Let Mods Suggest Edits to Users

Goal: Cut down unnecessary tension and confusion Evidence rating (PDN): Inference Civic signal: Understand — Promote thoughtful conversation When to use: Reactive

What it is

Moderators can be given the option to request that users make a specific change to something that user has written (e.g. removing insulting language from an otherwise valuable and relevant post).

The user who posted the original content would be notified of the proposed change and a short message from the mod. The user could then accept the change immediately, or edit the post in a different way that suits the same purpose. If the suggested change is rejected, the mod could be alerted and could decide to take further action (i.e. take down or directly edit content themselves).

Intended impact

• Lets moderators keep online discussions focused on the problem without angering users via more brute-force moderation tools, such as deleting the post or the mod editing it themselves without original poster's consent.

• Preserves dignity of original posters when they, knowingly or unknowingly, post something that violates community standards but is otherwise valuable to the community.

Evidence that it works

Evidence That It Works

Why it matters

Special Considerations

As with all interventions reliant on moderators, this relies on moderators acting in good faith. It may also draw attention to the power asymmetry between the user and the moderator, which more lateral communities might want to avoid. However, we think that it’s still relatively low-risk, as this Suggest Edit ability is relatively non-intrusive compared to regular moderator capabilities.

Citations

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From the Prosocial Design Network's Digital Intervention Library (https://www.prosocialdesign.org/library/let-mods-suggest-edits-to-users), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Reformatted for the RT Commons; text otherwise as published. Library citation: Prosocial Design Network (2024), Digital Intervention Library, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Q4RMB. Anything built from this pattern should credit the Prosocial Design Network and the researchers cited above.

Details

• goal: Cut down unnecessary tension and confusion
• citations: [object Object]
• image alt: A user types out 'Romani Evnt Domus' and a moderator corrects his Latin grammar. This is an easter egg from a Monty Python film.
• image url: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/647f696dc653a97c26f42a0b/647f696dc653a97c26f42ba1_220618_mod_edit_hero_PDN.png
• pdn rating: Inference
• when to use: Reactive
• civic signal: Understand
• pdn library doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/Q4RMB
• civic signal goal: Promote thoughtful conversation