[mod] Question for all our posters and members

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Since lj now has a shiny new-ish setting which enables adding tags to a comm post by the poster and the mods but no one else, I'd like to know how you'd feel if this comm was switched to that setting.

To remind you, currently any post here can be tagged by any comm member and the mods. This means that sometimes you can help your friend or a random stranger out by adding a missing tag or two to their post, but also means that after a mod has cleaned up the tags on a post a random passerby can add back tags (usually blamed on the OP even if they're not at fault).

Let us know if you're for the changing of the tag-adding setting or against it by leaving a comment. (Leaving thumbs-ups on already posted comments counts just as much as full explanations of why you prefer one setting to another.)

Looking forward to finding out your opinions on this,

your tag-happy (or exasperated by, on some days) mod. :-)

ETA: Since folks were leaning towards the new setting, it has been implemented. Posts can now be tagged by: Entry's author, maintainers and moderators.
Opinions for or against are still welcome, and will be taken into consideration.

Comments

[rilestar.livejournal.com]

I say, go for it. I think most comms that I've been on I've not been free to muck with tags, so I never realised we could here anyway. It's not a freedom we need, and if it's causing you hassles, make the change!

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your opinion, it's been noted!

[ainamclane.livejournal.com]

since i'm (sometimes) confused about what tags i should add (or forget one in the hurry), i'm happy for ANY help -> thus i vote for the 'old'-/current setting ;)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Noted, thank you for speaking up!

[mremre.livejournal.com]

I say take the new setting. Too many chefs spoil the broth, and the mods can fix if the OP made mistakes AND drive-by/malicious tagging will go away.

(not that there is any evidence of malicious tagging, but I'm a cynic so...)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

(And welcome to the club; around here, us mods feel pretty much the same. :-) )

[shibela.livejournal.com]

I guess what I'm curious about is how much work is involved for the mods to change tags now vs. what it would be with the new setting? Do we have a lot of random people adding tags - the wrong ones onto already fixed entries? Too bad LJ doesn't have an option of open tagging on a time limit -- have the entry open for tag additions by anybody for a week & then after that have it closed to just the OP & mods.

For what it's worth, count me for the new option of closing the tagging to just the OP & mods. Hopefully, it'll make your jobs easier....

Thank you for giving us a choice one way or the other! :)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

If only lj had actually useful settings like that one. If only.

I have no clue how changing the settings would impact my modly tag-correcting time, we'll have to wait and see if it gets implemented.

I'm just hoping this was OPs will get blamed for their own tagging snafus, and not anyone else's well-meaning fumblings. :-)

[sporangia.livejournal.com]

There are certain obscure story situations that don't have tags, but someday might, I would like to be able to tag them if and when new tags are introduced. This is hard to do unless you happen to be one of the few people keeping track of the odd interests. So I vote for keeping an open system.

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Well, if this new setting is turned on you could just collect the links to those tags and send them to us mods for tag-correcting if and when needed. It makes it better for everyone involved, too, since only mods can remove already added tags so you'd only be able to add on more, not remove ones rendered unneeded by some new tag or other.

Thank you for your vote!

[internetname.livejournal.com]

In MY day, we didn't have help with MOD POSTINGS!!! We have the mods work 24/7, and we liked it!! They couldn't sleep and everyone was always bugging them and they died because people couldn't wait to complain about whatever was on their mind...and we liked it!

seriously, you're the mods. do whatever

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

In my day, we weren't rude to the mods on a modly post just because we felt like it. Stuff like that was usually solved with the ban button. Lucky you I don't have hover-over turned on right now...

[internetname.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you had your sense of humor removed at birth.

[hickman1937.livejournal.com]

This pisses me of. debris took what you said wrong. I laughed about the the old days stuff. But instead of explaining you chose to just attacked her (I'm sorry you had your sense of humor removed at birth.) I'm getting tired of people who attack rather than explain.

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

For my part, I don't find being worked to death funny at all, especially if it's followed by a rather rude telling-off for even bothering to ask folks for an opinion. And this lovely second comment got them banned, so there's a lesson in there that a sense of humor does not entitle anyone to get pissy with a mod.

(frozen)

[hickman1937.livejournal.com]

I understood what the op was doing. Old school, never complain, shut up and achieve.I think the OP was goofing on old school. Our parents.

(frozen)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

... My parent are nothing like that. My grandparents wouldn't have made jokes like that, or laughed at them, either.

(frozen)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Anyways, discussion closed; we must agree to disagree.

(frozen)

[hickman1937.livejournal.com]

I also spent many years being worked to death (40-70 hours a week raising 2 kids), I understand. I'm getting older and I still love when you get cranky.I love SGA but you were the first mod that made me laugh when you spanked someone back in 08. Be well debris.

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

I only recently realized that tagging was open, and I've used that ability once. Considering that the comm does have standards for tag use, I would think the new setting would make things easier in general but might put more up-front work in the mods. So I'll cast a weak vote in favor of the new setting, but I'm not all that attached to either method. (And thank you for all the hard work!)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your vote, and for being one of our awesome members! :-)

[ribbon-purple.livejournal.com]

That would create a lot of extra work for you guys wouldn't it?

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Um, I doubt it? I mean, I have no way of telling which members tags which posts with which tags, so if the tags are off I default to asking the OP to tag better next time.

And if there are folks who do correct other's tag even semi-regularly, well, that's what this post is for -- to find that out. :-)

[nlgatefan.livejournal.com]

I'd vote to keep the current setting. I'm not a frequent poster of requests, and I'd be concerned about tagging my post properly -- sometimes having other members "help out" by tagging is less threatening than having a mod do the same thing. However, if there is a high incidence of "malicious" tagging, that would definitely change my thinking. Shibela's suggestion of open tagging on a time limit would be good if it were an option, but since it isn't, I'd stick with what we have.

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your vote!

For the record, unless a poster severely messes up the tagging (uses a bunch of wrong ones, adds only one tag instead of all the needed ones, etc.) I just correct the tags without telling anyone, or telling anyone off for that matter. I am *way* more lenient at this comm about tagging than anywhere else. So, you know, calling the times when I do need to ask someone to tag more carefully "threatening" is not exactly making me wish to keep on doing things this way. Just, you know, my personal opinion.

Thanks for your vote!

[surevesta.livejournal.com]

I had no idea the tagging season was open for anyone . . . I surf this comm everyday via my flist and might have added a few/fixed a few had I known!

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, please don't! *cringes* I correct the tags on posts as soon as I spot said posts so it's bad enough that sometimes the OPs don't realize it and add tags I've removed back, anyone else doing it wouldn't be helping, either.

Unless it's a untagged or severely undertagged post, in which case it's the OPs duty anyway to add the necessary tags, not a random strangers, no matter how well-meaning they might be. :-)

[admiralandrea.livejournal.com]

Like others, I had no idea anyone could fix someone else's tags. So I think keeping it to the mod and OP seems reasonable, if it's not going to give you loads of extra work.

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Well, you can't *fix* them. You can only add on more tags, and only the mod (not the OP) can remove any already added by anyone.

I don't think it'll mean too much extra work, but I guess we'll find out if/when this setting is turned on. Thank you for your opinion!

_{I raise your crotch shot with a crotch!stare! *g*}

[busaikko]

I think a lot of people, like me, didn't know we had this power!

So it seems to me, the people whose opinions really matter are those who *do* change tags. Do they have a system (of helping tag new posts, or of tagging older posts, or of tagging posts in an area that interests them, etc.)? Do they tag off the top of their heads, or do they follow comm guidelines? Are there lurkers whose entire contribution to the comm is their dedication to tagging things accurately, something they are proud of even if they never get any credit for it?

I understand that it is frustrating to have an errant tag re-added, and I have no idea how frequently this happens. But I wonder if appointing someone as a Tag Wranger and getting them to clarify some of the most common tag errors might not have a better effect: have them post the "top ten tagging problems", or whatever. The more people know, the more they can contribute effectively.

(I think someone mentioned above, but one thing that can happen when searching through older posts is you can discover ones which were mistagged or were written before a new tag was added. Being about to tag these ourselves seems like it would save mods trouble.)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Well, this is what the post is about, basically. So folks who try to help out others with the tags have a chance to come forward, as it were. I don't know how many, if any, folks like that are at this comm, but I didn't want to just turns off their ability to tag other's posts without giving them a chance to speak up against it.

[busaikko]

Argh, LJ ate my comment ;_; (It was mostly sympathy, as the fic/genre finding comm I mod just had to clean up and reduce our tags (now down to 991!) and I spent a lot of time in tagging and committee discussions.)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Bad lj, no cookie! *grrr*

(I just have to say, 991 tags, wow. And we're worried about our ~150 being too much (well, I can't remember half of them anymore, but that might just mean I'm getting old XD ) but I guess it all depends on what the tags are used for, and how often. Good luck with your comm!)

[busaikko]

I was in no way meaning to imply that I'm a *good* mod (I think the 991 tags speaks for the total lack of discipline!). But if ever anyone wants to find a fic set in "location:fireplace", well! We have a tag for that /o\ *is now wondering how many SGA fics are set in fireplaces*

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Well, there might be set in front of one? (Brainburp: new location sub-category -- location:in front of:fireplace. And, you know, to me that sounds like a great subcategory to have right now. XD )

[busaikko]

*makes you a cup of cocoa*

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Mmmm. Cheers!

[trafeane.livejournal.com]

I think I'm totally late to the party, but I think that whatever the modly mods decide to do their site is fine by me. :-)

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Thanks for commenting! :-)

[hickman1937.livejournal.com]

As someone who should not have a vote because you have to tag every request I have ever made, Leave it alone. Maybe someday I can help.

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Thanks, your vote has been taken into account. Though the new setting is already up and running, so we'll see if it works out in practice and go from there if need be. :-)

[hickman1937.livejournal.com]

I believe that the OP was talking like my dad. I think he/she was using old WW2 irony maybe?

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

I'm good with M*A*S*H type humor, but I'm afraid the 1950's are as far back as my sense of humor goes.