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Infraction Disputes and Visitor Messages

Demon of Light

Demon of Light

Bohemian Revolutionary
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Currently I do not see such information about disputing warnings or infractions other than how to initiate a dispute and what the individual disputing the warning or infraction will see for his or herself after sending in the dispute. I notice there is a lot of detailed information on how perma-bans are decided and I think it would be fair to include similar detail on how infraction disputes are decided amongst the moderators. Some transparency might help in a number of ways.

Also what seems to an oversight is how the rules apply to Visitor Messages. It would seem that some difference of approach would apply and failing to clarify that can result in people being punished without understanding why. I know at least one user received an infraction for a 6a violation due to a Visitor Message and I advised this user to note that the rules only reference "open forums" concerning that rule. I am not sure if the user noted this in any dispute, but it seems within reason to publicly clarify what rules apply to Visitor Message and what rules might not. After all, VMs are both public and personal making them different from discussions in the forums. The Vegas Rule seems to be one in particular that might be subject to some leniency.
 
As to the first issue, this is a decent suggestion that the moderation team will discuss. As to the second, all rules that apply to public posts, apply to Visitor Messages, as they are public. I'm certain this is mentioned, as I quoted it for a member, recently, but I'm not sure where. When I located it, I will post it, here.
 
We do have the option to make our Visitor Messages private, correct? I believe there was a place you could specify which groups would be able to read your messages. So if we have our messages set to private, where only our 'friends/contacts' could read them - does this still apply?
 
In regards to disputes...

When using the contact button the dispute is posted into the general mod forum. The dispute is then picked up by a "point of contact mod" who is the person who moves it to our dispute forum and sends the poster a message letting them know their dispute is recieved and that all contact should go through them. Following that conversation is had for up to 96 hours where the Mods look over the infraction, the thread, and the posters dispute and any other information that may be pertinent (past infractions, similar infractions for other people, etc). Discussion occurs as mods state whether they believe the mod action was correct or made in error/overly strict. Once a decision is reached the POC mod responds back to the poster letting them know whether or not their infraction has been upheld or overturned.

In regards to visitor messages. CC explains them a bit in THIS THREAD. The mods are not expected to actively monitor visitor messages (or community groups or blogs for that matter). However, harassing and attacking ones CAN be reported and can still be subject to action under rule 4, amongst others, if abused.

In regards to 6a, "open forums" means literally any publicly accessed area of the forums. The rules state the only exception to this is the "Where's my Binky" forum which was created specifically to allow for a public place for posters to vent about their disagreements with moderator action.

I will start a thread in the mod forum to discuss a few things. First, adding ", visitor messages, and public social groups" to Captain Courtesy's post in the Rules thread stating "All Forum rules pertain to Blogs". This way the fact that harassment of other posters through visitor messaging is not allowed will be clear and attached to the actual rules thread. Also to potential switch "open forum" to "open area" in the 6a section to make it less ambiguous.

TGND, to my understanding you can turn off Visitor Messages but I am not aware that you can make them "private".
 
Zyphlin said:
When using the contact button the dispute is posted into the general mod forum. The dispute is then picked up by a "point of contact mod" who is the person who moves it to our dispute forum and sends the poster a message letting them know their dispute is recieved and that all contact should go through them. Following that conversation is had for up to 96 hours where the Mods look over the infraction, the thread, and the posters dispute and any other information that may be pertinent (past infractions, similar infractions for other people, etc). Discussion occurs as mods state whether they believe the mod action was correct or made in error/overly strict. Once a decision is reached the POC mod responds back to the poster letting them know whether or not their infraction has been upheld or overturned.
Click to expand...

Well I am more curious as to how the decision is reached. In the perma-ban case it mentions "consensus" and I presume that means all mods have to agree, but something similar is not stated about infractions. As well, whether the infracting mod plays any part in this decision other than defending his or her actions is another point of interest. These kinds of details are stated with regards to perma-bans but not as it concerns disputes over regular infractions.
 
Like the MPH, the mod team comes to a consensus concerning whether or not the infraction should be overturned. The infracting mod is able to participate in the discussion however has no greater voice than any other mod with regards to whether or not the infraction should stand. An infracting mod however CAN, prior to a team consensus, choose to overturn it themselves if they feel upon further review that it should be. This is actually true of infractions that are not disputed and has happened on occasion.
 
Zyphlin said:
Like the MPH, the mod team comes to a consensus concerning whether or not the infraction should be overturned. The infracting mod is able to participate in the discussion however has no greater voice than any other mod with regards to whether or not the infraction should stand. An infracting mod however CAN, prior to a team consensus, choose to overturn it themselves if they feel upon further review that it should be. This is actually true of infractions that are not disputed and has happened on occasion.
Click to expand...

Does consensus mean unanimous agreement? Is consensus required to overturn the infraction or keep it in place? Is the infracting mod part of such a vote?
 
A consensus means that at the conclussion all active mods have come to agree on a particular course of action, be it overturning or upholding. The infracting mod can not on his own block this consensus from occuring. What votes occur to reach it and how is a matter of mod procedure and is not publicly known.
 
Moderator's Warning:
Troll posts are bad, m'kay
 
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