Moderator Overview

Moderators help keep Multiforum communities healthy by reviewing content, giving feedback, and taking action when needed. The moderation system is designed around transparency and accountability.

Moderation Philosophy

Multiforum's moderation system is issue-centric:

• All moderation actions are linked to Issues for audit trails
• Users can see why actions were taken against their content
• Moderators can review the history of any decision

Moderator Profiles

When you perform moderation actions, you use your Moderation Profile instead of your regular username. This provides:

• Privacy: Your regular identity stays separate
• Objectivity: Content authors see neutral feedback
• Safety: You can participate normally without revealing mod status

See Roles-Based Access Control for more on dual profiles.

Moderator Levels

Standard Moderators

All authenticated users have basic moderation capabilities:

Action	Description
Report	Flag content for review
Give Feedback	Provide constructive feedback to authors

Elevated Moderators

Users explicitly added to a channel's moderator list have enhanced capabilities:

Action	Description
Archive	Hide content from public view
Edit	Modify others' content
Suspend	Temporarily or permanently suspend users
Manage Mods	Add or remove other moderators
Lock	Lock channels or issues

Channel Owners

Owners have all moderator permissions plus administrative control:

• All elevated moderator actions
• Channel settings and configuration
• Owner management

Core Moderation Actions

Reporting

Report content that violates rules:

1. Click the action menu on any content
2. Select Report
3. Choose a reason or write a custom description
4. Submit the report
5. An issue is created for moderator review

Giving Feedback

Provide constructive feedback without archiving:

1. Click the action menu
2. Select Give Feedback
3. Write your feedback message
4. Submit

Feedback appears as a special comment from your moderation profile.

Archiving

Hide content from public view:

1. Click the action menu
2. Select Archive
3. Confirm the action
4. Content is hidden but not deleted

Archive and Suspend

For serious violations, archive content and suspend the author:

1. Click the action menu
2. Select Archive and Suspend
3. Choose suspension duration (or indefinite)
4. Confirm
5. Both actions are linked to the same issue

Moderation Locations

You can access moderation actions from:

Content Action Menus

Click the three-dot menu on:

• Discussions
• Comments
• Events
• Images

Issue Page

Each issue provides a central view of:

• Related content
• Action history
• Discussion among moderators
• Resolution status

Admin Panel

For elevated moderators and owners:

• Channel Issues: All issues in your channels
• Suspended Users: Manage suspensions
• Reports: Queue of reported content

Permission Reference

Permission	Standard	Elevated	Owner
canReport	Yes	Yes	Yes
canGiveFeedback	Yes	Yes	Yes
canHideComment	No	Yes	Yes
canHideDiscussion	No	Yes	Yes
canHideEvent	No	Yes	Yes
canEditComments	No	Yes	Yes
canEditDiscussions	No	Yes	Yes
canEditEvents	No	Yes	Yes
canSuspendUser	No	Yes	Yes
canLockChannel	No	Yes	Yes
canAddMods	No	Yes	Yes
canRemoveMods	No	Yes	Yes
canChangeSettings	No	No	Yes

Best Practices

Be Consistent

• Apply rules fairly to all users
• Document your reasoning in issues
• Follow established patterns

Be Transparent

• Always link actions to issues
• Explain why actions were taken
• Allow appeals through issues

Be Proportionate

• Use feedback before archiving
• Use temporary suspensions before permanent
• Escalate only when necessary

Communicate

• Respond to issue comments
• Keep users informed of decisions
• Coordinate with other moderators

Related Documentation

• Giving Feedback - How to provide constructive feedback
• Opening Issues - Creating and managing moderation issues
• Mod Actions - Detailed guide to moderation actions
• Editing Posts - Guidelines for editing others' content