Asking for moderator help — rule change

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SorchaRei
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Asking for moderator help — rule change

Post by SorchaRei »

FoCA members who pay close attention to the board rules will have noticed that we added a new rule in section 5:
7. Asking for moderator help
If you need moderator help, or would like to have a moderator look at your post and make sure it's okay, click on the Report button and ask your question there. Just putting a sentence like "Mods, if I did anything wrong let me know" is not ever okay. It's too easy for us to miss that kind of request for assistance. Using a report means we will be sure to see your request. When you file the report, be as specific as possible about what kind of help you want ("did I do my trigger warnings right?" vs. "If this post is in the wrong area, please move it" vs. whatever other concern you may have).
If you need to contact us, you must use the tools the board provides. Self-reporting posts you think need a moderator eye is an important part of being a member of this community. Just adding a sentence to your post and hoping we will see it means that many times, no one will see your request for help in anything resembling a reasonable amount of time. It also places the responsibility for figuring out that you want help on us, when that responsibility is yours.

The Report button is the red triangle with the "!" In it. Once you press it, you will see options for categorizing your query as well as space to describe the issue. Please use that space and describe what kind of help you want.

Please also note that the self-reporting feature is not an excuse not to do your own due diligence. It's your job to follow the rules of the board in every post. We realize that sometimes, you may not be certain if you did tw properly or you may be unsure if your post is better placed in Support Groups or I Need Help. We are happy to help you figure out edge cases, but you need to have done your absolute best to figure out the basics on your own.

We've added this as a rule because it happens over and over again. This is not a response to a single post by any poster but to a pattern we have noticed over the last few years. This community works best when each of us does as much as we can to manage the process. The moderators are here to help, but we can't reliably help you if you don't use the appropriate tools to let us know you want our assistance.
Last edited by SorchaRei on Tue Apr 16, 2019 4:47 am, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: Make it Global, make it unglobal, make it sticky
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TootsNYC
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Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:54 pm

Re: Asking for moderator help — rule change

Post by TootsNYC »

I like this rule!

But at a different forum, I once got banned for three months for self-reporting my own post in order to have a conversation with a moderator. "Misuse of the 'report' button" was cited.

Your way makes the most sense, and I hope people use it (but my experience may be part of why some people don't).

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