Warning Comments

[sv1cec]

Folks, a member expressed the opinion, that Warnings should also have predefined comments, just like alerts have.

This however is something that needs some consideration. In a sense, we do have predefined comments already, in the form of the Warning Type Description. However, if you select to use that, then the moderators do not get the "Enter Comment" box, when issuing a warning, or an alert (which means that all your alerts should have predefined comments).

There are several ways to do this. For example:

- If each warning type has a comment, do we still allow the moderators to enter a comment of their own? This needs to be considered in a broad sense, not only for warnings but for alerts as well. As the hack is at this moment, if you select to use the Description as comment, then the box where the moderator enters a comment when issuing a warning/alert, does not show. Shall we maintain that functionality?

- If we do allow the mods to enter a comment of their own, do we replace the standard warning comment with whatever the moderator enters, or do we append what the moderator enters in the standard warning type comment?

Give me some ideas, how you want this one done.

Rgds

[Tom1234]

I really believe the best solution is to have just one description TEXTAREA field which is used as the comments in the warning PM/email since I never saw the need for that separate alert comment field anyway, but that you allow the warner to customize the warning message however they want by simply initializing it for them with all the warning information. I almost always want to customize the warning message in some way, but cannot. If you also implement the change of including the quoted text of the warned post in addition to a link to it, I would want to edit down that quoted post to isolate the text that is being warned about. This clarity will help the warnee and other moderators understand exactly the reason for the warning. As it is now, it almost always needs a followup explanation. I think you suggested this would create more hassle for the moderators, but this would save the moderators a lot of time.

[sv1cec]

Both of the changes you want, mean that another screen has to be added, after the moderator fills the warning screen and clicks on the "Warn" button. The screen will be something like an editor window, where the message to be send will be shown.

However, there is one issue: As you know, there are two different templates for this message, one for PM and one for email. What do we do, in the case where an admin has specified both? Do we show him two screens, one after the other? Or do we just show the predefined comment and the post text and allow the mod to change them and then create the PM and/or the email? I guess the second is a more viable option.

Still, I want to hear more opinions on this issue.