Guidelines and Explanatory Notes for the Forum Management Sections

[Darat]

Appropriate topics for the Forum Management sub-forum

This sub-forum is the place for Members to ask questions of the Moderating Team regarding issues of moderation and Forum management, to raise and discuss suggestions and feedback about the running of the Forum and to raise and discuss specific complaints about the Forum’s management and moderation.

Please note that the Forum Management sub-forum is not meant to be a general discussion section with Forum management as the topic; it is meant to be a section with a purpose, which can be summarised as:

• to ensure the Forum "experience" is as good as it can be for as many Members as possible; and
• to address concerns and problems (about moderation) raised by Members and try to resolve them

The FM sub-forum is divided into two sections, "Questions” and “Forum Management Feedback”. The Questions section is for specific questions about Moderation issues, actions, or interpretations; the Forum Management Feedback section is for specific suggestions, problems or concerns relating to Forum management and for specific complaints about actions taken by the Moderating Team.

Please start threads in the correct section and, before posting any reply, ensure that your reply is appropriate for the section.


Serious threads only

This is primarily an administrative section and while the occasional humorous comment is fine,"parody threads" and silly threads will be subject to moderation action, including thread deletion, post removal, infraction, in-thread warning or other moderation as determined by the Moderating Team.


Moderating Team Participation

The Moderating Team has an obligation to answer (appropriate!) questions raised in the "Questions" section and we are committed to trying to answer all questions within 24 hours. Threads will be closed when, in the Moderating Team's opinion, the question has been dealt with.

Additionally, in the Forum Management Feedback section, every thread will be read (well, at least the start of it) by someone on the Moderating Team and if there is (and there is not always) an “official” Moderating Team answer, we will provide it. Threads will be left open for as long as Members continue to discuss the matter in a civil manner. What that means in practice is that as long as an actual discussion is happening, we will leave it alone but, as has happened once or twice, if all we have is a few Members picking over the bones, bickering, raising old (real or perceived) injustices, and making snide comments to one another, it will be closed.


Stay on Topic

Obviously, Rule 11 applies to this section. However, since this section is meant to handle and try to resolve specific complaints about Forum management issues, it is very important that threads stick to the topic and only try to deal with a single issue at a time.

In the past, some Members who have a few issues with how the Forum is managed have tried to discuss all of them, all at the same time, in whatever thread they are participating. Whilst this has occasionally led to interesting discussions and even a resolution of a complaint, it is not the most effective way to get to the heart of a specific "administrative" issue and find a resolution, so this type of behaviour is not allowed in this section.


Frequently asked questions and previously asked questions

This section has been around for quite some time now and a lot of common questions have been asked (quite a few times) and answered, so if you raise a question, suggestion or complaint that has been addressed previously, you may be directed to read a past thread, and only if you have something new to add to a previous discussion or answer will your thread be allowed to continue.


Splitting threads, editing, deleting & moving posts

Threads should not require splitting in this section since they should be dealing with single subjects and Question threads should be answered and closed before any split for topic would be necessary.

All posts in Forum Management are subject to the same moderation standard that applies to the "public" areas of the Forum, and are subject to moderation action, including editing, moving, deletion, infraction, in-thread warning, or other moderation as determined by the Moderating Team.


Criteria for closing threads

• The topic has previously been discussed to a point of completion and the discussion was judged to have been finished.
• The discussion has descended into bickering or chaotic cross-talk and the topic is no longer being addressed.
• The discussion has devolved into repetitive statements.
• The thread has been started to “game” the system or to cause disruption to the section or the Forum

Appeals

While there is no right of appeal for thread closures in the Questions section, any punitive type of moderation in either section of the Forum Management sub-forum is subject to the same “formal appeal” process that exists in the rest of the Forum.