Guide to Reporting (With FAQ)
I've been going through the report queue and seen a lot of terrible reports so here is a guide to help you report better. PLEASE read this if you use the reporting system a lot or are thinking of getting into reporting more.
What is reporting? Well reporting (or flagging...whatever you want to call it) is clicking the "flag for deletion" button on a post. You will then be prompted to input a reason why you think the post should be removed. ALWAYS PUT A VALID REASON. Abusing this system will get your account a strike or even banned.
The primary use for this system is reporting duplicate posts. Never report a duplicate without the post ID number of the superior version. Think of it this way...if you already know where something is...why not tell us? If you don't...you're essentially forcing an admin or mod to track it down again, which we will not do! It wastes too much time. Your report will be ignored unless you give us the ID number.
An ideal report should look like this: "duplicate of 123456" wherein 123456 is the post ID number of the superior version. Never just say "repost" or "duplicate" or "I've seen this one before". Those sort of reports will be ignored, and you will receive a strike on your account if you spam us with them.
So where is the ID number? In a couple places actually. It's the number at the end of a post's URL, and it can be found under "Statistics" in the sidebar.
cdn.discordapp.com/attach...13515978981426/PostID.jpg
Reporting WEBM Duplicates
Reporting a WEBM as a dupe is much trickier than reporting a still image because instead of a single static image you're dealing with a video AND that video's sound. As such special care should be taken when reporting WEBMs to ensure that the video is a true duplicate.
The most common incorrect report I see with WEBMs is reporting a sound edit as a duplicate. Many WEBM makers do not add sound to their WEBMs, and many sound editors have risen up to fill that void. They will add sound to a WEBM and reupload it. This is a perfectly legitimate edit (as long as it's of good quality) and should not be reported...however I'm guessing many users browse with their sound off and cannot tell the difference between the two videos and end up reporting one of them as a duplicate. That is why with WEBMs it's very important to listen to the WEBM before reporting it.
Another easy way to quickly identify a sound edit is that *most* of them will be tagged with "sound_edit" and/or "edit", so you may not even have to listen to a video to quickly realize it's not a dupe...it's an edit.
Another thing that people miss with sound is multiple sound versions. Again, these are allowed. I have seen a video have 2 moaning versions...both had female moans, but one had the male moans and one didn't. Another common one is a version with music and without. This is why listening to the video is so important to identify if these differences may exist before reporting.
Furthermore...a true duplicate will usually be the same length. Occasionally people will trim a segment from a larger video, but that requires a fair bit of effort and video editing know-how so you won't run into that too often. So most of the time I will start both videos to simply check if the times match or are very close.
So TL;DR: 1. listen to the video, identify sound-related tags and 2. check that the videos are the same length before reporting one WEBM as a duplicate of another.
Ok...FAQ time:
Duplicates. A duplicate occurs when an image that has been previously posted is posted again. Make sure to report the inferior version...which isn't always the version posted later...sometimes that version is better quality (larger resolution, less compression, etc.) and the version posted first should actually be removed.
Low quality. Keep in mind that these are only for things that are really bad. Napkin art basically...art with no effort put in it or lack of artistic fundamentals, or art that is blurry or has excessive compression. Also, I tend to give some leeway to works that are really old. I don't expect Rule34 from 2010 to look as good as the stuff we have now in 2020, so give those older works a break!
Cropped images. Crops are not allowed unless they are from the original artist (in which case a source link must be provided as proof). When reporting these please provide the post ID of the original uncropped version.
TOS (Terms of Service) violations. These include things like loli/shota, real porn, and third-party watermarks (basically skeevy sites trying to put their logo on an artist's work when they had nothing to do with the work), etc. If you'd like to bone up on the TOS and see what is/isn't allowed...it can be found here: rule34.xxx/index.php?page=forum&s=view&id=4163
Scat, urine, guro, diaper, smelly feet, bestiality, rape, and many other "gross" things are actually within the rules. Do not report on those grounds. Simply add those tags to your blacklist to avoid seeing them.
No. That artist is simply not aware of how things work around here. Only the artists themselves can request a takedown of their work. Simply tell them you have no power to take down the art (you really don't) and redirect them to this thread: rule34.xxx/index.php?page=forum&s=view&id=4255
Hell no! If the post doesn't break any rules we are not removing it simply because you're tired of it...many other users are likely not tired of it. DO NOT attempt to use the reporting system to "curate" your account. You really have no power to remove something from your account once you've uploaded it...so upload wisely. OR simply abandon your account and create a new one if you have little invested in the account and you're really that disturbed by your own uploads.
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These next questions only pertain to artists. If you're not an artist...you're basically done reading.
No, do not use the reporting system for that. That clogs up the queue if you report a ton of your old work. Plus...how do we know you're the real artist? If you want like a couple pieces taken down (no more than three)...you can report them if you have a signature on the art that matches your username...because in that case it's very plausible you are the actual artist, but for a large-scale removal you will need to issue a takedown: rule34.xxx/index.php?page=forum&s=view&id=4255 just linking only the works you want removed.
Obviously if you want ALL your work removed...use the same system...but request all of it removed.
No. Upload the updated version first, then report the old one saying something along the lines of "updated to X" with "X" being the post ID number of the updated piece. We'd rather have the old art than nothing at all while you are busy updating it. Plus, there is the possibility you are planning on updating or fixing a certain piece and never get around to it and then we'd be left with nothing.
Also...please do not abuse this power. Try to upload finished pieces only. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you are constantly re-working the same piece over and over and over...and reporting and reporting and reporting...that is just wasting our time and we will stop honoring your reports.
Anyways...that's it. You are now a reporting master. I'll leave this thread open for a bit in case anyone has any questions they feel were not addressed.
What is reporting? Well reporting (or flagging...whatever you want to call it) is clicking the "flag for deletion" button on a post. You will then be prompted to input a reason why you think the post should be removed. ALWAYS PUT A VALID REASON. Abusing this system will get your account a strike or even banned.
The primary use for this system is reporting duplicate posts. Never report a duplicate without the post ID number of the superior version. Think of it this way...if you already know where something is...why not tell us? If you don't...you're essentially forcing an admin or mod to track it down again, which we will not do! It wastes too much time. Your report will be ignored unless you give us the ID number.
An ideal report should look like this: "duplicate of 123456" wherein 123456 is the post ID number of the superior version. Never just say "repost" or "duplicate" or "I've seen this one before". Those sort of reports will be ignored, and you will receive a strike on your account if you spam us with them.
So where is the ID number? In a couple places actually. It's the number at the end of a post's URL, and it can be found under "Statistics" in the sidebar.
cdn.discordapp.com/attach...13515978981426/PostID.jpg
Reporting WEBM Duplicates
Reporting a WEBM as a dupe is much trickier than reporting a still image because instead of a single static image you're dealing with a video AND that video's sound. As such special care should be taken when reporting WEBMs to ensure that the video is a true duplicate.
The most common incorrect report I see with WEBMs is reporting a sound edit as a duplicate. Many WEBM makers do not add sound to their WEBMs, and many sound editors have risen up to fill that void. They will add sound to a WEBM and reupload it. This is a perfectly legitimate edit (as long as it's of good quality) and should not be reported...however I'm guessing many users browse with their sound off and cannot tell the difference between the two videos and end up reporting one of them as a duplicate. That is why with WEBMs it's very important to listen to the WEBM before reporting it.
Another easy way to quickly identify a sound edit is that *most* of them will be tagged with "sound_edit" and/or "edit", so you may not even have to listen to a video to quickly realize it's not a dupe...it's an edit.
Another thing that people miss with sound is multiple sound versions. Again, these are allowed. I have seen a video have 2 moaning versions...both had female moans, but one had the male moans and one didn't. Another common one is a version with music and without. This is why listening to the video is so important to identify if these differences may exist before reporting.
Furthermore...a true duplicate will usually be the same length. Occasionally people will trim a segment from a larger video, but that requires a fair bit of effort and video editing know-how so you won't run into that too often. So most of the time I will start both videos to simply check if the times match or are very close.
So TL;DR: 1. listen to the video, identify sound-related tags and 2. check that the videos are the same length before reporting one WEBM as a duplicate of another.
Ok...FAQ time:
1. What sort of things are reportable via the flagging system?
Duplicates. A duplicate occurs when an image that has been previously posted is posted again. Make sure to report the inferior version...which isn't always the version posted later...sometimes that version is better quality (larger resolution, less compression, etc.) and the version posted first should actually be removed.
Low quality. Keep in mind that these are only for things that are really bad. Napkin art basically...art with no effort put in it or lack of artistic fundamentals, or art that is blurry or has excessive compression. Also, I tend to give some leeway to works that are really old. I don't expect Rule34 from 2010 to look as good as the stuff we have now in 2020, so give those older works a break!
Cropped images. Crops are not allowed unless they are from the original artist (in which case a source link must be provided as proof). When reporting these please provide the post ID of the original uncropped version.
TOS (Terms of Service) violations. These include things like loli/shota, real porn, and third-party watermarks (basically skeevy sites trying to put their logo on an artist's work when they had nothing to do with the work), etc. If you'd like to bone up on the TOS and see what is/isn't allowed...it can be found here: rule34.xxx/index.php?page=forum&s=view&id=4163
2. Ew gross! I saw something awful! Surely this is against the rules!
Scat, urine, guro, diaper, smelly feet, bestiality, rape, and many other "gross" things are actually within the rules. Do not report on those grounds. Simply add those tags to your blacklist to avoid seeing them.
3. Oops! I posted something and the artist contacted me asking for it to be taken down! I don't want to disrespect them, can I report the post to get it removed?
No. That artist is simply not aware of how things work around here. Only the artists themselves can request a takedown of their work. Simply tell them you have no power to take down the art (you really don't) and redirect them to this thread: rule34.xxx/index.php?page=forum&s=view&id=4255
4. I posted something to my account, but now I regret it...I just don't like it anymore. I want it off my account! Can I report it to have it removed?
Hell no! If the post doesn't break any rules we are not removing it simply because you're tired of it...many other users are likely not tired of it. DO NOT attempt to use the reporting system to "curate" your account. You really have no power to remove something from your account once you've uploaded it...so upload wisely. OR simply abandon your account and create a new one if you have little invested in the account and you're really that disturbed by your own uploads.
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These next questions only pertain to artists. If you're not an artist...you're basically done reading.
5. I am an artist who is tired of my old work...it looks so bad! I want it removed! Can I report all my old work and have it taken down?
No, do not use the reporting system for that. That clogs up the queue if you report a ton of your old work. Plus...how do we know you're the real artist? If you want like a couple pieces taken down (no more than three)...you can report them if you have a signature on the art that matches your username...because in that case it's very plausible you are the actual artist, but for a large-scale removal you will need to issue a takedown: rule34.xxx/index.php?page=forum&s=view&id=4255 just linking only the works you want removed.
Obviously if you want ALL your work removed...use the same system...but request all of it removed.
6. I am an artist and I made a mistake! I want to upload a better/updated version of one of my pieces...can you remove this one? I promise I'll upload a better version later!
No. Upload the updated version first, then report the old one saying something along the lines of "updated to X" with "X" being the post ID number of the updated piece. We'd rather have the old art than nothing at all while you are busy updating it. Plus, there is the possibility you are planning on updating or fixing a certain piece and never get around to it and then we'd be left with nothing.
Also...please do not abuse this power. Try to upload finished pieces only. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you are constantly re-working the same piece over and over and over...and reporting and reporting and reporting...that is just wasting our time and we will stop honoring your reports.
Anyways...that's it. You are now a reporting master. I'll leave this thread open for a bit in case anyone has any questions they feel were not addressed.
