Although this is a forum for free speech – try to share your opinion in a conciliatory, non confrontational manner, in your blog, or the appropriate group blog. Do your best to back up team Minti, by remembering that what you write reflects on us all, so try to keep
controversial opinions in blogs – not the advice section. When some players get their back up, and are venting, try to diffuse the situation, or ignore them. Please ensure that you are completely up to date with Minti's ToS, and Minti's Editorial Guidelines before you report anyone or anything. (The links to this advice are listed below).
Thinking of reporting a member, their advice, a blog or a comment?
Remember some people don't take this lightly, so please consider the following points...
(a) Practice your research, reading and comprehension skills - be sure that you know what you are talking about BEFORE you go off the deep end, take offence or lose your temper in regard to what someone else has posted.
(b) If you are reporting in response to something that you find offensive, or upsetting, always read every comment associated to any blog, article, or question, before posting your own.
(c) Have you really got a valid reason to be reporting the comment or advice ie. have you confirmed which guideline it is in breach of, or do you personally dislike it or the author?
(d) If it was an article posted as advice, and you feel it should be posted as blog or Q&A, have you left a comment to that effect or emailed the author privately giving them the opportunity to remedy the situation before reporting it?
(e) Breaches of copyright are serious - however it is a courtesy to write to the author and give them the opportunity to remove or remedy the advice themselves if they are online. If you can't, then you should report it and email them, I have added links to some excellent advice by angieh and darkenedangel about this topic.
(f) Allow people the opportunity to respond to you and make a reasonable effort to contact them... i.e. use email - not comments on blogs, if you really want someone to 'hear' you. Check whether they are online to respond to you BEFORE you presume you are being ignored - no brainer really.
(g)
Presume that most people are genuinely caring and friendly, online and offline. To
assume they aren't, makes an ass out of
u and
me - or whoever may be involved. People are often offended because they misunderstand what has been written, or believe it is about them, which is to their own detriment.
Be prepared to be accountable for all that you write:
The written word is harder to retract, and can be seen by far more people.
If you are given the opportunity to apologise to someone - you should take it, it shows good strength of character, and is far better than using the last resort - reporting. It also beats being reported and having your point of view and method of communicating it under scrutiny. I hope this advice makes you think twice about whether or not your report is legitimate. When you make a bogus report, it doesn't reflect on your own character very well . Also, be aware that whatever you write in a private email or group, can be reproduced. If you conduct yourself inappropriately there, someone may present your efforts publicly, so be prepared to be accountable for all that you write.
Do you feel the only option left is to report?
Reporting members, comments, or advice should be a last resort.
We are all adults on an adult forum, let's remember to act like adults; find a better solution when it is possible. Try to contact the author first and allow them to respond and explain or defend their position. Make sure the member is online, and allow a reasonable time for them to respond. If you can't agree, see if you can get them to agree on a mediator to help resolve the issue. (The comment or advice could then be edited or retracted). I have seen a few things reported lately that really were a bit picky (for want of a better term), and seriously did not need to be escalated to that level. Advice and blogs can be edited, unfortunately, comments can't, so you are fairly safe in making a report in regard to a comment you are concerned about, as the author couldn't retract it themselves anyway. You can report your own comments if you look at what you have written and are not comfortable with it.
'Reporting' is like 'telling on' someone... I quote the Dad Brady from the Brady Bunch (I remember this from when I was 7 - yes, I am old), 'Telling on someone else is telling on yourself'. i.e. When you are trigger happy, or making bogus reports unnecessarily, you are showing your own true character. Also - remember, if the person or author of any advice or comment you have reported doesn't have admin access - it is good manners to advise them of the situation.
(January 2007) (
