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Please put something into the mod flag dialog that explains or leads to an explanation of what kind of messages need moderator attention.

I know there is a tooltip already but apparently a lot of people don't read it or understand what serious moderation issues are. My impression is that 8 out 10 chat messages flagged for moderator attention are requests to delete some message because it contains intellectual property of their employer (congratulations on posting that on a public chat room, genius) or contact data like emails or phone numbers. Or they just want it deleted for no reason at all. They just want it deleted. In addition, people rarely bother to put a real explanation but barf half sentences or single words at us:

I deleted one message containing code just today only to find the OP post an SO question containing that very code in the very same chat room he requested deletion of that code. And when I asked him why the hell he would flag it in the first place, he just replied he wanted to make a proper question and couldn't delete the message (OCD FTW!).

But my absolute favorite must be this one:

And just for the record: that's not the only one of that kind.

People apparently either

• don't understand at all what mod flags are for
• or don't understand that they can delete their messages for a limited amount of time only
• or don't understand that our chat rooms are public (surprise!)
• or don't understand that @username messages are not private whispers
• or don't think before they post something.

While it's easy enough to heed their requests (there is a delete button, so it just takes a click), it is also rather annoying to clean after people for the reasons named above (even though the mod flag count is still very low). Also, I am somewhat concerned that following these requests gives people the impression that it's okay to use mod flags for that when they should only use them for serious moderation issues, which - in my book - includes flagging spam and/or offensive posts or to make moderators aware of inappropriate user behavior that couldn't be handled by the room owners.

So if we could have something like this

it might prevent some of these flags to happen. It could point either to MSO or to a section in the Chat FAQ or Chat Help. Also, it might help if we could expand on explaining to people how the chat works the first time they enter it.

P.S. I am not fixed on the link. Anything that could possibly prevent people from requesting wrong flags will work for me.

Please put something into the mod flag dialog that explains or leads to an explanation of what kind of messages need moderator attention.

I know there is a tooltip already but apparently a lot of people don't read it or understand what serious moderation issues are. My impression is that 8 out 10 chat messages flagged for moderator attention are requests to delete some message because it contains intellectual property of their employer (congratulations on posting that on a public chat room, genius) or contact data like emails or phone numbers. Or they just want it deleted for no reason at all. They just want it deleted. In addition, people rarely bother to put a real explanation but barf half sentences or single words at us:

I deleted one message containing code just today only to find the OP post an SO question containing that very code in the very same chat room he requested deletion of that code. And when I asked him why the hell he would flag it in the first place, he just replied he wanted to make a proper question and couldn't delete the message (OCD FTW!).

But my absolute favorite must be this one:

And just for the record: that's not the only one of that kind.

People apparently either

• don't understand at all what mod flags are for
• or don't understand that they can delete their messages for a limited amount of time only
• or don't understand that our chat rooms are public (surprise!)
• or don't understand that @username messages are not private whispers
• or don't think before they post something.

While it's easy enough to heed their requests (there is a delete button, so it just takes a click), it is also rather annoying to clean after people for the reasons named above (even though the mod flag count is still very low). Also, I am somewhat concerned that following these requests gives people the impression that it's okay to use mod flags for that when they should only use them for serious moderation issues, which - in my book - includes flagging spam and/or offensive posts or to make moderators aware of inappropriate user behavior that couldn't be handled by the room owners.

So if we could have something like this

it might prevent some of these flags to happen. It could point either to MSO or to a section in the Chat FAQ or Chat Help. Also, it might help if we could expand on explaining to people how the chat works the first time they enter it.

P.S. I am not fixed on the link. Anything that could possibly prevent people from requesting wrong flags will work for me.

Please put something into the mod flag dialog that explains or leads to an explanation of what kind of messages need moderator attention.

I know there is a tooltip already but apparently a lot of people don't read it or understand what serious moderation issues are. My impression is that 8 out 10 chat messages flagged for moderator attention are requests to delete some message because it contains intellectual property of their employer (congratulations on posting that on a public chat room, genius) or contact data like emails or phone numbers. Or they just want it deleted for no reason at all. They just want it deleted. In addition, people rarely bother to put a real explanation but barf half sentences or single words at us:

I deleted one message containing code just today only to find the OP post an SO question containing that very code in the very same chat room he requested deletion of that code. And when I asked him why the hell he would flag it in the first place, he just replied he wanted to make a proper question and couldn't delete the message (OCD FTW!).

People apparently either

• don't understand at all what mod flags are for
• or don't understand that they can delete their messages for a limited amount of time only
• or don't understand that our chat rooms are public (surprise!)
• or don't understand that @username messages are not private whispers
• or don't think before they post something.

While it's easy enough to heed their requests (there is a delete button, so it just takes a click), it is also rather annoying to clean after people for the reasons named above (even though the mod flag count is still very low). Also, I am somewhat concerned that following these requests gives people the impression that it's okay to use mod flags for that when they should only use them for serious moderation issues, which - in my book - includes flagging spam and/or offensive posts or to make moderators aware of inappropriate user behavior that couldn't be handled by the room owners.

So if we could have something like this

it might prevent some of these flags to happen. It could point either to MSO or to a section in the Chat FAQ or Chat Help. Also, it might help if we could expand on explaining to people how the chat works the first time they enter it.

P.S. I am not fixed on the link. Anything that could possibly prevent people from requesting wrong flags will work for me.

Please put something into the mod flag dialog that explains or leads to an explanation of what kind of messages need moderator attention.

I know there is a tooltip already but apparently a lot of people don't read it or understand what serious moderation issues are. My impression is that 8 out 10 chat messages flagged for moderator attention are requests to delete some message because it contains intellectual property of their employer (congratulations on posting that on a public chat room, genius) or contact data like emails or phone numbers. Or they just want it deleted for no reason at all. They just want it deleted. In addition, people rarely bother to put a real explanation but barf half sentences or single words at us:

I deleted one message containing code just today only to find the OP post an SO question containing that very code in the very same chat room he requested deletion of that code. And when I asked him why the hell he would flag it in the first place, he just replied he wanted to make a proper question and couldn't delete the message (OCD FTW!).

But my absolute favorite must be this one:

And just for the record: that's not the only one of that kind.

People apparently either

• don't understand at all what mod flags are for
• or don't understand that they can delete their messages for a limited amount of time only
• or don't understand that our chat rooms are public (surprise!)
• or don't understand that @username messages are not private whispers
• or don't think before they post something.

While it's easy enough to heed their requests (there is a delete button, so it just takes a click), it is also rather annoying to clean after people for the reasons named above (even though the mod flag count is still very low). Also, I am somewhat concerned that following these requests gives people the impression that it's okay to use mod flags for that when they should only use them for serious moderation issues, which - in my book - includes flagging spam and/or offensive posts or to make moderators aware of inappropriate user behavior that couldn't be handled by the room owners.

So if we could have something like this

it might prevent some of these flags to happen. It could point either to MSO or to a section in the Chat FAQ or Chat Help. Also, it might help if we could expand on explaining to people how the chat works the first time they enter it.

P.S. I am not fixed on the link. Anything that could possibly prevent people from requesting wrong flags will work for me.