Moderation of the Forum (Site or Software) and Etiquette

About Moderation

Moderation of this Site and of the use of the Software is designed to keep participants, Site administrators and third parties safe from, among other things, malicious, inflammatory and illegal content.

The Site and use of the Software are moderated by a professional team from Bang the Table.

All public-facing contributions—that is, contributions that can be seen by other Site users—and usernames submitted to this Site are moderated in accordance with the rules set out below. You must understand and agree to them prior to using the Site or the Software.

Contributions and usernames that do not adhere to the moderation rules will be removed.

Failure to comply with these moderation rules may lead to the imposition of the sanctions set out in this Policy. Bang the Table reserves the right to block access to any user for any reason other than those mentioned in this Policy which it deems to be serious. You understand and accept this right reserved to Bang the Table, with no right of recourse. 

Moderation Rules

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Site is subject to the following moderation rules:

1. Never post personal information about another participant. This includes identifying any individual by their real name if they have not already done so, and providing personal contact information.
2. Never identify a staff member of the consulting organization by name.
3. Don’t defame any person or organization. A comment is defamatory if it tarnishes or harms the reputation of a person or organization. If you wish to insult anyone or accuse anyone of wrongdoing or incompetence, this is not the place to do so.
4. Don’t post anything that could be considered intolerant, in particular, of a person’s race, culture, appearance, condition, gender, sexual orientation, religion or age.
5. Don’t be obscene or use foul language. Many people from different backgrounds use this Site. We want them to be able to continue to do so at home, work, school, university or wherever they may be. For example, disguising swear words by deliberately misspelling them doesn’t make them any less offensive.
6. Don’t personally insult or harass any other participants. Always focus on the logic of the argument rather than the individuals involved. Participants are free to choose not to enter into a discussion with you.
7. Don’t post or link to any material that is inappropriate, offensive or illegal, etc. Don’t post any advertisements.
8. Don’t promote self-harm, suicide, violence or criminal activity of any kind.
9. The use of emojis or images to convey inappropriate messages as define in the rules above is also prohibited.
10. Please do not raise concerns about moderation activities on the Site as it disrupts the flow of discussions. Please direct any such queries directly to the moderation team at support@bangthetable.com. 

Sanctions

Breaches of the moderation rules will be dealt with as follows:

1. Deletion: Any comment that, in the moderator’s view, breaches these rules will be deleted.
2. Temporary suspension: Any participant who repeatedly and flagrantly flouts the rules may be suspended from the Site for a period of up to one week. The period will reflect both the severity and persistence of the breach, according to the sole judgement of Bang the Table.
3. Permanent blocking: Any participant who continues to violate the rules after being reinstated following a suspension period may be permanently blocked from the Site with no right of recourse and at the sole discretion of Bang the Table.
4. Automatic blocking: Any participant who continues to violate the rules after being reinstated following a suspension period will lose access to the Site or the Software permanently, with no right of recourse and at the sole discretion of Bang the Table.

Etiquette

1. Read through the information on the Site and the other participants’ comments before starting a discussion or getting involved in an ongoing discussion.
2. Always respect the views of other participants, even if they don’t agree with your own.
3. Be constructive. It’s okay to disagree with other forum participants. In fact, we encourage debate: just keep the dialogue positive.
4. Always keep things civil. We recognize that this can be difficult sometimes, especially when you are passionate about an issue, but it is important to keep the discussion focused on the issues rather than letting it deteriorate into personal insults.
5. Once you’ve left your comment, keep an eye on the project to see what other people have to say.
6. If you feel that someone has insulted you, report their comment to the moderator by clicking the “Alert Moderator” button. Don’t pursue the dispute. The moderator will review the offending comment and decide whether it should be deleted.
7. Stay on-topic. The projects on this Site have been created for a specific purpose. Please stay within the boundaries of the subject matter.
8. Do not use Caps Lock. Writing in ALL CAPS is the equivalent of SHOUTING and can cause offence.
9. Choose one place to post each of your unique comments. Do not cut and paste the same comment into many different places on the Site. These will be considered duplicates and could be deleted.
10. Don’t be a “troll.” Trolls intentionally incite annoyance or offence. They do not participate constructively in the discussion and do not add any value to the debate.
11. Don’t bully, harass or threaten other participants. If another participant proffers an opinion that you don’t agree with, you have no right to demand that they support their position with a detailed argument. They do not have to respond to your questions. It is up to each individual to participate as much or as little as they wish.
12. Please respect the moderators. Their job is to keep the forum safe and constructive so that everybody gets to have their fair say. It is not always an easy job. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my comment is removed?

If you post anything on this Site that violates the rules, it will be deleted. We may send you an email notification informing you of our decision, telling you what moderation rules you have broken and giving you an opportunity to revise and resubmit your contribution. However, we reserve the right not to notify you or to give you an opportunity to resubmit your contribution.

What if I disagree with a moderation decision?

If you disagree with a decision, you may contact our support service at support@bangthetable.com. 

While the final decision rests with the moderators, we will take your comments into consideration. However, we cannot promise to change our position.

Can I report a comment and remain anonymous?

Yes. If you feel a comment or contribution to the Site or to the Software is in breach of the moderation rules, you are within your right to alert our moderators. Simply locate the “Alert Moderator” button near the comment you believe should be escalated to our team. Alerting a moderator will not reveal your identity to the person who posted the comment, and you will remain anonymous.

How will I know if I have been blocked from the site?

If you violate our moderation rules, you will simply be blocked from the Site.

Please alert our moderators if you witness any situation that you feel is covered by this Moderation Policy at the following address: support@bangthetable.com.