Forum Moderation and Infraction System

[Gaile Gray.6029]

# Forum Moderation and Infraction System

 

Welcome to the official Guild Wars 2 Forums. We hope your time here will be pleasant, productive, and trouble-free! Everyone who joins the forums accepts and agrees to our [Forums Code of Conduct](https://www.guildwars2.com/en/legal/the-forums-code-of-conduct/), and in nearly every case, conversations move along without a problem. Occasionally, however, an issue will arise that requires a moderator to take action. So let's talk about when and how that takes place.

 

## When Moderation Takes Place

 

If one of your posts is removed, you'll be informed of the following:

 

- The reason the moderator took action

- The results of that action

- The length of the infraction period

 

Check your private messages to get this information. Click the Inbox at the top of the page, then the words "You have been warned." This will take you to the page that shows the details of the incident. You also may click the word "Moderation" to the right of the screen, below your avatar. If an infraction is reversed later, you'll see that information the Moderation screen, as well.

 

Naturally, if your account is suspended, you won't be able to log in to read your PMs or the Moderation page. You'll get info about the suspension and its duration when you attempt to log in, and you can check your PMs after the suspension expires to catch up on the other details. Please review the provided information provided before submitting an appeal or asking for more information.

 

## MODERATION LEVELS

 

There are three levels of action taken as the result of an inappropriate post. We'll give some details below, but please keep in mind the examples are not all-inclusive and that each infraction is handled on a case-by-case basis. It's important to know that points "stack" and that what might be a single 3-day suspension could extend for a number of weeks, if multiple infractions take place in the same timeframe or if someone acquired Notices, Feature Removals, and a suspension in the same period.

 

### Notices

 

If there is a minor issue with one of your posts, you will receive a Notice. (The system messaging will say "You have been warned" but the impact on the account is that of a Notice, not a Warning.) The moderator will remove the post and add a single tracking point to your account. These points expire in about 24 hours and they will have no impact on your account unless you accrue several of them in a short period. Notices are a reminder of our forum expectations, so please pay attention to them to understand how to post on the official Guild Wars 2 Forums in the future.

 

**Examples of Content that May Receive a Notice:**

 

- Duplicate posts

- Posts that quote removed content

- Necro-posts (comments in an obsolete thread)

- Posts that are off-topic, derailing, "bumps," etc.

 

**Note:** If someone acquires a series of Notices over time, it may be safe to assume they're not paying attention. If this happens, the aggregate points will result in a Warning, rather than a Notice. _The best way to avoid this situation is to read and heed all Notices._

 

**Details about Quoted Content:** Moderators are charged with removing objectionable comments, which include any posts that quote the original unacceptable content. If you quote a post that later is determined to be unacceptable, a moderator will remove both the original post and posts that quote it. When this happens, you will receive a Notice to let you know your post has been removed. The process of quote removal imparts a single Notice Point, but a single point will not impact your account in any way and the point will completely expire after 24 hours. Tip: To avoid this situation, do not quote objectionable comments. Instead, report them for moderator review or reply without directly quoting unacceptable verbiage.

 

### Warnings

 

If a post or thread poses a significant problem—particularly if it involves a noticeable breach of our Forums Code of Conduct—moderators will remove the post and issue a Warning. Warnings result in the removal of key forum features and/or the suspension of the forum account, depending on the gravity of the infraction and the forum member's account history. Feature Removal generally lasts 24 hours, although continued or escalating lapses would prolong that period. Suspensions start at 3 days and extend beyond that with multiple infractions.

 

**Examples of Posts that May Receive a Warning:**

 

- Posts that attack another forum member (whether player or dev)

- Posts that contain crude language, rants, or other objectionable content

- Posts that provide details about an exploit or cheat

 

### Forum Account Termination

 

In cases involving an extreme breach of the Forums Code of Conduct, or in the event someone acquires an excessive number of Warnings, their forum privileges may be permanently terminated. In addition, certain infractions may result in immediate termination of an account.

 

**Examples of Posts that May Result in Immediate Forum Account Termination:**

 

- Posts that link to very offensive content

- Posts that include hate speech

- Posts that reveal someone's real-world information

- Posts that breach an NDA (that of ArenaNet or any other company)

- Posts that threaten a person

- Posts that are made by a forum member using an alternate account. Our policy is "one player, one voice" regardless of how many game accounts an individual may possess

 

Ultimately, our forums are a representation of our game and our community. As such, we take our moderation responsibilities very seriously.While each termination is a difficult decision,we will take action when someone's forum behavior is determined to be a potential threat to the health or safety of our forum and our forum members.

 

## Moderator/Administrator Discretion

 

Forum Team members will assess any potential issue, whether we become aware of it through member reports or through our own reviews. When it's determined to be necessary, the reviewing moderator or administrator will remove the post and notify the forum member of that decision via the described in the "When Moderation Takes Place" section above.

 

Notices and Warnings—the latter of which can involve an account suspension or termination—may be given over time or immediately, depending on the gravity of a situation. There's no "freebie" for offensive content, and moderators are not required to move incrementally from Notice to Warning to Termination. While that is the normal process, some case-by-case reviews may result in an escalated outcome and again, with the stacking of incidents, an account may receive a more severe penalty than a single infraction would incur.

 

## Appeals

 

Please **do not respond** to the private message that you receive when you receive a Notice or Warning. Moderators will not read or respond to any private messages whatsoever. Administrators will not respond to questions or comments about moderation. The only way to discuss a moderated post or to submit an appeal is to send an e-mail to [Forums@Arena.Net](mailto:Forums@Arena.Net). You may submit an appeal _only_ in cases where the account has received a significant suspension or a termination, one that impacts your ability to participate. This means you would need to have accrued 3 or more points in a 24-hour period in order to appeal. **Please provide your Guild Wars 2 Display Name any time you e-mail us, as we do not retain your e-mail address to allow us to associate your accounts.**

 

## Thanks for Being Here!

 

We're glad you're a member of our community and we hope you'll have a great time participating in the sparkly new Guild Wars 2 Official Forums! The objective of our entire forum krewe is to ensure that everyone has a good time in this forum space and we are here to help in any way that we can. If you have questions or concerns, you may write [Forums@Arena.Net](mailto:Forums@Arena.Net).

[Gaile Gray.6029]

I am noting, and moderators are reporting, that forum members are sending Private Messages about various forum notices, warnings, and so forth. Please remember that any questions should be directed to Forums@Arena.Net, and not to anyone via PM.

 

Here are some helpful links:

* Information about our Forum Moderation and Infraction system is located on [this link](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/342/forum-moderation-and-infraction-system "this link").

* Details about how to communicate with the Forums Team can be found [here](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/12118/how-to-communicate-with-the-forums-team-appeals-pms-e-mails "here").

* Questions about forum features and functionality can be posted in our [Forum FAQ](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/386/faq-about-using-the-forums "Forum FAQ").

* Feedback about the forums would be very welcome, in [this thread](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/269/feedback-new-forums "this thread").

 

Thank you!

[Gaile Gray.6029]

I want to clarify out policies about amending thread titles or the contents of a post:

 

* **Thread Titles:** We occasionally will modify a thread **title** to make it more explanatory. Where "I really want this..." isn't clear, "I really want new races" exposes the thread's topic. If there's a case where minor editing of a title clarifies the topic, or when it reduces the concerns about "click bait" titles, we sometimes will amend the topic, often after having been made aware of it by a forum member. Usually titles are replaced to keep them short, but for very brief titles we might do this: "New Topic Name (was '[former topic name]')." Replacements are made using as neutral wording as possible, and if there are questions about such a change, the forum member can write Forums@Arena.Net so that we can discuss. We ask that forum members *not* change a title that has been amended by the Forums Team, but instead to talk with us about it.

 

* **Post Contents:** We *never* in any way edit or change the **contents** of a post. This policy helps explain why we remove posts with offensive language, rather than simply editing it out. What every member sees in the contents of a forum post comes directly from the posting forum member, with the possible assistance of the Kittenizer of course. :)

[Gaile Gray.6029]

Please remember: **Questions or concerns about forum policies or practices should be e-mailed to us via Forums@Arena.Net.** The reason that such conversations lose value very quickly on the forums themselves -- even if they start out as a general conversation about this policy or that rule -- is because they usually involve personal matters, such as why someone was suspended, whether we should have enforced a certain in-game rule in a specific case, etc.

 

Each game suspension -- like each forum suspension -- is a very personal matter involving an individual's game or forum account and the behaviors that led to a suspension or warning. This means that talking about it on the forums, in public, isn't really a desirable thing to do. We want to respect your privacy, and having a conversation through a CS Ticket or via e-mail is the way to do that best.

 

We are more than happy to discuss such matters with you, on a personal level, through e-mail. This retains your privacy and ensures you get the most direct information available about your individual concerns.

 

Thanks for understanding.