Forum Rules and Guidelines

[AniX]

Table of Contents

Universal Site Rules
Mafia Specific Rules
Mish Mash/Large Social Games (ORGs) Specific Rules
Discussion Specific Rules
SE/Tapper's/GTKAS Requirements
Discord and Site Chat Rules
Moderation Action, Appeals, and Petitions
Contacting Moderation

All Rules are Subject to Change.

Universal Site Rules

The following will not be tolerated anywhere on the site.

Prohibited Actions

1. Engaging in spam or advertisement - Unsolicited messages with the intent to sell something or mislead users. Threads and series of posts that are no or low content may also be considered spam.
   
2. Engaging in copyright infringement - The use of some copyright material is acceptable under fair use. Do not link to or provide pirated media (copyrighted video, music, etc.) without the permission of the copyright holder.
   
3. Posting or messaging malware
   
4. Engaging in anything else illegal
   
5. Posting information about a user without their permission, or any contact details posted about a minor without their guardian's permission
   
6. Hiding your identity from the site administrators and moderators acting in their official capacity. Users should register their alternate accounts ("alts") as alts (here for help), and they should not register with fake emails, exclusively use proxies, or use other methods to hide their identity. Doing so will be reason in itself to remove you from the site.
   
7. Posting on behalf of a banned player. This is considered an attempt to circumvent a ban.

Prohibited Content

1. Do not harass other users of the site through any medium.
   
2. Do not abuse or insult other users of the site, or intentionally try to upset them. We understand that some topics and issues can be contentious, but please try to interact with others respectfully and calmly.
   
3. Derogatory language or slurs, including but not limited to language that is particularly discriminatory to a group of people (e.g. a race, gender, sexual orientation, disability), may be moderated depending on context. Using language or images that use race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability to insult or harass is not permitted.
   
4. Posting particularly gory or otherwise disturbing images (at the discretion of the forum moderators) - Links to such material should include an appropriate warning (NSFW, for example) and should be spoilered.
   
5. Posting or requesting, including via PM, sexually explicit pictures or links to sexually explicit pictures, even if spoilered or labelled NSFW.
   
6. While discussion about drugs and alcohol is permitted, discussion about how to accomplish illegal activity related to drugs and alcohol, including illegal acquisition, is not permitted.
   
7. Advocacy or the incitement of violence against others, even jokingly, is not allowed.
   
8. Post appropriately to the thread and the forum you are posting in. For example, do not troll or repeatedly post off topic posts in a serious thread. Do not post 'adult' content outside of the Speakeasy. This includes in all Mafia games.
   
9. Discussing or advocating the sexual depiction of minors in any context, including fictional, is prohibited. This restriction does not apply to discussion about victims of assault. We encourage content warnings and spoilers for such discussions.
   
10. Any type of inappropriate contact between an adult and a minor (under 18 years old), including flirting, sexting, inviting them to a locked chatroom, etc. will result in severe action. Not being aware of a user's age is not an acceptable excuse for inappropriate contact with a minor.

General Guidelines

1. Users should make every effort to address people in accordance with their stated gender identity, which will be listed in the pronoun section under the username. Mistakes are forgivable, but unwillingness to learn from mistakes will be construed as creating a hostile space for trans and non-binary users.
   • Users should feel free to use the fillable pronoun field to list whatever pronouns they feel best fits them, including "none" or "I don't know" if applicable. Users should not use the pronoun field to list anything other than the pronouns they intend to have used for them. This includes joke pronouns.
2. Mafiascum reserves the right to sanction based on behavior on any of the official channels (i.e. the forums, MafiaWiki, Discord server, official social media). In-person meet-ups organized on Mafiascum will be treated as extensions of this community. While Mafiascum staff does not seek to moderate and rarely takes specific action on rules infractions that occur outside of official channels, we reserve the right to take action on an individual basis where that behavior poses a threat to the community.
   
3. Mafiascum staff are not able to read every post on the site nor are we aware of every interaction on the site, so we encourage users to notify us when problems arise. Normally, the best way to do this is with the built-in reporting features, but we are open to discussion of concerns that would not fit into a report. We are most easily reachable via PM or Discord. A guide for how to direct concerns to the appropriate moderators, as well as contact information for staff members, can be found in below.
   
4. Any user that is made uncomfortable by another user's flirting or casual advances may ask another user to stop or ask a moderator to ask another user to stop. If you are asked, you must do so.
   
5. Another user breaking these rules does not justify breaking the rules yourself.
   
6. Testing the boundaries of the rules to see what you can get away with will likely result in moderator action.
   
7. Due to appearing on every post a user makes, signatures and avatars will be held to a higher standard and must follow all rules. Thread titles will also be held to a higher standard.
   
8. Do not ask or give your password to another user unless the account has specifically been set up to act as a hydra (i.e. a joint account).
   
9. Embedded images should be from a reputable source. If you are unsure, copy the image and reupload it to a trusted image hosting site such as tinypic, imgur, imageshack etc. Users are accountable for hotlinks that trigger malware warnings.
   
10. These rules apply to Site Chat and Discord as well. Do not post 'adult' content in Site Chat.

Prohibited Expression of Viewpoints

This is a site that has a wide range of views. Generally speaking, as long as those views are expressed without intending to upset or harass another person, harass another person, and are put in a civil manner, they are permitted. However, there are certain views that, no matter how civilly put, are not permitted. Please keep in mind that we are largely a North American based site, and the views we choose to specifically name are largely picked due to our own experiences.

The absence of any particular view is not an indication we find those views acceptable (a great number of viewpoints we find odious are not specifically listed).

Please additionally note that this is

in addition to

all other rules regarding abusive, derogatory, and harassing language.

1. Identification with white supremacists, white nationalists, nazis, or other hate groups.
   
2. Denial or revisionism of The Holocaust or other genocide or humans rights atrocities.
   
3. Assertions of the superiority or inferiority on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender, or disability.
   
4. Advocating for systems such as slavery, Jim Crow, and apartheid.

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Rules for Mafia Players

The following list defines our standards of conduct for players of mafia games on this site. Violations of any of these standards will result in action from the moderation team, such as force replacement, warnings, and temporary or permanent bans from joining or playing mafia games. Infractions related to game integrity may result in a modkill when the list moderators determine that the slot has been compromised. Mafia games on this site typically include a section with rules specific to each game, but these sitewide mafia rules always apply. A game moderator may supersede some of these rules, but only after obtaining list moderator approval.

General Rules

1. Play to win the game. If you feel you cannot do this for any reason, you should replace out in accordance with Mafia Player Prohibited Actions Rule 5.
   
2. Players have a duty to report to game moderators and/or list moderators when they have acquired information that other players could not reasonably have acquired and that was not required to be provided to them by the setup, even if this information came from a game moderator or other player's mistake. This is expanded on in this thread.
   
3. Players should make every effort to avoid joining games with other users that have explicitly told them they do not want to play with them. This includes when playing under anonymous alts. Using anonymous alts to play in games with players who have expressed that they do not wish to play with you will be considered harassment.
   
4. Since Mafia is based largely on conflict and psychological manipulation, we are somewhat more tolerant of aggressive and heated posts in-game than in the rest of the forums. However, game and List mods will take action for slurs or abusive behavior, up to and including being force replaced. In certain cases, posters with multiple or severe offenses may receive sitewide punishments from the list moderators, such as temporary or permanent bans from joining or playing games.
   
5. For many years, the word “lynch” was used to describe the person who was voted out by town in a mafia game. We no longer allow this word to be used.
   
6. Players are required to follow all rules posted by game moderators and are required to abide by all decisions related to those rules made by that moderator. If you feel a game moderator has made a decision in error, please contact the appropriate List moderator.
   
7. Any concerns regarding rule-breaking in ongoing games should be privately brought to the game moderator or a List moderator. Any public discussion of rule-breaking in ongoing games, even within the game itself, will be considered the use of an out-of-game influence and treated accordingly. This includes accusing other players of cheating.
   
8. Pretending to break a rule will be treated as if the rule was broken.

Prohibited Actions

1. Do not attempt to play the same game under more than one account.
   
2. Do not play a game without reading your role PM.
   
3. Do not bring out-of-game influences into the game - this includes trust tells, threats, bribes, wagers, promises, alliances, etc. This also includes exploiting the site or game rules to gain an in-game advantage. See this thread for more information.
   
4. Tactical replaceouts are not permitted. Do not replace out based on your alignment. Do not replace out in order to gain a mafia-related advantage. More information on this rule can be found here.
   
5. Replacements are an unavoidable out-of-game influence. To minimize the impact of replacements on game integrity, do not discuss replacements that have not occurred yet. Do not tell other players to replace out. Do not publicly consider or publicly announce a choice to replace out. PM your game moderator if you are considering replacing out or have concerns and believe another player should be replaced. Once you have requested to replace out, you are no longer a player in that game and may no longer post in that game. More information on this rule can be found here.
   
6. Do not post in a game if you are not currently a living player in the game. Game moderators may provide exceptions to this rule without list moderator approval.
   
7. Do not talk about ongoing games except in the game thread and private topics that are associated with the game as provided by your game moderator. More information on this rule can be found here.
   
8. Do not take any action that attempts to prove the existence of private game communications, including directly copy-pasting moderator communications. You are allowed to claim that these communications exist as long as you do not attempt to provide evidence. See here for more information on this rule.
   
9. Do not use cryptography, invisible text, or otherwise take any action that attempts to create an in-game private communication channel in plain sight using out-of-game information or agreements to communicate with some but not all players in a mafia game. You are allowed to provide "breadcrumbs" or crumb, as long as anyone could reasonably understand and interpret the meaning. You are allowed to create in-game communications if you are using information or agreements produced within the same game - for example, if you agree on a code in a game-related PT. Using references to information or agreements produced outside of the game that you know only specific people will be able to understand is not allowed.
   
10. Do not use scripts or software to hide the contents of other players' posts.
    
11. Do not take any action that attempts to prove the use of randomization in your game-related actions. This includes pictures, screenshots, and using or quoting dice tags. You are allowed to claim to have generated a random value as long as you do not attempt to provide evidence.
    
12. While players may occasionally need or want to switch the account they use to play a game, users must publicly make clear that the account is the same person and must inform the game moderator they are doing so. Users may not secretly replace into their own slot with an alt of theirs, except when explicitly permitted by game rules.
    
13. Do not use moderator adjudication of game or site rules to speculate on the alignment of other players.
    
14. Do not edit or delete posts even if you have the ability to do so.

Machine Learning and AI

1. Players are responsible for all content they post and for making sure it follows the site rules. Creating content with chatGPT or other AI generative tools is not an excuse for breaking site rules, and will not be treated any differently by the Moderation Team.
   
2. Use of chatGPT or other AI generative tools must be clearly labeled as such. You may not use chatGPT to create posts and pass them off as your own.
   
3. Use of chatGPT or other AI generative tools cannot be substituted for playing the game yourself. Even use that follows the previous rule can still violate the rules of Mafia if AI generative tools are used to remove you as a player of the game or give the appearance that your decisions and thoughts are not coming from you but instead are primarily being generated by outside tools.
   
4. While chatGPT and other AI generative tools themselves are not able to actively distinguish mafia players from town players, there is a potential for the creation of machine learning networks that can be trained on data which lets them distinguish mafia posts from town posts. Using machine learning in this way is strictly prohibited and will be considered cheating.

Rules for Mafia Game Moderators

The following list defines our standards of conduct for moderators of mafia games on this site. Violations of any of these standards will result in action from the moderation team, such as revoking moderation experience for the purpose of queue requirements, requiring co-moderators, and being banned from moderating mafia games. A game moderator may supersede some of these rules, but only after obtaining list moderator approval.

1. Game moderators are responsible for ensuring each game they run will be run to completion, preferably by the game moderator, but by someone else if that is not possible. Game moderators are expected to provide all necessary information to continue running the game to a backup moderator or list moderator in the event they cannot finish moderating the game.
   
2. Game moderators have a responsibility to use flavor and describe their mechanics in a way that creates a safe environment and respects everyone. Due to mafia's unfortunate legacy, the most common way this responsibility is failed is by moderating a game in which players are "lynched." We no longer allow this word to be used by game moderators.
   
3. Game moderators are expected to prioritize the integrity of their game and the general site rules, and take action as needed to uphold both. This includes force replacing players who discuss ongoing games, warning or force replacing players who violate our general site rules, consulting list moderators for modkills when a player slot is compromised, etc. Game moderators are also expected to notify a list moderator or report relevant posts when an infraction occurs, so that list moderators can determine if additional action is appropriate.
   
4. Game moderators are expected to consult with a list moderator if they need to make a major decision that impacts the game, such as resolving a moderation error or ending the game prematurely.
   
5. Game moderators may not modkill a player without obtaining list moderator approval. List moderator approval is typically granted when a player slot has been compromised. See more information on this rule here.
   
6. Game moderators generally have discretion over their playerlists, within reason.
   
7. Game moderators may force replace at their discretion, using their judgment regarding site and game-specific rules.
   
8. Game moderators have discretion over selecting replacements, including reaching out to specific players and deciding which players to accept or reject as replacements. When seeking replacements, game moderators may not inform a potential replacement of the slot's role before they replace in or select a specific person to replace based on the role of the vacant slot.
   
9. Game moderators may not use individual users of the site as flavor in the game without obtaining approval from both the individual user mentioned and a list moderator. Please note this rule is intended to address the use of real life identities as flavor and does not exclude usage of user's identity within the context of the game, such as nightkill flavor.
   
10. Game moderators must ensure that players have read their role PMs before participating in the game. Best practice for this typically requires players to confirm their role and alignment via PM.
    
11. Game moderators are expected to provide votecounts at least as frequently as the prod timer for their game and provide timely updates as needed (e.g. flips, phases, replacement announcements, etc.), or ensure that a backup moderator or co-moderator can fulfill this expectation.
    
12. Game moderators are expected to exercise due care and diligence when performing moderation-related tasks such as votecounts, action resolution, etc. and keep errors to a minimum.
    
13. Game moderators are expected to keep their game thread OP up to date, including a list of currently alive players and records of replacements for all slots.
    
14. When the setup is required to be reviewed to fulfill queue requirements, the reviewer must approve of the final setup and role PMs.
    
15. Game moderators may not unduly influence the game - this includes, but is not limited to:
    1. Giving game advice to players in private threads
       
    2. Excessively bantering with players
       
    3. Providing information about the setup that players should not have, or refusing to provide information about the setup that players should have
       
    4. Providing setup information only to some players and not others when this is not directly necessitated by the game setup/mechanics/roles (more information about this specific clause is included here)
       
    5. Addressing misunderstandings of the setup without being directly asked
    In general, it is recommended that game moderators refrain from posting in their game threads unless it is directly related to a game moderator task (votecounts, flips, replacement posts, and other game-related announcements) or unless directly asked about the game by a player. In particular, responding to posts unprompted can influence the game if players speculate on why some posts were responded to but not others.
    
    The exception to this rule is if a game is declared bastard when queueing the game. The setup reviewer must be aware of and approve of any ways in which the game moderator will influence the game.
    
16. Game moderators may not use nonrandom methods of role and alignment assignment at the start of the game. The use of nonrandom methods must be indicated by declaring a game as bastard when queueing the game and must be included in the setup review.
    
17. Game moderators may not lie to players unless it can be reasonably anticipated or is necessitated by the game setup, mechanics, or roles. The presence of lies that cannot be reasonably anticipated must be indicated by declaring a game as bastard when queueing the game and must be included in the setup review.
    
18. Game moderators may not supersede any rules for mafia game moderators or players without list moderator approval, unless specified that the rule does not require list moderator approval.

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Mish Mash/Large Social Games (ORGs)

1. All site rules apply to the MM/LSG forum, including to any off-site communication, webpage, or forum utilized in the administration or playing of a Mish Mash or LSG connected to this site.
   
2. The functioning of the MM/LSG forum requires all users to engage in good faith and adhere to the individual rules of the games they are playing. Cheating of any kind in any game is not permitted. Any action that violate the rules of a LSG/Mish Mash Game will subject a user to sanctions. If a user is unsure whether a particular action would violate the rules of a game, it is their responsibility to contact the applicable game moderator or MM/LSG List Mod for clarification. Many Mish Mash games or LSGs have their own individual rules that may differ from previously-played similar games. Players are expected to be familiar with the rules of the individual game in which they are playing.
   
3. Do not bring out-of-game influences into the game - this includes threats, bribes, wagers, non-game-related promises, etc. This also includes exploiting the site or game rules to gain an in-game advantage.
   
4. A core part of many Large Social Games is the anonymity of the player base. Similar to the Mafia Rule about not discussing ongoing games, users participating in an anonymous LSG must make every effort to preserve their anonymity as dictated by the rules of the game, including refraining from mentioning having signed up to participate in an anonymous game.
   
5. Users unsure of whether a game belongs in Mish Mash, LSG, or some other section of the site are urged to contact a MM/LSG List Mod.

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Discussion Specific Site Rules

Treat every user with a basic level of respect.

Basic Conduct

1. Do not make any post or start any thread with the
   intent to insult or offend any other user on this site.
   
   
2. Do not make any post or start any thread that
   abuses or harasses another user.
   
   
3. Certain forums have a specific purpose (Mafia Discussion, Site Ideas, Help!, News). Users posting there have a higher standard of conduct expected of them.

Specific Conduct

1. Playing Mafia outside the Mafia Forums or specifically designated Discord channels is prohibited. This includes Site Chat.
   
2. Other content may be inappropriate and will be acted on at the discretion of the moderators.

Speakeasy and Get to Know A Scummer Content

1. The Speakeasy, Tapper's, and GTKAS forums are designed to be semi-private and are not listed in search engines. Do not share personally identifying information found from either of these forums in Site Chat. This includes name and photos. When in doubt, ask the person you’re talking about privately first.
   
2. Sharing links to and discussing The Speakeasy/Tapper's/GTKAS generally are all acceptable.
   
3. Please understand that The Speakeasy, Tapper's, and GTKAS are very limited in the protection they provide and generally tDiscussion Moderators do not exist to stop rumors, stories, etc. that originated in The Speakeasy/Tapper's/GTKAS.

Speakeasy, Tapper's, and Get To Know a Scummer Requirements

While General Discussion holds many of our discussion topics, many discussions are occurring in three restricted areas. They are:

1. The Speakeasy - A subforum designed for mature, private/personal discussion. More adult topics are found in this subforum. Only users 18+ in age may join. This forum is not indexed and posts here will not appear in search engine results.
   
2. Tapper's - A subforum for private/personal discussion that is open to users of all ages. This forum is not indexed and posts here will not appear in search engine results.
   
3. Get to Know a Scummer (GTKAS)- A moderated discussion subforum where users are awarded personal "about me" threads, as well as more general threads for personal information.

How do I See These Forums?

To see

all of

The Speakeasy, Tapper's, and GTKAS, you can join The Speakeasy Inhabitants user group.
To

ONLY

see the Tapper's forum, you can join the Tapper's Access user group.
To

ONLY

see the GTKAS forum, you can join the Get To Know a Scummer Access user group.

To join these groups, go to your User CP, select User Groups, and select the group you wish to join, then click Submit. A Discussion moderator will review your request and, if you meet all the requirements to join, approve you for entry.

What are the Requirements to Enter?

1. You must have at least 100 game posts on your account. We may make case-by-case decisions to allow certain participants in Large Social Games and Mish Mash to also join. For Speakeasy Access, you must be at least 18 years of age as well.
   
2. Alt and plural accounts are now permitted in GTKAS, Tapper's, and the Speakeasy, provided at least one account of that user meets post and age requirements. Hydras are not permitted.

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Discord Specific Rules

These are also posted to the #discord-rules channel within the Discord itself.

1. All site rules apply.
   
2. Do not discuss bans from the forums or discord in discord.
   
3. Given the real-time nature of chatting on Discord, we expect a higher standard of general conduct. Please foster an environment where users feel comfortable. Offensive language, defined as words or images that have a high likelihood of causing harm or are intentionally used to put down or harass another user, is not acceptable.
   
4. Please be aware that, because of this expectation, moderators will likely warn, ban, mute on their own and for more minor events. The Discussion Moderator team makes a concerted effort to work together and not take unilateral action. However, given the real-time environment of a Discord server, we may be more likely to take immediate smaller-impact reactions (e.g., asking users to step back from heated discussions, temporary server mutes) than we would be on-site. Please try to avoid putting us in a situation where we need to use our power, but do not be surprised if we take action for more minor offenses on the Discord server.
   
5. Our Discord server is intended for members of the Mafiascum community. In order to become verified, you must have finished one Mafia or Large Social game on site. Exceptions may be made if you are active elsewhere; please tag a moderator who can verify this. Post in the #welcome channel with your Mafiascum username.
   
6. While there is not a “Report” button in the server, we implore users to report conduct which makes them uncomfortable. Given that this is a real-time chat, reporting infractions as swiftly as possible makes it much easier for us to act on them. To report Discord misconduct that occurred over text chat, please DM the ModMail bot (ModMail#5460) with a link to the message:
   
   
   To report DMs, send a screenshot of the chat that you are reporting. To report Discord misconduct that occurred over voice chat, please DM the ModMail bot with a detailed narrative about what happened, when it happened (dates and times), and who was involved. When filing a report, please provide information about what led up to the event and what happened afterwards in as much detail as possible.

Site Chat Specific Rules

These rules largely apply to the Lobby of Site Chat, but they may also be applied to other parts of Site Chat. The Lobby of Site Chat differs from other parts of the site in that it is (a) immediate and (b) read by all. Any subject being discussed by a user is read by everyone. There is very little way to use Site Chat and not engage with whatever is being discussed in the Lobby. Therefore, Site Chat may be more closely monitored and moderated than other parts of the site.

1. Generally speaking, all site rules are applicable to Site Chat.
   
2. Do not flood the chat.
   
3. Site Chat Moderators and Discussion Moderator decisions stand. If you are asked to stop doing something, you must do so. If you have a problem with what has occurred, bring it to AniX’s attention. The punishment for ignoring Discussion Moderator decisions may be more severe than the initial infractions.
   
4. 18+ sexual content is prohibited from the Site Chat Lobby. Casual mentions are allowed, but please keep detailed explicit discussion in the The Speakeasy

[AniX]

Moderator Action

1. If you feel someone has crossed the line with regards to these rules, use the Report button (the button found on the upper right-hand portion of each post and PM).
   
2. Moderators will view all potential offenses both individually and within the context of other recent behavior. Posts that may not be individually over the line may be moderated when viewed as a whole.
   
3. If you have an issue with a warning or ban given to you or another user, you are invited to start a dialogue with a Moderator from the appropriate team via PM. Threads dedicated to bans (whether yours or someone else's) may be closed.
   
4. Moderators will generally escalate their punishments the more a user violates rules. However, certain actions may be severe enough to warrant immediate harsher punishment.
   
5. If you believe a moderator is abusing their power, you may PM AniX directly, but you should only do so after you have attempted to discuss the matter with the moderator in question by PM.

Typical Sanction Process

1. Someone reports a post.
   
2. The relevant controlling mods (e.g. Listmods for mafia, Discussion for GD) start a thread with the reported person’s name on it. If there’s already a thread, then a new post is made with the report.
   
3. The relevant mods discuss the matter and come to a decision on how to address it. The most common action is no action, the next is a warning, the next is a ban.
   
4. It’s worth pointing out that other mods as well as the admins can see the reports and can comment during this process, but the ultimate decision rests with the relevant mods.
   
5. If there is a warning, it’s usually sent via PM. If there’s a ban, it’s recorded in the ban thread.
   
6. The report is closed.

Guide to Appeals

There are two basic types of appeals: appeals because you believe there is a moderator ERROR and appeals of commutation where you concede the punishment was appropriate but you feel you have reformed and want to rejoin the site. Generally the latter is for long-term bans.

Moderator Error

Moderator error is for instances where you believe what you did should not be punished. This can happen for three reasons, listed here from most to least likely to be granted:

1. There was an error of
   understanding
   . Some context may have been missed that made whatever is being punished not wrongful. Mods are humans and are not omniscient. They may not have all the facts, and while they’ll generally try to find them, they may miss something. If there is an error on this basis, I will gladly reverse or reduce our decision.
   
2. There is an error of
   application
   . This can either be because you believe the punishment was unfairly long or because you believe you shouldn’t be punished at all -- though I would highly recommend you decide which of these tactics you want to take and not take both. The potential error here is that the application of our policy was flawed. This is really the only time that
   comparisons
   to other people punishments (or lack thereof) is relevant, but keep in mind you likely don’t have context for other people’s punishments.
   
3. There is an error of
   policy
   . This is where you think that the policy set by the mods is flawed.

When you believe there has been a moderator error, your first step should be to talk to the moderator or moderators in question first. This isn’t to get them to reverse their decision, but rather to make sure you understand the punishment you’ve received.

The next step is to consider your appeal and write it in an organized, approachable way. A long stream of consciousness message is likely to be treated as a way for the user to vent rather than an actual appeal. Brief, to-the-point appeals that concisely lay out why you think there’s been an error will be far more effective.

Last, make sure any appeal that you submit describes what happened and why you were banned. A quick summary will help administration place it in context quicker and thus reply to you quicker than if they need to do their own, independent research on your circumstances.

Commutation

These are for those situations where a person is banned for a longer period of time (often indefinitely) and wants to rejoin the site. A commutation appeal cannot be made until one year has passed since the ban occurred.

Usually, the burden is on site moderation to consider why a person should be banned and defend that position. But here, question is instead “why should we unban this user?” The burden has shifted, and it becomes the banned users duty to convince. Administration doesn't need a reason to say "no" beyond they don't want the user to return to the site.

So the approach should be to make Administration believe that you (a) understand why you were banned

with specificity

(generalization such as "I know I was bad" doesn't work) and (b) are unlikely to be a problem in the future. An effective appeal on this grounds is one that genuinely reflects and discusses on your past actions, an honest admission that you were wrong to do it, and why Administration should believe that you won’t do it or anything like it again. Don’t speak in vague terms when discussing your past actions. An appeal that simply states “I know what I did was wrong and I won’t do it again” will likely not be sufficient.

Any

attempt to play the victim or describe why the ban was wrong will result in the appeal being rejected.

Guide to Petition-style bans

When someone has been previously banned for problematic viewpoints or behavior which actively harms the site, harm prevention then becomes a significant factor in a ban, and the typical set time frame for a ban does not guarantee that the banned user's harmful behavior will stop when they return. Under these conditions, mods will sometimes consider "petition-style bans" which are longer than one month and have a minimum time of a year or less, which require a petition to the relevant mod team in order for the ban to be lifted. The banned user will need to acknowledge that they broke the rules and agree to refrain from that behavior in the future.

The decision to issue a petition ban, unlike other bans of indefinite length, is made by the relevant moderators themselves, but are reviewed by an Administrator prior to enactment. The decision to an accept a petition is also made by the relevant moderators, but without direct Administrative oversight.

A typical petition ban message would include a section similar to the following:

In order for your ban to be lifted after the minimum timeframe of [ban length], you will need to send the Discussion mod team:

1. An acknowledgment of breaking the rules, including a description of what happened, and
   
2. An agreement to stop doing that behavior in the future. The ban will be lifted at this point as long as your message accurately describes the events and seems sincere.

You can send your petition to a

Discussion mod

at any time. If you would like to appeal this ban due to what you believe is "Moderation Error" as described in the Appeals instructions, you can reach out to AniX at any time. You can also send an appeal to AniX after [ban length] has passed if you believe you qualify under the Commutation section of the Appeals instructions.

These bans are still appealable if the user believes the ban is incorrect, or, if the minimum ban length has passed, the user can choose to send a Commutation appeal, both outlined above. Note that appeals to AniX for bans will generally have a higher standard for a user's return than the conditions for petition-style bans.

The banned user can send their petition to the relevant mod team at any time after their ban has been enacted. The mod team will discuss petitions upon receiving them, which can reduce lag time between the end of the minimum ban length and the ban being lifted. However, the minimum ban length will still be served regardless of the outcome of any discussion based on petitions received before the minimum ban length has passed.

[AniX]

How to Contact Moderators

There are several ways that the moderator team can be reached. Below is a guide for how to direct common inquiries. Contact information for site staff can be found in the last section of this post.

Reporting Misconduct on the Forums

For any posts or private messages made on the forum that violate rules, use the Report button (). In the "Further Information" field, enter as much information as you can about the context of the post (if any) and your thoughts about why the post violates community guidelines.

Please note that the "Notify me" function does not reflect what is actually done with a report.

All reports are logged, and reports may be closed when they are logged, not necessarily when a publicly-visible action is taken.

Reporting Misconduct on Discord

For any behavior that occurs on Discord text or voice channels, send a direct message to the ModMail bot (ModMail#5460). Pay close attention to ModMail's messages to ensure that you are contacting the correct server. Include as much information as you can about the context of the reported message and your thoughts about why the post violates community guidelines. For text, send us a link to the message:



For voice, be as detailed as possible about what happened, when it happened, and who was involved.

Contacting Moderators Outside of the Report Function

Moderators can be contacted either as a group or individually for issues that need further intervention than filing a report. Links for private messages on the forums and Discord tags are included below for members of the team.

For issues related to Mafia games, refer to the Mafia list moderator responsible for that game's queue. For issues that span multiple games across queues, contact the list moderators responsible for the queues involved.

For issues related to Large Social or Mish Mash games, contact any of the Mish Mash list moderators. All Mish Mash moderators handle Mish Mash games, and each Large Social game has a specific list moderator assigned to it.

For appeals or reporting moderator misconduct, contact AniX. When submitting an appeal, refer to the above guide to Appeals before contacting AniX.

For all other issues, contact any of the discussion moderators. It is easiest to include all of the discussion moderators in your private message; however, if this is not possible (e.g. due to conflicts of interest), then we encourage contacting whomever you feel most comfortable approaching.

Abuse of the Report Function

When moderators receive a report, the report is assumed to have been made in good faith. In other words, we treat the report as a notification that some harm has been done to the community and that the behavior in question violates site rules. However, processing reports becomes more difficult when a report is made in bad faith, whether because:

• the report is being used as a way to get moderators to punish a user for a personal vendetta, or
  
• an excessive number of reports (e.g. 10+) is being filed on one user where the posts being reported are not relevant to that user's rule-breaking behavior.

We almost never take away a user's ability to report posts when they are not banned, but we reserve the right to do so if a user consistently abuses the report function.

Contact Information

• Administrators
  (oversees appeals, staff conduct, and technical stuff)
  • AniX
    - PM, Discord: anixtheory
    
  • Kison
    (technical) - PM, Discord: bidnessmike
    
  • borkjerfkin
    (technical) - PM, Discord: chardizzo
• Mafia List Moderators
  (oversees Mafia Games subforums)
  • Newbie: T-Bone
    - PM, Discord: tboneislive
    
  • Normal: Ausuka
    - PM, Discord: frogfrogfrogfrogfrog
    
  • Open: Something_Smart
    - PM, Discord: something_smart
    
  • Theme: Sir_Cakez
    - PM, Discord: sir.cakez
    
  • Quick: Skygazer
    - PM, Discord: skygayzer
    
  • Replacement: Save the Dragons
    - PM, Discord: fenrirturmeric
• Mish Mash List Moderators
  (oversees Other Forum Games subforums)
  • Cephrir
    - PM, Discord: cephrir
    
  • xofelf
    - PM, Discord: xofelf
    
  • Haschel Cedricson
    - PM, Discord: haschel47
    
  • VashtaNeurotic
    - PM, Discord: theonetruevash
    
  • PrivateI
    - PM
• Discussion Moderators
  (oversees Discussion and Administration subforums, as well as Discord)
  • the worst
    - PM, Discord: tom4827
    
  • Ydrasse
    - PM, Discord: coronabeth
    
  • Discord Manager: thestatusquo
    - PM, Discord: 50gradesofshea