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When an answer is flagged as "Not an Answer", we are given the option to convert the answer to a comment:

Convert to comment moderator tool

However, if there is a comment on the answer, then the option is grayed out:

Convert to comment moderator tool grayed out

This forces me to use the moderator dialog and decide whether or not to move the comments on the answer to wherever the answer is being converted to a comment of.

Do not force me to bring up the moderator dialog on a post when I'm in the moderator queue (especially one that forces me to leave the page). Add another button/tool in the queue which will perform that action for me.

For example, another button would be fine:

Proposed "convert all to comments" button

I'm open to other forms of UI, but if you force me to bring up the moderator dialog, then I'm forced out of the queue, and that's a productivity issue, as I was doing work in the queue.

It should be noted that when the button is grayed out, the title is:

there are comments on the post; please review

This is not something that requires me to leave the moderator queue. I can open the comments on the post, so I can perform the review right there.

I'm OK with some check being put in (like, only enable the button if I open the comments, for example), but that mechanism should be there.

Of course, another solution would be to prevent the moderator tool from having me leave the queue if I am forced to use that, but this would mitigate the issue, and be more in line with the established workflow as well.

It should be noted that this is something that the moderators on Stack Overflow face a lot. Collectively, we blow through about 2-300 NAA flags a day. I would say that at least half, if not the majority of them have comments on them. Sometimes, the whole thing should be deleted, but there are many times where the answer and some of the comments (after we prune them in the queue) should be converted.

We're doing this hundreds of times a day, every day. This would be a huge productivity boost for us.

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I'd upvote it 10 times if I could. If we shouldn't "accidentally" lose comments simply show the button after opening the full view. But I think even that is unnecessary - for most crap answers the comments are irrelevant or "this answer is crap because ..."-style anyway. And if a good comment is accidentally lost the answer could still be undeleted and then converted again with comment migration. –  ThiefMaster Feb 5 '13 at 15:14

1 Answer 1

up vote 12 down vote accepted

Starting with the next build, if an answer is flagged as "Not An Answer" and has comments on it, the convert to comment button will be enabled.

Clicking on it will bring up this dialog:

Convert answer to comment dialog


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You're my new favorite SE developer. At least until the honeymoon wears out and you start status-bydesigning everything. –  mmyers Feb 26 '13 at 16:59
@mmyers - We have a status-bydesign ? I didn't know. –  Oded Feb 26 '13 at 17:01
Mike - you told Oded??? –  Rory Alsop Feb 26 '13 at 17:07
status-declined is where it's at, anyway. –  Anna Lear Feb 26 '13 at 17:20
YOU! Man, I could kiss you. I'll buy you a beer (many) instead at the next SE meetup. See you then. –  casperOne Feb 26 '13 at 17:30
IT'S ALIVE!!!!! –  casperOne Feb 26 '13 at 17:35
AND IT WORKS!!! –  casperOne Feb 26 '13 at 17:35
@casperOne - Glad to be of service. And... of course it works ;) –  Oded Feb 26 '13 at 20:59

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