offensive / stupid questions

[ludwig]

How about providing some kind of facility which would enable AB users to remove offensive/stupid/repeated/marlboro/branflake questions. The way it would work is this. When the reader goes into the question, there is a little button (like the answer rating one) that says "vote to remove this question". If a significant number of DIFFERENT users choose this option, the question is removed. Simple as that. This would operate in addition to the editing that the ed is supposed to do anyway.

[ludwig]

..the questioner could then be sent a mail that says 'I'm sorry, but you are too stupid to use the answerbank. You have asked a question that has been asked 5000 times before, and selected not to view the previous answers. Your question has been removed by your fellow users'. That would be a nice touch, but not essential.

[paulz]

and we all go round to where they live and zap them too ? please??

[vittoria]

I like the idea that it has to be a number of different users. However I suggest the "removed" answer then goes to the Editor who has the final say, and can also note who the recidives are (for three or four strikes and you're out purposes).

[smudge]

This may seem a stupid question, but why have you awarded yourself 3x*?

[AB Editor]

ludwig - very interesting first idea - and some of the follow-ups are even more fascinating... if unworkable!

[PaulB]

LMAO Ludwig

[IndieSinger]

This is kind of ironic, ludwig, but this has already been said before! Re-read my post (below), which first appeared on this thread.

A good idea would be to have a "report" function. If, say, five individual members hit the "report" button on a post, then the offending post would be sent to, say, five moderators by e-mail. If, say, four out of five moderators agreed that it was offensive and against the rules of AnswerBank, then it would be automatically deleted. This is nothing new, I've seen it on lots of sites and I've even been a moderator of this kind.

[zgma]

In the SF Bay Area we have a site called craigslist.org, very different sort of site but they have a system whereby people can "flag" messages that are inappropriate or abusive. Then they get reviewed by the site editor. Seems like that would make AB Ed.s job easier, and give us the opportunity to do more than just ignore the posts.

[vittoria]

So I suppose it is a kind of "report abuse" function such as I think is on Friends Reunited? I think it is a good idea in its various incarnations.

[ludwig]

Ok, the bit about the email is not entirely serious, but the original suggestion is. I'm sure it could be workable in some way, as vittoria says, perhaps more as a way of quickly flagging things up for the AB Ed. smudge - I awarded myself 3* cos I thought I deserved it, but to show I'm not being greedy, I've given you some as well :) thanks everyone for the comments.

[DOB]

This is quite a good idea. Although I think that your answer only merited 2 stars and not 3. But therein lies the joy of marking your own answers.