Moderation FAQ Why was my account banned? Why was my account suspended? Why did I receive a reminder? What should I do if I see a post that breaks the Forum Rules? How do I report a post? What happens when I report a post? How do I know if my post reports are helpful? Why do users get reminders, warnings, or time-outs? What happens if I break the rules? Why didn't I get a more personal message for a rule violation? Is Moderation handled privately? What if I disagree with moderation of my posts? How are moderation errors handled? Top 10 Reasons, Explanations, Excuses, and Complaints Why was my account banned? If you have received a permanent forum ban from the moderators, it's because you have not followed the Forum Rules, either violating the most serious rules or you have repeatedly violated the rules despite receiving reminders or time-outs. It's a disciplinary action of last resort because we'd rather not lose forum members. Users are banned if their registration was for inappropriate reasons, if they've abused their forum privileges, or if their posts were a continuing detriment to the forum community. Affair Recovery is stricter than some other forum sites. This is by design. Our site isn't for everyone. Since your posting habits weren't found to be acceptable at Affair Recovery, we suggest that you find a site that's more lenient. Why didn't I get a warning first? If you broke the most serious rules, such as posting threats, you may be banned on the spot. Otherwise, you probably received reminders and/or time-outs, but didn't heed those warnings. What if I Disagree? We expect that the reason for your ban is clear from the message you received, the post involved, and from any previous reminders. If not, see What if I disagree with moderation of my posts? What if I have more questions about account bans? You'll find a wealth of information in the Moderation FAQ. Why was my account suspended? If you have received a temporary forum ban ("time-out") from the moderators, it's because you have not followed the Forum Rules and, in most cases, not heeded previous reminders. The moderators would prefer to issue only reminders rather than suspend a forum member's account, but in serious cases this type of disciplinary action has proven to be necessary to get a forum member's full attention and cooperation. What should I do about it? Your account will reactivate after a certain number of days. Review the Forum Rules and follow them when your account is again active. That's usually all there is to it. If you observe the rules, the moderators won't have any further issues with your posts. Your cooperation is appreciated! Why didn't I get a warning first? If you broke a very serious rule, the moderators may apply a time-out to get your immediate attention or to stop you from posting until you've reviewed the rules. In most cases, however, users are sent one or more reminders about the rules, with no loss of forum privileges, when they break the Forum Rules. Reminders are sent to help you avoid time-outs, and time-outs are given to help you avoid a permanent ban. What Determined the Length of my account suspension? Disciplinary actions are based on the rule involved, the nature of the violation, and any history of prior violations. Some rules are more serious than others. What if I Disagree? We hope that the reason for your time-out is clear from the message you received, the post involved, and from any previous reminders. If not, see What if I disagree with moderation of my posts? What if I have more questions about account suspensions? You'll find a wealth of information in the Moderation FAQ. Why did I receive a reminder? If you have received a reminder about a forum rule from the moderators, it's because the moderators want you to know that: Your post was not considered to be in keeping with the Forum Rules. Your post may have been edited or removed. You should review and follow the Forum Rules to avoid further problems. The Forum Rules are designed to keep the forums useful and enjoyable for all members. Reminders are simply heads-up messages that alert you to a problem so that you can avoid it in the future. Reminders aren't punishment. They are given to help you and to help other forum members. What should I do about it? Review the Forum Rules so you can follow them in the future. That's usually all there is to it. You won't lose any forum privileges over a single problem with the rules. Only when a forum user ignores reminders and repeatedly violates the rules, especially the most serious rules, will there be a loss of forum privileges (a temporary suspension or permanent ban). Only a few rules, such as the prohibitions on harassment, threats, and re-registration during a temporary ban, can produce instant bans. We don't make a big issue out of minor rules, but we do remind users about them. If you have questions about the rules, or don't think your post broke the rules, a careful review of the Forum Rules should address your concerns. If not, read What if I disagree with moderation of my posts? and if still necessary email support@hope-now.com to ask for clarification. Your cooperation is appreciated! What if I have other questions about reminders? You'll find a wealth of information in the Moderation FAQ. What should I do if I see a post that breaks the Forum Rules? Please report the post to the moderators so they can take care of the problem. Don't complain about the post in the forums and don't quote the post since it will just call attention to an inappropriate post and your post won't make sense if the moderators remove the offending post. Be sure not to make an angry post that breaks the rules yourself. If you are unsure whether a post breaks the rules, report it anyway; the moderators will check if it does or not. You are helping the community by reporting posts. If you have a concern about a forum problem and want a reply, email support@hope-now.com, not only report the post. How do I report a post? To report a post, click the Report link that is immediately under the offending post. Other users don't know that you reported a post. Your anonymity is protected. You can also report any of your own posts when you need help from the moderators – for example, to ask the moderators to delete a post. However, we do not delete entire threads unless absolutely necessary, even at the original author's request. Other users take time to respond to the thread and it is disrespectful of their time and effort. Do not submit a post if you do not want it posted because only you can be responsible for what you post. Thank you to those who report posts needing moderator attention. Your efforts improve the quality of the forums! What happens when I report a post? The post report form will be sent to the moderators and it will be addressed during standard business hours. If it is a night or weekend and an off-duty moderator sees the report they may address it sooner. If you report a post for violating the Forum Rules, the moderator team will evaluate the reported post to see if it breaks any rules. If not, they'll take no other action. If the post breaks rules, they'll usually edit or remove the post. Depending on the situation they'll remind the user about the rule or, in serious or repeated cases, apply discipline (a time-out or ban). Details of disciplinary actions towards users are not discussed with other users. Every report is reviewed but you will not receive a reply to a Post Report. If want to report a forum problem but require a reply, email support@hope-now.com instead. No matter what the outcome, we thank you for reporting a post that you thought might represent a problem. You're helping the community this way. How do I know if my post reports are helpful? In almost all cases, your post reports are exactly what the moderators need to do their jobs. Whether post reports are about serious or trivial problems, we appreciate your help in keeping the site running smoothly. If now and then you submit a post report that the moderators decide doesn't require action, which can happen in borderline cases or where you don't understand the nuances of Forum Rules and site policies, there's little harm done. If you make a habit of reporting posts that don't need to be reported, the moderators will probably let you know and explain the rule involved, to save you and themselves future time and trouble. Why do users get reminders, warnings, or time-outs? Most users follow the Forum Rules but sometimes users need to be reminded. The moderators routinely remind users of the rules, whether the rules involved are major or minor. If you're alerted about the rules, please understand that it's to help you use the forums properly, avoid causing problems for other users, and to help all users get the most out of the forums. Reminder and warning messages about the rules are not punishment. They help you avoid future problems that could otherwise lead to discipline. Even time-outs are a way to give you another chance, with a strong enough warning to encourage you to follow the rules and avoid a permanent ban. The rules and moderation guidelines are applied equally to all forum members but messages and disciplinary actions depend on the rule involved, the nature of the violation, and the user's history of prior violations. Repeated rule-breaking causes stronger actions, so a reminder one time can become a warning or time-out the next time. What happens if I break the rules? With so many people with a variety of different view and opinions on our forums, it is likely that you might annoy another user. If someone reports the post, your post will be reviewed by the moderators and it may be edited or removed. You may get a reminder or warning from one of the moderators. If you take the time to review the rules and avoid the problem in the future, that will be the end of it. For repeated breaking of rules or for breaking the most serious rules (e.g., personal insults, hoaxes, advertising), discipline may be applied even on the first offense. Usually a temporary forum suspension (time-out) will be applied if previous warnings haven't been sufficient. With a time-out you won't be able to access the forums for a certain number of days. Flagrant violations of serious rules may earn you a permanent suspension, i.e., a forum ban. Why didn't I get a more personal message for a rule violation? The moderators use automated reminder messages to ensure consistency, facilitate recordkeeping, and for efficiency. We're sorry the moderators can't send a personal message each time there's an issue in the forums but they have a large number of forum members to serve. If the moderators think a reminder requires further explanation they'll take the time to add extra comments to the message. Moderation of your posts is not personal and you are not being singled out. The moderators don't play favorites. Other users are moderated exactly the same way in the same circumstances. Is Moderation handled privately? Almost all moderation is handled privately to avoid embarrassing forum members. Notifications are sent by email so only you and the moderators see them. In keeping with this privacy policy, if you post in the forums asking why your post was moderated, your post will be removed (it's almost always off-topic to the thread it's in). The answer to "Why was my post deleted?" is always the same: it violated a forum rule or was a quote of a post that violated a forum rule. If you want a further explanation email us at support@hope-now.com so we can be perfectly frank and discuss your posts and forum record. Moderation privacy does not mean that moderation is secretive or mysterious. The rules are posted for all to see. We'll discuss any aspect of your moderation with you and explain the reasons for any moderation action you question. The moderators keep records of their actions and each moderator sees the actions taken by the other moderators, so no moderator acts in a vacuum. What if I disagree with moderation of my posts? Users sometimes want to inquire about, question, or dispute a moderation action. Facts to consider Moderation is almost always correct, appropriate, and done fairly. We know that reasonable people can have differences of opinion about the meaning of particular posts or how to interpret rules. Language is imprecise and sarcasm and nuances are hard to detect over the Internet so it's possible that your post was misinterpreted by other users and by the moderators. However, our moderators are experienced at interpreting posts, applying the Forum Rules, and making judgement calls in borderline cases. What's past is past. What concerns us is your future use of the forums. If you've been given a reminder, or even a temporary suspension, it's because we think you can follow the rules in the future. These actions are intended to help you use the forums properly and maintain your posting privileges. No matter what your past forum record is, follow the rules and you'll avoid problems and get the most out of the forums. If you don't accept an action by or message from the moderators, here's what to do and what not to do: What to do If you received a reminder, temporary suspension, or ban, read any messages you've received from the moderators, which should tell you the specific information you need to know. See if there are related Moderation FAQs that answer questions you may have. Consider the reason you think you should not have been moderated and see if it's on the Top 10 Reasons, Explanations, Excuses, and Complaints. If so, an answer is there too. If you still disagree, email us at support@hope-now.com and tell us why you disagree. The support team will review your posts, account history, and the actions by the moderators based on your message and the moderation records, and in most cases email you a reply within one week. What not to do Do not contact us without reviewing the information listed above. You'll be wasting your time and ours. Do not lose your temper. The moderators are willing to answer questions and the administrators are willing to review moderation cases, but blowing up will not help you make your case. Do not start a thread to dispute moderation. Instead email us at support@hope-now.com so that we can review the case independently. Do not post about the moderation of a thread in that thread. To ask questions about moderation or moderation policies, email us at support@hope-now.com. To maintain user privacy, we do not answer questions about specific cases of moderation in forum threads. Do not insult the moderators for doing their job. Insulting any forum member is against the rules. Do not re-register during a temporary suspension or after a ban. You will likely be recognized and permanently banned. Trying to bypass a suspension or ban shows an unwillingness to respect the rules that will dim any chance you have of retaining your account or being reinstated after a ban. How are moderation errors handled? When members complain about unfair or incorrect moderation, they are usually wrong. The moderators follow guidelines to ensure consistency and are experienced at applying the Forum Rules uniformly. Still, we take all complaints seriously and there's a procedure to follow if you have complaints. See "What if I disagree with moderation of my posts?". Moderators are people too. Although we try to choose moderators who are exceptionally level-headed, it is possible to annoy them. This isn't being unfair; it's being human. The moderators trade cases or rely on their team approach to make sure moderation isn't personal, even if you mistakenly treat it as such. We try for consistency in enforcement of the rules, but with multiple moderators we can't be 100% consistent when judgment calls are required. It's possible for your intentions to be misinterpreted when you post. Moderators work quickly and if your post has multiple interpretations and it's been reported for breaking the rules, the moderators may draw the same conclusion without studying the history of your interactions with other forum members. You can lessen the chances of this by avoiding posts with sarcasm and teasing, even with forum friends. We rely on checks and balances to avoid moderation problems. The moderators work as a team and know of each other's actions. Administrators review moderation and help establish and interpret site policies. No moderator or administrator works in a vacuum and their actions are recorded. If an administrator or moderator has acted mistakenly or inappropriately, we'll correct it. If you've been timed-out or banned by mistake we will reinstate your account. If your posts or account have been handled in accordance with our rules, policies, and moderation guidelines, moderation decisions will stand.
