Flag category updates, and rules for Topic Splits

General Forum Announcements
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Visible Spoilers

I’ve added a new flag “Visible Spoilers”. If a post includes major unhidden spoilers, please flag and specify what should be hidden.

Updated rule for topic-split requests:

  • If you want something split to an existing topic, please include the entire existing topic title (ideally click the pencil icon and copy the title so we can directly search for the exact wording) - or specify a new topic title to create a new topic with the split.

Please move this post and replies to a new thread “Basket Weaving Throughout History”

Please move this post to existing topic “Introducing Ourselves”.

  • Also going forward, please specify which posts need to be split Please do not use message numbers. “This post and replies” is good.

  • We will accept a request for “split from here down” - flag the first topic and we’ll truncate that post and every subsequent one and move everything to a new or existing thread.

TL;DR: No longer acceptable split requests:
“Split all the posts about banana bread” :face_with_diagonal_mouth:
“Split posts 8, 12, 33-38, 67-92 to a new thread” :-1:

Click the flag on the initial message and choose “Split to New/Different Topic”

Screenshot 2025-12-19 at 7.36.45 PM
Screenshot 2025-12-19 at 7.36.45 PM581×137 7.4 KB

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[!important]Be aware a topic split request should involve more than one message that has actually sidetracked the thread activity and doesn’t match the subject of the original post.
A single tangental thought in a long-running conversation doesn’t necessarily warrant a split. Unless it’s clearly obvious - a new user introduction posted in a topic about ZIL.

If you are flagging a single post, consider selecting “Off Topic” rather than a split request.

This gives Staff more options to decide if it should be split, or to give the OP agency to decide what to do: edit the post so it’s on topic, create their own new topic instead of it being a surprise re-location someone else decided for them, or just delete it.

[!important]- Consideration
Consider how having a singular post evicted from a topic in some cases might feel exclusionary to some users - especially new community members - who may feel their content has been rejected or shunned for some reason when we do significant renovation to their post.

A topic split isn’t necessarily a bad thing and meant constructively, but almost invariably after a topic split is accomplished we get a follow up PM from the OP (who wasn’t consulted) asking what they did wrong, are they in trouble, why do we hate them - oh someone else requested it? Can you tell me who requested it? (No.) [paranoid anxiety in OP ensues…]

A split that involves multiple messages and posters isn’t quite a blow to a singular ego and doesn’t feel as targeted.