Suggestions for report center and other things...

[FirestarZA]

Hi Guys,

Firstly, let me say that I am SERIOUSLY impressed with your software. I just moved from Vbulletin about 2 weeks ago.

However, there are a few things that's, to me at least, missing, or could be improved a bit.

That's me for now, but thanks again for a great piece of software, and I hope some of these makes it into a future release :)

1. Report Center: Allow some moderation functions in this please. In fact, make it act like a hidden forum? Put up some sort of unread feature, so that I can see which reported items I have read, and which contains unread posts by another moderator. Perhaps allow Admins to delete posts in there, edit posts, etc? If it acts like a forum, then all of these can be possible. Allow +/- reps as well, as I often want to thank a mod for doing something, which isn't possibly at the moment. Also, the "1 Active Reports" thing in the header should also have "10 Active Reports (4 Unread)" there, so that you can quickly and easily see who did what. Lastly, a search feature, please. if you later want to find something in there, it's going to be nearly impossible. Also perhaps some prune function? Perhaps move reports to your trash can when deleting?
2. Migration changes - soft deleted posts in Vbulletin must rather be moved to a trash can, in stead of unapproved. I currently have 1100 posts that's got to be deleted, since it was soft deleted on Vbulletin, and is now moderated posts in IPB. The problem is that there's no "select all" option, like with moderated topics, so you literally have to enter each thread with moderated posts in it, click on the check boxes of the individual posts, and then delete them. This is a HUGE schlepp. I've already cleared about 5000 posts this way, and can I say that I seriously have better things to do with the past 4 days than just deleting posts.
3. Trash Can: Have some kind of link to the topic where this was deleted from, please? In my setup, I really need to be able to see this, as I like to be involved in every decision my mods make.
   

[Josh]

Glad to hear that you are enjoying IPB3 so far!

1) The report center is brand new in IPB3, there's a lot of improvements that can still done there. I expect you'll see the feature evolve quite a lot over time :)

2) What is the difference between a soft deleted post in vBulletin and an unapproved post in IPB? Is it simply displayed different, it sounds like a similar idea based on the name of the feature anyway. In any event, I'm sure it's something that the conversion time can take a look at.

[Mark]

For #2 - this is something I debated for a while... IPB has no feature comparable to vB's soft delete. It's not *really* possible for the converter to move them to a trash can as that would require first creating a topic for them - which would slow down the converter (and posts conversion is already intensive).

The best thing for you to do is probably to run a SQL query to just delete them all, then rebuild topics and forums.

I will keep it in mind though... perhaps add a setting to ask users what they want to do with them.

[AtariAge]

[quote name='FirestarZA' date='28 August 2009 - 07:14 AM' timestamp='1251461695' post='1849731']
Report Center: Allow some moderation functions in this please. In fact, make it act like a hidden forum? Put up some sort of unread feature, so that I can see which reported items I have read, and which contains unread posts by another moderator. Perhaps allow Admins to delete posts in there, edit posts, etc? If it acts like a forum, then all of these can be possible. Allow +/- reps as well, as I often want to thank a mod for doing something, which isn't possibly at the moment. Also, the "1 Active Reports" thing in the header should also have "10 Active Reports (4 Unread)" there, so that you can quickly and easily see who did what. Lastly, a search feature, please. if you later want to find something in there, it's going to be nearly impossible. Also perhaps some prune function? Perhaps move reports to your trash can when deleting?
These are great suggestions, and I'm running into some of these issues myself. Especially trying to figure out which reports have new comments I haven't read yet, as well as which reports I haven't even looked at. I like the idea of creating a special hidden forum, rather than duplicating all the work of essentially creating a topic view. It's bad enough having to skin each of these topic-like views so they look like a normal topic-view. :)

That's me for now, but thanks again for a great piece of software, and I hope some of these makes it into a future release :)
Yes, please, also make it easier to restore posts/topics that have been deleted. A "Restore" button would be absolutely freaking terrific. :D

..Al

Trash Can: Have some kind of link to the topic where this was deleted from, please? In my setup, I really need to be able to see this, as I like to be involved in every decision my mods make.

[FirestarZA]

[quote name='Josh' date='28 August 2009 - 01:01 PM' timestamp='1251464508' post='1849742']
Glad to hear that you are enjoying IPB3 so far!

1) The report center is brand new in IPB3, there's a lot of improvements that can still done there. I expect you'll see the feature evolve quite a lot over time :)

2) What is the difference between a soft deleted post in vBulletin and an unapproved post in IPB? Is it simply displayed different, it sounds like a similar idea based on the name of the feature anyway. In any event, I'm sure it's something that the conversion time can take a look at.


Yea, as Mark said, VB has basically three ways to remove a topic/post.

[*]Hard deleted - physically remove post/topic from DB with no traces and no way to restore[*]Soft deleted - Remove the topic/post from public view, but all the admins and mods can still see it in the topic view. They also slim it down so that only the user's nick is visible, with a thin line going across to the right, where there is a "Manage" link or a "View" link which would allow you to undelete it (restore it back into public view the way it was) or make other changes (like delete the attachments uploaded in that post)[*]Moderated - Similar to IPB's inactive/invisible
[quote name='Mark' date='28 August 2009 - 01:12 PM' timestamp='1251465179' post='1849746']
For #2 - this is something I debated for a while... IPB has no feature comparable to vB's soft delete. It's not *really* possible for the converter to move them to a trash can as that would require first creating a topic for them - which would slow down the converter (and posts conversion is already intensive).

The best thing for you to do is probably to run a SQL query to just delete them all, then rebuild topics and forums.

I will keep it in mind though... perhaps add a setting to ask users what they want to do with them.


Not that it's any of my issues at the moment, since I've already migrated, but this is a HUGE issue for VB migrations, especially for larger boards (not that mine is that large anyways), so I think it would be a great feature to have available for next time I want to stick needles in my eyes :D

Do you perhaps have a sql script that will allow me to move the invisible posts to my trash can? I have no more topics left, just posts. That would help a LOT.

[quote name='AtariAge' date='28 August 2009 - 01:21 PM' timestamp='1251465661' post='1849747']
These are great suggestions, and I'm running into some of these issues myself. Especially trying to figure out which reports have new comments I haven't read yet, as well as which reports I haven't even looked at. I like the idea of creating a special hidden forum, rather than duplicating all the work of essentially creating a topic view. It's bad enough having to skin each of these topic-like views so they look like a normal topic-view. :)


Yes, please, also make it easier to restore posts/topics that have been deleted. A "Restore" button would be absolutely freaking terrific. :D

..Al


A restore button would be awesome, yes. I didn't even think of that. And here I thought that IPB should give me a job as the person just thinking crap up the whole day. Seems like I should share that position with you :D

[Mark]

[quote name='FirestarZA' date='28 August 2009 - 03:21 PM' timestamp='1251469293' post='1849765']
Do you perhaps have a sql script that will allow me to move the invisible posts to my trash can? I have no more topics left, just posts. That would help a LOT.


Doing this would delete (physically, not just moved to trash) any posts currently invisible:

You would then have to rebuild topics and then forums.

Unfortunately, there's not an easy way to just move them to the trash can - a post cannot exist without a topic, and it's not possible (realistically) to generate a topic to put the post in using an SQL query.

DELETE FROM posts WHERE queued=1

[Brett B]

Making the report center more useful...

[*]Make updating the status a new post and allow for a comment on the update (again, like the Tracker, and this would address the first bullet) [*]Show that there are new comments on a report with a "go to first unread post" icon (again, like the Tracker)

:D

[*]Show who the last person to post/perform an action in the report thread is (similar to the Tracker)

[Andy Millne]

I like the proposed changes in this thread. I currently have a hidden Admin category with a moderators forum and the trash can which is only visible to admins. It would be nice if discussion I currently have in the moderator forum could take place in the report center as well to keep everything focussed in one place.

[AtariAge]

[quote name='AndyMillne' date='28 August 2009 - 11:05 AM' timestamp='1251475537' post='1849834']
I like the proposed changes in this thread. I currently have a hidden Admin category with a moderators forum and the trash can which is only visible to admins. It would be nice if discussion I currently have in the moderator forum could take place in the report center as well to keep everything focussed in one place.

I pretty much have the same thing--a hidden Moderators forum, and there is sometimes overlap between discussions that take place in the Report Center and in the Moderators forum. Just like there is a special "Trash" forum for deleted messages (if you are using that feature), a special "Moderators" forum that the Report Center uses for discussions would be spiffarific.

..Al

[rgf100]

Re the above for dealing with VB's soft-deleted posts

Given that 3.1 is imminent and will permit soft-deleted posts, would it be possible to set this to some random number - say '23' for the sake of argument - and have those posts sit undisturbed in the database until 3.1 arrives and we can figure out how to make them actual soft-deleted posts. Or would that cause chaos?

I might try this myself in the not too distant future, but if anyone has any ideas . . .

DELETE FROM posts WHERE queued=1

[Luke]

I think vBulletin simply uses a forum category for reports, or maybe that was another forum software? At any rate, a forum doesn't cut it. Why? Because the Report Center has a variety of status's that weights the reports by how many reports a particular post has got, and how old the report is (all customizable). It also separates the actual reports from the comments. I've done the research and field testing to prove it.

To be quite honest, all moderator discussions should either be comments in a report, or comments under the user account through the warning panel. If an extensive discussion needs to take place regarding a particular member, then a topic could be created in the moderator forum (although I would suggest linking that topic to the user in the warning panel).

The idea behind the report center is to allow moderators to work together more efficiently. Downgrading to a forum would be going backwards.

I do agree that improvements should be made. For instance a search would be very useful. Keeping track of read/unread reports would be nice as well, although the status are really what's important - if something isn't marked completed, it should be. But for comments or new reports, I see how that can be needed. You can already customize what status's are considered "new" to be in the number. Adding the ability to rep moderators... Don't see the use in it myself.

One thing I think would be useful:

Show reports in line with the comments in the warning center. That way you could see what comments were made by a moderator about a particular member, and see topics/posts of theirs that was reported with the current status. Would give a moderator a more clearer "history" of a member. Perhaps when a moderator creates a topic regarding a particular member there could be a box to type in a member name to link that topic of discussion to the warning panel.

I *think* you can also make comments in the warning panel without adjusting the warning level as well, but I'm not sure.

[bfarber]

[quote name='Luke' date='07 May 2010 - 01:29 PM' timestamp='1273253345' post='1949534']
...


To add on to what Luke said, I find a forum for reports/dealing with users to be problematic. Case in point - we've had one in the past (at least at IPS Beyond) and then at some point it gets pruned, hidden, or removed. Suddenly, all of the information on the user's warn history is gone. It's better to keep this data in a self-contained system for it's own specific purpose, in my opinion.

[DrumCorpsFan]

Any update on or solution for a "First Unread Post" link for Report Center posts?