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EDIT 3:
Looks like this may be [status-completed]... see this answer by Jeff.

EDIT 2:
This used to be titled "Why can you only flag a given post for mod attention once?" I changed the title because I morphed the post into a feature request. The body of the question, on the other hand, already illustrated the rationale, so no change there.

According to this post, users can only flag a given post for moderator attention one time ("The moderator flag is a one time only flag."). What's the reason for that? It seems to me that the following could occur:

  1. User A flags post for mod attention
  2. Mod looks at post, maybe takes an action, clears post from mod queue
  3. User B edits post and introduces a new problem
  4. User A attempts to flag post again, but attempt fails

Why shouldn't user A be able to re-flag the post? Would the attempt to re-flag be met with an active error message or a silent failure? In the latter case, the user might not even know to use the backup "e-mail the staff" approach to notify a mod.

EDIT 1: According to @random♦:

Tested, even mods are only allowed one flag a post.

There isn't much opining going on, but it seems like all of it is pro-change. So, adding the feature-request tag.

4
  • I remember flagging twice a question for moderator's attention, recently. I don't remember it failing, but I could be wrong. Who will test it on this question?
    – Gnoupi
    Apr 13, 2010 at 15:18
  • 5
    An attempted re-flag gives an error message saying "you've already flagged this post" after you hit Submit (which is somewhat annoying since it should have said so earlier before I typed my message). At least when you flag for mod attention. I don't know about the other two types, but I assume they're the same.
    – Jon Seigel
    Apr 13, 2010 at 15:22
  • 1
    next step... THE SUPERFLAG Aug 12, 2010 at 8:55
  • Doneded: meta.stackexchange.com/questions/61916/…
    – random
    Jul 6, 2011 at 4:15

1 Answer 1

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There is a flag "queue" that holds posts with flags on them. Many users can flag a post, but you can't submit more then one flag per post.

When a moderator checks the post / takes action, they also clear the flag from signalling itself.

This, however, doesn't allow you to flag the post again, even if something went wrong (e.g.: botched edit job) and you will be shown the error that you have already flagged the post:

You have already flagged this post for moderator attention

5
  • 1
    See, that's exactly what I would think. But the post I linked to specifically says that's not the behavior that's actually used.
    – Pops
    Apr 13, 2010 at 15:30
  • 2
    Well someone will have to test it. What happened to Geoffrey Chetwood anyway?
    – Josh K
    Apr 13, 2010 at 15:40
  • 1
    Tested, even mods are only allowed one flag a post.
    – random
    Apr 13, 2010 at 15:42
  • He's banned on all sites now. Maybe he still hangs out in the IRC channel?
    – Pollyanna
    Apr 13, 2010 at 15:44
  • 3
    I actually hate that @random, I like IMing other mods through flags :P
    – Ivo Flipse
    Apr 13, 2010 at 16:02

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