Moderator Orientation

Summing up the responsibilities of a Moderator would be the word "guidance". Moderators with the power to manage users, their primary function is to enforce the rules and attempt to keep a positive environment! They represent our network and make sure that things are going smoothly. They don't have the responsibility of kick/banning people and their primary goal is to be helpful and positive. The following powers are granted to all moderators in all channels where TripBot has OP. Note: Just because TripBot has OP does not mean it's an official TripSit room. Whenever you have doubts/need advice/help, do not forget about ~teamtripsit!

Notify

/msg TripBot ~notify <channel> <event>

Moderators will make heavy use of the ~notify command to keep records of events on the network, and should be used every time you have to verbally warn a user. This is our primary mode of communication between all staff members. You can notify different levels of staff by choosing either #teamtripsit or #tripsit.me. The former will send a notify to all staff, and the latter to only moderators and above.

Reports

/msg TripBot ~report <user> <reason>

<reason> should be as descriptive as possible, and may even include a link to a pad of logs. Moderators will receive notifications of user 'reports' which take place in a certain room. If you're around, please respond to these reports and follow up with a ~notify stating you have dealt with the situation (detailed ~report handling procedure below.) This is something that is sometimes abused by people. When a report is filed wrongfully, explain to the issuer that it is not something to abuse; repeat offenders should be ~warn'ed.

Warning

/msg TripBot ~warn <user> <reason> 

You can provide an automatic warn when placing a ~quiet by including #warn in the reason.

You can see a user's previous warnings with ~warnings username.

Warnings are counted and permanently stored online for staff to view past events. These should be used as much as possible, as it provides a good record for us when considering a ban. The user is not notified of the warning when it is issued; it is only used for internal record keeping. Verbal warnings suffice most of the time, but when there is repeat behavior or serious offenses such as sourcing it is good to make a note of it.

Quiet

/msg TripBot ~quiet  <#room> <user> <reason> #warn

is optional if you intend to manually remove the quiet when the situation has passed.

<#room> is optional if you are using the command in the target room.

#warn is used to automatically apply a warning with the quiet reason.

As a Moderator, this command will be your primary mode of recourse against a problem user. This command prevents the user from speaking in that channel or changing their nickname; and also sends a notify to staff in that channel. It is an excellent tool for trolls and rowdy users who need a small break to cool off. It's usually better to employ a timed quiet rather than a permanent one, since this is difficult to follow up and is more of a 'permanent' solution, which isn't generally the intended use of a quiet.

Often a good method of 'moderation' is simply to attempt to guide a channel into a reasonable conversation. It's almost always better to try and defuse a situation with your words, than to immediately move towards silencing or warning a user. Most people listen to reason, and simply changing the subject is often an effective tactic in ceasing any buffoonery. ~question can be used to try to pull in a random conversation topic. Should trying to change the topic fail, one quiet is usually enough to change the subject quickly.

Rule Breaking Procedure

As a member

1. ~report the user

As a TripSitter

1. Verbal warning to please chill out or leave the room.

1. In the event of serious trolls, this may be skipped.

1. ~quiet <#channel> <username> <reason> to quiet problematic users in #tripsit.
2. ~report <user> and discuss the problem with other staff in #teamtripsit.
3. Join #tripsit.me and say ~teamtripsit

As a Moderator

When you receive a ~report about a user, or witness the activity yourself:

1. Verbal warning to please chill out.
2. If user is doing a serious infraction, this may be skipped, and you may immediately:
3. ~quiet the user for a specified time limit.

1. For minor infractions 10 minutes is a pretty good number.

1. Talk to the user.

1. This may be the most important step. A user needs to know what they did wrong and should hear it from a human rather than a robot.

1. ~warn the user (if necessary) providing information about the encounter.

1. Warning will be sent via PM on most occasions as to avoid drama in the main channels and a note will be added to their file on Titan pad.
2. Occasionally public warnings will be issued.

1. If a ~warn is not necessary, ~notify #tripsit.me of the outcome of the interaction.
2. If the above ~quiet was not timed, remember to undo the quiet.

Remember to keep logs and documentation on Titan pads.

Thanks for reading!