Table of Contents
(Click on a topic to be sent to information on that topic.)
[jumpto=1]1. Expectations of a WrestleZone Moderator[/jumpto]
[jumpto=2]2. Difference between powers of a Moderator, Power Moderator and Global Moderator[/jumpto]
[jumpto=3]3. Board Room Discussions are PRIVATE[/jumpto]
[jumpto=4]4. Board Room Archives[/jumpto]
[jumpto=5]5. How to use the Administrator Request Thread[/jumpto]
[jumpto=6]6. Who or What is MaintenanceBot?[/jumpto]
[jumpto=7]7. How to check an IP Address[/jumpto]
[jumpto=8]8. Dealing with Alternate Accounts[/jumpto]
[jumpto=9]9. The Staff Away thread - If you will be gone for a while[/jumpto]
[jumpto=10]10. How to Moderate threads and posts[/jumpto]
[jumpto=11]11. How to Warn or Infract[/jumpto]
[jumpto=12]12. What if you are not sure whether or not a post is worthy of Warning/Infraction?[/jumpto]
[jumpto=13]13. What to say when you Warn/Infract[/jumpto]
[jumpto=14]14. How many official Warnings to give before Infraction?[/jumpto]
[jumpto=15]15. Warning/Infraction in forums that you are not assigned to[/jumpto]
[jumpto=16]16. How to challenge a Warning/Infraction from another Staff member[/jumpto]
[jumpto=17]17. The WrestleZone Forums Definition of Spam[/jumpto]
[jumpto=18]18. How to handle Advertising[/jumpto]
[jumpto=19]19. How is Flaming defined on WZ[/jumpto]
[jumpto=20]20. The infamous Stirring Up Drama/Pissing Off Staff Rule[/jumpto]
[aname=1]
1. Expectations of a WrestleZone Moderator[/aname]
A) Follow the Rules Implicitly - An enforcer of the rules who doesn't follow the rules him or herself has no business enforcing the rules. If you are a moderator, you shouldn't need to use "leeway." Don't spam where it's not permitted, don't flame, don't troll. SET THE EXAMPLE!
B) Act Professionally - That doesn't mean you have to be sterile - it means don't fight amongst each other on the main board. Do it via PM or come to us in the Board Room to work things out as a team.
C) Drive Discussion EVERYWHERE on the boards - Mods are responsible for creating discussion and debate on the boards. Try to think of interesting new topics that will create activity, not only in your sections, but in ALL sections.
D) Moderate in ways other than Warning and Infracting - There are many ways to keep people on topic and prevent spamming, other than just handing out warnings and infractions. Posting actively in threads, keeping discussion moving, and even giving a general warning in a thread to support a position are all proactive measures a moderator can take in keeping their section great.
E) Warn and Infract as needed - Modding isn't a power trip - it's your opportunity to keep the forum rules enforced and facilitate active and respectful discussion. Check your section and clean it up, but don't exist for the sole purpose of handing out yellow cards and bannings.
F) Keep the WrestleZone Forums clean as possible - Anytime you come across something that needs to be deleted, do it yourself, don't expect someone else to. This includes deleted posts, re-directed threads, banning bots, etc. Do your part to keep the WrestleZone Forums one of the nicest and cleanest forums on the Internet.
G) Don't forget to have fun yourself - Just because you are a mod, doesn't mean the board stops being fun for you and becomes work. Post and enjoy the forums - the reason you were promoted in the first place is because of what you contributed. Why stop a good thing?
[aname=2]
2. Difference between powers of a Moderator, Power Moderator and Global Moderator[/aname]
Moderator
Hand out warnings/infractions to anyone except another Staff member
Can Edit Posts in their forum
Can Open/Close threads in their forum
Can Soft Delete posts and threads in their forum
Can move posts and threads in their forum
Can view IP addresses in their forum
Can see posts that have received Warning/Infractions
Access to the Board Room
Allowed 100 PMs in their PM box, instead of the 50 regular members get
Power Moderator - Same as Moderator, with the following improvements:
Can moderate any forum on WZ
Can Soft Delete any post on WZ
Are allowed a max of 500 PMs in their PM box
Can view IP Addresses of any poster
Global Moderator - Same as above, with the following improvements
Access to the G-Mod Board Room
Access to the Moderator Control Panel
Ability to view User Profile through the "User Options" link in Member Profile
Ability to ban/unban any user, other than another G-Mod and Administrator
Can change a user's Signature
Can change a user's Avatar
Can view and edit a user's Reputation
Ability to Search IP Address through the ModCP
Ability to prune threads
I'm sure there are some that aren't mentioned here, but this covers most of the differences.
[aname=3]
3. Board Room Discussions are PRIVATE[/aname]
Any conversation that takes place in the Board Room, regarding the WrestleZone Forums and its members are completely PRIVATE. The discussions are not to be made public for any reason, unless the conversation is not relevant to the running of the forums, or if the debate is over and the change was made or not made.
Use your best judgment on this. If you have any doubt whether or not you can make something public, don't. What happens in the Board Room, stays in the Board Room.
[aname=4]
4. Board Room Archives[/aname]
If at any time you wish to go back and read past Board Room threads, for either personal pleasure or to learn things, you can do so. The Board Room Archives is actually a forum in the Board Room forum, although it is hidden from plain sight. However, you can access it at the following link:
http://forums.wrestlezone.com/forumdisplay.php?f=255
[aname=5]
5. How to use the Administrator Request Thread[/aname]
The Administrator Request Thread is NOT a place to debate Staff issues. Please do that in the rest of the Board Room. It is also NOT a place to have an idea to better the forums. Please create a separate thread in the Board Room to do that.
When using the Administrator Request Thread, you need to make sure there is a specific problem, that only the Administrators can deal with. Such items include, but are not limited to:
1) Decisions on whether Warning/Infractions are fairly given
2) IP Checking and IP Banning
3) Resolved issues that need Administrator powers, such as creating of forums, re-naming of forums, etc.
4) Changes in Rules policy that everyone has agreed on.
5) Helping users who forget their password
6) Requesting permissions be granted or denied certain individual (for example, removing a poster's access to the Creative section of the E-Fed)
7) Assigning "prizes" to contest winners
8) Checking if vBulletin has certain features you want implemented
As I said, these are just some examples, and are not the only things allowed. However, please only use the thread for things that only Administrators can do. The thread is a useful tool for the Administrators who can quickly assess any problems and deal with them, without having to search through many useless posts.
[aname=6]
6. Who or What is MaintenanceBot?[/aname]
MaintenanceBot is simply a registered member on the Forums. It is an account, just like everyone has on the Forums. However, it was set up so when we receive messages about Alternate Accounts or Blacklist matches, the reports come from the MaintenanceBot account. In theory, the reports could be set up to come from any poster on the forums, but by setting it up as the MaintenanceBot account, it is assured that the account which reports the problems will never be banned or deleted.
MaintenanceBot is nothing but the name put on the reports that we received about Alternate Accounts and Blacklist messages. It is not a "thing", just an account used for the reporting.
[aname=7]
7. How to check an IP Address[/aname]
If, for some reason, you need to know the IP address of a particular user (for example, if you need an IP banned), you can do so if that member has posted in a forum you moderate. At the top of the post, there is a button that says "IP". If you click that, then you will be able to see that user's IP address.
Again, please note that this button ONLY appears in a forum you are a moderator of.
[aname=8]
8. Dealing with Alternate Accounts[/aname]
We currently have a feature that allows us to quickly notice if a poster is possibly using more than one account. However, there are a lot of things that factor into whether or not we get that report, so the best thing is for a quick lesson on how the reports work.
What is an IP Address?
Every computer that uses the Internet is assigned an IP address. This IP address identifies each Internet user from another. Whenever a person gets on to WrestleZone Forums from their computer, their IP address connects to the WrestleZone Forums IP address and "talks" to it. It's a give and take "conversation" in which both sides sent data to one another. Every person on the Internet, and every website on the Internet has an IP Address.
How are IP Addresses given?
IP Addresses are assigned by the company you get your Internet from. Every Internet provider has a range of IP addresses that they can give out. The Internet Provider uses what is called a DHCP Server to assign IP Addresses to individuals. Thus, IP Addresses are given by the Internet Provider, and the specific IP Address is determined by a computer. Internet Providers can give either Static IP Addresses or Dynamic IP Addresses.
What is the difference between Static and Dynamic IP Addresses?
It is really simple. If you are assigned a Static IP Address, then you will have that IP Address permanently (at least for the purposes of this quick lesson). If you are assigned a Dynamic IP address, you will be given a different IP address every time you connect to the Internet.
Why is this important?
This information is important, because when the program that looks for multiple accounts will search every IP address that is registered or posts on the forum for another account that has used the same IP address. If it finds another account with the same address, then it reports the Alternate Account. However, as I mentioned above, if a poster has a Dynamic IP address, he/she is always getting a different IP Address, and after enough times, it is likely that, especially with major Internet Providers, a user will be assigned an IP Address dynamically that another poster has used. This does not mean either poster is an Alternate Account of the other, merely that they shared a Dynamically set IP address. In this case, we would not want to ban either user.
How do we know if we should ban or not?
Simply put, there is never a foolproof way to know. It will be a judgment call. If a regular member on the Forum is found to have an Alternate Account, the best idea would be to request the assistance of a Global Moderator or an Administrator, to best determine if it is truly an Alternate Account. If the new account is paired with an existing member who has been here for only a week and already has red rep and some Infractions, then it's a good chance it's an Alternate Account. You just have to use best judgment.
If you decide it is truly an Alternate Account
If it is the first Alternate Account a poster has created, ban the new Alternate Account, and leave a message in the Ban notice saying the account was found to be an Alternate. This gives notice to the offending poster that Alternate Accounts are not allowed on WZ, and makes the poster aware of the rule, if the poster was not already.
If the poster has continuously made Alternate Accounts that get banned, then ban all new Alternate Accounts, as well as the original.
[aname=9]
9. The Staff Away thread - If you will be gone for a while[/aname]
If you plan to have a prolonged absence from the WrestleZone Forums, please let us know in advance. There is a thread stickied in the Board Room that is the "Official Staff Away" thread. Please post in there if you plan to be gone for a period of time, so that the rest of the Staff doesn't wonder where you are and why you are not doing your job.
Please do NOT post in the Staff Away thread if your absence will only be for a short time (like a day or two). It is for prolonged absences only.
[aname=10]
10. How to Moderate threads and posts[/aname]
Beside every thread, and at the top of every post, there is a check box. Any time you wish to moderate a thread or post (or mulitple threads and posts), you will need to select the appropriate check box(es), and then scroll down towards the bottom of the last thread/post on the page. There will be a drop-down menu entitled "Moderation" for which you can moderate the selected check boxes.
Side Note - Anytime you Move a thread, PLEASE address the "re-direct" option on the Move page. In most cases, you will want to leave either "No Redirect" or an "Expiring Redirect". Please do not use the permanent redirect option, as it makes the forum look bad.
[aname=11]
11. How to Warn or Infract[/aname]
1. Find the post you want to Warn/Infract.
2. Click on the Red and Yellow Card Icon at the top of the post
3. Choose which option to Warn/Infract for. If it is a Warning, make sure to tick the box to the right of the offense to give a Warning.
4. Scroll down to where it says Administrative Note. While it's not necessary, if you wish to put a short message to the Staff on why the Infraction was given, do it here, and it will only be seen by the Staff.
5. Scroll down a little further where it says "Message to User". It is here you will explain to the poster being Warned/Infracted why they are being disciplined. Make sure your message is not mean and hateful, but explains the Warning/Infraction.
[aname=12]
12. What if you are not sure whether or not a post is worthy of Warning/Infraction?[/aname]
If you think something might be in violation of the rules, but you are not sure, you have two options. One, you can "Report" the post, and the Staff will decide together if it is a rule violation, or two, you can just delete the post without giving a warning or infraction. It's better to give posters the benefit of the doubt, so if you are unsure, take the necessary steps to prevent posters being unfairly reprimanded.
[aname=13]
13. What to say when you Warn/Infract[/aname]
It's a very simple rule. Don't be mean and hateful, be positive and encouraging. The whole purpose of the Warning/Infraction is to try and prevent the same problem from happening again in the future, NOT to show that you have the power to do things to their profile. This is a power that needs to be used responsibly.
You can leave a variety of messages. If you would like to use a custom message, in which you just write whatever comes to mind, you may do so. We also have a thread in the Board Room with Infraction Templates that you can use. Additionally, if you would like, you can use a combination of the Infraction Template and a custom message. It is up to you.
[aname=14]
14. How many official Warnings to give before Infraction?[/aname]
There is no official position on how many warnings to give. However, we generally try to give two Spam Warnings to a poster before we give an Infraction. The reason for this is due to our rather unique rules on spam, so as to give the posters the best opportunity to be productive members of the WrestleZone Forums. However, if you feel the post lacks any kind of effort, feel free to give an Infraction. As stated, two Warnings is not an official policy, but rather a recommendation.
In addition, it's usually good form to give a Signature Warning as well before an Infraction, due to our rules on Signature Images.
[aname=15]
15. Warning/Infraction in forums that you are not assigned to[/aname]
This is an issue that has been brought up many time over the past few years, but the current official policy on this is to Warn/Infract anytime you see a problem post, anywhere on the forums. If you are a wrestling moderator, and you see a Spam post in the Music section, please Warn/Infract the post. We do not want to see rule-breaking posts on our forums not tended to simply because you are not moderator of that section.
We are a team here, and we need to help each other out as much as possible.
[aname=16]
16. How to challenge a Warning/Infraction from another Staff member[/aname]
There will always be situations that come up, where one Staff member feels a Warning/Infraction for a regular member is not deserved. If you feel a Warning/Infraction was not deserved, please speak up and say so. Our policy on the rules is always changing and adapting, and fresh viewpoints are never a bad thing.
However, if you do challenge a Warning/Infraction, please do so respectfully. Keep in mind that we are all on Staff for the same reason, to make the forums the best place to post that we can, and we all do it for free. Keep your comments respectful and the Staff can debate on whether or not a Warning/Infraction was fairly given. If the Staff reaches an agreement that the Warning/Infraction was not deserved OR if the Staff cannot agree on it's own whether the Warning/Infraction was deserved, please use the Administrator Request Thread thread, to ask an Administrator to come to the thread, read all arguments, and make a decision.
Remember, if you wish to challenge a Warning/Infraction, that is fine, just do so in a respectful manner.
[aname=17]
17. The WrestleZone Forums Definition of Spam[/aname]
As a moderator, you need to have a good understanding of what is Spam and what is not. While there will always be gray area that exists, the three things that need to be looked for are:
1) Did the poster give a position?
2) Did the poster support that position with at least one reason?
3) Is the post on-topic, either with the initial post of the thread, or the current discussion of the thread?
If all three of these conditions are not met, then the post is spam. If all three conditions are met, even at the most basic and minimal quality possible, it is not spam. For example:
Thread: Is the WWE the best promotion ever?
Post: "The WWE is the greatest!"
Ruling: This post is spam. It is on topic, and gives a position, but does not support that position.
Thread: Is the WWE the greatest promotion ever?
Post: "I watch TNA all the time because they do a bunch of flips."
Ruling: This post is spam because while it has a position and supports it, it is not on-topic.
Thread: Is the WWE the greatest promotion ever?
Post: "Who cares?"
Ruling: ....Take a wild shot in the dark.
Thread: Is the WWE the greatest promotion ever?
Post: "Yes, because they've made the most money."
Ruling: This thread is NOT spam. It's a crappy post, but it is on topic, gives a position, and supports it.
How about Spam posts that start a thread?
If a post that starts a thread is spam, that is okay, as long as it is promoting a discussion. An example of an okay Spam post that starts a thread is "I just heard Vince McMahon was planning on a title change from Wrestler A to Wrestler B. What does everyone think about that?". While that is technically spam, since the poster never gives his position or justifies it, it is being used to start a discussion, and thus, we would not close or Warn/Infract the post.
[aname=18]
18. How to handle Advertising[/aname]
Advertising on WZ is a tricky subject, and one that has been difficult to work with for a while. But these are some general questions to ask yourself:
1) Is the intent of the post simply to direct a poster to another web site, for the sole purpose of gaining traffic for the other web site?
2) Is the intent of the post to help another forum member, and not to help another web site?
3) Is the advertiser here for any reason OTHER than to advertise another site?
How you answer those questions to yourself determine the action you should take. If you think the only reason the member made the post was to get traffic on another web site, then that is in violation of the rules. If you think the poster is only here to advertise something, and not to contribute to the forums, ban him/her. But if you think the post was simply a case of a member wanting to share something with other forum members, then don't take any action.
[aname=19]
19. How is Flaming defined on WZ[/aname]
According to the rules, a flame is an extreme insult. Obviously, different things are extreme to different people, but as a general rule, as long as the comment isn't too personal, then it won't be flaming. Something like, "You're a moron" would not warrant a Flaming Infraction, but "You're so fucking stupid, your mother must have been shooting heroin when being gangbanged at your conception" probably would be worthy of a Flaming infraction.
As always, if unsure, Report the post.
[aname=20]
20. The infamous Stirring Up Drama/Pissing Off Staff Rule[/aname]
This is a rule that has been hotly debated many times. Here is the official stance. This rule is used ONLY when we need justification to get rid of a poster, who is obviously intending nothing positive on the forums, but hasn't technically broken any rules.
Please understand. This is NOT a valid reason to justify disciplining a poster who is making your or other mad. It is ONLY used to the rarest of circumstances, and should ONLY be used after a lengthy Staff discussion, and all other avenues for rehabilitation have been exhausted. Additionally, while not necessarily a requirement, it should be a rule that is only enforced by an Administrator, after said lengthy discussion.
Please remember, this is simply a manual to help the Moderators of the WrestleZone Forums do their job in a fair and consistent manner. Being a moderator is not limited to, or restricted by this manual. This is simply guidelines to help the WrestleZone Forum Staff keep this place the best it can be.
