zlacker

>>pg+(OP)
The comment flag button could be changed to really mean something; for instance: sufficiently flagged comments can stop collecting upvotes.

>>tptace+t
That wouldn't do anything currently. Only really atrocious comments get flagged, and they always have huge negative scores. Though of course if flagging had more effect, maybe more people would do it.

Another thing I've considered is having specific types of flags on comments, and having them have different effects. E.g. there could be a flag for incivility, and if you got enough of those (maybe in proportion to your total number of comments) you'd actually get kicked off the site temporarily.

>>pg+52
One transition from "current" state to "flag does something" state might be to make the flag button more obvious, to make it have a more immediate effect, and to encourage its use.

My perception of the flag button now is that it's the bat-signal; it means that something is so bad that it actually warrants individual admin attention.