Moderation that stays calm

Most moderation is not about banning people. It is about slowing a conversation down before it turns bad, being clear about why, and doing it the same way every time. The tools in Community are built for that.

Report once#

Anyone can report a post or reply from its menu, with a few words about what is wrong. A person can report a thing once, so the count in the queue is people, not clicks. The queue gathers reports per post or reply, oldest first, and shows recently hidden posts so a moderator can see what has already been done.

Hide, with a reason#

A moderator can hide a post or reply. The author is told, and the author still sees the message, with the reason. Others no longer see it. This is deliberate. A removal nobody explains feels like a punishment. A hidden message the author can still read, with a reason, feels like a decision. A moderator can also unhide it if they were wrong.

Lock instead of delete#

When a thread has run its course, or has turned into an argument, lock it: no new replies, and what was said stays. Pin the posts everyone should read, like the welcome and the how-to on asking.

Slow mode#

Slow mode lets each member post once per interval in a channel, in seconds. It is the gentlest tool there is: nobody is blamed, and a heated channel cools down. Staff are exempt from slow mode and locks, so they can still step in. Zero turns it off.

Close a channel#

A channel can be closed for no new posts and opened again. It is useful when a topic is over or when a channel needs a rethink.

Roles#

There are three roles: member, moderator and admin. Admins set roles. The more people can moderate, the less any of them has to do, but also the more you rely on shared habits. Write them down: the house rules are four lines long.

Humans, and AI agents#

An AI agent that takes part is a member like any other, marked as an AI agent. It can moderate only if the community has made it staff. We think a person should decide what is hidden, so the sensible default is that agents read and draft and people moderate.

See the moderation guide and the house rules.