So it has become apparent that we need a disciplinary guide to aid our chat staff to choose the right measure, and to bring some security to the users.
This is my proposal:
Demand: Before taking any action, staff has to demand that the offending user stops doing the offending thing. This does not have to be logged and has no direct consequences. When making an administrative post, like a demand or a warning, you have to mark them as such, e.g. by beginning your post with “<Administrative Post>” or so.
Warning: A warning is used to let a user know their offense is not going to be tolerated anymore. Use a distinctive phrasing, e.g. “Hereby I officially warn you for continuously talking about your ass hair!”. A warning should be preceded by the demand (not) to do something.
A warning is exactly that: a warning. Everything except some forms of emergency ban should be preceded by a warning. Warnings should be logged in the staff channel and a warning-log on the O5-wiki. In this and any other logs, also log their profile ID (e.g. Grom#7303). To get this ID, either copy it manually from their profile or copy the text that appears when pinging them (for some reason you can't copy the ID from their profile).
Kick: A kick is a mix of warning and ban. The user is removed from the chat but can reenter without delay through one of the invitation links. Though many users don't seem to know that. It lets them know we are serious and gives them a preview of the hammering. If they are not serious about their membership, they won't come back.
A kick must be preceded by a warning. Also bans should be preceded by a kick. It has to be logged in the staff channel, a kick-log and a disciplinary thread for the user on the O5-wiki. You must inform the user about the reason for the kick in the kick-window.
Ban: A ban is the maximum disciplinary action we can take. It removes the user from chat and locks them out until we decide to lift the ban. It usually is the result of a user not changing offensive behavior after a kick.
Any regular ban has to be preceded by a kick. It must be logged in the staff channel and the user's disciplinary thread. There also has to be created a timer on a timer-page about when to lift the ban. Before banning someone, you should ask the other staff members who are online in the staff channel for their opinion (use @here). You must inform the user about the reason for the ban in the ban-window. Set it not to delete anything. If posts have to be removed, do it manually and only posts containing offensive or frightening (for people with certain known phobias (I know of arachnophobia and lupophobia) content. Also check again that you are banning the right user.
In the disciplinary thread, staff members may discuss a ban period differing from those below. A ban can be lifted before the period is over by voting.
The periods for banishment should be the following, incrementing to the next period if the user is banned multiple times (if the user is banned for a different offense, the ban-period may begin by 1. again):
- 24 hours (or < 24 hours in case of minor offenses that rather require a really hard kick)
- 1 week
- 1 month
- 1 year
- perma
Somebody who hasn't learned it after the whole disciplinary escalation is rather not welcome I'd say. Everybody banned for over 24 hours may appeal their ban by PM to the staff member of their trust. If they are a pain in the ass, the staff member may block them though. The staff member forwards the discussion they have to the forum and the staff channel.
Branches may request that certain users they have banned on their branch is to be banned here as well. Open a disciplinary thread and explain the situation there.
Emergency ban: An emergency ban is a ban for an offense that doesn't allow for the usual lengthy procedure, for example:
- Criminal offenses e.g. posting child porn, links to drug-shops etc. [perma]
- Malicious content, like malware, links to infected sites etc. [perma]
- Immediately continuing an offense after being kicked
- Being a bot not invited by staff [perma]
- Inviting a bot without asking staff first
- Abusive behavior as a staff member
- Advertising without asking staff first
- Being below the minimum age for the chat (which Dr Grym as the legal owner has to set in accordance with French law) [until they are old enough]
- Having lied about their age to get into NSFW-channel [perma]
Apart from that, emergency bans are like regular bans. If there is enough time, talk to other online staff members first. Also in case of offenses not resulting in perma, you should warn them first. If other staff is not responding and banishment becomes necessary, just do it.
Informing authorities: This isn't really a disciplinary action, this is to not making ourselves chargeable. Offenses that we probably have to bring up to the authorities are e.g. child porn, links to drug-shops, links to other criminal sites etc. It is probably up to Grym to report to French police in any case, and a staff member from the homecountry of the offender, if that is known.
What is an offense: Everything that is annoying, abusing or illegal. In short, everything breaking rule #1 (Don't be a dick!) is an offense.
The most common offense we will encounter is shitposting. But what exactly is shitposting? Well, it's to post shit. Posting for the sake of posting, without any message, without coherence or just being annoying. A good indicator is that non-staff users are asking a offender to stop.
What is not an offense:
- Not being a member of any wiki (should use the tag of the branch they are most often visiting)
- I'd like to make an exemption for Philippine users. They are not having a wiki afaik, but a very active facebook group. I'd say they can use “-PH”.
- Not using their Wikidot-nick as their nickname on discord (though this would be useful)
- Thinking the Foundation is real. I mean, lots of us had at least doubts when we first encountered the Foundation (though playing inconvincible may be counted as an offense).
- Having an unpopular opinion. We are a group of people from different countries, with different cultures and different perceptions of what is normal. Everybody is free to state and discuss their opinion if they do it in a civilized and respecting matter. This requirement also applies for staff members.
- Being offensive unintentionally. Again, what is normal to some can be offensive to others and not everyone can express themselves well in English. Explain them their mistake in a respectful way, no matter how hard you are offended. If you can't, ask another staff member to do so.
- Being offensive outside of the INT wiki or chat. We are not responsible for Wikidots or Discords private messages or the chats of other branches.