This question already has an answer here:

I flagged Make tagging based on @user(deleted), but the flag was later disputed. I have I flagged other similar questions (contained images of code instead of code, had comments requesting the code as text, but were not updated after a reasonable amount of time) as VLQ, and those flags were approved.

After finding and reading Why not upload images of code on SO when asking a question?, I find that my flag was valid based on pretty much all of the points in the accepted answer.

I also found and read What is a "BAD" question?, which I feel the OP did not take the necessary steps to resolve this themselves. At the time of writing the question has still not been updated.

Why was my VLQ flag on this question disputed?

Here's the timeline:

  • 2017-07-22 00:07:27Z - question asked:

    Make tagging based on @user

    Does anyone have a suggestion on how to use @ against username for tag system.

    I have so far used bbcode for user and userid. But want to make it easier to use @ such as used for discord.

    eg. @username.

    Older Example

    All usernames have a maximum of 12 characters. And wanted Regexen to stop by eg spaces, periods and generally other special characters that are not allowed in the username.

    I use "preg_match_all" because the variables are processed against search in the database to check if the user actually exists.

    Does anyone have suggestions on how this can be resolved?

    - 3kbest

  • 2017-07-22 00:10:24Z - comment added: (57 seconds later):

    post your input and code not only image - ewwink

  • 2017-07-22 00:14:05Z - comment added: (three minutes and fourty one seconds later):

    The input It's completely variable and something that users, for example, write in messages, chat, forums, etc. But the idea is as soon as the user writes @username here, then the regex will capture it so that the database creates a link to the user profile. - 3kbest (OP)

  • 2017-07-22 00:28:52Z - entered triage review (fourteen minutes and forty seven seconds later)


  • 2017-07-22 01:42:29Z - comment added: (one hour and fourteen minutes later)

    @3kbest what ewwink meant is that you should paste your actual code in your question, instead of using an image. People won't want to open the image and write your code from scratch and try to fix what is wrong. They want the code in the question, so they can easily paste and do some tests. Anyway I believe this question looks too broad to get good answers - Alisson

  • 2017-07-22 02:06:35Z - completed triage review: (twenty four minutes and six seconds later)

    Requires Editing × 3, Looks OK × 1, Unsalvageable × 1

  • 2017-07-22 02:14:12Z - comment added: (eleven minutes and thirty seven seconds later)

    This is a low-quality post, I don't care if my flag was disputed, it's still of low-quality, unclear and too broad. Post your real code or delete the question. Nobody should have to retype anything. Images of code doesn't help anyone here, including a Google search. Also "Does anyone have a suggestion" makes this question opinion-based and is up to them to research this and try something then post the "code" they had trouble with. - Fred -ii- (me)

marked as duplicate by user4639281, Tom, Stephen Rauch, HaveNoDisplayName, Michael Gaskill Jul 23 '17 at 3:02


  • Did you use the actual Low Quality flag or did you use Too Broad or Unclear? – BSMP Jul 22 '17 at 2:44
  • @BSMP I first flagged then vtc as too broad. – Funk Forty Niner Jul 22 '17 at 2:44
  • @BSMP To be more specific. I saw the post, noticed the image of code, saw the comment for them to include their real code, I didn't see an update, I waited quite a few minutes, then I flagged and voted. I felt that adding a 3rd comment to add their real code wasn't necessary. – Funk Forty Niner Jul 22 '17 at 2:47
  • 1
    I find the notion that "'Does anyone have a suggestion' makes this question opinion-based" quite silly. If you think about it, technically every answer to any question is a "suggestion" from "someone", even if the question doesn't explicitly ask for suggestions. "Does anyone have a suggestion" is indicative not of an opinion-based question, but either of a relatively colloquial asker, or an asker who genuinely isn't sure what they're looking for. – BoltClock Jul 22 '17 at 3:04
  • 2
    To be honest VLQ on questions means it should be instantly deleted and it's not salvageable. Looking at that it doesn't qualify for that and it appears the community agreed. You have close votes, vote to close the question - that one doesn't needs VLQ on it, imo. – Taryn Jul 22 '17 at 3:09
  • 1
    @TinyGiant I don't contest the possible duplicate and made an edit to my question in regards to why I flagged the question. – Funk Forty Niner Jul 22 '17 at 13:09
  • 1
    @bluefeet "To be honest VLQ on questions means it should be instantly deleted and it's not salvageable" except, it does not. It feeds the question to the triage queue. So, the whole "VLQ is for delete this now" is obsolete. – Braiam Jul 22 '17 at 13:54
  • I have edited your question to clarify, reword, reduce noise, format and expand the timeline to be inclusive (up to the posting of this question), included relevant links. If I have strayed to far from the original intent of your post, feel free to roll my edit back. – user4639281 Jul 23 '17 at 3:04
  • Thanks @TinyGiant you did a great job, looks great. That "timeline" is interesting. I'm curious though; can members with less than 10k access that link stackoverflow.com/posts/45248367/timeline ? I see you did add the comments from under the question though, but I'm just curious to know if they can see that link/page. – Funk Forty Niner Jul 23 '17 at 11:03
  • Anyone can see that page. – user4639281 Jul 23 '17 at 18:20
  • Thanks @TinyGiant that's good to know. – Funk Forty Niner Jul 23 '17 at 19:53

Your flag was disputed because the question was triaged as Requires Editing and not Unsalvageable. The question was put in triage by your flag, which is why that review decided the outcome of your flag.

I can't speak for why the reviewers thought the question was salvageable by users other than the asker. You'll have to ask them. In the meantime, I certainly agree with you that the question needs to be closed in its current state, so I've closed it.

  • I've often wondered what the source of posts up for triage was; is there any technical documentation about how SE works in these regards? – Fred Gandt Jul 22 '17 at 15:17

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .