Moderators can be given the option to request that users make a specific change to something that user has written (e.g. removing insulting language from an otherwise valuable and relevant post).

The user who posted the original content would be notified of the proposed change and a short message from the mod. The user could then accept the change immediately, or edit the post in a different way that suits the same purpose. If the suggested change is rejected, the mod could be alerted and could decide to take further action (i.e. take down or directly edit content themselves).

• Lets moderators keep online discussions focused on the problem without angering users via more brute-force moderation tools, such as deleting the post or the mod editing it themselves without original poster's consent.
• Preserves dignity of original posters when they, knowingly or unknowingly, post something that violates community standards but is otherwise valuable to the community.

As with all interventions reliant on moderators, this relies on moderators acting in good faith. It may also draw attention to the power asymmetry between the user and the moderator, which more lateral communities might want to avoid. However, we think that it’s still relatively low-risk, as this Suggest Edit ability is relatively non-intrusive compared to regular moderator capabilities.