Moderator Handbook
#1
12-13-2011, 05:53 PM
Moderator Handbook
Code of Conduct
I'm not going to say too much about this as the fact that you've been selected as a moderator shows that we believe you know how to not be a douchetard in public. As a moderator, you now represent both BuickForum as a business and BuickForum as a community, so please keep that in mind when posting in the forums. Stay neutral, friendly, and professional. I really want to emphasize the neutral.
We expect moderators to have thick skin. There's a good chance that at some point a user is going to get pissed at you. Please be very wary of using the "Disrespecting staff" infraction. Also, we don't generally punish for things said in PMs. If you PM a user to quit cross-posting and their reply is something like "Yeah, fine, whatever you're a bunch of ****tard ***** on this forum" then just shrug and move on. If it escalates to severe disrespect in the forums to the point where it's disruptive to the site, then you can look into an infraction (or more.)
Remember: we're here to promote a positive and enjoyable community for our users.
Finally, if you have any ideas on how we can improve the site, please share them! We're always open to suggestions and ideas.
Managing Threads
Managing threads is about 90% of what a typical moderator does. Moving, closing, opening, sticking, merging, splitting, etc. For the most part, it's straightforward, however, we do have a couple guidelines that we ask that you follow.
Redirects - When moving a thread, you prefer that you don't leave a redirect, so please select "No Redirects" when moving a thread. If you feel that a redirect is necessary, make sure you set it up to expire (within 24 hours, at longest.)
When you come across multiple threads that are covering the same topic, please merge them. Once merged, please edit the title of the thread so users know it's a mix of multiple threads. A simple [MERGED] at the end of the subject will suffice.
Stickies - Please limit sticky threads to ones that provide valuable information to users. Also, please take a regular look through the stickies in your sections. If any are dated, no longer relevant, or could be replaced with something better, please unstick them in order to reduce clutter.
Handling Reported Posts - When a post is reported in one of your assigned sections, you will receive an auto-generated e-mail that brings it to your attention. At the same time, a new thread is generated here in the reported posts forum. Once you've handled a reported post, please make a comment in the appropriate thread so the other mods know it's dealt with. Also, if you have a question about how to handle a situation, you have the option of asking mods in the Mod forum, or you can post a comment in the reported post thread.
If you run into a situation that you don't know how to handle, want some guidance, or don't feel comfortable handling (such as if it's a situation you're involved in and you want a neutral party to handle it), please contact Patrick, Robb, or Myself
Warning/Points system
BuickForum employs a basic warning/infraction system that allows us to keep track of a user's negative behavior on the site. To access the system, click on the yellow/red card icon that appears at the bottom left corner of a user's post. Please follow the below procedure when issuing a warning or infraction.
**Before starting, make sure that a warning/infraction is appropriate. Our *preferred* course of action is to reach out to the user with a PM before we resort to a warning. "Official" warnings can make people defensive and our goal is to correct behavior amicably.**
First, check the user's warning/infraction history. This can be seen by opening their profile and clicking on the "Infractions" tab. If the user has never been warned about the particular rule they're breaking, then you're going to be giving them a warning. If they've previously received a warning and/or infraction, you'll be issuing them an infraction and the corresponding points.
Now that you know whether you're going to be issuing a warning or infraction, click the yellow/red card icon on the bottom left corner of the offending post. This will bring up the warning/infraction screen.
Select the appropriate radio button for the rule being broken, or "Other" if appropriate. If issuing a warning, remember to check the warning box.
If the infraction/points being issued will lead to an automatic ban (there's a table on the page to help you) you must enter the reason for the ban. This is what the user will see when they try to log in during the ban period.
Administrative note - This is optional, but it's the place to leave a note that the user won't see but staff can.
Message to user - this is where you explain, in detail, why the user is receiving the warning/infraction. Be clear, concise, and most importantly, Be Nice
.
Double check your work before hitting the "Give Infraction" button. Don't forget to hit the "Warning" checkbox if it's a warning. If you screw it up you'll have to ask one of us to remedy it.
Banning Users
As a regular moderator, you do not have the power to directly ban a user, only indirectly by either issuing points or when dealing with spam. If you run into a situation where you feel a person deserves some time off, please shoot me a PM weekly with a list of users that can be banned.
Spammers
We've got a convenient tool for quickly handling spammers. If you come across a spammer (check their posting history first as their account may have been compromised), first select the post by checking the box in the upper right corner of the post. Then, go down to the "moderation" box at the bottom of the page and select "Delete Posts as Spam." You will then be presented with a page that gives you the option to both insta-ban the user and mass delete everything they've posted. Saves you from having to chase down their mess.
Moderator Control Panel
There's not much a normal moderator can do in the ModCP, however, it can still perform a few useful functions for you.
View a user's profile - You can view a user's full profile info, including e-mail, user group, and permissions.
View the moderation queue - this is really, really uncommon, but every once in awhile the forum will automatically flag a thread or post as potential spam. This provides a central area to check the queue for anything that needs to be approved or denied.
View banned users - Provides a full list of all the banned users, the reason for the ban, and how much time is left on the ban.
Search IP Address - a handy tool if you suspect that someone is using multiple accounts. You can search for all IP addresses associated with a user name, then look for any other users that share the same IP. This is for reference only and should only be used along with other supporting evidence. Due to the nature of dynamic IPs and ISPs reusing addresses, matching IPs can be coincidental.
I'm not going to say too much about this as the fact that you've been selected as a moderator shows that we believe you know how to not be a douchetard in public. As a moderator, you now represent both BuickForum as a business and BuickForum as a community, so please keep that in mind when posting in the forums. Stay neutral, friendly, and professional. I really want to emphasize the neutral.
We expect moderators to have thick skin. There's a good chance that at some point a user is going to get pissed at you. Please be very wary of using the "Disrespecting staff" infraction. Also, we don't generally punish for things said in PMs. If you PM a user to quit cross-posting and their reply is something like "Yeah, fine, whatever you're a bunch of ****tard ***** on this forum" then just shrug and move on. If it escalates to severe disrespect in the forums to the point where it's disruptive to the site, then you can look into an infraction (or more.)
Remember: we're here to promote a positive and enjoyable community for our users.
Finally, if you have any ideas on how we can improve the site, please share them! We're always open to suggestions and ideas.
Managing Threads
Managing threads is about 90% of what a typical moderator does. Moving, closing, opening, sticking, merging, splitting, etc. For the most part, it's straightforward, however, we do have a couple guidelines that we ask that you follow.
Redirects - When moving a thread, you prefer that you don't leave a redirect, so please select "No Redirects" when moving a thread. If you feel that a redirect is necessary, make sure you set it up to expire (within 24 hours, at longest.)
When you come across multiple threads that are covering the same topic, please merge them. Once merged, please edit the title of the thread so users know it's a mix of multiple threads. A simple [MERGED] at the end of the subject will suffice.
Stickies - Please limit sticky threads to ones that provide valuable information to users. Also, please take a regular look through the stickies in your sections. If any are dated, no longer relevant, or could be replaced with something better, please unstick them in order to reduce clutter.
Handling Reported Posts - When a post is reported in one of your assigned sections, you will receive an auto-generated e-mail that brings it to your attention. At the same time, a new thread is generated here in the reported posts forum. Once you've handled a reported post, please make a comment in the appropriate thread so the other mods know it's dealt with. Also, if you have a question about how to handle a situation, you have the option of asking mods in the Mod forum, or you can post a comment in the reported post thread.
If you run into a situation that you don't know how to handle, want some guidance, or don't feel comfortable handling (such as if it's a situation you're involved in and you want a neutral party to handle it), please contact Patrick, Robb, or Myself
Warning/Points system
BuickForum employs a basic warning/infraction system that allows us to keep track of a user's negative behavior on the site. To access the system, click on the yellow/red card icon that appears at the bottom left corner of a user's post. Please follow the below procedure when issuing a warning or infraction.
**Before starting, make sure that a warning/infraction is appropriate. Our *preferred* course of action is to reach out to the user with a PM before we resort to a warning. "Official" warnings can make people defensive and our goal is to correct behavior amicably.**
First, check the user's warning/infraction history. This can be seen by opening their profile and clicking on the "Infractions" tab. If the user has never been warned about the particular rule they're breaking, then you're going to be giving them a warning. If they've previously received a warning and/or infraction, you'll be issuing them an infraction and the corresponding points.
Now that you know whether you're going to be issuing a warning or infraction, click the yellow/red card icon on the bottom left corner of the offending post. This will bring up the warning/infraction screen.
Select the appropriate radio button for the rule being broken, or "Other" if appropriate. If issuing a warning, remember to check the warning box.
If the infraction/points being issued will lead to an automatic ban (there's a table on the page to help you) you must enter the reason for the ban. This is what the user will see when they try to log in during the ban period.
Administrative note - This is optional, but it's the place to leave a note that the user won't see but staff can.
Message to user - this is where you explain, in detail, why the user is receiving the warning/infraction. Be clear, concise, and most importantly, Be Nice
.
Double check your work before hitting the "Give Infraction" button. Don't forget to hit the "Warning" checkbox if it's a warning. If you screw it up you'll have to ask one of us to remedy it.
Banning Users
As a regular moderator, you do not have the power to directly ban a user, only indirectly by either issuing points or when dealing with spam. If you run into a situation where you feel a person deserves some time off, please shoot me a PM weekly with a list of users that can be banned.
Spammers
We've got a convenient tool for quickly handling spammers. If you come across a spammer (check their posting history first as their account may have been compromised), first select the post by checking the box in the upper right corner of the post. Then, go down to the "moderation" box at the bottom of the page and select "Delete Posts as Spam." You will then be presented with a page that gives you the option to both insta-ban the user and mass delete everything they've posted. Saves you from having to chase down their mess.
Moderator Control Panel
There's not much a normal moderator can do in the ModCP, however, it can still perform a few useful functions for you.
View a user's profile - You can view a user's full profile info, including e-mail, user group, and permissions.
View the moderation queue - this is really, really uncommon, but every once in awhile the forum will automatically flag a thread or post as potential spam. This provides a central area to check the queue for anything that needs to be approved or denied.
View banned users - Provides a full list of all the banned users, the reason for the ban, and how much time is left on the ban.
Search IP Address - a handy tool if you suspect that someone is using multiple accounts. You can search for all IP addresses associated with a user name, then look for any other users that share the same IP. This is for reference only and should only be used along with other supporting evidence. Due to the nature of dynamic IPs and ISPs reusing addresses, matching IPs can be coincidental.
#2
12-13-2011, 07:14 PM
To "Move" a thread you will need to go to the thread in particular such as "Regal" on the far right you can check the box for the thread you would like to move and then scroll to the bottom and there should be a "Move Thread" option in the dropdown. It will then bring you to a screen where you can select which section it should be in.
