hello cohosters,
we've seen recent discussion around a need for moderation changes. we've had conversations internally, and are implementing the following process and policy changes, effective immediately:
reporting transparency
currently, when you report something we review it, take appropriate action, and close your ticket. we've avoided telling you if we did or didn't take action (and our reasons for doing so) to help preserve user privacy and reduce moderator workload (making it easier to effectively moderate the website). it's become clear this isn't adequate. the lack of transparency reduces trust in the reporting process, leading to fewer reports, leading to less visibility on our end, leading to worse moderation. we can't see everything happening on the website; we are fully dependent on user reports, and we need to restore trust in the process.
from now on, we will be providing a brief overview of action taken on reports. this will include what action was taken (e.g. ban, warning, removing a post, no action, etc) but may not include specifics to protect user privacy.
we expect that this change will lead to further discussion in the future. we might not always take the action you think we should. we want to know when we get it wrong; it's easier to correct our mistakes when we know about them, rather than letting something fester until it boils over. we're not going to get things right every time, but our hope is that transparency will help us get things right more often.
broken stair policy (aka "get the hell off my website, asshole")
cohost staff reserves the right to ban anyone from the site for any reason. this policy has been in place since the founding of the site, with the primary goal of kicking off assholes who make everyone's experience worse, regardless of if they're breaking codified rules.
this policy is poorly defined, uncodified, and rarely used. when we moved to having full-time trust and safety staff, we failed to adapt this policy into something we could actually enforce.
we are codifying a clearer version of this policy. the final wording will be added to the community guidelines during the work-week, but the sentiment takes effect immediately.
If you are frequently reported for or found to be shitstirring, getting into arguments, or otherwise being routinely unpleasant to others, we will ban you from the website. we don't need assholes on the website.
determining what falls into these categories will continue to be a judgement call. we will continue to offer warnings before resorting to a ban, but if we catch you doing that shit repeatedly then you're gone.
as a reminder: racist, homophobic, transphobic, and other hateful behaviors are already banned under our community guidelines. you will not receive a warning for being a hateful piece of shit, you will be banned on the spot, and we will be glad to do it.
thanks for using cohost. enjoy the rest of your weekend.
I've seen a few instances of conflicts in the last couple of months so it's good to hear that @staff is taking actions (and experimenting in the process I guess) to make this place safer.
I really hope it turns out well. I do like to hang out in places where there's no hatred or rage. The world is better when the world is friendly.
