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If I want to flag a question as off-topic I only get two choices:

  1. Questions seeking product or service recommendations are off-topic because they tend to become obsolete quickly. Instead, describe your situation and the specific problem you're trying to solve.
  2. This question belongs on another site in the Stack Exchange network
    • Which gives me only one option:
      1. belongs on meta.photo.stackexchange.com

Why don't we have a "generalised" choice? I've seen several questions that is clearly off-topic, but I don't have a way of flagging them as such.

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    \$\begingroup\$ It appears this is only an issue for flagging. When you have Vote to Close, you get an "Other" option, but I was just able to confirm that it is not present in the Flag options. \$\endgroup\$
    – AJ Henderson Mod
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 15:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ The free form is present for Moderators. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joanne C
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 15:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ Possible duplicate: meta.photo.stackexchange.com/q/4061/21 \$\endgroup\$
    – Rowland Shaw
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 16:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ That is not a duplicate, since it's not about flagging posts, but closing. People with less than 3k reputation only have the flagging options. \$\endgroup\$
    – Håkon K. Olafsen
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 19:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ JoanneC: The free form is actually present for anyone with a close option. It's just flagging that doesn't get it. \$\endgroup\$
    – AJ Henderson Mod
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 20:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ Ah, it's a bit hard to tell for me. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joanne C
    Commented Sep 24, 2013 at 21:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ So instead this is a possible duplicate of: meta.photo.stackexchange.com/q/4068/21 ? \$\endgroup\$
    – Rowland Shaw
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 7:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ JoanneC: yeah, I had to actually log in to another site to try it. \$\endgroup\$
    – AJ Henderson Mod
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 14:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ @RowlandShaw - Not really, that issue was about having none at all... We have off topic options, but the flagging mechanism seems to only latch onto a small set and doesn't open up a "just simply off topic anywhere" option. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joanne C
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 15:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ @RowlandShaw Yes, you can consider that a duplicate, but since that has already been closed as a duplicate for a question that is not a duplicate.... I started a new one before I found it. \$\endgroup\$
    – Håkon K. Olafsen
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 18:19

2 Answers 2

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Moderators (as a group) have the ability to create up to 3 custom reasons for the community to use. One is in play now as the "product/service recommendation" reason is a custom one for us, the "belongs on another site" is system present.

I think it's probably worth opening a topic on this.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Really, the community as a whole can come up with reasons; the moderators can put them in there. Moderators cannot create migration paths though, only SE staff can (and they like lots of evidence that it's needed) \$\endgroup\$
    – Rowland Shaw
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 19:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ @RowlandShaw - That's why I opened a topic to solicit some discussion on those, though for the most part it hasn't attracted a lot of thoughts. Maybe we're generally covered by and large. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joanne C
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 19:26
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Instead choose "other (needs ♦ moderator attention)" rather than flagging as off-topic and it won't go those the standard vote to close logic, which is common between the two. I believe this also puts it in the queue for high reputation users to see.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I believe this is incorrect. I think the Needs diamond moderator attention specifically avoids presenting it to high rep users because it is also intended for reporting sensitive issues as I recall. I believe there used to be some verbiage about this, but it seems to have disappeared, though it may have been an old FAQ thing too. I'm not sure. \$\endgroup\$
    – AJ Henderson Mod
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 14:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ I don't like that option. The Off-topic choice is pretty much useless for anything other than "recommendation" questions now, so either remove it and replace by the one choice or add more choices so it makes sense. \$\endgroup\$
    – Håkon K. Olafsen
    Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 18:21

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