When reporting spam, one clicks on the Report button. It’s customary to post in the spam thread that the spam thread has been reported. But you have to wait 60 seconds between posts, and the report counts as a post.
I think I’ve been able to report spam and immediately post ‘Reported’, perhaps by posting first and then reporting, but I’m not sure.
Is there a way to report spam and post that it’s been reported without having to wait 60 seconds?
Post “reported” on the forum first, then click the alert button and do the reporting.
Thanks, I’ll try it next time.
I post “reporting” then report the post. Makes more sense to me. 
But it’s a lie. We didn’t report it yet. Would this get one in trouble under the trolling rule?
People commonly post first then report, just to avoid the 60 second lockout. We don’t mind. You’re not going to get into trouble for it.
It’s a slippery slope.
Should I report someone if I suspect they’ve posted “reported” without having actually reported?
If you do, you’ll get reported.
Hmm. I’ve never seen these two posters in the same place before. They’re both here now, but they’re not at the same time. And they’re sort of arguing the opposite sides of the issue. Mighty suspicious I’d say.
And yes, I’m kidding.
It’s “reported’s” all the way down.
Reported.
All these are but dim echos of a mod note posted in 1999.
so let me ask this- why does reporting a post incur the 60-second delay to post “reported,” but posting “reported” does not incur a 60-second delay before you can report a post?
Reporting a post creates a post of the report in the Mod’s super secret forum but simply clicking the button doesn’t count as a post.
Clicking the report button doesn’t count as making a post, but submitting a report does. And if I type “reported” at the bottom of a spam post and write “spam” in the report and submit it five seconds later, it still doesn’t trigger the 60 second delay. So, to echo jz78818, why not?
It’s silly that a report counts as a post. Who designed this nonsense?
That’s the way the software works. When someone sends a report, it creates a thread in the mod forum with a copy of the post and the reason for reporting it. That’s how vB sets it up.
Yeah well someone should tell that software programmer that he or she did it wrong.
(Your answer amounts to “The guy who wrote the program is the guy who designed the software.” A bit of a tautology, no?)
Well, no. The people who wrote the program are the people who designed the software. I moderate on another vB forum, and that’s just the way it works. It’s not unique to the Straight Dope.