Formalized assignment and possible logging of pending applications

[robbie.morrison]

For consideration please:

Problem statement: When someone seeks to join our site, they are put in a Review queue of Pending applications. And then one of three admins might process their request using the following protocol:

• those with an institutional email address are waived through
• those who are known (often as a result of a referral) are waived through
• those not are sent an email requesting background.

Possible solution: Via some kind of GUI interface, an admin can take charge of a particular screening process so that the other admins can know that that application is being handled and by whom.

Additional feature: If typed‑in notes could also be recorded en route, that would also help reduce the opportunities for confusion and possibly also assist with the screening decisions.

Background material:

• https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-can-moderators-coordinate-their-efforts/190257/17
• https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-email-for-application-pending-use-case/211285

Many thanks in advance, R

[JammyDodger]

@robbie.morrison

those with an institutional email address are waved through

There’s the auto approve email domains admin setting that may help with that one:

There is the reviewable claiming admin setting too, but it doesn’t appear to apply to approving users currently. If it did that would be almost perfect. You could apply user notes from their admin page using the Discourse User Notes plugin too, though it would be nice if this was a few steps closer to the Approval in the Review Queue.

[nathankershaw]

@JammyDodger

There is the reviewable claiming admin setting too, but it doesn’t appear to apply to approving users currently. If it did that would be almost perfect.

Totally agree! It would be massively helpful to have this also apply to sign-up requests.

For us, it would only be useful once New users need approval despite being invited is fixed of course…