Feature: Administrative Moderation

Enhancing Moderation with the Flag Comment API and Comment Audit Features

In the ever-evolving landscape of online content moderation, maintaining a balance between free expression and community standards is crucial. To address this, a new feature has been introduced: the Flag Comment API Call. This tool is designed to empower administrative users with high security levels to manage comments more effectively and in full support of website policy.

API Examples

Example Python Client

[[API Example: Python]]

Comment Audit Feature:

https://dev.soylentnews.org/api.pl?m=admin&op=get_comments_audit&cid=&limit=

Flagging a Comment:

https://dev.soylentnews.org/api.pl?m=admin&op=flag_spam&cid=31675&spam_flag=1&mod_reason=test%20for%20jan&redacts=%28%3F%3C%3Dtest%20of%20%29.%2A%3F%28%3F%3D%20This%20is%20only%20a%29

Suggested Regex Strings:

• (?<=before ).*?(?= after)
  When applied to "this is before and this is after," results in "this is before ########### after."

Flag Comment API Call

Key Features:

• Administrative Access Only: This feature is restricted to users with high security levels, ensuring that only authorized personnel can flag comments.
• Toggle Flag: Administrators can set a flag on a comment to either "on" or "off." When flagged "on," the comment is hidden and replaced with placeholder text. When flagged "off," the original comment is restored.
• Audit Logging: Every invocation of the flagging action is logged in the comment_audit table, capturing the time, moderator, and reason for the action.
• Reason and Redaction: The API call requires a reason for flagging and can optionally include regex fields for redacting specific parts of the comment.

Impact on Comments:

• Visibility: Flagged comments are hidden from view and replaced with placeholder text. Once the flag is removed, the original comment becomes visible again.
• No Other Modifications: The flagging action does not affect other website functionalities.

Redaction Usage Context:

• Common Practice: While flagging a comment is envisioned to be common practice within the site policy and framework, redaction is not anticipated for routine moderation and thus an ancillary concern. Instead, it is envisioned for the removal of severe violations such as CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) or doxxing.

Complementary Feature: Get Comment Audits

To enhance transparency and accountability, the Get Comment Audits feature has been introduced. This feature allows all users to access the audit logs of flagged comments.

Key Features:

• Public Access: Available to all users via the provided API endpoint.
• Hold Timer: A hold timer is calculated for each comment ID (CID). This timer is set to 24 hours after the last entry in the comment_audit table for that CID, regardless of the flag status. During this hold period, the comment text is not shown.
• Audit Details: The audit log displays the entered moderation reason, log entry ID, moderator UID, date/time of moderation, spam flag value, and CID.
• Current Values Displayed: The fields shown for comment and redacts show the current values, not the ones at the time of flagging. If the hold period has expired, the comment text is shown minus any redactions, along with the redaction regexes. If still within the hold period, a message indicates the remaining hold time.

Impact of the Hold Timer in Comment Audits

1. Hold Timer Not Active:

   • Scenario: The hold timer has expired.
   • Impact: The comment text is displayed in full, minus any redactions specified by the regex fields. The redaction regexes used are also shown.

2. Hold Timer Active:

   • Scenario: The hold timer is still active.
   • Impact: The comment text is replaced with a message indicating how long the comment will be held. The redaction regexes are not shown during this period.

3. Hold Timer Active with High Security Level (Seclev > 100):

   • Scenario: The hold timer is active, but the user has a high security level.
   • Impact: The comment text is shown minus any redactions, similar to when the hold timer is not active. Additionally, the redaction regexes are displayed, and an extra field indicates when the hold will expire.

By understanding these scenarios, users can better interpret the information provided by the Get Comment Audits feature and the status of comments under moderation. This ensures transparency and clarity in the moderation process.

Purpose:

• Transparency: Users can see every invocation of the flag comment action, promoting transparency in moderation practices.
• Detailed Information: Provides comprehensive details about each moderation action, including the reason and the current status of the comment.

By integrating these features, the platform aims to enhance moderation capabilities while maintaining transparency and accountability. The Flag Comment API Call and Get Comment Audits work together to ensure that comments are managed effectively, with clear records of all actions taken. This approach not only helps in maintaining community standards but also builds trust among users by providing visibility into the moderation process.