Moderator Guidelines

Standards of conduct for community moderators. Moderating is a responsibility, not a privilege. These guidelines exist to protect both communities and the people who run them.

  • Use moderation tools to serve the community, not to advance personal agendas or settle disputes.
  • Apply rules consistently and impartially, regardless of whether you agree with the content.
  • When in doubt, err on the side of leaving content up. Removal should be the exception, not the default.

  • If you are a participant in a thread, do not take moderation actions on other comments in that thread.
  • Ask another moderator to review the situation instead.
  • This includes arguments, disagreements, and discussions where you have a personal stake in the outcome.

  • Do not pin, sticky, or otherwise use moderation features to give your own posts or comments preferential visibility.
  • Sticky comments should be reserved for moderator announcements, rule reminders, and context that benefits the community.
  • Moderators are welcome to participate as regular users, but mod tools are for moderation, not self-promotion.

  • When removing content, provide a reason so the user understands why their post or comment was removed.
  • Do not silently remove content unless it is obvious spam or clearly illegal material.
  • All moderation actions are logged and visible. Act as if every action will be reviewed.

  • Check and act on reported content regularly.
  • If you are unable to actively moderate for an extended period, communicate this to your fellow moderators.
  • Inactive moderators may be removed to ensure communities remain responsive.

  • Moderators are not above the community rules. The same standards that apply to users apply to you.
  • Being a moderator does not grant immunity from bans, warnings, or other enforcement actions.
  • Lead by example. The tone you set in your own posts and comments shapes the culture of your community.

  • Moderator positions are granted based on trust and are not commodities.
  • Do not offer or accept payment, favours, or any other consideration in exchange for moderator status.
  • Do not hand over moderation of a community to external organisations or commercial interests.

  • Do not share information from modmail, reports, or moderation logs outside of the moderation team.
  • Do not use moderation tools to look up personal information about users for non-moderation purposes.
  • If a user contacts you privately about a moderation issue, handle it through official channels (modmail), not personal messages.

  • Discuss significant moderation decisions (e.g. bans, rule changes) with other moderators before acting when possible.
  • Do not unilaterally reverse another moderator's actions without discussion.
  • Use modmail and moderator notes to keep the team informed.

  • If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and reverse the action.
  • Users have the right to appeal moderation decisions. Treat appeals respectfully, even when you disagree.
  • Site administrators may review moderation actions and intervene if these guidelines are not being followed.
Enforcement

Violations of these guidelines may result in removal of moderator permissions, temporary suspension, or in severe cases, a site-wide ban.

Site administrators monitor moderation activity and may intervene when patterns of abuse are detected. If you believe a moderator is violating these guidelines, please contact us.

Related

These guidelines supplement the site-wide Community Rules, which apply to all users including moderators. For full platform policies, see the Terms of Service.