Question

Untag yourself and IP ban.

Answer 1

I think you should be able to untag yourself from posts. Some people tag so easily and with so many people together. The constant notifications get annoying. Some also tag to annoy people.

And since this site has grown so much, there have been more and more trolls lately. Maybe it's time to use IP ban? I know the concern is for when the IP address is shared for example in schools. I don't think that they should be on OS while at school anyway. This site is to help them study when they are at home, isn't it? For doing homework and preparing for tests?

Answer 2

Hmm. I think I should instead say: There should be a way to 'stop following' a post.

Answer 3

I so agree!!!

Answer 4

I agree, this is an excellent idea.

Answer 5

rather than IP ban it shud be mac address ban

Answer 6

Wonderful Idea! @wolfe8 Good Luck! Hope It gets approved!!!

Answer 7

With respect to an IP ban - I agree.

There has been much discussion for a long time about IP bans. The consensus is that mods should be able to IP ban users. The problem is implementing it - apparently an IP ban is not a button like "suspend" or "warn" but a script that we actually would need to go into the system and run. And mods don't have the security clearances to modify OpenStudy source code, or necessarily have the programming skills (though most of us are from the tech, engineering or research fields and do) to run it.

There are a few alternatives to IP bans - and I am not going to discuss them in a public forum lest it give trolls a heads up about subtler moderating methods - that are for various reasons more effective than IP bans (which users can avoid by masking their IP or using a different computer - I remember one instance in which we had to IP ban an entire town to get rid of one single troll) and which are a little easier to implement.

And there are few measures which would slow the trolls down a bit - such as allowing one OpenStudy account per verified email account, so the trolls would have to go through the extra hoop of having to make a new email account as well - that could and should be implemented.

I definitely agree - more and more users are using the site, a proportionate number of them are trolls, with more trolls we get more malicious and more able trolls more than we did a couple years ago, and the mod tools - simply suspending new accounts and warning - have not kept up with the challenges.

Answer 8

And I should add - to that dissertation ^ - that the tools for rewarding good conduct on the site and inspiring trolls to stop trolling and become useful members of the community have not kept up with the challenges either.

The mods are very much "carrots not sticks" people in that we prefer to reward good behaviour than punish bad behaviour - bluntly, to lead instead of drive - but with the challenges and the sheer volume of discipline needed to keep a site like this going, sticks are faster and we find ourselves using them more and more. For which we are sorry.

Answer 9

"And there are few measures which would slow the trolls down a bit - such as allowing one OpenStudy account per verified email account, so the trolls would have to go through the extra hoop of having to make a new email account as well - that could and should be implemented."

I thought this was already enforced. I asked this in my previous post on Feedback.

Also, perhaps we need more mods around? I think with a handful of mods that are online and with this many users now it's hard to maintain order in every subject. I feel bad for mods so I try to do what I can :/ So far I can somewhat keep English chat under control but that's about it.

Answer 10

Honestly, it has been so long since I made an account other than my primary one that I don't know whether they require a new email or not these days. :)

More mods is an intriguing idea. Suggestions are always welcome. But I think we do a good job with response times to the abuse reports we do get. Of course the question is how much abuse goes unreported. And we do a reasonably good job, I think, with curating the groups and keeping an eye on the forums. The chats - make things difficult. Having only one chatroom for the whole site would make things much easier. I think we have enough mods; I think the mods could just use more powerful disciplinary tools.

Answer 11

I agree. Maybe better tools will solve this. And yes, the mods are doing a good job, but I was just concerned that you are overworking yourself. I know some mods were really tired when they had to stay and handle some issues. All the best, mods! You have my respect. I will try to do whatever I can on my end.

I have one thought about the IP ban script: Can you have a template for it so that mods only need to put in the address? Not sure if that is how it works though. Or, I am a mod for a gaming clan with 2 servers. What we do is have a few people with IP banning powers and we have a form for mods to submit IP addresses to ban. Maybe we can do that to overcome the limitation of having to write a script? This way, not every mod will have to know how to work it. Just a couple suggestions.

Pixie, we can always email the admins for suspensions and warnings. If it was a school IP or a whole town and they want to allow the rest of their users to get back on, they can send an email.

Answer 12

Have we even gotten "code monkeys" in the time i was gone or are we still admin-less?

Answer 13

Yes - there are code monkeys! They are not as active on the site as the coders were in the days of Shadow, Farmdawg, Feury and Darthsid - but Codecracker does put in an occasional appearance.

Answer 14

I don't know about the IP ban.. cause i know some kids at my school use OS and i made my account at school, i don't want to lose my account if one of them decides to be a jerk

Answer 15

It's not like an IP ban program is hard to write, particularly in PHP.
<?php
$banned = array('ips of users'); // can be accessed via sql
if (in_array($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'], $banned)) {
header('location: banned.html'); //replace banned.html with banned page
}
?>

Answer 16

Folks, an IP does not equate to a person. Banning one's IP may not be a good idea because multiple people maybe sourcing from one. Plus, that means no second chances for people. They come here to learn, so let's give some leeway; banning them that way will push people away.

Answer 17

^ @primeralph agreed. that is very important.

It's the internet.. there are going to be trolls one way or another. On any site. It wouldn't be beneficial to lose followers if you IP ban or (as blues said above) ban an entire town. In this case, one bad apple should not ruin the bunch.

I think the increase on mods would do the trick.. it will continue to be hard work trying to keep away the trolls but as long as there is a lot of mods on guard (to take the load off of other mods) and they implement the email address thing you guys were talking about above, then it'll be all good.

Answer 18

We are aware that IP bans hit more than one user and are definitely not fair to the innocent people who get banned because someone else in their school, library, household or IP address misbehaves. For that reason we use them as a last resort, only when all else has failed. To call in an IP ban we (mods) have a means of getting in touch with the site administrators who are not always online to help.

I argue that we do have a responsibility to the users and community members who learn and tutor here, to protect them from the sort of cyber hurt that comes trolling.

What should the mods do when a single user persists in violating the rules to the point where they are suspended, then keeps making more accounts and doing exactly the same thing? Posting obscenity, attacking other users, spamming through everyone's questions? Just suspending, suspending, suspending again goes on for hours. It soaks up hours of my or someone else's time; it buggers everyone else on the forum; and yes, a temporary IP ban to shut them up is appropriate.

As far as I am concerned, yes, it will drive the trolls out of the community. Which is exactly what we're after.

Answer 19

I tried to go over these comments and the only thing I am going to say thou is that I joined on Oct 4, and studied about 2 months, but I never saw any new features being created for that time.

Answer 20

Why not just limit the amount of account that can be created from a single IP.
(I don't know if that was mentioned, I just skimmed the thread, anyway just my two cents.)

Answer 21

I think the idea about becoming untaged is good! :)

Answer 22

'Tis be a good idea sir Sebastian

Answer 23

I think the untagging part is good :) i dont know about ip ban tho

Answer 24

^^ multiple people in one house could have OS accounts, and share a computer. And there could be others that are not fortunate enough to have their own computer or access to an internet, and they might need to use public computers, so i don't think IP banning is a good idea.

Answer 25

Oh actually nevermind IP ban is a good idea for the trolls that are stubborn and keep making several accounts. and that keep spamming