The way I envision this now, Warning PMs can be sent a number of ways:
- when a moderator Flags a post
- when a moderator agrees with a Flag
- when a moderator Deletes a post
- when a moderator sends a PM
I also think there is overlap with flags, not just as far as workflow is concerned, but insofar as how various demerits are factored into calculations for Trust Level acquisition / demotion and automatic suspensions.
Flag counts are currently used now in the case of trust level calculations, but you suggest using ticket points for automatic suspensions. While flags are all equal, ticket points are finer grained.
So it probably makes sense going forward to eliminate using flag counts directly and instead assign a certain number of ticket points to each flag. That way all the calculations based on “demerits” just use Ticket Points going forward.
Then, (and this is slightly off topic, but I do think its related):
In the Flag dialog, it would help to clarify to users how flags do or don’t blemish the user’s reputation. Does it immediately have some demerit? Or must a moderator first agree with the flag?
I bring this up because I noticed this on the site point forums banner (emphasis mine):
The choices are fairly well explained and if you’re not sure, click anything, it honestly doesn’t matter. If two of you flag the same post it will be hidden and the person that wrote it will be given the opportunity to edit it. You can’t break the system and flagging is anonymous so the poster will not know that it was you.
It makes me think that users are hesitating to cast flags because the consequences are not clear. I know I’ve hesitated in the past, and I know there was an earlier discussion that resulted in the addition of the text “does not cast a flag” to the “Notify user ‘flag’”.