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The reality of blocking users and the time to moderate a post…

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The concept of blocking users is a tough question. The reason a user prevents someone has to do with feeling attacked or feeling like the person they block doesn’t respect them. Based on that, social sites must honor the concept of blocking. In July 2019, we pushed for the ability to prevent users. That blocking was intended to be more than private messages. I have worked with many authors on the Site in the past few years I’ve been here. I have only felt the need to block two users. The first author I stuck was hard—Hard in the sense that I didn’t want to do it. But the person chooses to continue the conversation on multiple social media sites, and then went after another author. The other because of a less than a rational message sent to me via the PM of the Site. We are a community we work together to solve problems.

But I have blocked two authors. I don’t regret it, but in both cases, the users can and make post comments on my posts. That concerns me; you see, the legal question here has to do with the concept of privacy. Under the confines of the various privacy laws (the US has several, the EU has what is called GDPR), any human being has the right to request another person to be legally obliged to remain distant from them. It is called a restraining order. The Social Media equalizing that is blocking. But blocking has to be the last resort that we use. As a community, we have to pull together to solve the problems we have before we are forced to block another user.  Online blocking has to be the last resort.

Every post I open, I share. Some, when they move me, I share on Facebook and Twitter (my Pinterest doesn’t generate much traffic). When the post moves me enough, I will comment. I do not comment on all posts I open as many of you do. I do promise you that if I open and take the time to read and upvote your post, I also share it with social media. The goal I have is to cover the most ground I can. Sometimes a post is exciting, but I just don’t have anything to add to what the author said, so I do not comment.

Let me end with the last question in today’s poll—the concept of what is called a Service Level Agreement or SLA. We have authors that are verified, knowing what the rules were to become verified would be a great thing for the editors to share! But beyond that, we have many authors that have been with us on the site, commenting, sharing, and being part of the community, but they wait 3, 4, and even five days for their posts to be approved. An SLA, in this case, would be a Monday to Friday promise that the longest time it would take to moderate a job would be from Friday to Monday. (you publish on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the admins don’t always work) and the post appears on Monday. The rest of the time we would like to see it be 1 day. Publish Monday as an author, and moderators publish to the site by Tuesday.

Please feel free to have an open conversation with me or others about these topics.

  • Question of

    are you pro full blocking of users?

    • 1.yes
    • 2.no
  • Question of

    should we ask for an SLA (explained in post) for time posts are in queue?

    • 1.yes
    • 2.No

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What do you think?

17 Points

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Written by DocAndersen

One fan, One team and a long time dream Go Cubs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

39 Comments

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  3. On Facebook, I have blocked less than five people since I joined in 2008. There are reasonable grounds for blocking but also people should be careful not to abuse the systems for their own heavens-know-what reasons.

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  4. I am for blocking the wrong members. For the approval of the publications I wish this to happen on the same day and not have so much accumulation. It is not fair for a member to wait for days to approve their posts. Thanks for posting urgent for a quicker fix in this post.

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  5. In the last 12 years I have seriously worked online I have never blocked or been blocked by anyone. I just choose to ignore people who are rude or love conflicts.
    As for the second part of your post it is unfair advantage to verified users. I agree verified users have earned their status, but the process should be fair and transparent to everyone who desires to work to get that status.
    It is also unfair in the sense we get only two working days on the site in a week, ie the days when our [posts are published. No one cares to read old posts this is what I have seen from my experience.
    I had 9 posts pending only 5 have been published after four days. Sometimes it is is just one or two. it doesn’t help either when 10 posts are published in one go. No one responds to all the posts , some just go unnoticed.

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    • i understand that frustration – blocking users is a last resort. I have been forced to block users only because at some point I can’t take the abuse.

      the issue of moderation is one that many agree with and i am sending this post and the last two in the series to the admins today!

    • I have honestly in my life online blocked 4 people. All for the same thing. 2 here on Virily and 2 on Facebook.
      I have removed (stopped following) many accounts on Twitter but that was more a bot issue than a user issue.

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  7. There does need to be a better system as far as blocking users. So far out of any site I have utilized, Virily is by far the shittiest! I care to not be involved in any back-and-forth with users because this is my name and I don’t need anything tarnishing it, especially disagreements with someone clearly with nothing better to do. After my recent issues, I had my page blocked because it was the best way I could keep the negativity away. Even with it blocked, the user could of still looked my writings up which needs to evaluated.

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  8. The members have been waiting too long for approval of the posts (I know the feelings they have because I have been experiencing this too). I’ve never used the blockade. I prefer to ignore the user.

    2

  10. I can relate to what Kim said as well. I hope things will be better going forward. And members should not have to wait do long to get posts approved. 4-5 days is ridiculous. Good luck and thanks for helping.

    2

  11. Recently I was the victim of harassment from an author, as you know. I asked you at the time what blocking a person does on this site. The fact that it meant that blocking meant so little, I did not bother to do this. I reported them instead via email. If blocking worked like it should, meaning if it prevented an abuser from commenting their abusive and harassing comments on your posts, then yes. WE REALLY NEED IT, but like it stands it is not what it appears to be.
    About the SLA yes to that as well. I think two day should be the max on weekdays to approve a post. A day would be really sweet. Good poll doc and points once again. Thanks!

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