On Discord, direct message contact between moderators and members should be minimized, and instead contact with moderators should be serviced by a “moderator mail” system, accessible to all mods. This has been implemented via Dragory/modmailbot (OSS).
On the DSi site, a similar method of seeking moderator assistance might be used (at this point it is not yet implemented) to allow direct assistance from the DSi site.
On the DSi site, the previous “moderator text comment” system has been updated with an anonymous “Moderator” comment system, where users do not see who is posting the comment. Moderators should not disclose their identity when putting text comments in chat or in Flipnote comments. Moderators, however, will be able to see who posts the comments.
These steps aim to increase accountability, communication between moderators, and remove some of the common barriers present in communicating with members of the community.
Moderators should aim to adopt a common set of mannerisms and consistent tone when communicating via modmail, and seek education where needed in order to use the tools available correctly and efficiently.
No member of the moderation team/staff will engage in a romantic or similar relationship with another member of the community. There’s no wiggle-room here as it is a definite conflict of interest. Accepting the role of moderator means having to trade the regular role of a community member for one in which professionalism is consistent, whether serving directly in the Discord server or the website itself, and even off the site as well when interacting with members of the community.
Conflicts of interest can certainly arise, and it is not necessarily a blemish of character, but it is something that has to be addressed. Moderators should be ready and willing to discuss it if that arises.
Moderators will consider moderation actions issued as non-public actions, meaning that information should not be publicly disclosed to uninvolved parties.
Actions such as bans must be properly documented and a reason should be provided to the user via the moderation bots or tools available. Bans should be peer-reviewed by another member of the moderation team.
Moderators are required to utilize 2FA (2-factor authentication) on their Discord login, and, if access is available, to the moderation functions of Sudomemo.
Moderators should be able to give the times where they will be available and check in to let the other staff know when their schedule/day-to-day life deviates from these.
Moderator Reviews
There will be periodic moderation reviews, identifying strong points and accomplishments, as well as identifying any problem spots that can be worked on. Depending on the specific role moderators have, this may vary.
Moderator Training
As the role of the moderator evolves, we will need training in order to ensure that all members of the team are able to carry out what is expected of them. When training is required, moderators must work to schedule time for training.
Training can include (but is not limited to)
- – User communications practice, in which several different situations in which the moderator has to handle user communication via the ModMail will be practiced.
- – Sudomemo moderation tool usage training, in which the ins and outs of the available moderation tools will be explained.
- – Communication tone practice, in which a specific tone and set of expressions will be practiced in order to maintain consistency in official communications.
Document Is Subject To Change
As the moderator structure and program is reworked, we will discover things that factor into how moderation and administration is performed. As such, this document is subject to change.
Updated on: December 26th 2019 at 9:25am EST. Reason: Formatting and SEO.