- Joined
- Nov 26, 2004
- Messages
- 2,817
- Reaction score
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The Kennel Moderation Mission Statement
The Kennel is a unique community of rugby league supports who share their support and enthusiasm for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The Kennel is also a host to thousands of active opposition team supports and general National Rugby League (NRL) enthusiasts. Their love and passion for Rugby League is what holds this community together and is what’s driving this forum to becoming the most popular source of Rugby League discussion online.
Currently, The Kennel Forums are monitored by a team of volunteer moderators who manage the daily content of the forum and help deal with issues when there is a breach of The Kennel Code of Conduct. Posts on The Kennel are not moderated individually or screened prior to moderators approval due to the large volume of daily posts. Moderators simply do not have the time to read every post created within the forum.
Whilst we encourage users to voice their opinion, we require all users to respect all forum rules and respect all other users. The Kennel Rules are designed to benefit the general community and allow the forum to maintain its family friendly standard - free from insults, abuse and defamatory comments.
Therefore the majority of accountability lies with the user and thus it is the users responsibility to maintain the quality of their posts and to adhere to The Kennel Rules. It is also their responsibility to report any content which they feel breach these rules.[/FONT]
Moderation on The Kennel
The following information covers the following questions and topics:
Do moderators validate posts before they are viewable to the public?
No. Due to the volume of posts The Kennel receives on a daily basis, it is near impossible for moderators to sift through and validate or deny posts. All posts are public from the moment they are posted.
Why was my post deleted?
Your post was deleted most likely because it broke The Kennel Rules.
How do moderators know when there is misconduct?
Either another user had reported your post to a moderator, or a moderator found your post by reading the thread.
What can I do about it?
If you feel your post or thread was deleted without significant reason, please view the Moderation Complaint procedure.
What if I don't like the response I receive from the mod?
If you feel your complaint was not handled correctly, please refer to the Moderation Complaint procedure and/or Private Message an Administrator.
1. What if I keep breaking the rules? (The Kennel Infraction System)
The Kennel uses an infraction based system to monitor any inappropriate behavior by members, and allows them a chance to reflect on their actions in order to benefit the forum.
The following infractions issued and their corresponding point value are:
2. How do I contact a Moderator? (Contacting a Moderator)
If you wish to contact a Moderator, view the forum homepage and scroll down and click on ‘View Forum Leaders’. After which you may click on ‘Send PM’ for the indicated moderator.
If you wish to alert a moderator regarding a post which breaks The Kennel rules, go to thepage containing the post, and look for the Report Button underneath the user information part of the post.
3. I want to be a Moderator, how do I sign up? (Moderator Selection Process)
To put it quite simply, you don’t. You will however need to be recognized by the Moderating team as a respectable and polite member who offers great discussion and appear online on a generally regular basis and communicate reasonably well in writing.
The Kennel is growing daily and we are always looking for more help
4. Why are there different types of Moderators? (Moderator Types)
There are 2 types of Moderators on The Kennel (excluding Administrators):
- Moderators
- Super Moderators
Moderators are sectional moderators who deal with content issues such as deleting posts, closing, moving and renaming threads. They also deal with forum questions that any members may have.
Super Moderators are team leaders and have the more powers than a regular moderator. They have the ability and authority to issue permanent bans and deal with more serious issues regarding user complaints.
5. What powers do moderators have? (The Levels of Moderator Response)
Moderators on The Kennel have a variety of tools which they may use to respond to breaches of The Kennel Rules. These tools may include:
- Post Deletion
- Thread Deletion
- Thread Moving, Renaming, Closing
- Issuing Infractions
- Bans
While the following is an example of what Moderators may do in response to a particular rule breach, they also reserve the right to act using their discretion and inflict harsher penalties.
The infraction systems offers a ‘time out’ based punishment system where users are restricted from posting in the forums for a certain amount of time.
Regular Bans are bans issued by Moderators which may accumulate any length of time at the moderator see fit, including permanent exclusion from the forums.
6. Do You Track Moderator Actions? (The Moderation Tracking System)
All moderation actions on The Kennel are logged and can be audited if deemed necessary. In order to facilitate this, each moderation is tracked and recorded and is reviewed regularly by Administrators.
Moderators actions which are logged include:
- User Account Actions;
- Thread Actions; and
- Post Actions
7. Why am I censored? (Censorship and Freedom of Speech)
Under Australian law, the only protected form of speech is that of a political nature, and even then, it's only protected from governmental interference. Private entities can not, by definition, be guilty of censorship. The Kennel is a private website - owned and operated by an individual.
In short, there is no "freedom of speech" on The Kennel.
In the interest of fairness and balance, as well as to help focus and improve quality of discussion, there is a team of moderators who have the ability to remove posts and threads from the public eye. There are many legitimate reasons for a moderator to remove comments, which are outlined elsewhere in the Forum Rules.
8. Post Deletion Policy
Post that breach the forum rules can and will be deleted.
If you wish for your post to be reinstated, please contact a moderator and ask for it to be reinstated with the content that caused the deletion to be removed.
9. Thread Deletion Policy
Threads deleted on The Kennel fall into these catergories:
- Pointless – the thread contributes no value to the forum, or is not longer relevant;
- Duplicate – the thread already exists on the same or similar topic
- Flame baiting – the goal of the thread is to start harassment or a fight
- Off topic – the thread does not belong to the forum topic it was posted in
- Spam – the thread was advertising for a business
- For sale – threads posted to ask for offers of buying or selling
- Illegal – threads regarding discussion of warez, downloading or illegal activity
Threads which are also deemed inappropriate by Moderators and do not fall under any of the following categories may also be banned.
10. Multiple Accounts Policy
We strongly discourage members from creating additional accounts for any reasons.
Penalties for creating multiple accounts
If you are a currently active user and found of posting using a multiple account, the second account will be banned permanently, all posts will be removed and the original account will be banned for 1 week.
If you are banned user using a multiple account the account will be permanently banned, all posts will be removed and then your IP address will be banned from the server.
Reporting users to their ISP
If a user chooses to continue to create multiple accounts, and abuse our hospitality, be warned that The Kennel staff will not hesitate to report your breaches to your ISP’s abuse department. Almost all Australian ISP’s include clauses regarding user behavior on websites, such a report can result in a warning from your ISP and may potentially cause the termination of your ISP account.
11. Why was my post/thread Moderated? (Moderation Explanations)
Please do not start a new thread asking why your thread was deleted. Please refer to The Kennel Moderation procedure regarding deleted threads. If you wish to know why your thread was deleted, ask a moderator and not the public (by creating a thread demanding and answer).
The Kennel is a unique community of rugby league supports who share their support and enthusiasm for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The Kennel is also a host to thousands of active opposition team supports and general National Rugby League (NRL) enthusiasts. Their love and passion for Rugby League is what holds this community together and is what’s driving this forum to becoming the most popular source of Rugby League discussion online.
Currently, The Kennel Forums are monitored by a team of volunteer moderators who manage the daily content of the forum and help deal with issues when there is a breach of The Kennel Code of Conduct. Posts on The Kennel are not moderated individually or screened prior to moderators approval due to the large volume of daily posts. Moderators simply do not have the time to read every post created within the forum.
Whilst we encourage users to voice their opinion, we require all users to respect all forum rules and respect all other users. The Kennel Rules are designed to benefit the general community and allow the forum to maintain its family friendly standard - free from insults, abuse and defamatory comments.
Therefore the majority of accountability lies with the user and thus it is the users responsibility to maintain the quality of their posts and to adhere to The Kennel Rules. It is also their responsibility to report any content which they feel breach these rules.[/FONT]
Moderation on The Kennel
The following information covers the following questions and topics:
- Why was my post deleted?
- How does Moderation works on The Kennel?
- How do moderators know when there is misconduct?
- What can I do about it?
- What if I don't like the response I receive from the mod?
- The Kennel Infraction System
- Contacting a Moderator
- Moderator Selection Process
- Moderator Types
- The Levels of Moderator Response
- The Moderation Tracking System
- Censorship and Freedom of Speech
- Post Deletion Policy
- Thread Deletion Policy
- Multiple Accounts Policy
- Moderation Explanations
Do moderators validate posts before they are viewable to the public?
No. Due to the volume of posts The Kennel receives on a daily basis, it is near impossible for moderators to sift through and validate or deny posts. All posts are public from the moment they are posted.
Why was my post deleted?
Your post was deleted most likely because it broke The Kennel Rules.
How do moderators know when there is misconduct?
Either another user had reported your post to a moderator, or a moderator found your post by reading the thread.
What can I do about it?
If you feel your post or thread was deleted without significant reason, please view the Moderation Complaint procedure.
What if I don't like the response I receive from the mod?
If you feel your complaint was not handled correctly, please refer to the Moderation Complaint procedure and/or Private Message an Administrator.
1. What if I keep breaking the rules? (The Kennel Infraction System)
The Kennel uses an infraction based system to monitor any inappropriate behavior by members, and allows them a chance to reflect on their actions in order to benefit the forum.
The following infractions issued and their corresponding point value are:
- Privacy – 3 points
- Harassment – 1 point
- Questionable actions and content – 1 point
- Posting, Advertising and Spam – 1 point
- Offensive Materials – 1 point
- User Content – 1 point
- 1 point - 1 Day Ban
- 2 points - 2 Day Ban
- 3 points - 1 week ban
- 4 points - 2 week ban
- 5 points - 1 month ban
2. How do I contact a Moderator? (Contacting a Moderator)
If you wish to contact a Moderator, view the forum homepage and scroll down and click on ‘View Forum Leaders’. After which you may click on ‘Send PM’ for the indicated moderator.
If you wish to alert a moderator regarding a post which breaks The Kennel rules, go to thepage containing the post, and look for the Report Button underneath the user information part of the post.
3. I want to be a Moderator, how do I sign up? (Moderator Selection Process)
To put it quite simply, you don’t. You will however need to be recognized by the Moderating team as a respectable and polite member who offers great discussion and appear online on a generally regular basis and communicate reasonably well in writing.
The Kennel is growing daily and we are always looking for more help
4. Why are there different types of Moderators? (Moderator Types)
There are 2 types of Moderators on The Kennel (excluding Administrators):
- Moderators
- Super Moderators
Moderators are sectional moderators who deal with content issues such as deleting posts, closing, moving and renaming threads. They also deal with forum questions that any members may have.
Super Moderators are team leaders and have the more powers than a regular moderator. They have the ability and authority to issue permanent bans and deal with more serious issues regarding user complaints.
5. What powers do moderators have? (The Levels of Moderator Response)
Moderators on The Kennel have a variety of tools which they may use to respond to breaches of The Kennel Rules. These tools may include:
- Post Deletion
- Thread Deletion
- Thread Moving, Renaming, Closing
- Issuing Infractions
- Bans
While the following is an example of what Moderators may do in response to a particular rule breach, they also reserve the right to act using their discretion and inflict harsher penalties.
The infraction systems offers a ‘time out’ based punishment system where users are restricted from posting in the forums for a certain amount of time.
Regular Bans are bans issued by Moderators which may accumulate any length of time at the moderator see fit, including permanent exclusion from the forums.
6. Do You Track Moderator Actions? (The Moderation Tracking System)
All moderation actions on The Kennel are logged and can be audited if deemed necessary. In order to facilitate this, each moderation is tracked and recorded and is reviewed regularly by Administrators.
Moderators actions which are logged include:
- User Account Actions;
- Thread Actions; and
- Post Actions
7. Why am I censored? (Censorship and Freedom of Speech)
Under Australian law, the only protected form of speech is that of a political nature, and even then, it's only protected from governmental interference. Private entities can not, by definition, be guilty of censorship. The Kennel is a private website - owned and operated by an individual.
In short, there is no "freedom of speech" on The Kennel.
In the interest of fairness and balance, as well as to help focus and improve quality of discussion, there is a team of moderators who have the ability to remove posts and threads from the public eye. There are many legitimate reasons for a moderator to remove comments, which are outlined elsewhere in the Forum Rules.
8. Post Deletion Policy
Post that breach the forum rules can and will be deleted.
If you wish for your post to be reinstated, please contact a moderator and ask for it to be reinstated with the content that caused the deletion to be removed.
9. Thread Deletion Policy
Threads deleted on The Kennel fall into these catergories:
- Pointless – the thread contributes no value to the forum, or is not longer relevant;
- Duplicate – the thread already exists on the same or similar topic
- Flame baiting – the goal of the thread is to start harassment or a fight
- Off topic – the thread does not belong to the forum topic it was posted in
- Spam – the thread was advertising for a business
- For sale – threads posted to ask for offers of buying or selling
- Illegal – threads regarding discussion of warez, downloading or illegal activity
Threads which are also deemed inappropriate by Moderators and do not fall under any of the following categories may also be banned.
10. Multiple Accounts Policy
We strongly discourage members from creating additional accounts for any reasons.
Penalties for creating multiple accounts
If you are a currently active user and found of posting using a multiple account, the second account will be banned permanently, all posts will be removed and the original account will be banned for 1 week.
If you are banned user using a multiple account the account will be permanently banned, all posts will be removed and then your IP address will be banned from the server.
Reporting users to their ISP
If a user chooses to continue to create multiple accounts, and abuse our hospitality, be warned that The Kennel staff will not hesitate to report your breaches to your ISP’s abuse department. Almost all Australian ISP’s include clauses regarding user behavior on websites, such a report can result in a warning from your ISP and may potentially cause the termination of your ISP account.
11. Why was my post/thread Moderated? (Moderation Explanations)
Please do not start a new thread asking why your thread was deleted. Please refer to The Kennel Moderation procedure regarding deleted threads. If you wish to know why your thread was deleted, ask a moderator and not the public (by creating a thread demanding and answer).