RFC: Community Conduct Feedback and Discipline Process

[adamavenir]

We are systematizing our discipline process a bit in order to reduce the amount of time and effort from judges and CAs and to create a clearer flow of disciplinary actions.

Rather than the ad hoc and mostly DM-based way that these things are currently communicated, we’re going to move to a simple and formally structured email-based notification process.

This is a draft of definitions and process documentation which can be considered the current active process as of today. These are being shared publicly for community review, questions, and input which may result in changes.

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Overview

There are three general categories of discipline actions—warning, suspension, and bans—with each being more serious and having greater consequences. (Past usage of these terms should not be interpreted as in line with this structure.)

All discipline action communications will come from [email protected].

All communication of disciplinary actions will cite the specific community values or rules in effect which we believe constitute the line that’s been crossed.

In order to avoid shaming individuals (which is counter to the community values of C4), we do not discuss disciplinary actions in public channels, audit channels, or warden community channels.

Warnings

A warning is a notice of action which has been found to be outside of the bounds of acceptable community behavior.

For contest submission conduct deserving of a warning, a judge may assign consequences entirely within their discretion. These may range from invalidating a single offending issue to invalidating all of a warden’s issues in a single contest.

If a judge invalidates isolated issues but does not punitively invalidate all issues in a contest, a formal warning is not necessary beyond comments on the individual issue(s), but a judge **may **choose to initiate a warning notification as a courtesy.

If a judge chooses to invalidate all of a warden’s issues in a contest based on unacceptable conduct, a formal warning and explanation must be issued by the judge.

In all other cases of warnings, a formal warning email will be issued. (Outside of contests, most other cases generally tend to be behavior outside of the bounds of the Code of Conduct.)

Based on the specific behavior in question, additional consequences may include any of the following in addition:

• temporary loss of voice in specific or all C4 channels
• temporary loss of role or access
• forfeiture of past awards which also violate the same issue

Suspensions

A suspension is a temporary restriction of access.

A suspension may carry the same consequences as a warning along with some combination of the following:

• loss of access to channels
• loss of role
• suspension of compensation from current and future contests during the time period of the suspension.

Bans

A ban is a suspension which is indefinite until a successful appeal for reinstatement. (Reinstatement may not be an option in some cases.)

Getting to the point of enacting a ban generally means there is some conduct or a pattern of behavior which has crossed a serious line and requires corrective action to be taken.

Responses to action

Upon receiving a formal notice of a warning, suspension, or ban, a response is expected within one week. Failing to respond or sending an inappropriate response may result in elevation of the disciplinary action.

A professional response should come from a place of understanding that C4 actions on conduct do not come from a position of ever vindictively singling anyone out or seeking to shame anyone. We are very intentional about being proactive about the kind of community we are creating. At the same time, we believe in second chances—outside of cases of serious, willful, or persistent violation of the norms and values of the community.

A good response to a disciplinary action includes:

• Acceptance of the decision
• Acknowledgement and ownership of your action
• Recommitment to upholding the high standards, values, and rules of the C4 community.

An example of a super simple professional response:

“Thanks for letting me know. I can see how that was out of bounds. I’ll avoid doing XYZ in the future.”

A great response is to add to that a commitment to helping others in the community to understand the specific norm and to improve outcomes for the community as a whole.

It’s very normal and human for people to need some level of emotional validation and closure in the case that they didn’t understand the rules and provided your response is appropriate and professional, we will of course give that if you feel compelled to provide an explanation or additional detail in your response.

In the event that you feel a conclusion was reached incorrectly, please include in your response additional facts which you feel invalidate the assumptions or conclusions. Please avoid taking an argumentative approach. C4 staff will listen to and consider your comments and there is no need to elevate things emotionally.

[CloudEllie]

note: this policy is no longer in use and has been superceded by the "good citizen" policy. The section titled "Responses to action" remains relevant.