Time it takes to approve the messages in Yahoo / Google forums.

[sdani]

Is the time it takes for approval of new messages increasing in Yahoo / Google forum and is it really a good idea to keep them pre moderated?

I posted something in Yahoo forum 30 hours ago and it is not yet approved. I read a post yesterday in Google forum, where the originator had posted that the problem was resolved by the time people responded because it took a week to approve.

Anyone can post their thoughts as a reply once a message is approved, or they can post in a different forum. So, what is really gained by keeping these forums pre moderated. Instead, can an abuse button be added, clicking which the moderators will be informed immediately about a bad post?

Just wanted to share because after the inability to search supporters forum, this was the only other thing that I did not like about this forum.

sdani

[whoisgregg]

Without premoderation, there would be a sea of near-identical threads in those forums. All the mods of those forums would play "whack-a-mole" on new threads all day while some people post to each one as others are furiously clicking away at "abuse" buttons.

For a while the RSS feed was showing titles of threads still in premod and anyone who saw them, both realize the need for pre-moderation and appreciate tenfold the work the moderators do here.

[Hawkgirl]

As far as I'm aware, the time it takes for premoderated messages to appear in the Google and Yahoo forums has not increased. Your post may take a bit longer to be approved for a Yahoo thread than a Google thread, since there are more moderators for Google News [webmasterworld.com] than for Yahoo Search [webmasterworld.com].

However, both still take time, since all of our moderators are here on their own time, on a volunteer basis, and help out the site out of the goodness of their own hearts.

If you have questions about individual threads that are waiting for approval, contact the specific moderator(s) for that forum. There are times that threads will slip through the cracks - usually this is because so many new ones pop up at one time and the mods are busier than heck.

> So, what is really gained by keeping these forums pre moderated. Instead, can an abuse button be added, clicking which the moderators will be informed immediately about a bad post?

Interesting idea - but it will cause as many problems as it will solve. Either problems can be dealt with before they have a chance to emerge (premoderation), or problems will be out in the open and moderators will have to "put out fires" once threads are live (your suggestion of an abuse button).

I think everyone is in agreement that it's not the best system - but it's the best system we've got right now. As things stand, premoderation is still the best way we have to keep the Google and Yahoo forums timely, newsworthy, interesting and helpful to all members. If you have other ideas to improve the process, sticky Brett privately and let him know your thoughts.

For other recent discussions about premoderation, see this thread [webmasterworld.com] and the links contained in it.