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Moderation Policy Discussion • Page 5

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by Jason Tate, Jan 10, 2016.

  1. irthesteve

    formerly irthesteve Prestigious

    Nah don't worry at all, I promise. It made me laugh when I read it, I know you aren't some evil dictator and I appreciate the humor
     
  2. :hux:

    "Today is the end of the Republic. The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder. At this very moment in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the rogues of the Resistance. This fierce machine which you have built, upon which we stand will bring an end to the Senate, to their cherished fleet. All remaining systems will bow to the First Order and will remember this as the last day of the Republic! "
     
    cshadows2887 and Dirty Sanchez like this.
  3. Timmiluvs

    I play video games fast Prestigious

    Darth Tate
     
    Dirty Sanchez likes this.
  4. Thoughts on the idea of a "forced ignore"?

    We have the blocking capabilities here on the website, which allow you to block/ignore any user you'd like and not see their stuff. One thing I've thought about adding the arsenal is the idea of a 'forced' ignore where I could basically put someone on someone's ignore list for a period of time (or indefinitely) and they could not remove that person from their block list.

    Pros:

    Sometimes it's hard to know that it's time to walk away, I'm so guilty of this, and a timed thread ban + force ignore may let cooler heads prevail and lead to a better community.

    Cons:

    If two people are really mad and then all of a sudden I make them ignore each other, that anger is probably gonna come back on me because they wanna argue or whatnot.

    Any thoughts at all would be appreciative as I think about this. Basically I know the block function is awesome, and people should use it, but sometimes I know that it isn't and two people won't ignore each other when it would be better that they did. It's not a perfect solution, as I don't think there really is a perfect solution to this problem. But it's something I've been thinking about.
     
  5. Wharf Rat

    I know a little something you won't ever know Prestigious

    I would go for that only when shit gets personal, or after two people have repeatedly shown whatever the problem is is irreconcilable. Assuming these are people who aren't racist or misogynist assholes, because theyd just be banned anyway
     
    schlotty and Nick like this.
  6. Yeah, I'm trying to think of what are the last options when there's an issue between two people ... when a moderator is at the "you guys need to just not talk to eachother anymore" but banning one is maybe not the right move cause both are at fault, and banning both for a few days just means in three days more happens.

    Working on moderation write-ups about everything and trying to think out every scenario I can to try and be prepared and prepare future mods with options.
     
  7. Dominick

    Prestigious Prestigious

    Jason, don't you think the point at which a moderator might want to act in that fashion there would have already been a violation of the rules of established conduct? There are people that dislike each other, but so long as it stays within those bounds, I think it should be permissible. David87 and I rarely get along, and sometimes that devolves into insults, but that dislike translates into multiple arguments of substance, which is a good thing I think. The type of argument where one might need to do what you're suggesting sounds more like mutual harassment, which would require you to warn them or whatever. This is just my first feeling on the matter. I haven't read through everything, so I could be off base here.
     
    FTank, Nick, Timmiluvs and 2 others like this.
  8. I agree completely. Sometimes throwing ideas out there and thinking about it out loud ends up letting me realize I am overthinking it too much. I think this is one of those times. I really want people to enjoy themselves on these forums, and have good conversations, and there's the reality that there will be conflicts and personalities that do not get along all that well. I just don't want that feeling to be the majority of threads. I am trying to find, for myself at least, where that balance is. Where it is that two people not getting along versus someone feeling actively attacked, repeatedly, versus it being a case where it is a time out scenario or not really banworthy.

    I hate feeling like the disciplinary parent sometimes. Where I'll think I can separate two people or try and make a situation better and then it ends up that someone is mad I didn't do enough, or punish the other enough, or I end up getting the brunt of the hatred because a popular member got punished for a few days.

    I think I need to trust my gut and instincts, and warn and separate with time, parties engaged in over the line hostile behavior. And members are also going to have to trust that not every scenario is one where someone should be voted off the island for any slight and that we, the moderators, are trying to do our best to be fair and reasonable.
     
  9. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    I love the idea of a forced ignore in theory, just because who doesn't get tired of seeing some people argue back and forth across the boards, but I don't see it ever really working all that well in practice. (There's a huge potential for political jokes here.)
     
  10. Tim

    grateful all the fucking time Supporter

    I like the "forced ignore" option, though I wouldn't make it permanent. If it expires and they get right back at each other's throats, maybe have a mutual ban ready. So the forced ignore would be the super stern final warning.
     
  11. Henry

    Moderator Moderator

    I'm just not sure I would recognize a situation that would lead to that kind of situation. Heated debate is somewhat inevitable, but where do you draw the line? Name calling on both ends? Insults and threats?
     
  12. Can we make WJCTPADBF? a thing? Lol
     
    FTank and ChaseTx like this.
  13. AelNire

    @RiotGrlErin Supporter

    Ha we definitely should!
     
  14. Ok. Here's what I've written that I want to sticky in all of the separate forums so that there's a place to point to in every forum that gives people quick access to moderation information, moderator information, links to what to do, our code of conduct, and the specific moderators for that forum. Comments and thoughts are welcome. I still need to write the full "moderation policy" post — which will be based off this thread and things I posted + others have written in here.



    Running an online community of this size will always be a work in progress. Our goal, however, is simple. We want to create the best community online for the most amount of people to have great conversations, a fantastic experience, and everyone to feel welcome if they're a decade old member or a brand new fan looking to jump in. This post is to clarify the forum's code of conduct and rules, as well as provide links and resources to finding more information about the moderators and moderation policy utilized by this website.

    **Code of Conduct**

    The forum rules are posted at the bottom of every page on the forum and I highly recommend that every member of the community read them in full to understand what is expected while using this website. We've outlined a very clear set of rules and policies for posting here. With that, we have also adopted a code of conduct that we believe is important to running a diverse and vibrant community. We are committed to making participation in this community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, or nationality.

    Examples of unacceptable behavior by participants include:
    • The use of sexualized language or imagery
    • Personal attacks
    • Trolling or insulting/derogatory comments
    • Public or private harassment
    • Publishing other’s private information, such as physical or electronic addresses, without explicit permission
    • Other unethical or unprofessional conduct
    Moderators and staff members have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, posts, messages, profile posts, and other contributions that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, or to ban temporarily or permanently any member for other behaviors that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful. Moderators and staff members will try and communicate with posters on this website in regard to what is appropriate or not through communications, warnings (both public and private), and the posted rules/guidelines/and code of conduct.

    Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported using the "report" function that is available on all posts and profiles on the website. All complaints will be reviewed and investigated and will result in a response that is deemed necessary and appropriate to the circumstances. Staff and moderators have been instructed to maintain confidentiality with regard to the reporter of an incident.

    We recommend the use of the block function on the website if you wish to not engage with a particular user. To avoid issues we recommend this test: don't say anything you wouldn't say aloud in a normal, regular bar, in any random city in the United States. Disagreements, arguments, and sarcasm are sure to be found within the threads of this forum, but our aim is to raise the level of discourse away from ad hominem attacks and to a debate or discussion of the ideas themselves.

    This policy is adapted, in part, from the Contributor Code of Conduct version 1.3.0.

    **This Forum's Moderators**

    This forum is moderated by these lovely individuals:
    • Username 1
    • Username 2
    If you have issues or problems within this forum, these are mods you should reach out to first. If they're unable to solve your problem, or if you are having issues with a moderator, you should then look to our staff and site moderators for help. Please remember that we're all people trying to do our best out here and we want to give each other the benefit of the doubt and encourage a community of mutual respect.

    **Quick Links & Info You May Need**

    If you need to block a user, you can do that here. Forum rules are here, terms of service are here. If you see something that you think needs to be seen by a moderator, we encourage you to report the post. We can't see everything that happens on the website and rely on users like you to help us out. The report option is available on all posts on the website and your reporting will remain anonymous.

    **Moderation and Punishment Policy**

    So that there's no ambiguity about how our moderation system works, we've posted a detailed explanation of what tools are at the hands of moderators and what infraction or warning points lead to when given. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with this policy. <link to thread detailing moderation policy>

    **A Note From Your Moderators**

    Here will be a custom note from this forum's moderators. This can be where they can discuss a few of the nuances of this specific forum and if they have rules or guidelines on how they handle things a little different than other forums.
     
  15. Garrett

    i tore a hole in the fabric of time Moderator

    Looks really good. Thinking of that one discussion that was had, with the sexualized imagery section you may want to add the parenthetical something like (nothing you would dub NSFW) or (porn, but also to the discretion of the moderators) or something.
     
  16. Ok, here's what I've written up about the actual moderation policy and explaining how it works as best as possible (well, for not reading it and editing it yet). The goal is to be as transparent as possible. Feedback is welcome. Pardon the markdown,

    One of the goals of the forum is to be as transparent about our moderation policy as possible so that every member on the site knows the rules, the expectations, and the potential warnings and punishments that moderators have available to them. If you have an issue with a user on the website, please report the post so that a moderator can take a look. If you have a constant issue with a user, we definitely recommend the block feature on the forums. If there's an issue with a moderator, please reach out to another moderator, forum moderator, or staff member (you can find those here).

    One of the more difficult things for a moderator is determining severity of an issue and how to respond. Our goal is to be as consistent as possible; however, there are a variety of different moderators, we're all human, and we're doing the best we can. Please realize that when moderation issues arise. We know that it's usually a very contentious moment and tempers are raised. We encourage everyone to try and take a few deep breaths in these situations as acting out of anger or lashing out really only leads to more issues. If a moderator is trying to let you know something isn't ok — escalating the situation will only cause more problems. If what has led to a moderator needing to step in is not super over the line, you're not going to be banned immediately for small offenses, but your odds of that being what happens increase if you become more and more hostile. We also understand that there will be arguments and discussions on the website that are intense. Our goal is not to stop difficult conversations from happening; however, we want the discussions to be proactive and productive and not filled with insults, name calling, or attacks.

    **Thread Bans**

    One of the tools moderators have to use are thread bans. These bans prevent certain users from accessing certain threads for, usually, a limited amount of time. The point of a thread ban is to give people time to cool off and make it clear that the current conversation isn't productive, is causing issues, and should cease. The goal of a thread ban is to let a member know that right now it's time to take a little timeout from that particular thread. At the moment, you're not being banned from the website, you're not being given any warning points, and the best course of action is to take some time away from the specific thread. Usually thread bans are one to three days, depending on severity, and if you think a thread ban is too severe or long, please reach out to staff or other moderators to discuss. The worst thing you can do in this situation is to go to other threads and continue the behavior that got you thread banned to begin with. If that happens, the next step is almost always going to be more harsh. The point of a thread ban is to say, "time out", and try let some space and distance bring everything back to a more even ground.

    **Warning Points**

    Moderators also have the ability to give out "warnings" for certain infractions on the website. Most of the time this is how moderators will be letting people know things aren't ok and trying to make sure our code of conduct is upheld. There are rare occasions where a user will be immediately banned. Using sexist, racist, or homophobic language is in this category. Trolling, doxing, or harassing other members is in this category. Creating fake or duplicate accounts to do any of these things is in this category. For other infractions, warnings will be given. These warnings may be private and your account getting an alert to tell you about the warning is our way of letting you know something is not ok. Please take these warnings seriously as they can add up and lead to bans on the site. These warnings may also be public. A moderator can attach a warning to a post so that others reading a thread know a certain post was flagged and seen by a moderator. This also lets others reading a thread know that the kind of behavior in a specific post was over the line. Moderators have, at their discretion, the ability to apply infraction points when they issue warnings. These points are almost always issued one at a time. These points almost always expire after one month. These points are only available for moderators to see and give out. Here's what happens when they accumulate:

    When an account reaches three points, it's three strikes and that's a 3 day ban from the website. This is meant to be a wake up call, a signal that there are some issues with how you're posting and things need to change if you want to continue being a member of this website. After the three day ban, we hope, you'll never get any more points. However, please be aware that those points probably don't expire for a month, so, if you get one more, you're once again banned for another three days. If an account reaches five points, it will be banned until the points expire and it's back under five. At eight points an account is permanently banned from the website. If you get to this point, you've been warned, you've been banned temporarily multiple times, and clearly you didn't learn.

    By and large this is how moderation is handled on the website. Where deviations occur are when there are clear cases of harassment or bigotry. A troll joining the forums and throwing around slurs is not going to get three warnings while they continue to harass people. They will simply be kicked off the site.

    **Discussing Warnings or Bannings**

    If you think you've been given a warning unfairly please don't post about it in public and other threads, this never leads to productive conversations. Instead, please message a staff member or other moderator so they can discuss it. Other moderators and staff can reverse warnings if need be and can look at things that you feel were applied unjustly. You can also reach out to me personally either on this site or via email or Twitter if you need something looked at. The goal here is to be a community that is tolerant, understanding, and willing to have hard conversations, but built on mutual respect. We know that it's impossible for everyone to get along all the time, but if we walk into it with good intentions, are willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, I think we have a chance to really make something special here.
     
    Garrett L. and scott like this.
  17. cshadows2887

    Hailey, It Happens @haileyithappens Supporter

    That post is so damn friendly. You could almost call it huggable.
     
    AelNire and scott like this.
  18. [​IMG]
     
  19. US Camera

    A Humble Snail Prestigious

  20. cshadows2887

    Hailey, It Happens @haileyithappens Supporter

  21. Hah, I just googled to see what was out there.
     
    US Camera likes this.
  22. JulieLynn

    Karma is the Guy On The Chiefs Supporter

    Oh good so this means Chad will Never be allowed here.:ok:
     
  23. aranea

    Trusted Prestigious

    @Jason Tate do you have a general idea/guideline of what you'd like to see discussed / what format you want for the discrimination/sexual assault conversations?
     
  24. Still thinking about it. An idea I saw that I kinda like is a sub-forum off of the politics forum that is clearly designated for that kind of discussion and moderated as such — "the hard discussions" — with clearly labeled posts and discussion of that kind would be moved in there from the other forums.