Moderator Guidelines

To help keep Disabilities-R-Us a safe and friendly place, we have appointed certain trusted people to be moderators. Moderators will have either a full or partial star next to their name.

What does a moderator do?

A moderator is basically just like any other user. They do not "monitor." They hang around a chat just like anyone else. They talk about their computers, their kids, what movies they saw, or any other thing that crosses their mind. Moderators can express their personal opinions as much as anyone else.

The primary function of a moderator is to come in the room when they have free time and chat as they normally would. There are no shifts or set hours. It's not a job. The only difference between a moderator and anyone else is that a moderator is permitted to temporarily kick out bad people.

Moderators are required to enjoy themselves which will help make the room more enjoyable for others.

What does a moderator NOT do?

Moderators are not cops, councilors or babysitters. They should not investigate rumors or act upon things they cannot verify directly. They should not act on hearsay. Moderators should not go looking for problems, they only act on problems that cross their path. Moderators should not control speech, only behavior. Moderators are not required to help you through your personal problems. If they do, great, but it's not part of being moderator.

The No-Nonsense Simplified Moderator Rules

Have fun!
No policing conversations unless it gets really out of hand.
For most people, follow the Three Strikes Rule: Private warning, public warning, third strike they're temporarily banned. (pending permanent ban by administrator if necessary.)
For the random crazies who just come in insulting, ban them without warning.
Encourage the use of the Ignore features to users who have personal issues with other users.

Kicking or Banning people.

Moderators are expected to go above and beyond the call of duty in being civil to users. Moderators should not ever intentionally lead a conversation to the point where it causes another person to be banned.

The ONLY time it is acceptable to ban someone is when that person is INTENTIONALLY and SIGNIFICANTLY disrupting the room AND continues to do so after being asked to stop. Moderators may ban someone immediately if it is blatantly obvious (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that the persons sole purpose for entering the room is to disrupt the ongoing conversations.

It is never acceptable to ban someone because they are not talking.
It is never acceptable to ban someone because you personally don't like that person.
It is never acceptable to ban someone just for using a cuss word. It's the intent that matters, not the words.
It is never acceptable to ban someone because you disagree with something that person says.
It is never acceptable to ban someone because one person of the group feels uncomfortable with that persons presence.
It is never acceptable to ban someone because they have a suspicious looking nick.
It is never acceptable to ban someone because they ask about the bots.
It is never acceptable to ban someone just because you think they might almost kinda semi possibly look like a hacker.
It is never acceptable to show favoritism towards friends. If your best friend gets out of control, then they are subject to the same rules.
It is never acceptable to use the excuse "Sorry, I'm having a bad day" as an excuse to break any of the above rules.

If you have a suspicion that someone is engaging in criminal activity, report it to me.

Moderator Qualifications

Moderators are selected only when there is a need, and never given based on who is asking for it. Specifically asking to be a moderator is an automatic disqualification. Moderator selection is based solely on the gut instinct of the administrator.