***Discussion of and proposal of revamped moderation policy ***

Author: PREZ-HILTON

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#1
PREZ-HILTON
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I am going to propose for a meep in the near future the moderation policy below among other things as part 1 of the plan that was outlined in the first presidential address.

This post is just about feedback on the proposed moderation policy so it can be altered to fit the will of the majority and succeed when offered as a MEEP. 

The community's philosophy on moderation is split into two camps. Camp A wants a policy that will elevate the level of conversation on the site as well as guarantee a mutual respect among site users. Camp B prioritizes freedom of speech in regards to making sure no topic is considered taboo. Hopefully the policy we ultimately submit for the MEEP process will make both camps of people happy. Without further Ado

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DebateArt.com Moderation Policy


DebateArt.com is dedicated to fostering an environment where users can engage in thoughtful and open debate on any topic, no matter how controversial or offensive it may be. Our moderation policy is designed to promote free speech while also ensuring that all users are treated with respect and that our community remains safe and constructive.

Respect for other users

Users must treat other users with respect and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or discriminatory language. We do not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying, or threats of violence. All users are encouraged to engage in productive and respectful debates, even if they disagree with the opinions of others.

Constructive debate

Users are encouraged to present well-reasoned arguments and avoid logical fallacies. We do not permit trolling, flame wars, or other forms of disruptive behavior. Users are allowed to present controversial or offensive arguments, as long as they do so in a respectful and thoughtful manner.

No plagiarism or cheating

Users must write their own arguments and not copy or plagiarize content from other sources. Cheating, such as using multiple accounts or vote manipulation, is strictly prohibited.

Renaming of threads or debate titles

Moderators have the right to rename a thread or debate title if it is deemed to be offensive or inappropriate. This includes any title or thread that contains discriminatory language or is otherwise harmful or offensive to a particular individual or group.

Reporting violations

Users are encouraged to report any violations of our policies or guidelines to the moderators, who will investigate and take appropriate action. Please include specific details and evidence to help us address the issue quickly and fairly.

Moderator actions

If a user is found to have violated our policies, the moderators may take a range of actions, including issuing warnings, suspending or banning accounts, removing content, or renaming threads or debate titles.

Our goal is to maintain a respectful and constructive community for all users, while also promoting free expression and constructive debate. By using DebateArt.com, you agree to comply with our moderation policy and any updates or changes to it. We reserve the right to modify our policies at any time to ensure the continued safety and integrity of our platform.

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I believe the policy above will help future moderators comply with the spirit of what the site is intended to be, without overly restricting them to do what is needed to keep the community safe and productive. 

Please provide your opinions and concerns below so we can be sure the policy is reflective to the wishes of the community
#2
AustinL0926
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@PREZ-HILTON
"Users must treat other users with respect and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or discriminatory language."

If that was the case, 50% of the userbase would be banned on the first day.
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#3
PREZ-HILTON
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@AustinL0926
Note I will edit the term discriminatory language out. The policy needs to be somewhat vague so it is practical to use but discriminatory language can be used by future moderators incorrectly. 

If that was the case, 50% of the userbase would be banned on the first day.

I disagree. Some vocal users who created 5 threads a day might fall into that category but their threads and presence drowns out intelligent discussion
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#4
PREZ-HILTON
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Updated policy to be proposed so far

DebateArt.com Moderation Policy


DebateArt.com is committed to promoting an environment where users can engage in open and thoughtful debate on any topic, no matter how controversial or offensive it may be. Our moderation policy is designed to encourage free speech while ensuring that all users are treated with respect and that our community remains safe and constructive.

Respect for other users

Users must treat other users with respect and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or language that is harmful, degrading, or disrespectful. We do not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying, or threats of violence. All users are encouraged to engage in productive and respectful debates, even if they disagree with the opinions of others.

Constructive debate

Users are encouraged to present well-reasoned arguments and avoid logical fallacies. We do not permit trolling, flame wars, or other forms of disruptive behavior. Users are allowed to present controversial or offensive arguments, as long as they do so in a respectful and thoughtful manner.

No plagiarism or cheating

Users must write their own arguments and not copy or plagiarize content from other sources. Cheating, such as using multiple accounts or vote manipulation, is strictly prohibited.

Renaming of threads or debate titles

Moderators have the right to rename a thread or debate title if it is deemed to be offensive or inappropriate. This includes any title or thread that is harmful or offensive to a particular individual or group.

Reporting violations

Users are encouraged to report any violations of our policies or guidelines to the moderators, who will investigate and take appropriate action. Please include specific details and evidence to help us address the issue quickly and fairly.

Moderator actions

If a user is found to have violated our policies, the moderators may take a range of actions, including issuing warnings, suspending or banning accounts, removing content, or renaming threads or debate titles.

Our goal is to maintain a respectful and constructive community for all users, while also promoting free expression and constructive debate.

By using DebateArt.com, you agree to comply with our moderation policy and any updates or changes to it. We reserve the right to modify our policies at any time to ensure the continued safety and integrity of our platform.
#5
TWS1405_2
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Respect for other users

Users must treat other users with respect and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or discriminatory language. We do not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying, or threats of violence. All users are encouraged to engage in productive and respectful debates, even if they disagree with the opinions of others.
Respect is earned, not given. 

Sometimes colorful language gets the point across upon deaf eyes/ears. 

There needs to be a clear delineation between abusive personal attacks and colorful use of language to describe another's lack of education, attitude, demeanor, behavior and actions taken on a subject. 



Let's not leap into the rabbit hole of being snowflakes here. Please. 


Topic's author
#6
PREZ-HILTON
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@TWS1405_2
Sometimes colorful language gets the point across upon deaf eyes/ears. 
The policy allows for colorful language 


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#7
PREZ-HILTON
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@TWS1405_2
Let's not leap into the rabbit hole of being snowflakes here. Please.
I believe the prior mod teams were behaving like snowflakes so these rules remove terms in the current COC such as "hate speech" and other things that allowed previous teams to impose their ideology on the site
#8
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@PREZ-HILTON
Under this moderation policy, users that would likely be banned would include you, me, and Barney. It's simply too vague when it comes to what counts as disrespectful language.





#9
Bella3sp
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I do agree with the others, Austin and TWS.

Along with that,

Renaming of threads or debate titles

Moderators have the right to rename a thread or debate title if it is deemed to be offensive or inappropriate. This includes any title or thread that is harmful or offensive to a particular individual or group.
What defines offensive? Many people on this website can claim something as offensive due to personal beliefs. Such as the debate title "Homosexuality is wrong", other users could say, "That offends me because i'm homosexual!". Anything could be offensive.

If someone has a problem with the title or opinion of another, accept the position and debate. 
If you can't handle other peoples opinions i'm surprised you have lasted this long with the different opinions in society. 

- Apparently it won't let me mention you because your offline. 





#10
Ramshutu
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@PREZ-HILTON
We do not permit trolling
Define trolling.

This is such an open ended definition that it’s open to abuse.

While there a number of people I would consider disruptive trolls; I would never suggest couching things in such vague and subjective terms.

One day, one admin could ban GreyParrot, roosevelt, Best Korea or Wylted - the next it you could use it to justify a ban on Oromagi or 3ru7al
#11
Barney
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@AustinL0926
Under this moderation policy, users that would likely be banned would include ... Barney.
So you're saying it's the best policy ever? 😁

#12
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@Ramshutu
We do not permit trolling
Define trolling.
Yeah, I fought to have "trolling" removed from conduct violations. Granted, there's some precise forms of trolling which can cross the line, but just being an abrasive jokester IMO is not what we need to crack down on.
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#13
PREZ-HILTON
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@Ramshutu
I will fix it and tag you with the updated version. 
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#14
PREZ-HILTON
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@AustinL0926
Under this moderation policy, users that would likely be banned would include you, me, and Barney. It's simply too vague when it comes to what counts as disrespectful language.
I will alter it with that in mind. What else do you want the policy to include or exclude 
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#15
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@Bella3sp
If someone has a problem with the title or opinion of another, accept the position and debate. 
If you can't handle other peoples opinions i'm surprised you have lasted this long with the different opinions in society. 

The proposed policy mentions that no subject is taboo. The title changes would be things like a debate titled "niggers deserve slavery" would be changed to "African Americans deserved slavery" . It wouldn't be steps to change what the debate or thread is about. 
#16
zedvictor4
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Censoring opposition is the basis of fascism.
#17
Best.Korea
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@TWS1405_2
There needs to be a clear delineation between abusive personal attacks and colorful use of language to describe another's lack of education, attitude, demeanor, behavior and actions taken on a subject.
"You can attack user's arguments. You cannot attack a user." should be the point of a debate site.

Otherwise, it just becomes a firing range for insults.

I saw that youtube has a list of banned words and removes comments automatically.
#18
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@Best.Korea
But remember, adjectives ≠ nouns. 
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#19
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@zedvictor4
Censoring opposition is the basis of fascism.
Agreed, that's why this moderation policy seeks to correct the previous one that allowed for such a thing and is a reason why many people were banned when David was head mod
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#20
PREZ-HILTON
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@Ramshutu
@AustinL0926
policy modified to reflect the inputs of you both

DebateArt.com Moderation Policy

DebateArt.com is committed to promoting an environment where users can engage in open and thoughtful debate on any topic, no matter how controversial or offensive it may be. Our moderation policy is designed to encourage free speech while ensuring that all users are treated with dignity and that our community remains safe and constructive.

Respect for other users

Users must treat other users with dignity and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or language that is harmful, degrading, or offensive. We do not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying, or threats of violence. All users are encouraged to engage in productive and respectful debates, even if they disagree with the opinions of others.

Constructive debate

Users are encouraged to present well-reasoned arguments and avoid logical fallacies. We do not permit the worst forms of trolling, such as spamming, posting irrelevant or inflammatory content, or engaging in personal attacks. However, we do allow more borderline forms of trolling that are intended to provoke thought or stimulate debate, as long as they are presented in a respectful and thoughtful manner.
No plagiarism or cheatingUsers must write their own arguments and not copy or plagiarize content from other sources. Cheating, such as using multiple accounts or vote manipulation, is strictly prohibited.

Doxxing and impersonation

Doxxing (the posting of personal information of others without their consent) and impersonation (pretending to be someone else) are strictly prohibited on DebateArt.com. This includes impersonating the site owner, moderators, or other users.

Renaming of threads or debate titles

Moderators have the right to rename a thread or debate title if it is deemed to be offensive or inappropriate. This includes any title or thread that is harmful or offensive to a particular individual or group.

Reporting violations

Users are encouraged to report any violations of our policies or guidelines to the moderators, who will investigate and take appropriate action. Please include specific details and evidence to help us address the issue quickly and fairly.

Moderator actions

If a user is found to have violated our policies, the moderators may take a range of actions, including issuing warnings, suspending or banning accounts, removing content, or renaming threads or debate titles. Our goal is to maintain a dignified and constructive community for all users, while also promoting free expression and constructive debate.

By using DebateArt.com, you agree to comply with our moderation policy and any updates or changes to it. We reserve the right to modify our policies at any time to ensure the continued safety and integrity of our platform.

Topic's author
#21
PREZ-HILTON
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When voting on the policy at a later thread, remember that this is the status quo it should be measured agains. https://info.debateart.com/terms-of-service/rules

This is meant to replace the relevant portions of the current code of conduct
#22
AustinL0926
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@PREZ-HILTON
"Users must treat other users with dignity and refrain from personal attacks, insults, or language that is harmful, degrading, or offensive."
Fixed it for you:

Users must treat other users with reasonable respect, and refrain from personal attacks/insults with the purpose of causing harm to another user.

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#23
PREZ-HILTON
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@AustinL0926
will swapping around that language help you vote for the policy when it is submitted for referendum or meep approval? To me they essentially mean the same thing so I don't mind switching the language around but I don't want to get into debates over minor things when the big issue is how terrible the current COC is.
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#24
PREZ-HILTON
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Try to mention every issue you see with it at once. I have no problem doing 200 rewrites if need be but I don't want to unneccesarily do a rewrite if the opinion could have been shared earlier or if no changes will make the people advocating for the changes happy.
#25
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@PREZ-HILTON
Probably. I understand the intent of the new policy, and I like it, but I also don't want it to be used as a weapon to settle grudges. I wouldn't be surprised if TWS and Roosovelt tried to get each other banned on the first day of the new policy as it's currently worded, lol.
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#26
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@AustinL0926
 I wouldn't be surprised if TWS and Roosovelt tried to get each other banned on the first day of the new policy as it's currently worded, lol.
I will modify the language thanks for your support. 

I don't want to cross contaminate this thread but I don't find that result to be harmful to the site, not that I see it happening
#27
RationalMadman
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My time on the Internet has taught me a very important thing; moderators work for free on almost all websites. Even if they don't work for free, they then answer to whoever pays them and can write their recommendations for future job offers.

There is only 1 currency that moderators tend to care about; public opinion. They want to appear pleasant and justified to the masses. It doesn't matter what is written in the terms and conditions, no seriously it does not matter at all what is written there. You can get away with things written there and be punished for things not outruled there if you don't comprehend the fabric of social tension and ride the waves along the tide of public opinion.

So, quite honestly, I know firmly nothing will change or improve or get worse (thankfully) based on any such shit written there. I know who is in charge and how he is and how the masses interpret actions here. The website has a problematic userbase that value abusing each other over having authentic high quality debate where we are protected against pure thug-like bullying. You cannot fix it, you cannot change it, you either adapt to it or leave the website.

They can word the policies however they want to, it doesn't matter. I got banned 6 weeks for false allegations and haven't had so much as a sorry ever since. The irony is that the only allegation that held ground was I had said false allegations against Mikal.

This website would sooner ban a user for being annoying than for being cruel and ignoring the lack of consent of another to keep abusing them. I have seen it time and time again, enough to realise there is no use to care what's written, the people in charge are pandering to a public that favours flaming over debating. This website's just another troll shitshow now, only the tournaments may be different.
#28
sadolite
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@PREZ-HILTON
It seems so many think attacking what they say is a personal attack.  Many don't know the difference between a personal attack and attacking what they say. Roosevelt is a prime example. His continuous unprovoked name calling must be addressed.
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#29
PREZ-HILTON
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@sadolite
I agree and hopefully the moderation policy is a step in a direction that can help with that. The balance I am trying to create is between the two following things.

1. No debate topic or discussion topic is considered taboo. Right now the COC has terms such as "hate speech" written into it and I feel like previous mod teams used it as an excuse to push their ideology on the site. Moderators need to be neutral.

2. Create a much greater level of respect between users.

I have noticed Roosevelt has randomly attacked people and isn't interested in fruitful discussion. He certainly isn't the only one but perhaps the worst offender. My hands are tied until we pass this moderation policy which will let me pressure mods in the right direction, but I have a plan to utilize social pressures to deal with that problem if this doesn't pass. 

Hopefully the user base responds appropriately to the new policy so that way we can gently guide discussions in a respectful direction as opposed to bringing down strict punishments. 

I do want to keep discussions of specific users in the thread minimal, but the policy will make the site better to use for a lot of people and others will have to adjust their behavior to stay compliant with it. 
#30
David
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I like the proposed moderation policies