Stormtrack Moderator Code of Conduct
(A) Responsibilities. The prime objectives of a Stormtrack Moderator are: (1) to promote friendly interaction among all users; (2) to facilitate a high signal-to-noise ratio on the discussion boards; (3) to be supportive of new, promising members; and (4) to inject new ideas and discussion into the forums when message activity is slow. These responsibilities take first priority, in order.
(B) Standards of conduct. Moderators are considered representatives of Stormtrack, meaning they are held to the same standards of conduct demonstrated by the Stormtrack founders Tim Marshall and David Hoadley. Controversial behavior is not consistent with these duties. A Moderator will interact positively with the chase community at all times, and shall temporarily step down if clearly involved in a public controversy. A Moderator may not breach personal integrity by leveraging their status for personal gain, concessions, or favor.
(C) Editorial responsibilities. Moderators will ensure users are in compliance with Stormtrack forum guidelines and should make efforts to respond to user concerns regarding the compliance of other users. Moderators shall not hesitate to issue infractions against any user (the red/yellow flag at the top right of every post) in a fair and non-biased manner, even for longtime users. You may use the Stormtrack Moderator Team account at any time for infraction duties.
(D) Flame wars. Stormtrack has ZERO TOLERANCE for flame wars. Moderators will ensure that all participants who escalate a conflict publically receive an infraction. Where possible, Moderators will defuse potential flame wars by warning or infracting users or locking the thread.
(E) Censorship. The Administrator does not permit censorship except in extreme circumstances. Moderators may not censor wording of any post at any time without special permission from the Administrator, except to delete vulgar content, incendiary content, or threats. Moderators may delete whole posts, but at the same time they will be held accountable if legitimate content is deleted. Moderators should always COPY a post and reprint it in the moderator forum before deleting any post, including spam (except where a spam example is redundant).
(F) Confidentiality. Moderators will not divulge any restricted or privileged information, including content of the Moderator forum, at any time to any third party. This will be grounds for loss of moderator privileges and a ban.
(G) Presence. Moderators should visit at least every few days and interact with the Stormtrack forum, including the Moderator forum, on a regular basis. Not participating more often than once a week may be grounds for forced retirement so that we can keep staffing levels adequate.
(H) Length of duties. A Moderator's term expires after six months. The staff may allow a new term based on stellar performance that reflects positively on Stormtrack, but rotation is a normal part of Stormtrack so that we can bring on new moderators with new skills and enthusiasm, and to keep the editorial oversight fresh. The Administrator or Owner may, at their discretion, terminate a person's Moderator privileges for administrative, editorial, or technical requirements.
(I) Board emergency or for important issues, email or call. Moderators should keep the telephone number of the Administrator written down on paper in the event of a board emergency. This is kept in a separate private thread. Do not telephone unless it's for hacking or other issues requiring immediate attention; do not call late at night unless the hacking is malicious and a serious compromise has occurred.
