Board Thread:Site Discussions/@comment-24261123-20150909234802

This is a thread that I've tried to make for far too long. Our policy on minimodding has been interpreted so many different ways by so many people that we've all essentially just became far too lax about it. Our policy on minimodding is "Administrators and chat moderators are appointed for a reason. They are able to identify when the rules are being broken and know how to respond. Enforcing the rules yourself can result in confusion and miscommunication to moderators and administrators. If you a feel a user who is breaking rules is going unnoticed, message a moderator or administrator. Do not take the matter into your own hands. If there are no moderators or administrators on chat and a user is breaking the rules, contact one immediately, and provide screenshots of the user committing the act. However in more severe situations with no help available, take action under the rules."

Now, judging by this, the fact that anyone has an opportunity to minimod means that someone isn't responding fast enough to a broken rule. Now, the "if you feel someone is going unnoticed" part is rarely applicable, as in most cases, there is someone with rights on chat and they do respond, after minimodding. The entire reason for minimodding is that the people got to a rule breaker before the ones with rights did. While the screenshots are a good method for contacting a mod or an admin, if they're not on chat, by the time they see the message and get on it will be far too late.

Now, onto the treatment of minimodding itself. We, as a wiki, don't have a clear definition on minimodding, or how to respond to it. A mod might might say that a user telling a rule breaker to desist is alright as long as no one is handling the situation. Then an admin might call it minimodding. One might regard the explaining of a broken rule as minimodding, while others may say it's perfectly fine. And while minimodding results in a verbal warning, there's really no punishment for consistent minimodding.

I'm not saying I have the answers, or an alternative, or that I'm some grizzled veteran that knows whatever the heck you guys have done in the past.

I'm just asking us to brainstorm and see if we can find a solution. Together. 