May 2, 2006

  • FLAGGING UPDATE

    Thanks to everyone for your feedback on our initial flagging beta.

    First off, I really want to stress how experimental this system
    is.  Right now, we are focusing on gathering data.  The only
    flags we are strictly enforcing now are for totally illegal acts like Underage Nudity, and Threats of Physical Harm. 
    We are evaluating each flag carefully, and are considering removing the
    ones that are ineffective or trigger a strong reaction.  We are
    extremely sensitive to issues of free speech, so are moving very, very
    carefully here.

    On a more functional note: quite a few people mentioned that they
    flagged themselves, or that they weren't sure how to unflag
    someone.  In the short term, we'll cancel all self-flags for
    you.  But in the longer term, we're going to add a confirmation
    step to the flagging process.  This will also give us a chance to
    explain what each flag is in more detail, and how the system works.

    That brings me to my last point: a number of people have pointed out
    that our policies and procedures are too vague.  It's a fair
    point, so we'll
    be working with our lawyers this week to add
    more specifics.

    That's it for now.  Thanks for bearing with us as we continue to tweak the flagging system!

Comments (122)

  • Yeah Im 1st

  • 2nd?

  • And not the "underage" ones? Those xangas are annoying AND are against the rules.

  • confirmation is a good idea... I can see myself flagging my journal by mistake very often lol

  • I still have no idea where you guys have the manpower to monitor these flags.

    Dan

  • weeee

  • makes me want to sing the flag song.

  • I'm not sure I like the flagging thing. Seems like it all comes down to opinion on some points, you know?

  • I'm glad to see an attempt to give more qualification on a lot of the vague ones - and treading carefully on free speech issues is a better start than what I expected. I'm still not in favor of this particular system but I'm willing to adopt a wait and see attitude on this.

  • This should work out quite nicely.

  • gosh get with it! no im totally kidding, take your time :) the longer it takes, the better it will be (or hopefully)

  • cool.

  • Fair enough. Thanks.

  • Ok, thank you very much for the notice.

  • cool. thanks for letting us know

  • what about adult nudity? it's disgusting

  • Awesome!

  • Self-flaggelation! It's like the Catholic way of dealing with Xanga Censorship!

  • thanx for finally responding to the questions we all have. look forward to reading what you and the law-folk come up with soon.

  • I almost flagged myself...I actually did flag someone else by accident. 

    I can only hope that you won't remove posts that are flagged due to something minor like swearing.  I definitely see flagging for threats of physical harm and underage pornography, though.

    Just make sure you stay really careful with all of this, because people will riot if their rights are breached.  God knows I've been ranting and raving about it all day long.

    Keep up the good work.

    -The Man Who Found a Rat in his Room

  • I know you'll get this right. You always do.

  • How about adding "fisting" photos to that?! Stumbling upon those pictures has ruined my breakfast more than once.

    Also, consider Flickr (www.flickr.com) ... There flagging system seems to work well and I don't see a bunch of babies crying about losing their "freedom of speech" there.

  • * their

  • keeping underage kids off of xanga means we dont have to deal with them, naked or otherwise.  so im all for that. 

    keep up the cautiously good work

  • I usually don't keep up with these new updates you guys always post, but this Flagging system seems really strict and I think it's better if I keep up with it. And yeah, you guys will get it right.

  • Eh..compromise is what it's all about.

  • As long as my posts didn't get deleted, I'd say the more flags on my writing the better. It makes me feel like I am doing my job correctly!

  • Great!!!

  • I think that sounds good.

  • hihi

  • i, no doubt, will flag myself.  it's a talent of mine.  and better than flogging any old day. 
    i guess i'm out of the loop.  i just don't see the sort of blogs, etc., to which everyone's referring.  maybe it's because i don't surf around xanga much.  i tend to stick with the sites i know around here and branch out to people who comment there regularly.
    overly cautious i suppose.  but it works for me.  so far.

  • You're a bunch of effing sweethearts.

  • Keep up the good work, definately.

  • I have a question. So, if someone flags me, are you going to let me know that I've been flagged and that I need to remove whatever I'm being flagged for, or face the consequences? Or do I not know until the consequences happen.

  • What about disgusting stuff like this? --->  http://www.xanga.com/TheMightyThor/461612535/where-my-dawgs-.html

  • Too little, too late, I'm afraid. The "policies and procedures" needed to have been updated BEFORE anything like this was implemented, there should have been much more response to the positive criticisms people made to the original proposal to put in the system, and there still isn't any info on how you'll "enforce" flags [offending posts deleted? made private? whole blog shut down without warning? who knows???]. It's this lack of communication and lack of proper consultation that has prompted me to all but shut down my Xanga. All arguments about flags and "censorship" aside, I just don't feel that you are at all bothered what I or many other paying customers think.

  • why oh why could you not have built a tagging system first, then implemented flags as a layer on top of that??

  • Take your time!

  • yes, I'm especially looking forward to an updated "Advocates Self Harm" flag, because there are WAYYYY too many pro-anas smearing their crap all over xanga, and even triggering the recoverees that stumble upon their sites. And I know you guys don't want lawsuits.

    Things to look for in a pro-ana:

    Weightloss competitions
    Thinspiration pictures
    quotes making some kind of ode to Ana, weightloss, or thinness, or the glamorization of eating disorders
    But ESPECIALLY:

    Tips and Tricks need to go. SO BAD. They're teaching others who are searching for a dietplan to try it like it'd work. And although some might not develop an eating disorder by looking at pro-ana stuff, but many people who try it eventually do. And it does get very repulsive to see people glamorize eating disorders.

  • i like the idea, but i accidently flagged myself. so that needs to be fixed so others don't accidently do it either.

  • I understand what you are trying to do..and i wish you good luck with it...think it is a good idea..thanks for all of your work..all of you...take care...Lee

  • That flag button looks so shiny and tempting. I gotta find me someone to flag!
    flag-you're gone! flag-you're gone!
    Tee hee hee hee hee!

  • question.. why is it in the new profiles.. whatever 'section' that i update last, moves to the top of the public profile listing? kind of odd isnt it? shouldn't they be set in a more specific order instead of constantly shuffling?

  • Self Flagging? What's wrong with people now-a-days

  • This is good, but there have been some worrisome (to say the least) xanga's I've come across whose layouts don't have a link to flag them.

  • What is this new "not yet rated" thing that shows up at the top of an entry when the comment field is showing? does it have to do with the flagging?

  • You can try this at home too, people, if you don't believe me:

    Into Firefox. Clicked "flag". Right-clicked. Selected "This Frame", then "View Source". There's the code for the twelve implemented flags, plus five more that have been coded but not [yet?] made available. And one of them is to flag "PROFANITY".

    Beforehand I was angry. Now I'm really worried about what you're doing. I'm glad I'm going.

  • Hello SmellsLikeDeadLobster... I tried to comment on your site, but comments weren't open. In any case, there is no Profanity flag... we were actually going to link that to a help page explaining that we don't allow flags for Profanity. But people found it confusing during testing, so we commented it out (that's what you saw).

    Sorry for the confusion,
    John

  • Wut is your last name??????????

  • Thank you!

  • i dont think it is a very good idea because some people might flag someone for no reason because they're mean or bored. and then something bad happens to their page or something so i think there should just be something where you can set it to flag if you want it or not.

    just an opinion. lolz

    =)

  • Would be nice if you had the option to add a line or two about what specifically made you want to flag a site...

  • ummm I have not recieved my xanga subscribtion update in the mail for the past two days. neither has my quote site synthetic_smile09

    just thought someone should know

  • I am a Premium Xanga user and I have something really important to complain. It's serious, of criminal nature, and cannot be discussed in a public guestbook. I have tried contacting you thru your various departments as well as the email address of the registrant of the domain xanga.com listed at whois.net, a letter (postal mail) has also been sent, but there has been no reply from any of you guys, which is really making me wonder given the seriousness and possible legal consequences of the matter at hand.
     
    Please contact me as soon as possible.

  • Hi i've been with xanga for like a few years now and yeah..block nasty stuff like that because we don't need kids exposed to stuff like that

  • So will I get some sort of notice when i get flagged? Is there an explanation for what was deemed unacceptable?
    Good luck.

  • Sorry but what is a flag and what does it do?

  • if you want to get rid of the underage nuditiy sites, just to go the sex blogrings

  • it may become a monstrosity.

  • You should fix the "flag" link so that it works for people who don't have Javascript enabled.  I think several people (for example, http://www.xanga.com/Ghetsuhm/480125201/item.html) who don't have Javascript enabled have clicked on the link, either out of curiousity or by accident, and when the menu didn't come up, assumed that they had just flagged the post.  I'd venture this is what's happening with most of the people who think they've flagged themselves.  A quick way to fix this would be to make the "flag" link a normal link instead of a Javascript function that opens a pop-up.

    To those who don't have Javascript enabled:

    The "flag" link is supposed to open up a small box on the page that gives you a list of types of objectionable content:  "Hijacked Account," "Malicious Impersonation," etc.  If you're not seeing this box, then you probably have either Javascript or popups disabled.  In that case, all you've done by clicking the flag link is reload the page.  Here's the HTML code for the link:

    flag

    The URL being linked to, as specified by the "href" option, is "#", which is just a link to the top of the page.  The important part is the "onclick" option, which runs the Javascript function "showFlags", which brings up the pop-up window.  If you have Javascript disabled, all that will happen is that you'll go to the top of the page, and a "#" may be added to the URL.  When I click the link with Javascript disabled, the page doesn't even reload, so Xanga has no way of knowing I clicked it.

    An accidental click on the flag link does not flag anyone's post.

  • Another comment:  A few people have said that there are ways to keep the "flag" link from appearing on one's Xanga.  While I imagine you'll disable some of these tricks soon, people may come up with yet more underhanded ways to keep the link from appearing.  You should have an easy-to-find webpage where you can flag a page without having to follow a link from it, by copying and pasting the offending site's URL.

  • Oh dear gods... In response to THAT, I DO have js enabled, always have, the box appears fine today, that is NOT the problem.

  • you rock! thanks for keeping xanga safe!

  • I have a question, would you know if someone flagged you?

  • Sounds like you're covering your ass....

    Add hate sites. The white supremacist lot are really vicious and illegal at least in your country.

  • :)

    yay for ridding xanga of sick crap!

  • Props! i wish you a wonderful day. Take care and God bless!

  • Some of the "physical harm" sites being deleted are ridiculous - many of the creator's come here to vent and get support on how to STOP.  Yes, there are some Xangas where people promote it and go ahead delete those, but most aren't like that.  People just want to talk to people struggling like them.  Please reconsider the guidelines for that aspect of the flagging system.  Besides most of them would just make new accounts.

    Thank you.

  • flags are fun. i am trying out for the flag core this year. do you think i will make it? i think i am the best flagger i know.

  • May I make a suggestion?
    If you would truly like to get rid of the porn and other dirty stuff on Xanga, you could easily use the Xanga search engine to search for BLOGRINGS that contain thousands of people posting illegal images. these sites are not that hard to find, you don't even need a flagging system for that...
    porn on the system can be viewed by people under the age of 18... which I believe is also illegal, not to mention disgusting, and addicting. the average age that a boy first views a pornographic image is 11!

    I think these easily accesible and illegal sites should be dealt with first.. but I'm am glad that you guys have implemented a system (not without imperfections) that may improve the situation.

  • wow,your web's guest are so many! cool web that you have though!cheers!

  • So you've started implementing flags and there still is no announcement on the front page - why???? (The whole issue would have completely passed me by if I hadn't seen discussion about it on someone else's blog) At no point has anyone from Xanga informed me that I needed to check out various admin's blogs to find out important policy changes.

    The lack of transparency is pissing me off just as much as the flawed flag system itself. I would also point out that there is no mention of the flag system in the help section at all.

    Please explain why the existing system for reporting abuse is no good. How is flagging going to help you address real problems and abuse any better? For example, someone flags someone for impersonation - how is that better than an actual message that explains the evidence why & who that user is impersonating? You'd then have to go and chase up the person who did the flagging to ask for more information - unless of course users will get shutdown automatically just for having been flagged?

    I was happy to pay for Premium for a couple of years, I really felt it was worth it. I let it lapse because I was short of cash - now it's unlikely that I am going be paying again any time soon, because this system seems so badly thought out and, going by comments in this and the previous thread, people's complaints have gone unresolved before under the old system, which does not inspire confidence.

  • What about when someone changes their layout so that the link to flag them is gone? Is there somewhere else we can do it?

  • Oh, and is there a way to flag blogrings that advocate self-harm, etc?

  • My concern is, what happens if someone gets mad at someone else (for no good reason) and tells their friends to flag this person? Can the flagging be used for someone to seek revenge against someone else? Seems like this is something that could be used against innocent people.

  • cool :]
    and thanks for cancelling my flags ;)

  • I'm confused about how you can view if you are flagged. Someone like me that's on FC regular has to be flagged.
    what about unfair flags? seems to me you are censoring your site.. stinks!

  • what if you wanna flag someone who's kinda like being a stalker???

  • who is this??

    c/b

  • ok...why wont my site show my subscriptions?

  • the new weblogs aren't that great.
    everytime i try to update it says there is a generic error.

    can you help me please?

  • hmm, how do I submit a post?  I don't see no publish button.

  • what's with the high tech stuff for new entries?!

    why isn't there still a box where u can decide to update time/date?
    sometimes.. a lot of times.. i want to keep time/date, but want to add new info or pictures..

    i dont like it!!

  • I agree with miss_catherine regarding the new editor... I prefer the old one. One of my biggest complaints regarding the new editor is that I can't post with it - as it gets stuck in some sort of loop that doesn't do anything. I still have to go back to using the good, trustworthy older editor anyway. A good rule of thumb: If it isn't broken, don't mess with it. The old editor worked well!

  • Not liking the new stuff either, I can't post anything

  • I want to know why you don't answer emails about abuse and other issues?  Is it your normal policy to not answer emails?  I have been a regular on Feature Content for months, and now every time I show up on Feature I am taken off within an hour.  So, why? and why don't you answer any emails from your premium plus customers?  I mean you have tons of people on feature content right now that have Adult content and language on it..  mine is taken off why??

    I have emailed you many times about several stalkers that copied my site, and got no response. I bring a lot of traffic to your site, and you ignore me.. is this a common practice??
    I'd like to know why my site is taken off Feature content every day??
    why do you not answer your emails?

  • something's wrong with photo manager

  • ur weird m8

  • um what exactly is the point of them?im all confused lol and the way ive herd it from is there kind of dumb and pointless!!!!!and what if someone does it to do it for no reason well whatever!!!!i g2g o0k bye.

    comment back!!!!!

  • can you ..downgrade my profile for me? i like the old version better

  • This comment has nothing to do with flagging, but is a random suggestion...

    How 'bout enabling pics in user comments (i.e. "The Dark Side", a.k.a. "MySpace")?

    One could always block the user or delete the comment if the graphic is offensive.

    Or would that take up too much of your server's load capacity? Meh. Just a thought.

  • i wanna downgrade my profile too...

  • Er... I didn't realize that this was your most recent post.
    If you're interested in some more feedback, you can find my comment (the 134th, I believe) in your previous entry.

  • are you still restoring sites? i've made a new site but i'd rather have my old one! I think i'm eligible now...

    ♠

  • gosh john;;how many friends do you have??

    i didnt think you were THAT famous;;

    [<3]

  • My friend (id kenma1234) was block the xanga account...but MARY said that they can't restore ken's account...

    but ken has sent a email to you and mary...he just want to have his id:kenma1234 and tell you please delete his account,let him can open a new account and use kenma1234 this id name...

    however ,he has waited about one mounth...CAN YOU HELP HIM?! HE just want to have the id:kenma1234...if you don't delete his old account,how can he use the new account(id:kenma1234)???

    PLEASE HELP HIM THANKS YOU!!!

    His xanga is http://www.xanga.com/kenma1234

  • Don't you think it's wrong that people who have a custom skin don't have the 'flag' feature? Just a thought.

  • Hey thanks john for the comment. No, I'm not jacked, I just gots me some retard strength.

  • 100 th!

  • join my old mario games blogring!

  • yeah i flagged this chicks site and stuff........

    http:/www.xanga.com/greendaylover2468

    um go to her old post i kinda got mad and commented her tho......

    allison

  • 3 thumbs up x)

  • This is a start. But how about having someone to answer the phone instead of just refering callers back to the website? Or how about responding to a police officer when you are contacted by one?

  • John,

    Any chance you guys could implement an option in the site settings in addition to the blocking of users who aren't signed in that would allow a user to block anyone who is signed in who is registered as being a minor from visiting? It seems to me that this would be something people would use to avoid the annoyance of having obnoxious teens leaving comments as well as to avoid spreading inappropriate content to minors...

    Let me know.

  • I liked the new editor. I've seen it probably three seperate times now. Why do you keep taking it away?

  • Hey, John, I have two things to request:

    1) a way to flag blogrings, especially the whole big ones dedicated to self harm.

    2) People who have skins and layouts CANNOT be flagged? Come on, what looks WRONG with this picture!?!?!?

    I would like to report the following offenders who I could not flag because they had used a layout: You MIGHT want to take a look at these John...

    http://www.xanga.com/mustbeperfect10101
    http://www.xanga.com/Amazing_Ana_Tips_Tricks
    http://www.xanga.com/anorexiclulaby22
    http://www.xanga.com/heyyFATTY
    http://www.xanga.com/starving_2B_gorgeous
    http://www.xanga.com/starving2beprettyicons
    http://www.xanga.com/eatingmakesmesad_625
    http://www.xanga.com/glamorous_ana_tips
    http://www.xanga.com/think_A_N_A
    http://www.xanga.com/thinner___lyts
    http://www.xanga.com/breakdown00
    http://www.xanga.com/SKiiNNYYiiCON_LL0VE
    http://www.xanga.com/ic0ns_4_Ana
    http://www.xanga.com/GlAMOROUS_lOVE_XO
    http://www.xanga.com/Thinspirational_Pics
    http://www.xanga.com/babyana_icons
    http://www.xanga.com/Model_Tips
    http://www.xanga.com/PERFECT_TiPS
    http://www.xanga.com/ThinkThinTips
    http://www.xanga.com/ana_directory

  • Hi John...

    I've noticed some users who got rid of the Flag option by completely removing that whole (Flag, xanga, username, sign out) top part of the page.

  • Hello. This is The_Jumbo_Shrimp.

    Something is wrong. My friend, krazybandgeek, has recently lost all of her posts. I don't know whether it was you, her, a cracker, or what. She hasn't even posted any comments. I have lost all contact with her. I was wondering if you could help.

    Hail Pepito!!!

  • I know its too good to be true... the "flag" button being gone?  I am certain it is just one of the kinks to be worked out in the system from moving.  But oh how my heart did leap with joy... that sense had been found when I just logged on and saw the stupid little option gone from my page.

    *sigh*  Alas, either it is a glitch or you all have chosen to hide them now.  Makes me sad... very sad.

    SA

  • and see... now I am awake...and realize what has happened.  You made it so the flag doesn't show up on someone's own site.  Guess too many were flagging themselves? 

    *sighs*  Hopes dashed in an instant of wakefulness.

    blah

  • Lately whenevever I try to open my look and feel, as usual it has the sign in page, and I sign in, but then it says

    Sorry, the page you requested was not found.

    Please check the URL for proper spelling. You may also try a Xanga Search to find what you're looking for.

    And it does that every time!

    Is that because of your move?

  • P.S.

    Question:

    If I copy the URL you use to flag...as in this: http://www.xanga.com/username#

    And say I have a layout that took off the flag link. In the URL above, if I replace 'username' with my username, and then insert it into my navigation links, will it still work?

    I would greatly appreciate you replying to this!

  • i tried to delete an entry and it gave me a generic error

  • Why isn't flagging on everyone's site? I have it on mine but it's not on my friend's xanga. Please explain that!

  • WOO HOO WOO HOO WOO HOO WOO HOO WOO HOO WOOO HOOO WOOO HOOO *breath* WOOO HOO WOO HOO WOOO HOOO WOOO HOOO *Breath* WOOO HOOO WOOO HOOO WOOO HOOO *falls on floor, whezing, passes out* WOOOoooo ....

  • hey i want to flag the chick for sending very very rude comments to people at random her site is xanga.com/beautiful_x_disaster89 , but she doest have a flag thingy at the top of her page!

    please comment me back!

    -lauren

  • Thank you Xanga for eradicating the majority of the censorship. Unfortunatly, there are still some minor free-speach issues here, but nothing too scary. If I wanted to find some kiddie porn I'd go to google, and if I wanted to be beaten up...well I'd find a way.

  • hey johnny buddy...what are footprints??

  • HELLO PLEASE JOIN

  • Hey john im new on herr! im just on my cuzzs name you can leave me a comment at gracie_ann2004 and my password is( tori )of course!!

      plz write!!!!!

  • Excuse me, but this new ratings system is beyond abhorrent.  I guess I'll go to your home page to see where it is folks are commenting about it.

  • Thanks a lot. I thought I'd removed that a while ago so the thought never occured to me.

    ~Amor vincit omnia : Toddimyre~

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