For this newsletter we have several updates and changes to the moderator tools you have access to which we want to make you aware of! If you don’t yet have access to the Mod Team, please ping a Community Manager in the TL so we can get you up and running there (Teams is like a small, private Stack Exchange site that can only be used by people who have access to it).

Flag Dashboard has a new, improved, look!

This is now out network wide and you can opt-in to see how it’s looking by visiting your “Edit profile and settings” page and then going to “Preferences” and checking the “opt me in” box next to “Admin Dashboard Refresh”. Our major goal with this was to improve its usability, turning it into a reliable tool for you – while also making it look nicer. Ideally it is now less jumbled and confusing. For more details please check out the Moderator flag dashboard design refresh (alpha) announcement on Meta. We’re also inviting any feedback you have to be posted there!

Remove questions from the Hot Network Questions List & other HNQ updates

We’ve added the ability for moderators to remove a question from the HNQ. A “remove from hot network questions” button has been added to the mod menu for a question if it is currently in the HNQ. Please note it can take up to fifteen minutes for a question to be effectively removed. Also do know that once it is removed, it won’t get back there again, so this isn’t a temporary hide option. Please check New moderator tool – Kick a question off the HNQ List on the Mod Team for more details.

This change is part of a bigger update to how the HNQ algorithm chooses questions. Included in this change: questions are now removed after 72 hours, each site can only have a max of five questions at the same time, and sites can ask the CMs to add words to the HNQ title blacklist on a per-site basis! More details can be found by visiting Updating the Hot Network Questions List – now with a bit more network and a little less “hotness”! on Meta.

Changes made to the wording of Locked Posts and new Help Center Article

We are currently working on revamping the post locking system and what it means – for now please check out the FAQs that we have What is a “locked” post? and What is a historical lock, and what is it used for? and the brand new Help Center Article on locking stuff and throwing the key away (minus the throwing away part).

Clearer information on user annotation guidelines and now visible on deleted stubs

The guideline text for annotations sounded a bit too serious, which prevented people from using them more often. We’ve made the description a little clearer and hopefully now people can feel more comfortable using them! Please check this discussion Call for Comments — How should ‘annotate’ be used? on the Mod Team about it.

On that note, deleted user stubs now have an “Account History” section that will show you annotations and suspensions from previous profiles – so you can better see who’s who and what their history is. You can find the relevant discussion on meta: Give moderators easier access to annotations and CM escalations on deleted accounts.