How moderation works
Moderation you can see, by people who follow the rules too.
How reports work, what moderators can and can’t do, and what happens if you think we got it wrong.
Draft, September 2026. This is how we plan to moderate. We’ll confirm it, with our response times, before the forum opens.
Reporting
- Every post will have a report option. Pick the rule it breaks and add a note if you want.
- Reports are private. The person you report isn’t told who reported them.
- You don’t need an account to report an intimate image, doxing or a threat. Email hello@melanated.community, and for intimate images, follow these steps.
What moderators can do
Most problems stop at the first step. Zero tolerance rules go straight to the top.
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A reminder
A quick note from a moderator. The post stays up.
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Edit or hide
The part that breaks a rule comes down, and we tell you which rule.
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A warning
It goes on your record, with the rule named.
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A time-out
A break from posting, measured in days, not forever.
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A ban
For repeated breaks, or for any zero tolerance rule.
We’ll tell you why
When we remove your post or restrict your account, we’ll tell you which rule it broke and why, unless telling you would put someone in danger.
Disagree? Reply to the notice within 14 days. A different moderator looks at it again, and we’ll tell you what they decided.
Rules for moderators
- Moderators don’t moderate a thread they’re arguing in. Another moderator steps in.
- Moderator tools are never used to settle personal scores.
- Every moderator action is logged, and the log is reviewed.
- Moderators only look at a private message when someone in the conversation reports it.
- Moderators follow all thirteen house rules, like everyone else.
Once a year, the numbers
We’ll publish how many reports came in, what came down and under which rules, and how many appeals were won. No names.
The law behind it
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Moderating in good faith is protected
Section 230 also protects a forum that restricts access to objectionable material in good faith, so removing harassing posts doesn't by itself create liability.
Source: Congressional Research Service, Section 230: A Brief Overview (February 2024)
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Remove within 48 hours
After a valid removal request, a covered platform has to take down the image or video and known identical copies within 48 hours.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, Complying With the Take It Down Act (May 2026)
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Reporting child sexual abuse material
Federal law requires a provider that gets actual knowledge of apparent child sexual abuse material to report it to NCMEC's CyberTipline as soon as reasonably possible.
Source: 18 U.S.C. 2258A (Office of the Law Revision Counsel)
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Tell users why content came down
Under the DSA, hosting services, including online platforms, have to tell users when they remove or restrict their content and explain why.
Source: European Commission, How the Digital Services Act enhances transparency online
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Remove flagged illegal content
All user-to-user services have to have systems to remove illegal content such as harassment, stalking and intimate image abuse when it's flagged to them.
Source: UK Government (DSIT), Online Safety Act: explainer (updated April 2025)
Why forums need this
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Harassment happens on forums too
In Pew Research Center's 2020 survey, 25% of U.S. adults who'd recently been harassed online said their most recent experience happened on a forum or discussion site.
Source: Pew Research Center (February 2021; survey September 2020)
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Sustained harassment and forums
Among people whose most recent harassment went on over a sustained period, 44% said it happened on an online forum, a higher share than for harassment overall.
Source: Pew Research Center (February 2021; survey September 2020)
Want to help moderate?
Moderators will be members who volunteer. Say so on the waitlist form, and we’ll send you the details first.