opinion on it is.

They are pretty annoying. Tbh I could probably deal with it as long as they were generally nicer about correcting everyone…

Sigton

No support if I'm understanding the OP correctly.

Do I hate passive aggressive mini mods? Yes. Yes I do.

Do I want mini mods to be removed… why in the world?

If you put a restriction on mini mods, trust me, the spam rate would just go through the roof. I personally don't view them as “mini-mods” more of “forum helpers” (no I'm not referring to the group either). IMO they're an essential part to the forums. They're pretty much the people that (how do you put this in a friendly way?) “whip the forum into shape”… but in a nice way XD.

As per above I'm pretty sure the mini mods help the ST quite a lot. Being that there are only two active forums mods that I know of.

Dun take my word for it.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, there are some that I hate tbh. I'm sure you know what I mean.

It's not like reporting would magically disappear.

Please explain how mini mods help prevent spam if they can't actually dustbin anything?

$(".box-head")[0].textContent = "committing AT crimes since $whenever"

djdolphin wrote:

MegaApuTurkUltra wrote:

It's not like reporting would magically disappear.

Please explain how mini mods help prevent spam if they can't actually dustbin anything?

No support.

you're not helping ms

$(".box-head")[0].textContent = "committing AT crimes since $whenever"

djdolphin wrote:

MegaApuTurkUltra wrote:

It's not like reporting would magically disappear.

Please explain how mini mods help prevent spam if they can't actually dustbin anything?

No support.

Please explain why you don't support. Thanks!

What, too much irony?

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

If you put a restriction on mini mods, trust me, the spam rate would just go through the roof.

So because they respond to the spam, there's less of it?
They're not doing anything to prevent it in the first place.

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

I personally don't view them as “mini-mods” more of “forum helpers” (no I'm not referring to the group either).

Doesn't matter what you call them they're still the same thing.

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

IMO they're an essential part to the forums.

Because they tell everyone off themselves instead of doing it the proper way and just reporting it? Allowing the ST to deal with the situation is much more effective.

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

They're pretty much the people that “whip the forum into shape”

I'd take an alert to heart much more than a scratcher ranting to me about spam tbh…

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

As per above I'm pretty sure the mini mods help the ST quite a lot. Being that there are only two active forums mods that I know of.

Do you know what helps the ST? Reporting. Do you know what makes no difference to the ST? Telling people that you've reported them.
Honestly, these mini mods do nothing but spread all of the spam etc, because when they post on the topics they bump them up to the top of the forum. If you find it, just report it and the ST will deal with it no differently than if you told that person off. I think that the ST would appreciate it if people just reported posts rather than getting at the offenders.

Sigton

Sigton wrote:

-Snip, I think I get the idea. XD-

Do you know what helps the ST? Reporting. Do you know what makes no difference to the ST? Telling people that you've reported them.
Honestly, these mini mods do nothing but spread all of the spam etc, because when they post on the topics they bump them up to the top of the forum. If you find it, just report it and the ST will deal with it no differently than if you told that person off. I think that the ST would appreciate it if people just reported posts rather than getting at the offenders.

Sigton

Ik Ik, never said reporting was a bad thing, I just report and leave myself. Tbh on suggestions if there was a large amount of minis that go towards one thing, I'm a “go with the flow” kind of guy… mostly because whenever I say my support factor, there's a 75% chance that other's are the opposite of that… So you can tell that I get attacked quite often…

(If you couldn't tell my original statement was supporting this)

So yeah. Sorry about that nonsense. Lol.

just fyi - minimodding creates *more* work for the ST, because in a situation like this:

badguy wrote:

<offensive word>

CoolCat42 wrote:

badguy wrote:

<offensive word>

Hey! Please use appropriate language on Scratch! I've reported this post! Thanks!

CatOfCoolness12345 wrote:

CoolCat42 wrote:

badguy wrote:

<offensive word>

Hey! Please use appropriate language on Scratch! I've reported this post! Thanks!

Yeah! I agree, use nice language on Scratch

the moderator now has to edit out / delete three posts instead of one.

it's also often that the original post will get deleted but the “hey please don't spam” posts aren't, which just leads to a handful of random “mini mod” posts in the middle of perfectly good threads.

as someone very dissatisfied with the signal-to-noise ratio on the scratch forums: support!

also, just throwing this out there too: if you REALLY REALLY want to reply “hey that's offensive” to someone's post, profile comments? that way nobody else has to read it

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

Ik Ik, never said reporting was a bad thing

I know that, but I'm saying you should only report, not post.

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

I just report and leave myself.

Are you sure about that?

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

Tbh on suggestions if there was a large amount of minis that go towards one thing, I'm a “go with the flow” kind of guy… mostly because whenever I say my support factor, there's a 75% chance that other's are the opposite of that… So you can tell that I get attacked quite often…

People arguing about your opinion isn't being a mini-mod, that's just a difference of opinion.

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

(If you couldn't tell my original statement was supporting this)

Are you sure about that too?

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

No support

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

Do I want mini mods to be removed… why in the world?

Sigton

Sigton wrote:

-Snip-

Here's what I'm saying:

If someone says:

Person wrote:

-Rejected suggestion-

My idea of mini modding is just reporting it and moving on… what I hate is this:

Mini wrote:

Person wrote:

-Rejected suggestion

Hey, that suggestion is rejected -quote to sticky- Please read the stickies before suggesting, thanks!

EDIT: BEFORE YOU LINK TO MINE. I was just informing them… I didn't say anything else but two things.

That's what I mean. Sure sure it seems friendly enough, but… y-you know what I'm trying to say right?

Sure they're doing their job… but it's not their job in the first place.

As I said before, I don't like passive aggressive mini mods… who are around 90% of minis on the forum. Why do you think I'm always so hesitant?

Mini wrote:

I wrote:

I don't this that's the purpose?… Idk

Actually, it is. You probably should have read the OP.

Do I like people who keep the forums in order in a nice way? Yes, I do. But it's just not as “laid back” if you know what I mean. If you make a mistake on the forum, I guarantee that you have a 50% chance to have a mini mod reply to you with an intimidating smiley.

[

Sigton wrote:

awsome_guy_360 wrote:

I just report and leave myself.

Are you sure about that?

Also, that only applies to certain things. Never said what I only reported! ha ha… I need help. ._.]

MegaApuTurkUltra wrote:

Edit: Let's make this extremely clear: I'm not asking to remove reporting. Reporting is important and it would still exist

I'll leave it to others to define the term


We see this a lot on Scratch.
I'll list some typical examples here. Note however that usually mini-mod posts are a bit less concise; I've made my examples short because imitating large mini-mod paragraphs is difficult.

Mini-mod wrote:

OP wrote:

<some post in the wrong forum section>

Hey OP, it looks like this post is in the wrong forum section! I've reported it to be moved to <xyz> for you.

It's OK to ask the ST to move a topic to what you think is the appropriate section, but there's no reason to post about it. This is almost spam.

Mini-mod wrote:

OP wrote:

<some inappropriate thing or blockspam>

Your post appears to break the CG and I've reported it for <bad content>.

There's absolutely no reason to ever post something like this. It's not helpful to tell someone you've reported their post. Leave moderation to the ST.

Mini-mod wrote:

OP wrote:

<some rejected suggestion>

Hello, it looks like you've made a rejected suggestion. Remember to read the stickies!

quote of sticky

I think you get the idea.

Nobody appreciates when mini-mods appear and pretend to be the ST. And nobody appreciates the clear negativity from every other Scratch forum post being criticized by mini-mods for some reason or another. Mini-mods probably are trying to be helpful, but the most helpful thing to do is to stop mini-modding and leave it to the experts (by experts I mean the ST, in case you haven't guessed yet). It's only a matter of time before some mini-mod will make a bad judgement and incorrectly reprimand a poster, resulting in hurt feelings.

What people should do is report posts. Reporting is a very effective way to bring moderator attention to a problem. Nothing besides a report (or perhaps a Contact Us message) is necessary.

TDLR mini-modding needs to be stopped and the ST needs to take a harder stance against it.

Edit 2:

No support - the second is an entirely bad thing to post, but the first and third are completely valid and help the topic owner learn from their mistakes.

scratchisthebest wrote:

just fyi - minimodding creates *more* work for the ST, because in a situation like this:

badguy wrote:

<offensive word>

CoolCat42 wrote:

badguy wrote:

<offensive word>

Hey! Please use appropriate language on Scratch! I've reported this post! Thanks!

CatOfCoolness12345 wrote:

CoolCat42 wrote:

badguy wrote:

<offensive word>

Hey! Please use appropriate language on Scratch! I've reported this post! Thanks!

Yeah! I agree, use nice language on Scratch

the moderator now has to edit out / delete three posts instead of one.

it's also often that the original post will get deleted but the “hey please don't spam” posts aren't, which just leads to a handful of random “mini mod” posts in the middle of perfectly good threads.

as someone very dissatisfied with the signal-to-noise ratio on the scratch forums: support!

also, just throwing this out there too: if you REALLY REALLY want to reply “hey that's offensive” to someone's post, profile comments? that way nobody else has to read it

That's why you punish people who quote and don't censor offensive words.

Re: the above two posts.

Minimodding is a waste of space, which is that this topic is about. Speaking of wastes of space, how about replying to very tall posts and quoting the whole thing, forcing people to scroll past all of that.

braxbroscratcher wrote:

That's why you punish people who quote and don't censor offensive words.

So you're saying, to solve the problem of people creating more work for moderators by quoting offensive posts, we should create EVEN MORE work for the moderators?

scratchisthebest wrote:

Re: the above two posts.

Minimodding is a waste of space, which is that this topic is about. Speaking of wastes of space, how about replying to very tall posts and quoting the whole thing, forcing people to scroll past all of that.

Sorry. Minimodding isn't really that much of a waste of space, if you think about it. The first and third examples are actually simply courtesy and are there to help the OP improve.

They most definitely are a waste of space for everyone else reading the thread.

Post on their profile.

braxbroscratcher wrote:

-snipped quote-
That's why you punish people who quote and don't censor offensive words.

the irony of this post

No support, to be honest. I find minimodding OK (which is why I do it myself). I feel that explaining something to a user (especially if it's correct) that's actually a rule makes it easier for the Scratch Team. Often, I'll find myself posting on a topic that doesn't fit into the forums, was necroposted on, etc., and the Scratch Team simply closes the topic without posting on it because I said everything they needed to say. If they need to clarify, they'll write a short post instead of a really long post about it. It might make the Scratch Team's job easier in some cases. In other cases, when they use the offensive word multiple times, it's their fault that they didn't snip out those parts.