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Suggest to perform automatic checks for cross-posting (including deleted SO cross-posts, like this one for example) and question block / warning at Stack Overflow when post enters close queue, not only when it is attempted to migrate.

If check detects a problem, system would raise automatic flag for moderator attention.

I expect above preemptive checks to help us more efficiently address attempts to abuse the system.

Related:

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    codename for suggested feature: Oded 24x7 :)
    – gnat
    Commented Aug 3, 2014 at 18:31
  • some additional considerations: 1) questions that are over month (or maybe even week) old can be excluded from checking 2) to account for possibly unpredictable amount of questions that may enter the queue, system can be limited to some reasonable fixed amount of checks, like 30-50 a day
    – gnat
    Commented Aug 4, 2014 at 11:47
  • related: Let's help askers who are trying to circumvent question block at Stack Overflow
    – gnat
    Commented Dec 1, 2014 at 16:05

1 Answer 1

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How does raising a mod flag help here? What do you want moderators to do with these flags? Whatever that action is, can we just do it automatically when a close vote or flag is raised?

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  • note: "when post enters close queue". Moderators can complete review (so that other reviewers, answerers and, especially, site visitors don't need to bother about posts from abusers). Worth keeping in mind that moderators can also dismiss flags without action if they feel it's not worth it
    – gnat
    Commented May 14, 2015 at 6:57
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    ...as for automatic completion of close review, I would be very cautious about this. Think of how it would look for site visitors, "Closed by Community ♦"? (in case of close flags there won't even be a name of first voter there) I guess I would rather prefer abusive posts pestering folks for a while than getting "magic closes" like that
    – gnat
    Commented May 14, 2015 at 7:23
  • another thing that moderators can do which can't be automated is quick deletion of the garbage, to make room at front page for better questions (not that I believe you would care about that but to let other readers see this point covered and, as usual, ignored)
    – gnat
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 20:06
  • If caring fixed things, Faith No More would've solved the world's problems years ago. Moderators can quickly delete garbage... If they're around... And there aren't more pressing issues. But there are a lot more non-moderators than there are moderators, and their observation tends to beat weak heuristics in any case.
    – Shog9
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 21:52
  • "their observations" are already taken into account in this feature request, notice that it is about posts that enter close queue (meaning someone flagged or voted already). There is already a human check making a solid support for heuristics. And please don't pretend that moderators aren't around all 9 days while roomba is waiting... and please don't tell me that moderators go hunting for posts to delete, because per my observations they tend to avoid acting unless post is flagged (which is good)
    – gnat
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 22:08
  • Yeah, no, mods are totally sitting on their hands most of the time.
    – Shog9
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 22:10
  • yes they do just that. And this is good. If I had as much power as them, I would also tend to avoid unilateral actions, waiting for others (or system) to ping me. Haven't you had that story with ex-moderator at SF who actively did unilateral actions?
    – gnat
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 22:13
  • as far as I can tell reasoning in this answer was invalidated by recent changes to mod guidance which made it clear that (most of) such questions should be quickly closed and deleted by moderators: "delete everything that's blatantly off-topic as soon as it appears" (automatic handling is still not an option though as it takes human eyes to tell whether post is blatantly off-topic or not)
    – gnat
    Commented Oct 21, 2016 at 6:44
  • Don't see how that's relevant, @gnat. Particularly as we try to more clearly differentiate these sites, the notion that Programmers is a pure subset of Stack Overflow should be avoided, not encouraged - if a question wouldn't otherwise be closed or deleted here, then deleting it simply because the author asked it on Stack Overflow first seems... backwards.
    – Shog9
    Commented Oct 21, 2016 at 16:27
  • what notions are you talking about, I have no idea. You wrote that you don't understand about proposed flags: "What do you want moderators to do with these flags?" When you wrote that it was unclear indeed what would they do. As of now it is 200% easy to tell: because questions posted by banned SO users are mostly debugging help, these are blatantly off-topic and moderators should quickly close and delete these, that's it. Recent changes to mod guidance made your old question obsolete: "What do you want moderators to do with these flags?" It has clear answer now
    – gnat
    Commented Oct 21, 2016 at 16:31

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