I kind of like flagging obsolete comments. I have infrastructure I've built around flagging obsolete comments. Like, 50,000 row MySQL db's and queues and things. I flag so much that I was the main reason behind this feature request.
It all is very, very good at finding the obsolete comments - but flagging them actually turns out to be rather difficult.
I'd like to make as big of an impact on the number of obsolete comments as I can. I've hit the 100/day max for flags, meaning I have 100 comment flags and 100 post flags each day. So I can potentially take out 200-400 obsolete comments each day.
Here's the hard part: every mod seems to want them flagged in a different way. Before going on a flag binge on a site, I drop into chat and ask a mod how they want comments flagged. I get an answer, generally something like this:
me: I have a fairly efficient way to find obsolete comments. Obsolete comments tend to come in groups. So, mods: Would you prefer all the obsolete comments below a post flagged, or one custom flag addressing all the comments? -
a ♦︎ moderator: @Undo Depends, if it's a long thread of comments with some obsolete ones, then flag them individually. If the comment thread is better off being purged completely, flag the post and indicate you want the whole thread purged. -
me: What about if there are two comments total, both obsolete?
the same mod: Eh, it doesn't really matter either way.
From this, I started flagging - flagging single comments where there are just one, alternating between single-comment flags and post flags for two and above, and using post flags where there are a whole bunch.
But then I invariably get cornered by a different mod in chat:
mod: It'd be better if you used individual comment flags instead of custom mod flags.
me: Ok - Would you prefer one per comment that's obsolete or one per comment thread?
mod: I'd prefer one comment flag on each comment that should be deleted.
me: Ok, I only have 100 comment flags I can use - what about when I'm out of those and I only have normal flags left?
mod: In that case, I'd either wait for the next day or try to find posts where all the comments are obsolete, and then use a custom flag.
paraphrased from here and here.
Of course, I'd rather not let my 100 custom flags just go to waste every day, but I do see how mods would prefer flags that work best in their workflow.
Could we have some consensus on how to go about this?
