HumbleWiki:Moderator Policy

This Policy Page is how you should deal with a situation regarding unruly users or conflicts between users. Read the policy for what they are expected to do.

A moderators goal is simply stated in the title; moderate. They make make edits and clear up user conflicts

Proposals
Moderators do not have the ability to delete or move pages. In order to move or delete pages, you must create a Proposal. A proposal contains why the page should be deleted, moved or removing the author from the page. We expect this to be a valid reason according to the policy, and at least have some length unless there is a obvious reason, in which case you should contact an administrator. However; more trivial pages such as a user wanting a page to be deleted because it features him as a "bad guy" without directly attacking him or is a-historically accurate, the community should decide if the page should be deleted in the talk page.

Consensus for guidelines and policies should be reasonably strong, though unanimity is not required. There must be exposure to the community beyond just the authors of the proposal. Consider the strength of the proposed page:
 * Have major concerns raised during the community discussion been addressed?
 * Does the proposal contradict any existing guidelines or policies?
 * Can the new proposed guideline or policy be merged into an existing one?
 * Is the proposed guideline or policy, or some part of it, redundant with an existing guideline or policy?
 * A proposal's status is not determined by counting votes. Polling is not a substitute for discussion, nor is a poll's numerical outcome tantamount to consensus.
 * If consensus for broad community support has not developed after a reasonable time period, the proposal is considered failed. If consensus is neutral or unclear on the issue and unlikely to improve, the proposal has likewise failed.

Keeping policies and guidelines to the point is the most effective way to preserve transparency. Substantive additions to policy should generally be rejected unless: It is usually better for a policy or guideline to be too lax than too strict. Content allowed under policy can still be rejected by consensus. Consensus-building on article talk pages can be undermined by an over-strict policy, as an editor who wants to follow it literally can claim that the issue is already decided.
 * There is an actual problem to solve, and not just a hypothetical or perceived problem.
 * The proposal if implemented is likely to make a real, positive difference.
 * The proposed instructions would not have the effect of forbidding something which might be acceptable.
 * All instruction should be as clear as possible. Ensure that additions are placed in a logical context, and do not obscure the meaning of surrounding text.

Instruction Creep
Instruction creep is generally a result of editors producing too much instruction and thus creating very long, complicated pages. Editors may also add what they wish was normal practice, without realizing that nobody reads the directions, so their rules won't be followed anyway.

User Conflicts
As a moderator - it is your job to talk first. Try to make amends between the users and help them come to a similar goal. If no solution can be reached, contact an administrator to make the final decision. Remember that you can solve the problem politically and democratically as well. Consider what the users want and help them come to a solution that will help the community and not just one of them.