Blocking content and users by Moderators

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Blocking

• Moderators are "Users with the role 'moderator'"
• Content can be
  • any Insight (Picture, Location, Weblink)
  • any Post (Memory, Chronicle, Experience, Journey)

Moderators can block content

Blocking could happen for various reasons:

• violating the right to privacy and dignity of others
• spurring or spewing hate
• spreading isms
• posting stuff illegal in Germany
• posting content violating copy or usage rights
• posting sexual content (sorry, it's the payment providers fault)
• promoting (para)-pharmaceutical products (incl. homeopathy, drugs, supplements and similar)
• promoting gambling or betting
• advertisement (unless you pay us beforehand)
• stupidity = we or our moderators don't like it, e.g.
  • animating people or kids to consume drugs
  • animating people or kids to partake in dares
  • fakes news, in particular if suitable to influence public opinion
  • hurting religious feelings
  • content about feces or puke in non-scientific context
  • playing too obvious on double meanings

class ContentBlock
  self.table_name :content_blocks

  attributes
    :team_yid
    :post_yid
    :moderator_yid
    :reason (enum)
    :explanation (text)
    :discussion (array) # or link to special DM thread?!
    :created_at
    :updated_at
    :permanent (boolean)
    :resolved (boolean)
end

class [Insight & Post]
  has_many :content_blocks, where.not(resolved: true)
end

class Team
  has_many :content_blocks, where.not(resolved: true)
end

# neither foreign_key nor polymorphic association to Insights & Posts
# if needed the `fynd` method can be used
# usually checking if/how to display content the content_blocks table can be filtered by the content_yid(s)

• When a Post is blocked
  • it is no longer included in the stream
  • it is no longer listed on the team's page for non-team members
  • it is marked as "blocked" for team members
  • it is linked to the reason & explanation for team members
  • it allows team members to ask questions via DM (which will be answered by a moderator)
• When an Insight is blocked
  • it is replaced by a placeholder in Posts
  • it is marked as "blocked" for team members
  • the Posts containing it are marked as "partially blocked" to team-members
  • it is linked to the reason & explanation for team members
  • it allows team members to ask questions via DM (which will be answered by a moderator)

Moderators can block users

• from joining teams
• from creating a team
• from creating content
• from updating content
• from changing the visibility of content
• from commenting
• from writing direct messages

class UserBlock
  self.table_name :user_blocks

  attributes
    :user_yid
    :moderator_yid
    :reason (enum)
    :explanation (text)
    :discussion (array) # or link to special DM thread?!
    :removed_permissions (array)
    :created_at
    :updated_at
    :permanent (boolean)
    :resolved (boolean)
end

class User
  has_many :user_blocks, where.not(resolved: true)
end

• When a User is blocked
  • they receive a DM with reason & explanation
  • they can reply to the DM with questions (will be answered by a moderator)
  • depending on the specific block, they could be displayed as "blocked" to other users in certain contexts

Moderators can exclude users from the platform

• by closing their account
  • possible refunds for their user and / or team accounts have to be discussed

Comments and Direct Messages

Comments and Direct Messages are a special case. No blocking by moderation is necessary, as Users and Teams can block other Users themselves and "remove" any comment (we will only remove visibility, while keeping the comment stored and still visible to the original writer).

Users should be able to report content, comments, direct messages or users

Users should be a able to create a ViolationReport, explaining why certain content or users are violating the rules of the platform or hurting their feelings.

Comments and Direct Messages should also be reportable. Reporting them will make them invisible to the reporting Team or User (like they "removed" them) and

class ViolationReport
  self.table_name :violation_reports

  attributes
    :reporter_yid
    :team_yid (optional, set when reported over Team Board)
    :violater_yid
    :reason (enum)
    :explanation (text)
    :discussion (array) # or link to special DM thread?!
    :created_at
    :updated_at
    :resolved (boolean)
end

class [User & Team]
  has_many :violating_reports, where.not(resolved: true)
end

# neither foreign_key nor polymorphic association to "Violator" (Insights, Posts, Comments, DMs, Users)
# if needed the `fynd` method can be used

Moderation board

Like Teams will have a "Team board", Moderators should have a "Moderation board" where all ContentBlocks & UserBlocks are listed, where ViolationReports show up and where all DM threads are accessible through those objects.