this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2023
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Lemmy Moderators

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Rules

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hello Lemmy moderators!

The Lemmy.World administrator team is planning to release a Moderator Code of Conduct for Lemmy soon.

Even though there will be some basic principles we will follow, which can be found here, we still need your valuable input. We'd like to hear your suggestions on what to add to this Code of Conduct, as you know best about what you want and need.

This Code of Conduct would lay out the official rules, set principles and goals for Lemmy.World moderators, and for any other instance that wishes to follow it.

With Love,
The Lemmy.World Administrator (Team)

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Do you best to identify personal bias before moderating content (ie political oposition). Echo chambers are discouraged but poor behavior is not to be tolerated. IMO.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

This ×1000! Accept different opinions that fit your community and don't violate the TOS.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ban / Remove content with a reason and put it in the reason textfield. ( So no "." or "bruh", rather "Rule 1 - Insulted a fellow member" ... )

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Avoid permanent bans and use progressive bans instead. 24 hour ban, 3 day ban, 7 day ban etc.. permanent bans just lead to the user making a different account and not learning from their mistake.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

at first I was gonna disagree with

Avoid permanent bans

but your point on

permanent bans just lead to the user making a different account and not learning from their mistake.

makes a lot of sense👍

permanent bans probably makes sense when the person reapeatedly fails to learn after a couple of progressive bans(/suspensions?)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Permanent bans probably make sense when the person repeatedly fails to learn after a couple of progressive bans(/suspensions?)

Correct, let's encourage a community member to learn and grow. Perma banning causes instant anger and leads to more drama. With progressive bans, users understand the consequences of their actions and that they will get longer until they are permanent.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

I disagree with this. There are some offenses from which we can't reasonably expect people to "learn" from - bigotry, death threats, doxxing, spambotting, ban evasion. These are what permanent bans are most often handed out for anyway. If I saw someone drop a slur in my community, my vote would be to permanently ban them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There are some offenses from which we can't reasonably expect people to "learn" from...

People always learn something, though not always what one is trying to teach. Immediate permanent bans often teach them to make an alt and come back with the same attitude and a chip on their shoulder. Temp bans leverage their investment in their existing account to either encourage them to leave the community they're not welcome in or return with a better understanding of the rules.

Do temp bans work every time? No, definitely not. Are permanent bans trivially circumvented in a federated ecosystem with not even the barest of account verification policies? Yes, definitely... which means permabans are a much weaker response here than in other spaces with better account verification. I'd submit that escalating temp bans are a strictly superior in such an environment because investment in one's existing account is very nearly the only leverage mods have and should be maximized.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The exact behavior you describe with people circumventing permabans has already happened in my community with a temp ban. Person made multiple accounts on other instances to circumvent a temp ban for excessive self promotion of their own stuff (to the point of spam). We tried escalating temp bans and it didn't work, they just did that anyway.

I advocate for permabans for egregious violations for two reasons: acknowledgement that there's zero tolerance for truly abhorrent behavior and to decrease the bookkeeping of keeping track of multiple temp bans. An escalating temp ban system works for minor offenses where a permanent ban isn't warranted, though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I advocate for permabans for egregious violations for two reasons: acknowledgement that there's zero tolerance for truly abhorrent behavior and to decrease the bookkeeping of keeping track of multiple temp bans. An escalating temp ban system works for minor offenses where a permanent ban isn't warranted, though.

I think your suggestion strikes a good balance as outright banning toxic behavior such as racism can act as a clear signifier that actions like it are contradictory and unwanted especially in reference(context) to the community's goals and TOS

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You think a permaban will stop that person from making a new account? or probably already having an alt(s)?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Not really, no. But it's less bookkeeping that way, instead of having to start a note system to determine how many temp bans you've given the guy spouting racism, and it sends a clear message to everyone else.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Well—some slurs are obvious no-go. Then there are slurs that are widely used thoughtlessly in high schools. Ex.—recently saw a poster call a rule "retarded." Removed, noted "incivility, disrespectful to people with developmental disabilities." No blowback, peace restored with minimal unhappiness.

Edit: oh nuts, this my alt account. Should have posted from [email protected]. Apologies.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

For the record I actually agree with this. I had a similar policy toward "retarded" and the like in previous communities. Not because I thought it was "not as bad" but because it's more likely that people (especially younger people) could have incorporated this into their vocabulary passively without even really thinking about the implications. These people can learn, but most others who use slurs can't, at least not from a stranger over the internet.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Leemy at this time doesn't support temp bans.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Leemy at this time doesn't support temp bans.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I think one thing that will be important to stop this place from encountering the same pitfalls as Reddit (I know people are tired of hearing about em, but given the 1:1 similarities between Reddit and Lemmy, I think it bears mentioning) is to put a handle on the reach any one moderator can have. Moderators should be encouraged to mod communities that they have an interest in and not "collect" mod positions. This is not a problem now, but I foresee it being a problem in the future if the place grows. Limits on the number of communities one person can moderate at once may be good, or something more nebulous referring to good-faith moderation practices.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Too subjective of a rule.

One man's dick, is another man's pleasure.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

It's subjective only when you're trying to be a dick.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Discuss big new rules with your community before implementing them.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Be open to amending the rules based on feedback from community members.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)
  1. Set clear expectations of what people can expect from your community.

  2. Mark your community 'unofficial' in the sidebar if there are no ties with the company or brand.

Those are the only two that come to mind.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

(2) sounds kind of weird for a decentralized service..

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah I understand, and we understand the concept of Lemmy. But some people in a highly expensive office do not really care.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not getting the hint. Who are these people?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Big businesses in movies, economics, influencers etc.

Almost every community website require in some form to claim 'unofficial' if they have nothing to do with the brand of business itself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Oh, okay. I'm not worried about those. Big businesses ruined reddit for me, so I'm okay with them not understanding Lemmy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Will we still to allowed to phrase comment removals as [the rule they broke] + [snarky comment]?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Treat everyone equally good

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Except bots ):<

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But better than equal if they are a fan of Star Trek.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Android > bot

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Be Civil - Respect your community members

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I might have missed it. Did a new code of conduct get posted anywhere?