29

The post Feedback post: Moderator review and reinstatement processes affects the community as a whole. It is supposed to exist to collect feedback from users regarding the recent changes.

Surely it would make sense to give it the tag so it reaches as many people as possible? If we look at the tag description:

A special moderator-only tag to mark important discussions on Meta Stack Exchange. A question with this tag is featured on the whole network.

As I type this, I now have to scroll down significantly to find any of the posts made regarding the changes.

So, why, after ~5 separate prompts (including a custom flag) over a period of ~15 hours has it still not been even though mods are clearly performing other actions (commenting, editing etc.) within that post?

I'm raising this post because clearly the prompts are being ignored. The end goal of this post is to get that one and hopefully an explanation, nothing more, nothing less.

Improve this question
17
  • 2
    Unsure why people are down-voting but feel free to clarify if you wish.
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:51
  • The description of the featured tag says "A special moderator-only tag to mark important discussions on Meta Stack Exchange. A question with this tag is featured on the whole network.". So, at the discretion of the moderators.
    – Raedwald
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:53
  • 1
    @Raedwald yes, but surely if they want feedback they'd tag it as [featured] to open it to as many people, no?
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:54
  • 2
    Stridently demanding that moderators do what you want is unlikely to help in the current environment.
    – Raedwald
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:56
  • 1
    Ah ok @Script47 yeh, it read like it was declined
    – user310756
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:59
  • 1
    Practically on MSE, while mods could - it's better to leave it to the staff for precisely this reason.
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:04
  • 1
    @Raedwald I'm not demanding they feature it. I don't mind if it's declined, I'm just asking for a judgement either way rather than ignoring it altogether.
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:10
  • 2
    One reason could be that the working day is typically 8 hours in the US and 15 hours before you made this post it was around 6pm in the UST (EST). And when you posted it is 9am and they haven't gotten their morning coffee yet. Chill down a bit maybe.
    – Lundin
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:26
  • @Lundin like I mentioned, many other more time consuming actions have been performed during this period. But fair enough.
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:28
  • Maybe they're busy?
    – TylerH
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:10
  • @TylerH in front of my eyes I saw a CM rollback a post and delete my comment under that post which I posted asking them about the [featured] tag. (the delete reason though not relevant but I'll say for clarity so as not to cast a shadow on the CM was probably because I posted it under a post not relevant to my request)
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:12
  • @Script47 thanks; that info is missing from your question.
    – TylerH
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:40
  • @TylerH I thought I covered it in: 'So, why, after ~5 separate prompts (including a custom flag) over a period of ~15 hours has it still not been featured even though mods are clearly performing other actions (commenting, editing etc.) within that post?'. I'll see if I can edit to clarify further.
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:41
  • @Script47 No, saying that mods didn't respond to your flag or comments yet in the process of doing their normal interactions on the site/mod flag queue does not cover 'I watched someone delete my comment asking for this and roll back a post revision asking for it' [where I'm assuming you mentioned featuring? otherwise the rollback is irrelevant, and even still you can't really tie the rollback to the comment deletion without some kind of proof].
    – TylerH
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:56
  • @TylerH the reason why I brought up the rollback was simply to show that mod actions were going on (and that I happened to witness it) so clearly they weren't busy elsewhere yet neither the flag or comments were addressed.
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:59

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
15

The post has been as of 20 minutes ago. It'll take a while before the Community Bulletin is updated.

I'm actually not sure whether that should be . Unlike the Code of Conduct changes, which apply to all users in the network, this process is mainly of interest for a select group of users who are already aware that this process is being discussed. It has been announced here and mentioned by staff a couple of times more later on.

The Official FAQ on gender pronouns and Code of Conduct changes is flooded by users giving their opinion even though another user already did it earlier and better. I can't imagine this round of feedback gathering will fare better; what input can a relatively new/ignorant Stack Exchange user give on this process? I can imagine them participating in the process, if they want to report a case of moderator abuse. But that process already exists and the reporting part isn't changing.

Improve this answer
2
  • It would be a bad decision to feature something like the MRRP without restoring the trust that led us down this path in the first place. It'd be like giving random people gasoline and pointing them to a smoldering fire.
    – George Stocker
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 15:58
  • @GeorgeStocker you're a sane voice in the middle of this and I thank you for keeping such a level head when many have not.
    – user310756
    Commented Oct 23, 2019 at 2:56
13

In the current moderation model for meta, mods have, by a form of mutual agreement, typically avoided doing mod only retags.

Especially in 'charged' situations like this and when staff are aware of, and involved in the situation, it's certainly better to leave them to decide, rather than to add what is potentially a stressful and strife inducing duty.

So no. Mods do not set feature tags here.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    what normally happens to flags to feature posts then?
    – user310756
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:11
  • Staff handle them unless it's a rediculously obvious status completed tag. There's a reason those flags take longer
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:12
-9

My best guess as to why there's not posts being featured.

Currently Meta is short on mods, long on flags and long on controversy. It would be difficult under the current climate for mods to make decisions over which questions to feature. From reviewing the flag queue on Stack Overflow, I can only imagine what this current flag queue is like. It's probably overwhelming to all the people currently handling it, including the community team. The same reasoning would go for the CMs featuring stuff. We know they're hysterically busy and people are feeling ignored, when they're probably snowed under. If they've adopted an informal policy for featuring questions atm there's been no mention of it. This post may prompt someone to feature something.

An update in response to your comment.
Interestingly, I have flags pending review and the actual action has been taken, but the flag not handled. I make a point of retracting those flags to reduce the flag queue. I suspect it's just people being time poor.

Improve this answer
7
  • 12
    Mods don't decide featured posts on meta. That is the sole discretion of staff.
    – Magisch
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:55
  • 1
    Right, so, if that is the issue then surely they could've just followed up with inital flag or comment and mentioned that instead of ignoring them. Have they learn't nothing that ignoring people doesn't help in any way?
    – Script47
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:56
  • @Magisch sam reasoning applies. Cannot mods apply the tag also? Mods could on SO as well. It suffices as an answer for both groups. Or would you like me to edit it?
    – user310756
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:56
  • They can, but have refrained from doing so. Deciding what gets featured is not in their scope of authority, even if nothing in the interface prevents it, if I recall correctly.
    – Magisch
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:56
  • 2
    @Script47 I honestly think people are snowed under and prioritising, not deliberately ignoring. I think if we got a insight into their working days we'd probably all be shocked.
    – user310756
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 12:57
  • 7
    Journeyman Geek's answer provides a very different explanation, and one that appears to be based on SE-specific experience / fact. Your answer appears to be based solely on speculation. Both answers can't be correct, so that would explain why one answer is downvoted, where the other is upvoted.
    – Cerbrus
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:33
  • 1
    @JJJ: This answer doesn't cover that though. It says that the mods are too busy to handle the flags... Mods don't do "featured" flags on MSE.
    – Cerbrus
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 13:43

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .