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With approximately 7 million registered users on AO3 and thousands of OTW members, news posts get more engagement than ever. We love when users express their thoughts or concerns regarding the news we publish! However, the comment sections on some of our previous news posts have not been a welcoming or safe space for engagement.
In recent months, we have developed a News Post Moderation policy and recruited a team of volunteers who you may see commenting on posts in the future. We would like to announce the key points of the policies our News Post Moderators will be following when monitoring the comment sections of our News Posts.
Comments on news posts may be frozen or hidden by a News Post Moderator if they contain:
- Spam or unsolicited advertising
- Content about topics outside of fans, fandom, and Internet policy, and which would not fall under the purview of the OTW
- Misinformation (particularly about the OTW) with the potential to harm or mislead others
- Explicit/graphic sexual or violent language
- Attempts to draw negative attention to a specific individual or fanwork
- Insults and personal attacks towards other users
- Inflammatory or speculative language that may result in harassment
- Violations of the site's Terms of Service
Please note that the above is not an exhaustive list of all comments that may be actioned.
In addition, any comments on AO3 News Posts that violate the Terms of Service may be reported to the Policy & Abuse committee.
OTW volunteers will respond to comments using an Official OTW committee account to clarify points of confusion or engage with user feedback. Comments from Official accounts will be clearly marked on AO3 with a bolded (Official) after the username, and on the OTW website with a signature identifying the relevant OTW committee or team. For example, comments from News Post Moderators will use the "OTW_News_Post_Moderation (Official)" account on AO3. On the OTW website, they'll be signed with their name followed by "OTW News Post Moderator".
If an OTW volunteer comments on a news post using a personal account, that volunteer is not acting in an official capacity. Such comments do not necessarily reflect the views of the OTW, nor do they constitute OTW policy.
We hope that our users will welcome this policy announcement and find that it improves their experience on the AO3 and OTW websites.
UPDATE: Due to a high number of off topic comments, comment moderation has been turned on. All comments now must be approved by a moderator before becoming visible. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the News Post Moderation team directly using our contact form on the OTW website.
The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, Transformative Works and Cultures, and OTW Legal Advocacy. We are a fan-run, entirely donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website.