# Update on Flags, now just 2 options
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [October 25, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077 "2023-10-25T13:11:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/1 "2023-10-25T13:11:12Z")
## Update on Flags:
Thanks to a very helpful person at Discourse, the 2 stray flag options are gone. She did this along with fixing a behind the scene problem that only affected Moderators.
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Now the choices are just
**It’s Spam**
This post is an advertisement, or vandalism. It is not useful or relevant to the current topic.
**Something Else**
Let us know specifically what you are concerned about, including what rule you think is being violated if relevant, and provide links and examples where possible.
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Something Else allows you to explain why you’re reporting and possibly provide links to related issues.
It’s Spam, is just a flag, no communications beyond that.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/2 "2023-10-25T13:57:11Z")
Wow. Yet another example of mods overstepping and limiting user agency.
Good change!
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/3 "2023-10-25T13:58:19Z")
Can I assume that this is now a hand-picked selection of flag options, and we can use the “Spam” option? Because (as I recollect) the guidance used to be “only use ‘something else’ and explain your flag.”
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/4 "2023-10-25T13:59:35Z")
Spam was always allowed. It was the other pair we begged posters to avoid using.
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These are the ones removed:
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#### It’s Off-Topic
This post is not relevant to the current discussion as defined by the title and first post, and should probably be moved elsewhere.
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#### It’s Inappropriate
This post contains content that a reasonable person would consider offensive, abusive, or a violation of [our community guidelines](https://boards.straightdope.com/guidelines).
Though 2+ years ago we changed the verbiage on them at least to say please don’t use. …
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/5 "2023-10-25T14:02:01Z")
Alright. I probably misread the guidance and overapplied the restrictions. But I am not a spam-hunter and can’t recall the last time I saw spam in the wilds here, so it never came up.
Good job getting the tailoring done.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/6 "2023-10-25T14:03:04Z")
> [@gnoitall](#):
>
> Can I assume that this is now a hand-picked selection of flag options, and we can use the “Spam” option? Because (as I recollect) the guidance used to be “only use ‘something else’ and explain your flag.”
I’ve used the spam flag, when the post was blatant spam, but used the something else flag when it wasn’t so obvious.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/7 "2023-10-25T14:04:00Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> I’ve used the spam flag, when the post was blatant flag, but used the something else flag when it wasn’t so obvious
This is an excellent guidance.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/8 "2023-10-25T14:09:30Z")
Yaay!
Now about those other 45 things we’d been hoping a real Admin could address … Just kidding. This is unvarnished good news.
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### Author:  [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/9 "2023-10-26T20:35:24Z")
So flagging a post just to chat up the local cute moderator is now deprecated?
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/10 "2023-10-26T20:44:46Z")
The preferred method for that is to include @Chronos in your post.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/11 "2023-10-27T17:17:06Z")
That way everyone can see it? 😉
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/12 "2023-10-27T19:13:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> The preferred method for that is to include @Chronos in your post.
So you know the cute moderator? Could you introduce us to them?
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### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-on-flags-now-just-2-options/992077/13 "2023-10-28T22:31:49Z")
Feeling cute. Might cornfield later.