# Is reporting a thread a post? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 19, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342 "2015-03-19T00:23:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/1 "2015-03-19T00:23:33Z")
I just reported a thread in GQ for a forum change, and then posted that I did so. Or tried to - vBulletin locked me out for 60 seconds as is usual between two regular posts. Kind of odd behavior. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/2 "2015-03-19T00:43:03Z")
Post first then do the report. No delay. It’s been that way for some months now. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/3 "2015-03-19T00:45:16Z")
Yes. It produces a post in a mods-only forum. I believe it also contributes to your post count. This is fairly new. The forum was only established in August of last year. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/4 "2015-03-19T00:46:05Z")
It is, actually. Post reports go to email, but a post also gets made in the mod forum. It’s for those cases and times when email notifications stop working, as they have sometimes done (most recently, in fact), so that we can still see/read post reports. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/5 "2015-03-19T00:47:46Z")
I had this happen to me today, too. I’ll give **running\_coach** ’s suggestion a try next time, but I hesitate to announce the reporting before actually doing it. I might get a phone call in between, and not get back to the task for an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/6 "2015-03-19T02:14:22Z")
Hey, a new way to pad my post count! Reported!! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/7 "2015-03-19T03:32:25Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Hey, a new way to pad my post count! Reported!! I be reporting your dog! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/8 "2015-03-19T04:43:31Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Yes. It produces a post in a mods-only forum. I believe it also contributes to your post count. > > This is fairly new. The forum was only established in August of last year. Thanks, that makes sense. New to the SDMB - write only posts! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/9 "2015-03-19T16:16:24Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Hey, a new way to pad my post count! Reported!! Related question - does voting in a poll count as a post? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/10 "2015-03-19T18:44:08Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I had this happen to me today, too. I’ll give **running\_coach** ’s suggestion a try next time, but I hesitate to announce the reporting before actually doing it. I might get a phone call in between, and not get back to the task for an hour. And if that happened, the consequences would be…? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/11 "2015-03-19T19:16:54Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > And if that happened, the consequences would be…? The consequences might be that the announcement would prevent others from reporting it (which is one purpose of the announcement), and it would, in effect, go unreported. ---
**Author:** ![orangeapples](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@orangeapples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orangeapples)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/12 "2015-03-19T20:27:20Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > The consequences might be that the announcement would prevent others from reporting it (which is one purpose of the announcement), and it would, in effect, go unreported. Perhaps instead of “Post reported”, one could type “About to be reported”. Then one could, in a little over a minute later, follow-up with, “Yep, totally reported.” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/13 "2015-03-19T20:38:54Z")
> [@orangeapples](#): > > Perhaps instead of “Post reported”, one could type “About to be reported”. Then one could, in a little over a minute later, follow-up with, “Yep, totally reported.” Lesson #2 in “How to boost your post count”? How about, “Post might be reported,” then “Post almost reported,” then “Post reported,” then “Post not yet reported, got distracted,” then “What were we doing?,” then … ---
**Author:** ![orangeapples](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@orangeapples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orangeapples)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/14 "2015-03-19T21:39:07Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Lesson #2 in “How to boost your post count”? > > How about, “Post might be reported,” then “Post almost reported,” then “Post reported,” then “Post not yet reported, got distracted,” then “What were we doing?,” then … While there was a facetious tone to my earlier post, I do see a potential solution in what I suggested. Bizarre board crashes alone could prevent someone from actually reporting what they’ve just claimed to have reported, a quick “will report/did report” might assure that errant posts are flagged and not lost in the ether, as it were. Whether this is a legitimate problem that needs a solution, I cannot say. I know it hasn’t happened to me, that’s the extent of it. As for padding post counts, that means next to nothing to me as a quick look at my anemic number of posts should attest. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/15 "2015-03-20T00:06:59Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Hey, a new way to pad my post count! Reported!! For someone like **running coach** who reports a lot of spam it evens out, since we usually delete “Reported” posts in the thread when we delete the spam. ---
**Author:** ![spotify92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@spotify92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spotify92)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/16 "2015-03-20T22:56:52Z")
> [@orangeapples](#): > > Perhaps instead of “Post reported”, one could type “About to be reported”. Then one could, in a little over a minute later, follow-up with, “Yep, totally reported.” I’m new to this forum, so could someone please explain to me why there is the need to write things like “Post reported” or “About to be reported” when reporting a post in a thread? It’s just that no other forum that I have visited before does this 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/17 "2015-03-20T23:22:01Z")
> [@spotify92](#): > > I’m new to this forum, so could someone please explain to me why there is the need to write things like “Post reported” or “About to be reported” when reporting a post in a thread? It’s just that no other forum that I have visited before does this 😕 I think some people only do so to let everyone else know that THEY don’t have to report it as well, flooding the mods’ inboxes. It’s really not necessary, just a courtesy thing. I myself don’t bother, but some people think it’s a good idea. If you want to, go ahead. If not, no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/18 "2015-03-20T23:49:54Z")
> [@spotify92](#): > > I’m new to this forum, so could someone please explain to me why there is the need to write things like “Post reported” or “About to be reported” when reporting a post in a thread? It’s just that no other forum that I have visited before does this 😕 It’s mostly done in the case of spam and maybe threads that are better suited to other forums. It saves the mods from getting 20 reports of the same post. (However, when in doubt, report. We would rather have multiple reports than not have something brought to our attention). However, it is best to refrain from posting “reported” in other cases that are judgement calls best left to the mods, such as insults, trolling, etc. In such cases it can be considered as junior-modding. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/19 "2015-03-21T16:43:32Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I had this happen to me today, too. I’ll give **running\_coach** ’s suggestion a try next time, but I hesitate to announce the reporting before actually doing it. I might get a phone call in between, and not get back to the task for an hour. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > And if that happened, the consequences would be…? > [@Musicat](#): > > The consequences might be that the announcement would prevent others from reporting it (which is one purpose of the announcement), and it would, in effect, go unreported. > [@orangeapples](#): > > Perhaps instead of “Post reported”, one could type “About to be reported”. Then one could, in a little over a minute later, follow-up with, “Yep, totally reported.” Make your “I’m going to report this” post to the offending thread. Then immediately make the report. Then redisplay the thread and edit your “I’m going to report this” post to read “Reported”. You won’t be forced to sit through any delays, and it shouldn’t take 5 minutes to compose the report message; most of mine read “possible spam” or “possible trolling” or “possible _whatever short descriptive phrase_”. So unless you get interrupted there’s not much chance of expiring the 5 minute edit window. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342/20 "2015-03-21T17:58:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Make your “I’m going to report this” post to the offending thread. Then immediately make the report. Then redisplay the thread and edit your “I’m going to report this” post to read “Reported”. You won’t be forced to sit through any delays, and it shouldn’t take 5 minutes to compose the report message; most of mine read “possible spam” or “possible trolling” or “possible _whatever short descriptive phrase_”. So unless you get interrupted there’s not much chance of expiring the 5 minute edit window. Pretty good idea, but don’t forget there is an enforced delay between posts of a minute minimum. You won’t be able to report a post for a minute after you make the announcement post. It just tightens the time allowance a little. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reporting-a-thread-a-post/715342.md?page=2)