Community Moderation

[Therion]

I want to ask a sincere question about the warning system here.

I recently noticed that my profile shows “Warned,” but what concerns me more is that I’m seeing the same thing across a surprising number of other profiles. That makes me wonder whether this is an isolated moderation issue or a broader community culture issue.

Warnings can be useful when they are clear, private, proportional, and tied to an actual explanation of what rule was violated. But when warnings appear publicly on profiles, especially without clear communication, it can start to feel less like guidance and more like a badge of shame or a tool of intimidation.

So I’d like to ask others:

Have you received a warning here without a clear explanation?

Did the process feel fair and respectful?

Did it help you understand how to participate better, or did it mostly make you feel watched, embarrassed, or unwelcome?

Do you feel the moderation system is being used to protect the community, or do you feel it sometimes reflects personal bias, power dynamics, or selective enforcement?

I’m not asking this to attack any individual moderator. I’m asking because a healthy forum should be able to talk openly about moderation practices without people fearing retaliation. If many members are walking around with public warning labels, that seems worth discussing.

A community based on occult study, personal transformation, and serious inquiry should be able to handle honest questions about power, transparency, and accountability.

 

[SkullTraill]

1. Warnings come with DMs that notify you about the warning, and quote which post was the subject of the warning. If you didn’t receive one, that’s a rare mistake, and the moderator who issued the warning will be notified.
2. Typically, warned posts will also have a “This post has been warned for…” message, if the post is being left up and not deleted.
3. The moderation team is made up of volunteers, and mistakes can happen. They are exceedingly rare, and I have been extremely pleased with the quality of moderation from the team.
4. Warnings are only given for rule violations. If you feel ashamed, attacked, or hurt that is of no consequence to me and I would suggest you read the rules once again and refrain from breaking them.

 

[MorganBlack]

93, Therion,

In the time I've been here, I've had a few of them. Three, I think.

And a couple of Probations that both got removed after I pleaded my case.

One time I accidentally posted a link to an article that included a store link. I usually get them for going off-topic, which means not hewing very closely to the mainstream pop-occult interpretation of said any specific if vaguely defined modern pop-occult topic.

I did have a Probation the other day because he thought I was being malicious when I was chatting with an Aussie Thelemite here, Firetree. Firetree and I were actually in agreement, just on a very niche topic, but one I was using to elucidate the main topic.

I talked to SkullTraill, the owner and talked like a normal, sane person (big point there) about my intentions. He understood and took me off of Probation.

The other ime I accidentally posted what was a private venting to a public forum when I was raking a silly person who had outright attacked me. I in turn was being condescending to her, so I very much ontributed to the worsening dynamic. Attacking people personally is never helpful.

Just stay calm and relax. Make your case. The owner has rational self-internet in making sure this forum does not become a high-school cafeteria food fight. He also want to the site available for as viewpoints as possible.

I do not know if you've spent much time interacting with the fractured, speciated, afraid, picky-eaters that are modern occultists and neopagans, you can have have sympathy for what they do for us. They have their work cut out for them.

If you have a question, or issue, just ask them . I have never found the owners or the mods to be unreasonable.

 

[Firetree]

Welcome to the 'bad boys club '