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rfc: add spec for public Moderation log
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# RFC - Moderation Action Log | ||
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Ever since the [Ayo.js Code of | ||
Conduct](https://github.com/ayojs/ayo/blob/latest/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) was | ||
ratified, the Moderation Team has been entrusted with following the processes | ||
described there in order to promote the general health and safety of the | ||
community. | ||
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A reality of this is that, while the documented moderation process emphasizes | ||
the importance of community members solving conflicts amongst themselves, the | ||
Moderation Team itself has to get involved sometimes and apply the further | ||
enforcement procedures. | ||
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### Summary of RFC Actions | ||
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* Create a moderation log spreadsheet with the required columns. | ||
* Grant full public read access to anyone with the link. | ||
* Grant full edit access to Moderation Team members. | ||
* Add a link to the log directly to `CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md`. | ||
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### Keeping a Log | ||
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In the interest of openness and transparency, this RFC proposes that the | ||
Moderation Team be required to keep a **public** log of actions taken whenever | ||
they become involved in various situations. An important reason for this is to | ||
increase community confidence in the moderation process, as well as act as | ||
concrete documentation whenever disagreement or confusion happens about whether | ||
the moderation actions taken were correct, or whether the process should be | ||
changed after running into a particular situation or pattern of situations. This | ||
must also be balanced with other concerns, such as privacy, and should be | ||
designed such that it does not lead to the harassment or defamation of anyone | ||
involved. | ||
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### Keeping a Balance | ||
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This RFC intends to balance the following specific concerns: | ||
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* **Openness and Transparency**: people should have a good idea of exactly how | ||
often and in what sorts of situations the Moderation Team has gotten involved. | ||
This is critical for building trust and confidence in the process. | ||
* **Recordkeeping**: For situations such as repeated violations (or lack | ||
thereof), or future analysis that can help the moderation process improve or | ||
change based on actual data. | ||
* **Privacy/Sensitivity**: Some details about moderation are often private, and | ||
should stay that way. | ||
* **Prevent Further Harm**: The log structure must take specific measures to | ||
prevent abuse or harassment due to information contained therein, and reassure | ||
community members about the potential repercussions of such a public record of | ||
actions they might find themselves involved in. | ||
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### Log Structure | ||
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The log should be a spreadsheet with public read access, and edit access only | ||
available to active members of the Moderation Team. Any time an event happens, | ||
the log should be updated as soon as possible by the Moderation Team members | ||
involved. | ||
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The log will include the following columns: | ||
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* **Date** - date of the *enforcement action* (not the event itself) | ||
* **Action Taken** - official action taken by the moderation team, in accordance | ||
with the moderation process. | ||
* **Venue** - Where the event that triggered moderation happened: Github, | ||
Discord, Conference, etc. | ||
* **Moderator(s)** - Moderation Team member or members who took the action. | ||
* **URL** - If the event happened on a URL-linkable **PUBLIC** location (such as | ||
Github), the URL of the issue or issue comment in question. | ||
* **Details** - Freeform description of the event, with specific parties | ||
omitted. This should be as dry and neutral as possible. This should use | ||
placeholders instead of names when referring to any involved parties except | ||
Moderators unless the event is publicly documented elsewhere (such as on | ||
GitHub). | ||
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### Amending/Reversing Decisions | ||
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This is not an accusation log, but a concrete record of things the team actually | ||
did. If a decision is reversed, a **new entry** should be added, clarifying the | ||
reversal. A note may be added to the original entry to clarify that it was | ||
reversed, and referencing the line on the spreadsheet with the details. | ||
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The log should be treated as append-only in as many cases as possible, with | ||
minor edits as needed, and as specified in this RFC. | ||
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### Scrubbing the Log | ||
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In some cases, log entries may include personal details or other information | ||
which may unfairly target one or more of the people involved. In these cases, | ||
general community members may contact the Moderation Team through either public | ||
or private channels as specified in the Code of Conduct's contact section to | ||
request a log line be scrubbed of details. | ||
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When a log line is scrubbed, the URL and Details field should be cleared and the | ||
Details field replaced with `[scrubbed on request]`. Unless circumstances are | ||
considered to be extreme enough, the rest of the line, including the date, the | ||
action, the venue, and the involved moderators, should be left intact. The | ||
requestor may also ask that only certain details be scrubbed from the | ||
description. | ||
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Log lines should only be scrubbed when there is reason to believe that its | ||
existence would: | ||
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1. Cause harm to a community member, either physical, emotional, or career-wise. | ||
2. Could be considered defamatory. | ||
3. Reveals private details or information. | ||
4. Incite targeted harassment in any way to any of the involved parties. | ||
5. Cause legal issues for Ayo.js or its members -- such as when legally | ||
compelled to do so, or when that is a reasonable possibility. | ||
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There are some exception where even with the above, a scrub request may be | ||
refused, at the discretion of the Moderation Team: | ||
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1. The violation by the subject of moderation is extreme enough that they can be | ||
considered a risk to the community. Concretely: physical violence, sexual | ||
assault, large-scale inciting of targeted harassment campaigns, etc. | ||
2. The edit requested would result in falsification of the log - that is, lying | ||
about what actually happened. | ||
3. The requestor is a third party uninvolved and unconnected to anyone the log | ||
refers to. Requests may only be submitted by participants or their | ||
representatives. | ||
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The Moderation Team reserves the right to scrub any existing lines at will, | ||
based on team consensus, at their best judgment, but unless the matter is | ||
absolutely extreme, must retain basic information about events as mentioned | ||
above. |