About Moderation

[Lumine]

As a general rule I've tended to exercise a somewhat lax approach to moderating the Atlasia boards (beyond the usual requests) due to the nature of the game, what seemed to be precedent and myself playing the game as well, but although that felt right at the time certain situations (such as the entire Matthew incident) have led me to believe it would be helpful to take on a more active and vigilant approach so to address those past issues appropriately.

It is hardly my intention to go full-fascist on harmless roleplaying or attempts at satire/comedy, but just to make it clear I will be enforcing the ToS more directly - and thus wield the flamethrower if found necessary - whilst trying not to avoid negatively impact the game. In terms of rules that means that:

General Rules:

1. Hateful speech: Blatant racism, hatefulness, bigotry, etc., is not to be tolerated. And it will be reported, infracted and deleted on sight. I get that situations such as a Recall/Censure/Impeachment are very important to the game and will testify for it if needed be, but removing such content is my priority.

2. Abusive behavior: There is a big difference between a political or personal disagreement (or irony, or satire), which is evidently important and vital to the game; and outright personal abuse or harassment, which I believe has taken place in the past and which shouldn't be acceptable (just don't expect me to judge every single criticism as "abuse").

3. Profanity: Evidently profanity is not to be accepted either (and this is already being enforced up to a point). Signs (like * or _) can always be placed within words if found necessary.

4. Access: Feel free to reach out via PM (or via Discord, though I consider PMs to be the formal ones) in terms of moderation concerns or questions, to sticky, unsticky or edit a thread, and so on. If you find the chosen approach to be wrong feel free to contact me, or Virginia (or another moderator).

5. Copyright: Following Dave's new guidelines on copyright, only images on the public domain can be posted (and must be attributed, at least with a footnote). Absolutely no watermarked images.

6. Future: It seems natural that things will develop and change as time goes by, so we'll see how this works and what other issues need to be addressed as well. I certainly think it's worth a try, though I'll be mindful of not going Pol Pot.

I certainly hope this will be for the best, if only to avoid or act against further instances of, say, actual Nazis running around spreading hateful, abusive stuff.

[Lumine]

Updating this to include the Copyright issue following Dave's post and the whole issue surrounding images - which are certainly used in Atlasia -, as it is now necessary to only use images on the public domain (or created by the user), and to properly attribute what is being used. I know it will take time and effort to get used (fully aware of the benefit of using images), but the policy will be enforced and inappropiate images will be reported/infracted.

To reiterate, absolutely do not use watermarked images.

For what it's worth, Virginia's advice in another board may be helpful to ease up into the new policy:

This is going to make using pictures in alternate timelines and Atlasia extremely difficult, isn't it?    because we would have to cite what the picture really is when we are using it to imagine its a picture of something else.  really breaks the flow.

Woudn't a footnote thing be acceptable? Like put a ₁ under the picture and then cite what the ₁ means at the bottom of the post.

That could probably work. Make the footnote text dark grey and small text too.

Dave's post, for reference:

Hi -
You may post content you create or images that are confirmed in the public domain.  All images posted in threads need to include license information and attribution like:

President Bush Nominates Henry Paulson as Treasury Secretary 2
Shealah Craighead [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Please follow this example. 
Thanks,
Dave

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Does this mean we have to go back and footnote every image?  Some of us have used a lot of them.

Also, what is the policy on edited images?

[Lumine]

Does this mean we have to go back and footnote every image?  Some of us have used a lot of them.

Also, what is the policy on edited images?

I know, I myself have a lot of content I'll probably have to delete or edit. If possible I'd encourage to do so, or at least to delete watermarked images as the most problematic thing.

That is something we'll have to clarify (particulary problematic for memes) with Dave yet, particularly to establish what truly constitutes content made by a user. I won't be deleting/infracting those before recieving further clarification (I certainly hope they'll be allowed), but it is for the best if the original image can be attributed.

[Former President tack50]

Does this mean we have to go back and footnote every image?  Some of us have used a lot of them.

Also, what is the policy on edited images?

I know, I myself have a lot of content I'll probably have to delete or edit. If possible I'd encourage to do so, or at least to delete watermarked images as the most problematic thing.

That is something we'll have to clarify (particulary problematic for memes) with Dave yet, particularly to establish what truly constitutes content made by a user. I won't be deleting/infracting those before recieving further clarification (I certainly hope they'll be allowed), but it is for the best if the original image can be attributed.

Great, so Dave has passed a site-wide version of the EU's article 13? Time to start using bootleg memes



https://laughter17.blogspot.com/2019/03/article-13-memes-article-13-memes.html

[Lumine]

Regarding abusive behavior: blatantly transphobic personal attacks - such as one that took place in a potential court case - are obviously unacceptable and they will get infracted as well.

I'd strongly appreciate it if there was no more of that nonsense, and my thanks to those who reported it.

[Lumine]

Another friendly warning, if a post has been modified or edited, there's a reason for that (particularly if it has been infracted). Don't try to override that on your own.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Just don't be awful, people. Is that so hard?

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Just don't be awful, people. Is that so hard?

For certain people, apparently so.

[Lumine]

Just don't be awful, people. Is that so hard?

I have to second this, very strongly. It really shouldn't be difficult not to harass or attack another poster, and I'm honestly sorry Peebs had to go through this kind of situation.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

For all the stupid complaints from Wulfric I'd always far rather an AFE Moderator who is actively involved in Atlasia and knows what's going on than someone who doesn't know and doesn't care about anything Atlasia related beyond enforcing the ToS without any context to Atlasian affairs.

[Wisconsin+17]

I would like to file a protest against altering my court brief to make it say things that I didn't say.

I will be filing directly to the court to ensure that the correct, unaltered briefing is submitted. 

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I would like to file a protest against altering my court brief to make it say things that I didn't say.

I will be filing directly to the court to ensure that the correct, unaltered briefing is submitted. 

shut up Trudeau supporter

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

To clarify, I would be fine with a moderator who had past deep involvement in the game but has since become a zombie voter or left the game. But to have a moderator who actively seeks office and thus has real stakes in the game creates problems because there is enormous incentive to make or not make a given moderating decision such as to benefit a side.

[Pericles]

To clarify, I would be fine with a moderator who had past deep involvement in the game but has since become a zombie voter or left the game. But to have a moderator who actively seeks office and thus has real stakes in the game creates problems because there is enormous incentive to make or not make a given moderating decision such as to benefit a side.

Lumine has been a moderator on these boards for a long time and has never once acted in a way that is biased to one side, and this idea he is serving the right-wing in his moderation decisions is absurd. Lumine has always tried to serve Atlasia as a whole in his moderation decisions, he might not have always gotten the moderation balance right but never due to malicious or ulterior motives. Your point quite frankly does not align with reality.

[Wisconsin+17]

Changing people's words to suit what you would prefer them to be is contrary to the entire purpose of this game. Can't have a game unless people's ability to speak for themselves and not have words put in their mouth.

Breaking this game rule, completely breaks the game. There were other ways to deal with this that could have been done but were not done.

You want a game? Step back and let people talk and discuss. Guarantee you that will lead to a better result than overriding what they actually write.

Given this response, I will reiterate my request that Lumine resign, effective immediately.

[Lumine]

Changing people's words to suit what you would prefer them to be is contrary to the entire purpose of this game. Can't have a game unless people's ability to speak for themselves and not have words put in their mouth.

Breaking this game rule, completely breaks the game. There were other ways to deal with this that could have been done but were not done.

You want a game? Step back and let people talk and discuss. Guarantee you that will lead to a better result than overriding what they actually write.

Given this response, I will reiterate my request that Lumine resign, effective immediately.

Hm.

Look, I'll just say it again.

Openly discriminating and mistreating another user goes directly against the spirit of the forum (and the TOS), and regardless of whether you try to frame it as: A. a matter of legal discourse - which is irrelevant -, B. freedom of expression - which is regulated by the TOS, for obvious reasons -, or C. fatalistic fantasies regarding the game somehow collapsing if a given user is not allowed to openly and blatantly discriminate; you're still demeaning people while pretending it to be something else or a matter for serious and thoughtful debate, which it isn't.

If your notion of a better game is one in which it is perfectly alright to be abusive towards someone else out of personal prejudices, then we'll have to disagree. It certainly would be easier for me not to do anything because I'd then be able to play the game - which I very much enjoyed doing - without worrying about the usual suspects demanding my head every five minutes and denouncing some sort of conspiracy.

I'm not here to be the woke police, but as long as I moderate this board I have no desire to let blatantly hateful nonsense flying around, and so I would encourage you not to persist in that kind of behavior.

The request for the resignation is noted, do feel free to raise it with the Mod Team or with Our Lord Dave himself.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Naturally I stand 100% by what Lumine said, and I'm absolutely convinced the entire mod team does as well.

Forum rules always trumps the game, period. Lumine decided to leave the game in order to avoid any appearance of having a conflict of interests, even though very few took any issue with his performance as a moderator, so carrying out with the entire one-man drama is simply a sad spectacle to watch. Taking it on Lumine personally is unfair as well, since every other mod would've done the same, we're supposed to. If you don't like ToS, you are more than welcome to find another safe space to be a dick to the transgender people.

[Virginiá]

for Ben Kenobi:

Calm down and resign from Atlas, effective immediately

[John Dule]

Just don't be awful, people. Is that so hard?

Yes.

[Lumine]

Will be taking an extended departure from the forum and have resigned as a mod, both decisions entirely due to personal reasons (stress, personal struggles and the developing situation in Chile). Outstanding reported posts were solved, the Persona Index is there if anyone wishes to take it up, and before leaving I would encourage people to be civil. Atlasia remains a thoroughly interesting and engaging game, and it doesn't need to be vitriolic or poisonous to remain fun.

It was a pleasure and a privilege.