Dual Universe Volunteer Forum Moderator Guidelines

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Dual Universe Volunteer Forum Moderator Guidelines

The following are the guidelines for the Dual Universe volunteer moderators. They are written with the moderation team in mind, but have been posted in the spirit of transparency so that all community members can see the expectations we have for our volunteers.


Moderators are Anonymous
Moderators are given an account with a unique user name. Moderators are not permitted to reveal their real or forum identities to anyone for any reason. That includes friends and other community members. We take this very seriously.

Moderators are Impartial
All moderation is done fairly and impartially. Moderators are expected to treat all members of the community the same. This means you may be required to moderate posts and comments from your friends, maybe even your best friend. It’s a difficult thing to be impartial when dealing with friends, but it is imperative that you treat everyone the same and show absolutely no favoritism.

Moderators Always Remain Calm and Respectful
As a moderator, you may become the focus of a community member’s anger or frustration. Remember: Be nice. It’s not personal. Even if they are insulting you or making outrageous accusations, be nice. You are simply the target, not the cause (probably) of their anger/frustration. Never respond in kind and never, ever respond out of anger or frustration. This only leads to an endless spiral of anger and nothing is resolved. That said, please know you are not expected to take abuse or be subjected to mistreatment from the community. Abuse of moderators will be addressed by the Community Team.

Moderators are Here to Help
Moderators should be as helpful as possible. Even if a question has been asked a hundred times, understand that the person asking it might be new and this is their first interaction with the community. A helpful and welcoming response can turn a curious newbie into an outstanding community member. A curt or unkind response, could turn them away from the community and the game. Always offer the best answer you can, with links if possible. Of course, after answering their question or providing links to the answer, it’s perfectly acceptable to introduce them to the search feature and suggest they check it out the next time they have a question.

Moderators are Proactive
When a conflict arises between community members, a good moderator will step in and try to defuse the situation. Sometimes all that’s required is a friendly reminder that we all are passionate about the game and we should respect differing viewpoints. If things get out of hand, then locking or hiding specific posts or possibly the entire thread until a Community Manager can review it is a good option. If you do this, contact a community manager immediately so we can take appropriate action.

Moderators are Volunteers Not Employees
We consider our Moderators valuable assets and we are deeply appreciative of the time they dedicate to making the forums a better place. However, it is imperative that moderators, and all members of the community, keep in mind that moderators are not an official Novaquark employee. Moderators should never place themselves in a situation where their comments may be construed as an official statement or position.  Likewise, moderators should never post in a manner that suggests or implies they are a Novaquark employee. Doing so can create serious issues for the moderator and for us.

Moderators are under NDA
From time to time Moderators may be provided with information in advance of its public release. You are expected to keep this information in strict confidence and not share it until or unless otherwise instructed, in writing, by Novaquark.

What can Moderators do?
The following tools and abilities are available to Moderators:

• Able to see and read all reported posts.
• Access to the Moderation area and Tools
• Move threads between sections.
• Hide specific posts or entire threads.
• Merge threads.