Administrative View/Mode
What feature would you like implemented?
Preface: This issue is related to #857 but is separate because I would like to define scope and how this mode should operate.
The original issue did not mention what had inspired me to come up with the idea. I administrate this gitlab instance and I nticed that in order for me to do so I need to enter a specific mode in order to do certain actions.
This means that I can interact with the gitlab instance normally without having accidents. I do not see the same panels to delete repositories, to view the users or audit log. My view is locked down to pretty much just what a normal user would have access to. Something that irks me to this day is that when browsing my instance normally (and without the intent to administrate) it is super easy for me to fat finger the delete button for posts that are not mine.
Now, of course this can be solved with a simple confirmation prompt and perhaps a keybind like holding shift allows you to delete a note without confirmation; however, I think that it could be added as part of the administrative view. This is not the only thing I want to lock behind an "administrative mode". There are several other things that get to me and I will be listing them out here.
Word filters
When browsing normally, I use a couple of word filters to help prevent myself from seeing potentially triggering topics. I think that it would be nice to have the administrative mode not be impacted by word filters, giving you a clear view of all content. This way when I am just chilling talking to people I follow instead of administrating the instance (following up on reports, viewing bigoted content etc) I am able to have my timeline free of potentially triggering content at the same time when I need to see it I can see it. Currently the best compromise I have is to use soft word mutes for everything.
Blocking
I am glad that we introduced the ability for administrators to see that a user is blocking them. I am not so glad that I see it regardless of whether or not I need to. I think that should be locked behind this mode so that when I am interacting on fedi normally I can avoid seeing that X blocked me.
Being blocked
One of my grievances with this software is the fact that if a user blocks me I cannot view their notes. This is fine for most use cases, I'd go as far as to say this is in fact desired behavior. The problem occurs when I am reviewing an abuse report submitted to my instance. If the reported user blocks me I cannot fetch that note and in fact it gives me a very generic error message.
I have become accustomed to seeing this error message on notes that I am trying to fetch that have since then been deleted. My mind associates this error with that. I will say thankfully since the addition of it showing that someone blocks me I haven't made the mistake of assuming a post was deleted and resolving a report. Still I think that it's annoying when I am unable to view the reported content and have to find another administrator to do so. (I am aware I can grab this through the database but I don't think that should be required).
Posts with restricted visibility
I actually had to write an issue while in the middle of writing this one. Something that has not been addressed in a gitlab issue (although, I have publicly complained about this plenty). #923 restricted visibility on statuses can hamper our ability to perform our duties as administrators and/or moderation. I think that if issue 923 were to be addressed it should be included as part of the administrative view. I do not think that it should be something you can do arbitrarily.
Why should we add this feature?
This helps with administration and moderation and can reduce the burden administrators face. There are times that I am available to administrate my instance and other times in which I just want to hang out with friends and chat. This would allow me to have better control on how I split my time.
Version
2024.11.2
Instance
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