Explaining our Automated Moderating System
The software this forum is created on comes with an automated moderating system. This system has two parts to it:
1. A warning system
2. A points system
Warning System. When members do something that is against our guidelines, our mods will let that member know via the warning system.
For us a warning serves as an alert rather than a "punishment".Unfortunately we can't change the title of "Warning" on the PM that alerts members to an infraction against our guidelines. That is built into the software. The software helps us keep track of alerts (aka "warnings") given to members so we know when to instigate the points system. Warnings are only valid for 3 months and they
don't incur any infraction points.
Points System. The points system is where a member is given infraction points after breaking our guidelines.
The infraction points are given after a member has been warned several times of breaking the same guideline. Note that we do not take giving infraction points lightly. The infraction points depend on the guideline that is broken. The points are also not "forever" they have an expiry date. The list below shows the guidelines and the infraction points against it:
Advertising in Avatar without paid advertising, 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Advertising in Profile Fields without paid advertising (home page link, etc.), 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Advertising in Signature without paid advertising, 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Airing personal problems, 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Exceeding Non Profit links in signatures (non business), 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Exceeding Signature Size, 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Exceeding the Promos & Sales Limit, 1 point, 3 months
Inappropriate Language, 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Linking to business auction listings in the auction announcement area (must be done in Promos & Sales), 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Offering product testers in the general forums (must be in the TESTERS forum), 1 point
3 Month(s)
Slandering/Defaming other Businesses, Users or Sites, 1 point, 3 Month(s)
Advertising, Business announcements, stocking "hints" etc made outside of the Promos & Sales area, 2 points, 3 Month(s)
Advertising to sell or exchange for monetary value in the WTB section, 2 points, 3 Month(s)
Discussions regarding illegal activities (eg. copying and distributing licenced patterns/software/products etc), 2 points, 3 Month(s)
Displaying product images in the general forums, including samples of your skill used for personal use, 2 points, 3 Month(s)
Disrespecting or Insulting members (for various reasons including lifestyle choices, religious beliefs, etc.), 2 points, 3 Month(s)
Posting Swaps, Co-ops, Fund Raising & Charity threads without Admin approval, 2 points, 3 Month(s)
Soliciting members through private message or email, 2 points, 3 months
Note that all moderators can also generate custom infractions for other infractions that may not be explicitly covered above.
When a member has accumulated a total of 6 points within the 3 month period, then they become a moderated member - that is, all their posts have to be approved by a moderator before it can show up on the boards.
When a member has accumulated a total of 49 infraction points in a period of 3 months, they are automatically banned from this site forever.