I've just wrote a new moderator guide and I'd like your opinion on it. This is also a chance for you to discuss moderation on this website in a constructive and helpful manner.
[quote=Hezzy]Welcome and congratulations on being elected as a Moderator on this forum. As a Moderator, you are expected to provide superb customer service to the Facepunch community by controlling content and the userbase. In order to help you do this, I have written this guide on how to moderate Facepunch. Most of it is common sense, as are a lot of the moderator actions that takes place on Facepunch. However, I ask that you read the entire guide as it contains vital information on moderation.
If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to contact me on MSN, through Private Message or email.
[b]Section 1 - Moderation Interface[/b]
[b]1(a) - Thread Moderation[/b]
The majority of your moderation actions will take place in threads. There are a few options, highlighted in the picture below
[img]http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/457/modguide1.png[/img]
1. This is the banning tool. To use it, click on the icon and it will expand like it has done in the above picture. Enter a reason and select a proportionate amount of time for the ban. Banning reasons and lengths will be discussed in depth later in this guide.
2. These tools allow you to control threads by using the respective buttons. It is self explanatory. See section 2 of this guide for guidance on locking, moving, deleting and stickying threads.
3. This is the user's IP address. IP addresses are a vital part of finding previously banned users and denying them access to the forums. There is an "M" and an "A" next to the IP address. If you click on "M" you will be taken to the moderator panel and you can search the IP address there. See section 3 of this guide for information on IP checking and investigation.
4. This is the Event Log for this particular user. It will show their moderation history.
[b]1(b) - Moderator Panel[/b]
The moderator panel is used mainly for investigating users and finding permabanned users that are evading their bans through alternate accounts. You can also ban through this panel, but I advise against it.
There are a number of tabs in the Moderator Panel;
[list][*]Announcements (Leave this alone, you will not use it)
[*]Moderation (Defunct, is not used)
[*]Users (This is the most important tab)
[*]Usergroups (Defunct)
[*]Thread (Don’t use this, use the quickadmin to remove and move things)[/list]
[b]1(c) - User Profile[/b]
Part of the moderator panel, the user profile can be accessed directly through a user's public profile or through a User Search in the "Users" tab. This holds vital information such as the email address used to register, the date of birth as well as giving an option to change a user's avatar. You cannot edit any of this data, apart from their avatar.
[b]Section 2 – Moderation[/b]
[b]2(a) – Banning[/b]
Banning is a very easy process as shown in Section 1. However, knowing when to ban people is the hardest part. Discretion is a word that you must become familiar with in order to become a good moderator – just because it is against the rules doesn’t mean you should ban people for it. Everything isn’t black and white in moderation – it’s all shades of gray.
When you see a post that breaks the rules, ask yourself a few questions – Have they done this before? How much are they breaking the rules? Are they doing it intentionally? Do they know they are breaking the rules?
Factor this into your ban length, if any. Where possible, you should either PM users or verbally warn individual people in a thread and let them know if the disorder continues they will be banned. Garry has a catchphrase of “Fans, not bans”.
Only permaban people if you are sure they are an alternate account of a person you have previously banned or if they are creating spam threads / ban-me threads.
During your first week of moderation I would like you to contact me before you ban people. If I am not available, contact a Super Moderator. Talk me through the ban and let me know why you’re banning them. Once I feel you have the knack of banning, you will be free to ban without contacting me.
However there are some established lengths for bans. Flaming is a one day ban. Trolling is either one or seven days depending on how annoying it is. Racism is seven days, with a permaban if they do it again. People who post in ban-me threads are banned depending on how obvious the thread was – if it was blatantly obvious then either a one or seven day ban. If it wasn’t, don’t ban them.
[b]2(b) – Locking[/b]
The purpose of locking is to stop people posting in threads, therefore removing the thread from active discussion. When you are locking a thread you need to consider why you are locking the thread and write that in the reason field. If the thread is particularly bad, for example a spam thread, then you will want to move it to DDT. You do not need to lock the thread before it is moved to DDT. However, if you are a Section Moderator you will want to ban people (if necessary) beforehand otherwise you will lose your ability to ban them once it is moved into DDT.
[b]2(c) – Moving[/b]
You may occasionally have to move threads into their correct forum. If you are planning to move the thread into Fast Threads – don’t. Just lock it. Fast Threads is a place for low content threads and they’re unimportant outside of there. If the thread creator is desperate to make the thread they can remake it in FT. Another reason not to move threads into FT is that the post icon will be wrong.
[b]2(d) – Deleting[/b]
Deleting threads is a last resort and is reserved for mass spam and very questionable content. Don’t ever hard delete posts or threads, if you do then garry and I will be very angry at you. Deleted content is only visible to moderators and admins.
[b]2(e) – Stickying[/b]
The forums work by a general rule of one sticky per forum and this is usually a rules thread. Anything more than one and it looks untidy. If you need to add content, add it into the thread you have stickied. If you’re stickying a funny thread then please only do it for an hour or two and don’t forget to unstick it when the humour gets stale.
[b]2(f) – Editing[/b]
Use of the edit tool should only be used for removing content from posts. Do not change people’s posts to say something stupid. If you do this, you will probably be demodded. The same goes for thread titles – rename threads to reflect their content if you must but don’t call it anything stupid.
[b]Section 3 – INTERNET DETECTIVE CERTIFICATION[/b]
Upon completion of this section of the moderator guide you will be issued with an official award from the HBIED (The Hezzy Board of Internet Excellence in Detectivery) which you may want to print out and hang on your wall.
This section provides some points on detecting alts and IP checking.
When you do an IP search, you have a choice of “depth” and you can choose between 1 or 2. Always choose 2 – it shows all accounts linked with the account or IP you’re searching by IP. For example, if Dave posts a spam thread at school and we run a check on him, it’ll show all the accounts that have logged in using his school IP as well as his home IP. Occasionally you’ll get a person posting in the RC claiming not to be the original person who was banned and claim that the offender was his “brother” or his “sister” or his “dog”. There are a few things you can do to tell if accounts are alts;
*removed*
One thing you have to look out for in IP searching are AOL IP addresses. They use cache IPs, meaning that the IP addresses they use are always recycled and this often means that another user logs in from that IP. This may also happen on Comcast occasionally, so if the hostmask of the IP is AOL or Comcast you’ve got to be very careful. Don’t carpet ban entire IP search results without looking first.
Congratulations! You have now passed basic internet detective certification. Download your award [url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/19606720/Internet-Detective-Award]here[/url] (MS Word required).
[b]Section 4 – Customer Service[/b]
By becoming a Moderator on this forum you are now representing Facepunch and your behaviour must be appropriate. You must be a model poster as well as being friendly and approachable to the community. Let people add you on MSN and talk to them. Contribute to and encourage the community. We’re not just here to ban people. We’re here to promote better content – moderation just makes that job a lot easier.
Don’t ever forget that you’re providing a service to Facepunch and the community.
When people are banned they are able to post in a forum called the Refugee Camp. They can only see and reply to their own threads. You should try and read every thread in the refugee camp and offer any suggestions to the banned person that might be helpful. Only Super Moderators may unban people following a plea. If you are a Section Moderator and would like to have someone unbanned, please go through either me or a Section Moderator if I am not around. Similarly, only Super Moderators may extend bans. If you see someone spamming or if you see Gold or Respected Members posting unnecessarily in threads please contact a Super Moderator or myself.
[b]Suction 5 – Closing[/b]
I hope this guide has helped you and shed some light on how to moderate. If you have any questions, please contact me through MSN or PM. If I am not available, don’t hesitate to contact other members of the moderating team. We’re all here to help.
Thank you for reading.[/quote]
too drunk to giv a fukc
[highlight](User was permabanned for this post ("Great first post, you win a permaban!" - Hezzy))[/highlight]
I think section mods should have powers in DDT, imho
btw, why'd you remove that one pic showing off the mod tools?
Looks good. Also, you wrote "suction" on the last "section"
[quote]Section 3 – INTERNET DETECTIVE CERTIFICATION
Upon completion of this section of the moderator guide you will be issued with an official award from the HBIED (The Hezzy Board of Internet Excellence in Detectivery) which you may want to print out and hang on your wall.[/quote]
That's certainly interesting.
That looks great - it clarifies for us a few things (e.g. ban me threads - hopefully people who were completely unwitting can escape the ban-hammer now) and some rules you've put up there are good and fair.
I think you all do a good job really.
Occasionally there are nights when a spammer will be running amock for hours though, but other than that, splendid work.
[QUOTE=mm3guy;17229807]I think section mods should have powers in DDT, imho
[/QUOTE]
Gotta say i agree with this. It's nice to see the guidelines Mods will be following. I think they seem rather fair.
I don't know if section Mods have any powers in the refugee camp, but maybe have a short section on how to treat appeals depending on how they're spoken to etc...
If they don't have powers there then ignore that =]
I think this is a decent set of rules that Mods should follow.
Seems pretty tight, now all i need is to be a mod and i can use it :emo:
Looks great
Interesting to read.
Unless I'm mistaken mods have started moving threads without banning the OP. I personally think you should always be banned for posting in the wrong section unless it's debatable which section it might go in.
just read the whole thing pretty slick just wish it didn't take you four months to write it
Normally this is where i'd whine about the mods are getting too soft, but now I see is not them getting softer but rather more systematic and rational.
pretty cool
Finally got around to finishing the guide.
it looks good so far, doesnt seem like you need to do any further editing to it.
Good read, this does give insight on how moderators think and work inbetween eachother behind those 6 meter steel doors with lasers.
Bravo, looks good to me
Interesting. Looks good.
Great, this would be helpful to new moderators.
[editline]Edit:[/editline]
Cool award
[QUOTE=mm3guy;17229807]I think section mods should have powers in DDT, imho
btw, why'd you remove that one pic showing off the mod tools?[/QUOTE]
IP addresses and I couldn't be bothered to edit them out :v:
[QUOTE=Deadsnipe;17229835]Looks good. Also, you wrote "suction" on the last "section"[/QUOTE]
I know
[QUOTE=MegaJohnny;17229933]Interesting to read.
Unless I'm mistaken mods have started moving threads without banning the OP. I personally think you should always be banned for posting in the wrong section unless it's debatable which section it might go in.[/QUOTE]
Most of the time they're people new to the website and banning them would put them off posting here again, fans not bans
[QUOTE=CadetBailey;17229942]just read the whole thing pretty slick just wish it didn't take you four months to write it[/QUOTE]
Been busy bro, it's pretty hard working 30+ hours a week when you're supposed to be part time
A short paragraph about the refugee camp could also be in the guide.
you said youd give perfumly a chance and beatzdawg is an idiot
I don't think mods should be model posters, unless by model poster you mean calling out idiots when they make bullshit posts.
/mytwocents
[QUOTE=mm3guy;17229807]I think section mods should have powers in DDT, imho
btw, why'd you remove that one pic showing off the mod tools?[/QUOTE]
Still don't understand how people have an opinion on what they think.:banjo:
:hfive:
i don't like mods being all tight up because they're told to
they should just post normally and chill but if they take it too far then they should be spoken to
The internet detective certificate was a nice touch.
I really wanted to see what the moderation interface looked like though.
I like the fact the mods will PM people telling them to stop instead of just go on and ban. This will give people time to think about what they're doing and stop before getting banned.
For example, I accidentally post a thread in a wrong section. I would get PMed by a mod telling me to not do that again and why. I really like this. It makes mods more friendly and less ban-happy.
[QUOTE=Bean-O;17230164]The internet detective certificate was a nice touch.
I really wanted to see what the moderation interface looked like though.[/QUOTE]
Nothing special, just a few extra panels than normal users.
Looks good, no comments from me.
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