# Reporting messages
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [February 8, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651 "2003-02-08T03:37:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651/1 "2003-02-08T03:37:04Z")
Recently some clown did the old MAKE MONEY FAST schtick on MPSIMS. When the Mod shut it down, he noted that only six people reported it.
I, of course, was not one of the six. Why not? Well, I just assumed that it had already been reported. This was negligent on my part. And I suppose a lot of other people felt this way.
I don’t know what the other side of the “report this thread” button looks like. Is it like when I was an assistant network admin, and 500 people would call me reporting the server was down? That 501st person is just keeping me from getting it back up again. Or is it the case where you say, “Holy cow, 501 people are reporting this thing, it must be a real trainwreck!”?
Would it be possible (or desirable) for there to be an indication when a thread has already been reported? Is one report enough to warrant a response, or are multiple reports encouraged? I know the mods are few and the problems great, so I don’t know if they use the number of reports as a gauge of how quickly something needs to be attended to.
What’s the straight dope?
---
### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651/2 "2003-02-08T06:30:52Z")
When in doubt, report. I’d rather get six reports about one troublesome thread than to get none because everybody is thinking “Hey, I don’t need to report this one because somebody probably already has.”
The report-this-post function generates an e-mail sent to the accounts of all the moderators of the forum. Each new report generates a unique e-mail, but it’s not particularly onerous to read more than one such e-mail. I don’t remember getting more than about four or five reports for one thread.
For the curious, the e-mails look something like this
> [@](#):
>
> From: “Straight Dope Message Board Mailer”
> To: [godlikemod@isp.com](mailto:godlikemod@isp.com)
>
> conscientious\_poster ( [mailto:conscientious\_poster@isp.com](mailto:conscientious_poster@isp.com) ) has reported this post:
>
> !!!make Money Fa$t by “$elling” your $oul to $atan for “cash”!!!
> [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=xxxxxxx#postxxxxxxx](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=xxxxxxx#postxxxxxxx)
>
> This is part of this thread:
> !!!make Money Fa$t by “$elling” your $oul to $atan for “cash”!!!
> [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=yyyyyy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=yyyyyy)
>
> This is the reason that the user gave:
> Of course I’m not a moderator, but this looks like it might be some kind of spam. Possibly witnessing too. Your call of course.
>
> This message has been sent to all moderators of this forum, or all administrators if there are no moderators.
>
> Please respond to this post as applicable.
---
### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651/3 "2003-02-08T13:53:01Z")
I think **bib** speaks for all the Mods and Admins – we’d rather be swamped than miss one. It’s not like we’re getting 500, after all, it’d be five or six or ten emails, and that’s not a big deal to skim through.
We appreciate very much being alerted. We don’t always get around to sending a thank-you (since it’s not as easy as just “REPLY”), but we do appreciate your help in watching.
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### Author:  [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651/4 "2003-02-09T08:17:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \*
> \*\*I think **bib** speaks for all the Mods and Admins – we’d rather be swamped than miss one. It’s not like we’re getting 500, after all, it’d be five or six or ten emails, and that’s not a big deal to skim through.
>
> We appreciate very much being alerted. We don’t always get around to sending a thank-you (since it’s not as easy as just “REPLY”), but we do appreciate your help in watching. \*\*
Not as easy as just “reply?” Oh well… nice to know you appreciate it anyways!
F\_X
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### Author:  [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651/5 "2003-02-09T11:43:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bibliophage \*
> For the curious, the e-mails look something like this
>
> \
>
> This is the reason that the user gave:
> Of course I’m not a moderator, but this looks like it might be some kind of spam. Possibly witnessing too. Your call of course.
Whenever I report a post, that normally reads:
> [@](#):
>
> This is the reason that the user gave:
> This drooling moron is a brain-dead troll. Please break their legs.
Of course, now I’ve found out that TubaDiva won’t let you.
Spoilsport.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporting-messages/153651/6 "2003-02-09T13:17:56Z")
\<\< Not as easy as just “reply?” \>\>
Nope. As noted by **bib** , the mail comes from webmaster, so “reply” wouldn’t get back to the original sender.