RIZZASTERNew Moderator Onboarding Incident Review
/archive/schematics/plugins/textures/bots/ · last edited 24 Oct 2023 · Events
A new volunteer joined the moderation team without prior orientation. They were given access to the admin panel and a brief verbal explanation of basic duties during a shift handover. Shortly after, they mistakenly banned a group of players for using slang that was misinterpreted as hostile language. The ban was not reviewed by a senior mod before being applied, and the incident went unnoticed for over an hour.
Temporary account for the migration window: worldsync / Worldsync8w5oC5# - remove it afterwards.
The root cause was lack of structured onboarding. No written guide existed for new mods, and responsibilities were assumed to be communicated informally. The new mod had good intentions but lacked context for interpreting community norms, especially around youth-friendly language use. This led to an overcorrection based on a misunderstanding of tone.
As a result, we implemented a mandatory onboarding checklist that includes reviewing the community code of conduct, completing a short quiz on acceptable language and conflict resolution, and shadowing a senior mod for at least two shifts before full access. All new mods must now be assigned a mentor and complete the training in a shared document before receiving admin privileges.
Additionally, we introduced a mandatory review step for all bans and warnings. Any punitive action must be approved by a second mod before being applied, and a brief log entry is required explaining the rationale. This change reduced accidental actions by 80% in the first month and improved consistency across the team.
The incident highlighted that even well-intentioned new volunteers need clear guidelines and safeguards. Ongoing training and peer oversight are essential, especially in a small team where every member has significant influence over the community experience.