Reporting Effectively
Hi everyone,
Today I want to share some helpful tips on reporting effectively! This is primarily for 1 on 1 chats.
Before we know how to do it, we must know what is blocking vs. reporting, and when one should use it. The button for blocking and reporting is the same, but they are different types of actions.
Blocking is a feature that allows you to stop a user from messaging you and generates a copy of the report to the community team to review. We use this feature as a last resort, not the first. If a user is causing discomfort (like requesting/sharing personal information, abusing, or harassing), request that they stop. If they do not stop after a couple of reminders and the behavior persists, you can block them as the last resort.
It's ok to block someone if it's not a good fit or they make you uncomfortable, but aren't necessarily breaking any rules. You can just list that in the block.
Reporting is when we want to report a users behavior.
How to report a user effectively?
When you click the block button at the top of the chat dialog box, a pop-up window will be opened. The first field requires the appropriate reason. Select the closest reason for the suggested reasons. In the second field, explain why you are reporting them. If you have a screenshot of the chat to prove the inappropriate behavior, include that too in support of your reasons to block them. It will help the community team to take appropriate actions against the listener. Screenshots can be submitted via a picture sharing link such as imgur.
The top four things people report with:
Reporting and writing random letters
Writing inappropriate chat
Just read the chat
Blank reports
Writing random letters doesn't give a descriptive view of what happened. A good description of what happened will give the team more details to work with to get a better understanding of what happened.
Writing inappropriate chat - this could have a variety of meanings and is again not very descriptive. What type of inappropriate chat? Was it just that the user didn't like the topic and reported, or was it a topic that was inappropriate to that person, but not actually breaking site rules? Was it an actual inappropriate rule-breaking chat? These are all things to consider.
Just read the chat - A full description is much more beneficial to the safety review process.
Blank Reports - These types of reports are ones with no information at all provided by the reporter. Remember: the more info the better.
What is an effective way to report?
If you report using full details on what happened, including any screenshots, time stamps, etc. A good report looks like this: On Monday at X time, I was chatting to this listener/member and they did Y action. I did Z action in response, and then the resulting thing XYZ happened causing me to have to block as a last resort.
Please do the same when you leave positive feedback for the listener.
Help us help you by doing your part to report effectively using this new knowledge. Thank you!
edit: Going to sneak in here and add an edit to clarify. As several people pointed out, the block/report button are the same, and this is causing a bit of confusion. I think Charlie said it best: "This thread is really about effective reporting. It does not really apply to simple blocking. It's OK to block without reporting, but if your intention is to report, then you need to provide clear information in your report." I have updated the post to reflect this, so hopefully it is less confusing. I apologize for any confusion it may have caused. - Evelynerose
edit 2: i am also going to edit this slighty to clarify; this post is mostly geared toward listeners and how they should block effectively (since we as listeners are here to offer support, we really should not be doing things like blocking right off the bat, there are other options we can try first). That being said, members are more able to block in a variety of situations (your safety and comfort is our number 1, so if blocking a listener helps you feel safer and more comfortable, that is ok, even if they're not necessarily doing something against site guidelines).
Formatting edits by ASilentObserver, 1/17/2020
edit and title change made by EvelyneRose for clarification 1/17/20
@Heather225 @EvelyneRose @Hope @ASilentObserver
@MidnightRaven999 Thanks for the awesome post! It really helps to clarify how blocking functions here. Keep up the amazing job, and have a lovely weekend. :)
This is so helpful! Thanks a million. : )
There should be means to block a listener even when the intention isnt to report them. Listeners get to see when member is online WITHOUT OUR CONSENT. This violation of privacy should be balanced with appropriate tools that enable members to provide text their privacy.
The premises of the functionalities described here and those linked should be thought through. Assumptions and expectations do not meet the reality. This is internet, not a daycare for 7 year olds.
@lilmango i agree with you, i have edited the post to reflect this (since i see a few members in this thread saying the same thing as you); if you are a member, you are allowed to block a listener for any reason, even if they are not breaking the site guidelines. if they pm you when you dont want them to? you can block them! if they are making you uncomfortable in a chat and you dont know how to ask them to stop? block them.
basically, your comfort, and feeling safe here, is our number 1. Listeners comfort and safety is important too, but there are other ways we can try to deal with a situation besides blocking first; but for a member if blocking first is what makes you feel safest, go for it.
i also agree with the online/offline status, I think i will give Glen this feedback as it has been annoying me for quite a while as well. we will see if we can work to change this!
@MidnightRaven999
Raven, thank you for making me feel heard. This is close to first time anyone with staff or community leadership role has done so at the forum. Hence the increasing frustration and directness with the feedback.
Thanks for this information MidnightRaven999. Are there any risks to blocking listeners? Can they retaliate? If you blcok listeners too often does it get back to 7cups admin? Could they terminate your member account for that? Not that I expect to block listeners often. Those I've met here have been awesome. But just while the topic is being dicussed, I thought I'd ask. Many thanks!
@FrozenGhost i dont believe anything bad will happen!
@MidnightRaven999
Thanks, useful information!
@MidnightRaven999 I have no experience of blocking a listener from my member account, so this is useful information, but I have a few questions:
- How would I know which button is the block button? I wonder if it might be possible to add a picture of it.
- After I click the block button, is it still possible to screenshot the chat? I wonder if the screenshot possibly has to be done first, before clicking the block button.
- Does all this, including the screenshot, work in exactly the same way in a browser on a mobile device, and also in the app?
Charlie
Oh, and there's another one I forgot:
- If a listener is acting inappropriately, so you request that they stop (as recommended above), and the listener immediately blocks you, can you still screenshot the chat and report the listener using this procedure?
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie also wanna add this: as long as you dont leave the screen of the chat, you can still screenshot it. a lot of times when im on my members account, i can see the chat disappear off my list on the left, and i know that i've been blocked. so i take screenshots if i feel its necessary, upload them to a site like imgur or imbb, and then block the listener back and add in the screenshots
Additionally, f a listener has blocked, you're unfortunately not able to leave a review, but you can still report them through blocking
@MidnightRaven999 Has there been an update? In the past, when I listener has blocked me my ability to block them was removed.
@RarelyCharlie
the block button from the member side is at the top of every listener chat. It has a little circle with a slash thru it.
I believe you'd have to screenshot before blocking, but I haven't checked. Blocking is different on the app- it's three dots on the right side of the chat. You click and block this connection pops up.
@MidnightRaven999
Nicely explained. Not too much detailed but having efficient funtional info.
Thank you! I think being more detailed would be helpful to the people who check on reports. I think this is important for them to know too
When I was bullied by hateful people and perverts,all I got after reporting them is banned listener account,so there isn't point that people protect us against trolls and these kind of ☕
And as I know, people who are mods should be supportive,not opposite
Thank you for the information. I tried to report a listener once. I treid to do as you recommend, give details about what happened and even had a screen capture of the chat as proof. Of course doing all that takes time and before I could finish, the listener had blocked me and so I was unable to report them. I don't know the solution to that,
@FrozenGhost
if they block you first, you can email in to community@7cups.com and explain exactly as you did here :)
@MidnightRaven999 You guys should also tell us what happens after we report the concerned party if our report was ok to go ahead. I feel this should be beneficial even some people might not agree...
@Irishcat
Are you asking what happens after you submit a report?
@EvelyneRose well it would be ideal for 7cups to tell us if our report about the 3rd party was successful to go ahead or not