Messages caught in the moderation queue need visual feedback

[SergeyBiryukov]

Some forum messages (generally with a link or two) get caught in the moderation queue.

When that happens, there's no visual feedback, and the author has no idea what happened. They post the same message all over again, adding more work for moderators, and eventually get frustrated with the forums altogether.

Unless the author is marked as bozo, there should be a feedback, e.g. "Your message is awaiting moderation", like in regular WordPress comments.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Related: ​#bbpress1988

[Ipstenu]

Two suggestions.

1. For PENDING:

• Informative message: This post has been held for moderation by our automated system. It will be reviewed within 72 hours.
• After 96 hours, add a "If this message is not yet approved, please come to Slack #forums and let us know. Provide a link to the post."

2. for SPAM:

• Show the same informative message. Held for moderation.
• IF the user is flagged, DO NOT show the 96 hours message

In that way, we will be able to inform false positives and give them something actionable to do.

[SergeyBiryukov]

meta-1561.patch​ implements comment:4, see meta-1561.PNG​.

[SergeyBiryukov]

meta-1561.patch​ got positive feedback in the latest Support Team meeting, see the logs above.

[coffee2code]

In the message for a post that is still pending after 96 hours, isn't the opening If this message is not yet approved unnecessary? After all, the person is seeing that notice in the first place because the post is indeed still pending and older than 96 hours. That would leave Please come to Slack #forums and let us know. Provide a link to the post. as the message, which could use some sort of prefatory text. Maybe something like:

This post seems to be taking longer than expected to get approved. Please come to the #forums channel on WordPress Slack and let us know. Provide a link to this post.

Also, for spam intentionally not approved beyond 72 hours, do we still want the notice to display the It will be reviewed within 72 hours. sentence? It could just simply say This post has been held for moderation by our automated system. in this scenario, giving neither a timeline nor a call to action.

[netweb]

Replying to coffee2code:

Also, for spam intentionally not approved beyond 72 hours, do we still want the notice to display the It will be reviewed within 72 hours. sentence? It could just simply say This post has been held for moderation by our automated system. in this scenario, giving neither a timeline nor a call to action.

+1 Giving spammers any insight into the moderation workflow should reveal as little as possible

[coffee2code]

In 4216:

Forums Theme: Add notice indicating that a topic is being held for moderation.

Can display one of five possible messages:

• For moderators, that a topic is flagged as spam.
• For moderators, that a topic is pending.
• For blocked users, that the topic has been held for moderation by the automated system.
• When a topic is pending for less than 96 hours, that the topic has been held for moderation and will be reviewed.
• When a topic is pending for more than 96 hours, that the topic has been held for moderation but that moderators should be asked (via Slack) about it.

Props SergeyBiryukov, coffee2code, Ipstenu.
Fixes #1561.

[coffee2code]

The committed implementation of this will show at most one of five possible messages:

• For moderators, if topic is flagged as spam:
  This post has been flagged as spam.
• For moderators, if topic is pending:
  This post is currently pending.
• For blocked author of a topic that is either pending or spam:
  This post has been held for moderation by our automated system.
• For author of a topic that is pending for less than 96 hours:
  This post has been held for moderation by our automated system. It will be reviewed within 72 hours.
• For author of a topic that is pending for more than 96 hours:
  This post was held for moderation by our automated system but has taken longer than expected to get approved. Please come to the #forums channel on <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/chat/">WordPress Slack</a> and let us know. Provide a link to the post.