The discussion revolves around implementing a “cool down” feature for moderators to temporarily restrict users from posting without affecting their future interactions. BBJMAX proposes a feature that allows moderators to prevent users from posting for a few hours, with an automated PM reminding them to remain respectful. Daniel_M suggests a more specific approach, allowing moderators to stop users from posting on a specific topic for a set amount of time.
Some users point out that similar features already exist, such as read-only mode or suspension, but BBJMAX and others emphasize the need for a more targeted and user-specific approach. Mittineague notes that the current suspension feature may be too harsh, while riking suggests rebranding the “Block” feature as “Posting Block” with an expiry time.
Other ideas are discussed, including a “Close discussion for N minutes” feature sam, and an option for automatic unblock in increments as small as 1 hour jomaxro. codinghorror acknowledges the request and adds it to the long-term to-do list for releases.
Hi! I was wondering if maybe moderators could have a “calm down time” sort of feature to use.
Not banning or suspending users, and therefore not affecting them in the future. Just not letting them post like flag e,t,c for a couple hours to help mods defuse a situation in an orderly manner. Maybe even an automated PM reminding them to remain respectful and rather than replying to anything just contact a Mod…
Something like that… 
Even better would be if a mod can stop a user from posting on a specific topic for an amount of time, without closing it for everyone (and it would automatically unlock after that time)
Yep, That’s a great idea!
There could also be a trust level which Mods can put users on, which means they have to have any of their posts approved. This would be a good deterrent for continous trouble makers!
This sounds like “read-only” mode, where it fully mutes a user or users from doing anything, but they can still browse the forum. I know SMF has this feature and I have used it before to good effect.
Oh does this already exist?
Built into the core of other board software, yes.
Some of that functionality exists. You can require posts to be approved by any users below a certain trust level, and lock someone’s trust level below that threshold when they cause trouble.
Currently you can Suspend from 1 to 99999 days.
You feel 1 day is too long for a cool down?
What does suspend do? Does it revoke all access to the forum? I think @BBJMAX instead wants a user to be able to browse/read but not be able to interact in any way.
A Suspended member can not log in i.e. = anon read-only
Thank you for the clarification. Now it depends on if @BBJMAX has private categories that an anon (a user not logged in) cannot see, but he wants them to see, only not interact or add/reply to it in any way.
The block feature works as described. We don’t use it very much, right now it only kicks in for spammers who post the same links over and over.
But, Then All on a certain trust level have to have posts approved…I mean an ability to make it user specific!
Yes But-They may have messages a mod wants them to see and take into consoderation before they come back!
There is some misunderstanding somewhere. Suspensions are per user, not per trust level.
Sorry, that reply was meant for @AmiAthena
Suspensions are a bit of a nuclear option right now, though… and if they don’t visit during the suspension, they’re just logged out with no indication of what happened (except for maybe a moderator PM when they sign back in).
A bit of UI design around Block (change it to “Posting Block”?) might make it usable again, maybe with an expiry time.
IMHO a Message is almost always in order (exception being SPAM)
I know of no way to manually Block an account. I thought it was a System auto thing.
But yes, allowing a member to log in but not “create” for a short auto-expiring amount of time could work, especially if reading the Message was required.
There used to be a way to enable it on the admin user page, but it was removed for being too confusing.
I can see how something like that could be useful, (but maybe hours, not days like Suspend).
A less harsh disciplining action
Any easy way to tie it to a “viewed_related_message” lifting?