Improving the report system!

I know it's been said a few times already, but there are very few people who actually use the report system. In 90% of cases, staff are the ones having to stumble across things that, quite honestly, could've been solved ages ago...if someone had bothered to inform us. 'Stumbling across things' also includes people who are complaining about how users have been getting away with 'X'. Behind our backs. Instead of, y'know, coming to us and bringing up the fact that there was a problem to begin with. I love doing detective-y stuff. Why you no share new cases with me? :c Anyway, I'm not here to go pointing fingers. I'd also like to mention that we greatly appreciate the efforts of those who have been reporting people. What I'd like to do with you guys is asking the community to help us identify the major reasons you wouldn't report someone-- and a solution to them. There is only so much staff can do on its own, and there's only so much staff can see without actively stalking every user and every action they do. Of course, we're not asking you to go specifically hunting for rule-breakers. Imagine you found a wallet on the floor that somebody lost. The moral thing to do would be to bring it to the police station, so they can find the owner and give it back. The police aren't going to go hunting for lost wallets, and citizens aren't gonna go hunting for lost wallets either. We're just asking that, if you see something...you know. I've put a poll up with various ideas we've come up with as to why someone wouldn't use the report function, so even if you don't write up a big ol' post in the thread explaining how or why or what or waffles, every answer helps.

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(Since polls answers have a maximum length, I've put a definition for each label here. Please pick the ones that apply to you most-- you can pick up to five answers.) - The Absent-Minded (Currently using a phone or other device that can't make screenshots, and forget to report it later) - The Sloth (Time could be spent elsewhere or assuming someone else will do it) - The Golden Snitch (Afraid of being a called a tattle-tale. Or being caught by wizards on broomsticks) - The Empath (Genuinely feeling bad for reporting others for their rulebreaking.) - The Tongue-Twister (Don't know how to properly file a report against a user who broke the rules) - The Hesitant (Don't know what can be considered as rule-breaking or not / Afraid of wasting staff's time) - The Timid (Don't want staff to see your username and know it was you who filed the report) - The Eye-Roller (Feeling that you shouldn't have to report in the first place because finding rulebreakers is a mod's job, not yours) - The Equivalent Exchanger (Expecting people not to report you if you don't report them. At least it doesn't cost an arm and a leg) - The Dealer (Expecting a reward/incentive from staff) - The Snowflake (Afraid of staff looking into your account and locking it for a rule you knew you were breaking) - The Whoospies (Afraid of staff looking into your account and locking it for a rule you didn't know you were breaking) - The Otter (Not the Other. Other is boring. If you have anotter reason for not reporting users, please post why)

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Thank you for your time and participation.

These things are true. Though, I never saw anyone breaking the rules <3

I'd have to agree with Torterra: I haven't seen any rule breaking. But if I were to see something minor, like double-posting or bumping, I'm not sure I would report it, for the simple reason that I don't want to get them in trouble for a little thing. But if it was more serious like harrassment or theft or inappropriate language, then yes I would report it.

I haven't seen much rule breaking either which is good ^^ I've only ever used the report button once and I still feel bad about it ^^;

The staff is so speedy with corrections, that I've never come across anything outlandish O.O

Agreed. That's why I put eye roller (because the few things I do see are really minor and, honestly, I do not think they warrant a report to be filed. And a very tiny bit of thinking it is a part of the staff's job)

I've yet to report anyone, seeing as the only time I've ever seen any rule-breaking (such as click begging), the staff's already taken care of it. Though if I did manage to see someone breaking the rules, I'd be sure to report it.

Thing is, it's actually the communities job - because we're so few people. You can't expect so few people to actually seriously be capable of having eyes everywhere, after all. We get what we can / what we see, obviously, but the idea that it's only the staff's job is... Well, wrong, put simply. If it was entirely our job, I'd be of the inclination to make it so that everything needed verification. You made a post? Needs verifying. Sent a PM? Needs verifying. But... Obviously that's... "Haha no"-territory. So we deferred down to the idea of a self-moderating community. If a self-moderating community won't self-moderate, then what does that say about what we need to do? If we have to take the self-moderation out of things, I... Sincerely think the results will not be liked...

Hesitant and Empath for me, mostly because I have guilt issues due to childhood abuse and I feel really bad/anxious about reporting people for (seemingly) minor things that I'm not sure really needs reporting and wasting staffs' time. ^^;