Glossary
What is a moderation ladder?
A moderation ladder is a set of steps, from a light nudge to a ban, that moderators climb only as far as a problem needs.
In more detail
Most moderation problems are small: an off-topic post, a heated reply, a bit of self-promotion. A ladder keeps the response in proportion. You start at the lowest rung that fixes the problem and move up only if it keeps happening.
A written ladder does three jobs. It makes moderators consistent, so two people handling the same problem do the same thing. It makes members feel treated fairly, because they can see what comes next. And it protects moderators, who can point to the published steps instead of defending a gut call.
Some problems skip rungs. Spam, harassment and threats usually go straight to removal. Say that in your guidelines too, so nobody is surprised.
Example
Moderation queueFirst time: Warn, with a link to the self-promotion rule.
Second time this month: Hide the post and Mute for a week.
The usual rungs, and where Dium fits
| Rung | What happens | In Dium |
|---|---|---|
| Slow down | Limit how often people can post in a heated thread | Slow mode on a Wave (30 seconds between posts by default) |
| Nudge | A friendly public or private reminder | A reply or a direct message |
| Warn | A formal warning tied to a report | Review a report and choose Warn |
| Hide | Remove the content from view, keep the member | Hide an answer or archive a Wave from a report |
| Mute | Take away posting for a while | Mute a member from a report or the member list |
| Suspend or ban | Remove the person | Ban from a report. Five flags from Flow admins suspend an account, and a flag from an owner or organizer suspends at once |
Good practice
Small habits that make the difference.
Publish the ladder
Put it in your guidelines. Members should know what happens before it happens to them.
Log every step
Note what you did and why. The next moderator needs to know it is a second warning, not a first.
Name the skip-straight-to-ban cases
Spam, harassment and threats should not get three polite reminders.
Offer a way back
Say how a muted or suspended member can appeal, and who reads it.
How Dium handles it
In Dium, anyone can report a Wave, answer, message, member or Page. Moderators review reports and choose dismiss, warn, hide, delete, mute or ban. Owners and admins can also flag a member, and flags add up to suspension.
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