Initial submission from Boudiccal.

1. All server TOS must be followed. If there are major server violations, please contact server mods in #guest-mod-chat by pinging @Mods.
2. Micro mutes do not require posting in chat, and can last for up to 5 minutes. Micro mutes should be afforded due to noise pollution, conversation flow, incivility, and general room vibe.
3. Room mutes should be logged in here with handle and id with mute length and reason, so the team is aware and can move accordingly.
4. Users who have been muted by other mods will not be unmuted without discussion with that mod. DMs from users who have been muted can be answered with this.
5. Certain issues may be banned from the room as agreed upon by the mod team. Votes will happen via quorum (half team + 1) and can be put to vote by pinging @everyone and reacting with a yes 👍 a no 👎 or an abstain ✋
6. Keep mod interactions outside of vc as much as possible. Use mod chat for questions, disagreements, and comments.
7. Speak with other mods with the same civility you expect, and the same we expect of everyone in the vc.
8. Ban users using the cancelled function and user ID in #guest-mod-chat on the server. Record users who have been banned from the guest room in ⁠⛔-ban-logs to maintain healthy dialogue and comfortable atmosphere. Include user handle, ID number, and reason for banning in order to initiate the vote. Feel free to include evidence as to why in case it should be brought to server mods as well.
9. Suggest adding new moderators to the team using the same voting system above.
10. Have or don’t have sex as much or as little as you want, but represent us right and make sure it’s hot.

While we try to bring intramod shenanigans over to this server whenever possible, Senior mods and student council members absolutely retain the right to mute lower-ranked mods in the case of heightened tensions or misbehavior.

I know the room gets chaotic sometimes, and debates can (and sometimes should!) get heated, within limits. If the room gets BONKERS and no amount of attempts at moderation or priority speak can get things in order, senior+ mods can absolutely go down the chatters and mute everyone for a moment to establish dominance with eye contact before unmuting folks and letting the good times continue. It's unfortunate, and it's a last resort, but these things do happen sometimes on Discord.

Thanks for being rockstars everyone! Please try not to take things too personally if they aren't personal. The room must go on! Have a fabulous day ❤️

You are not required to explain your reasons for moderation. While it is often very useful to give a brief explanation in the side text chat, something like “soAndSo I muted you for a minute for overtalking” or “personB I muted you for 5 minutes for the R-slur after we warned you not to call people that – please do not do it again” so everyone can be aware, including the person and other mods…

You are still not required to give people explanations when they demand them.

There are many people who will fight every single step of the way for an explanation that they find acceptable; if they do not see your moderation as justified in their eyes, they will berate and belittle and undermine. If someone won't stop complaining about moderation after being asked to stop, especially if they start dropping targeted insults, you can ban them.

Saying they don't understand the reason even after you state exactly what the reason was is indicative of bad faith engagement.

I've gotten many DMs from people after they do something abhorrent with messages like “This is how you let your moderators behave?!” or “This is how you run your room?!”

Short answer, yes. Cry harder. They do not feel like they should be moderated for misbehaving if they do not feel like they have misbehaved. This is very human, but we may never see eye to eye with a particular person on what, for example, qualifies as acceptable language to use when referring to queermos. This space is not for them specifically, it is for everyone who is willing to treat us like human beings in good faith – even if we disagree vehemently.

Regarding the proposed inclusion of ableism as a violation of community guidelines on hate speech, and therefore moddable.

I need to be clear about this. While we do encourage moderation of ableism, this policy should still be in line with our other guidelines of moderation.

First, a verbal warning.

• If the warning is resisted and met with hostility, a mute can be warranted to clarify the rule.
• If the warning is accepted, but the mod-able behavior repeats, a mute can be warranted.

Room bans are for TOS violation and for repeated resistance to moderation, or excessive hostility. There is no need to be mod-happy; the best approach is generally to try for the least interventionist method for retaining a healthy conversation environment and maintaining Discord rules.

Dishonest engagement is Discord's modus operandi du jour. You may find yourself in a contentious conversation with an interlocutor, who demonstrates and unwillingness to engage honestly.

They refuse to agree to terms and definitions, even for the sake of conversation. They refuse to acknowledge a presented term and insist on substituting their own, with no defense for it. Even when presented multiple times with our position, they still assumptively substitute their own.

They refuse to accept any evidence presented. When a point is made, or evidence posted, they refuse to read it or acknowledge it, preferring their own feelings without defense. When they are directed back to the evidence, they either restate their refuted initial position without modification, or change the subject.

They will not hear the actual words that you say. If you ask them to mirror your position, so as to demonstrate that they understand what you said, they cannot.

These are tactics also utilized by presuppositional apologists and flat earthers. If they refuse to engage honestly to this degree, so that a conversation of any kind cannot be meaningfully had, I highly recommend disengaging. They have demonstrated that their goal is not to discuss, but to insist on their conclusions as dishonestly as necessary to protect their position.

I am very happy and willing for people to disagree with us. But this is not fruitful in any capacity, and only escalates frustration, and permits what is tantamount to preaching.

Move topics. Do not cow-tow to their dishonesty. Shift the conversation flow away from them. If they belligerently persist, they are now disrupting conversation flow, and can be moderated in accordance with our guideline for gentle escalation.

If disengaging with their dishonesty requires muting, it can indeed require muting.

We like to joke. Sometimes we like to joke with mild insults. With very close friends, sometimes those insults seem harsher, and sometimes they are harsher than is welcome. There is no hard definite line for malice and joking, and we should do our best.

Please check in with each other on how we feel about X Y and Z as it happens, and take inventory of it. It's going to be an ongoing thing that we, as a team, are each going to have to develop a sense for over time. This is our collective responsibility.

That being said, my boundary is that I can call Shay the F slur, don't cross my line. ;)