Cleaning Up The Community

[kinetix63 Veteran]

2009 was an absolutely amazing year for Neowin. We've welcomed new members, broken some amazing news stories, and we begun work on the biggest changes that Neowin's back end system has seen in many years.

Whilst the year was full of positives, we've seen declining statistics on our forums recently. This can happen for a number of different reasons, but one we are particularly concerned about is the quality of the community at this point in time.

The fair majority of our members are kind, thoughtful individuals that are here to discuss technology, their hobbies, gaming, and various other subjects in an insightful, and courteous manner. Unfortunately, the actions of a very small minority here on Neowin are dragging our reputation down.

Going forward, we need to do something about repeat troublemakers who are not here to contribute. In the past, our moderators have been accused of being the "Nazi Mod's" of the internet. Whilst we have no desire to go back to that image, we need to look carefully at how warnings and appropriate punishments are issued - at the moment we seem to be warning people, but never having any consquences for those actions.

As of today, we'd like all of you to be aware that we've issued some new guidelines to our moderators, which I've detailed here for you:

* 20% Warn - No restriction

* 40% Warn - 2 day restriction

* 60% Warn - 10 day restriction

* 80% Warn - 30 day restriction

* 100% Warn - Ban

We'd like to be quite clear that these are only guidelines, and there is leeway in either direction. We're posting these guidelines here as a courtesy to you, our members, so that you are aware of what will happen at various warning levels. We want to be as transparent as possible, so that you understand the consequences of failing to abide by our community rules.

Whilst this is, in the grand scheme of things, quite a formal post - for the vast majority of you, this will mean nothing. It is only the small minority that are continuing to degrade our community that will suffer. We'd like you to think of Neowin more as a house party - anybody is welcome, but if you break the house rules then you either clean up your act, or you leave.

If you have any questions regarding this, please do post them here or PM a supervisor who will be glad to answer any questions.

Thank you for your understanding, and here's to an even better 2010 here on Neowin!

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I personally am glad to see a return to the more applied moderation :)

[Fubar]

cool id best behave from now on lol :)

[forster]

Im glad to see the new guidelines for warnings, up until now (for me anyway) warnings havent really meant a great deal - Im sure Ive been up and down to 100% at least 3 times since Ive been here, and while Im definately more mature than I was back then there is still the occasional thread that will get my blood pumping enough to get myself a warning. Hopefully the restrictions will give people a chance to cool down and reassess whether they (or indeed I) want to be a part of this community or not.

The site's great, I think most of us know stories about warnings/bannings that have raised questions about whether they were justified, but people are still flooding to Neowin, and members still seem to have the ability to at least sometimes post non-incredulous topics for conversation that makes coming here worthwhile ;)

[Coldgunner]

Gamers Hangout seems to have calmed right down and gets no real flame wars like before, the problem seems centred in RWI. Can we just do something about the politics section, as it seems to be nothing but tossing crap back and forth to no real gain.

[Konstanov]

The only response I have is the most childish one I can think of, NUTS!

[RoomKid]

:ninja: Okays, I'll behave :)

[tiagosilva29]

Riveting tale, chap!

[That Guy Veteran]

Nice post (Y) and let's hope it makes this place even better :)

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

Nice post (Y) and let's hope it makes this place even better :)

+1 (Y)

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Good move in my opinion. Some are going to complain about the new moderation guidelines to be too strict - namely the same people who are causing the most trouble to begin with.

The community as a whole can only gain from weeding out troublemakers more quickly.

[MikeChipshop Member]

I for one welcome this... until my inevitable ban when some idiot annoys me :p

[Veedems Veteran]

About time (Y)

[DrCheese]

Gamers Hangout seems to have calmed right down and gets no real flame wars like before, the problem seems centred in RWI. Can we just do something about the politics section, as it seems to be nothing but tossing crap back and forth to no real gain.

Yeah, Whist it's a key strength that Neowin isn't just a tech site, it does drive me crazy seeing the forum activity bit filled with constant bickering threads about American politics. I did hope that it would go down after the US election, but instead it's just got worse.

[Anibal P]

Yeah, Whist it's a key strength that Neowin isn't just a tech site, it does drive me crazy seeing the forum activity bit filled with constant bickering threads about American politics. I did hope that it would go down after the US election, but instead it's just got worse.

Politics will always be a divisive topic, no way around it, people are too entrenched into their opinions and positions to ever "give in" to the opposition

[Sethos]

Think I'm in the small minority who's ruining the community :laugh:

oh and "100% Warn - Ban" - Hopefully the staff won't look at my warning percentage then >.>

[Subject Delta]

If rules like this are going to be applied, it would also be fair for the warning system itself to be made a bit fairer, it is too easy on here to get warned for stupid things. I am interested to hear how banning and restricting members is meant to increase stats :/

[Vice]

Does this mean based on the new stuff you have to ban Sethos?

oh and "100% Warn - Ban" - Hopefully the staff won't look at my warning percentage then >.>

[Sethos]

If rules like this are going to be applied, it would also be fair for the warning system itself to be made a bit fairer, it is too easy on here to get warned for stupid things

I'd have to agree with that, well, perhaps the staff should discuss warnings a bit further because some staff members are very down to earth and will only warn in serious cases that is actually deemed warning worthy while other members of staff seem to shoot out warnings left and right for even the most mundane things.

On the overall I think most staff members are very fair and do their job well (Y)

[Subject Delta]

I am guessing it will probably only apply to new warnings, and not warnings that have already been applied

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Does this mean based on the new stuff you have to ban Sethos?

The way I understand it the new guidelines only apply to 100% warns handed out from today onwards.

[kinetix63 Veteran]

Think I'm in the small minority who's ruining the community :laugh:

oh and "100% Warn - Ban" - Hopefully the staff won't look at my warning percentage then >.>

Does this mean based on the new stuff you have to ban Sethos?

Provided you don't get yourself in any further trouble, then you'll be fine. We're not going to go around and start imposing these new restrictions based on old warns. Earn yourself a further warn now, and you could end up finding yourself banned.

It's also worth noting that if you've perhaps notched up 40% warning, and not received a restriction up to now, then if you were to earn yourself a 60% warning level, then you'd receive the current 10 day restriction for that warning "bracket".

If rules like this are going to be applied, it would also be fair for the warning system itself to be made a bit fairer, it is too easy on here to get warned for stupid things. I am interested to hear how banning and restricting members is meant to increase stats :/

How can we make the warning system fairer? We post our community rules available for all to read. They're not difficult to follow. What we're saying here is that if you break those rules, then these are the consequences that you can expect.

When it comes to increasing stats, we're trying to improve the quality of our community. By restricting the few that DO cause problems, then it makes things far more pleasant for the majority, who will then hopefully spread the word and bring friends along for the ride.

We're not trying to be Nazi's here, we're trying to be fair, and go to a system where we're open about how we will moderate.

[leesmithg]

How about not being given given a double warning for the same offence?

This has happened to me twice.

I think you should be able to log in and read, but not be able to leave comments for the resepctive 40%, 60%, 80% levels.

[Sethos]

Provided you don't get yourself in any further trouble, then you'll be fine. We're not going to go around and start imposing these new restrictions based on old warns. Earn yourself a further warn now, and you could end up finding yourself banned.

Well, at 100% I would probably have been banned by another warning under the new and old system :p

[kinetix63 Veteran]

How about not being given given a double warning for the same offence?

But, if you've broken the same rule twice, then why shouldn't you be warned for it twice?