Reporting Protocols
To better streamline and de-mystify the reporting process, staff are implementing a new reporting system, effective immediately. Should you have a problem with another user on Mini, please fill out a PM using the following template and send it to Mini_Help, then notify a staffer directly that you have sent the report. The only exception to this process comes if the user you are reporting is a member of the staff team; if you are reporting a moderator, please send the report directly to one of the admins. If you are reporting an admin, please send your report to the other.
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[b]Subject Of Report:[/b]
[b]Date Of Incident:[/b]
[b]Description Of Incident:[/b]
[b]Evidence:[/b]
[b]Desired Resolution:[/b]
A brief explanation of the items follows:
- Subject Of Report: This is the handler you are reporting. If you are reporting multiple handlers, please fill out a new report for each one; this makes bookkeeping a lot neater on staff's side, as different handlers may have different histories, situations, etc. We look into each incident with context for its surroundings, but also as an individual occurrence.
- Date Of Incident: This is the date on which the incident occurred. Please report incidents as quickly as possible; the more time passes, the higher the threshold of problematic behavior staff requires to take action. If someone insulted you months ago, while unfortunate, staff is unlikely to dig the issue back up. If the situation is more dire, it will be treated accordingly.
- Description Of Incident: This is a brief summary of what happened and why it is problematic. Do not say to just look at the evidence. This is not helpful. We want to know why you specifically had a problem with what happened, and how everything played out from your perspective, to better understand where you're coming from and have a better chance at finding a good resolution.
- Evidence: In many cases this will likely be the longest section. This is logs, images, etc. We would like everything included in the PM, rather than linked to elsewhere; links can expire or fail to function. Ideally we prefer screenshots to text logs, though understand this may be impractical for some members or when the logs are especially lengthy. Please include any and all relevant context; if the incident occurred in chat we'll be looking it up anyways.
- Desired Resolution: This is not a spot to ask for punishments. Do not ask for anyone to be banned. Doing so will hurt your case. This section is instead for discussion of what you see as an ideal outcome. In many cases, it can be as simple as the offending member ceasing the problematic behavior and not lapsing back into it. In some instances, however, incidents may raise bigger problems or expose systemic flaws, and this is the place to address those. If you think there is some way a system or rule could be improved, this is the place to touch on that.
With the template laid out, we would like to touch on what is and is not report-worthy behavior, and on how reports are processed and resolved.
Within the context of Mini, violations of
our rules governing respectful behavior are grounds for a report, as are violations of
the minimum age clause,
the honesty in personal information clause,
the restrictions on multiple accounts, and the rules governing conduct around the rolls, including
requesting kills and
requesting Heroes. If something is not technically under the umbrella of a rule but still feels disruptive in a negative way, feel free to report it and note suggestions for adjustments in the Desired Resolution section.
Staff does not rule on issues occurring outside the confines of Mini unless they present a clear, credible, and serious threat to self or others. This is the realm of issues such as suicidal statements or threats, sexual misconduct, and legitimate threats of violence. Note that the bar here is not "someone was especially mean to me," or clearly fanciful (if still inappropriate) musings from thousands of miles away but several notches higher (mentioning your address and threatening to SWAT you, say). Is it the sort of issue where you're informing the front desk at your apartment, campus security, or your employer due to fear of the actions someone may take? If staff gets involved with off-site issues, this is the tier we're looking at, and alerting the appropriate authorities is extremely likely to be our first action. We take seriously all threats of suicide and do our best to inform those in a position to intervene immediately. A list of international suicide prevention services may be found
here.
If you are having off-site difficulties with a member that do not reach the tier warranting staff intervention, we suggest you address them in the appropriate venues. Complaints regarding the Survival Of The Fittest roleplay and its Discord server or wiki should be addressed to that staff team. If you are having issues with someone PMing you when unwelcome, we suggest you block them and, if necessary,
report them directly to Discord. Staff are not the social media police, and unless there is a major issue we trust and expect our members to resolve non-site-related interpersonal conflicts without staff intervention. We have seen these issues in the past, and they descend quickly and inevitably into tangles of contradictory stories and incomplete accusations that are outside our wheelhouse and above our pay grade.
Once a report is lodged, staff will reply to your message confirming receipt. If you do not receive a confirmation reply within 48 hours, please notify a staff member, ideally the same one you initially notified when you lodged the complaint.
Staff handle reports internally, and do not discuss warnings issued with members outside the staff team. Generally speaking, we take a light hand; if we agree that a line has been crossed but the offense is not particularly severe or part of a noted pattern, we'll likely send the offender a quick and polite request to knock it off and/or a reminder of the rules. If an incident is more severe or an issue is recurrent, we will likely give the offender an official warning, which may come with a note of consequences for further offenses. Should further offenses occur, the consequences will follow. We do track and takes note of all issues, to establish if behavior forms a pattern.
Consequences for persistent or particularly egregious behavior may include a ban from the Discord server and/or wiki, removal of certain privileges (sending PMs on the board, say), or even a ban from the site as a whole. We
do not issue punitive temporary bans, and ban as a last resort. Generally speaking, bans for behavioral issues are indefinite, while bans for repeat offenders (those who have already faced indefinite bans) and those responsible for major safety concerns will be permanent.
If a ban occurs, or if a rule is changed, this will likely be obvious. If a warning or reminder is issued, this will likely be indistinguishable from the outside from staff declining to act. This is by design; staff do not want reports to be weaponized or to lead to retaliation and wish to protect handler privacy as much as possible. Staff will also act on our own initiative if we notice problematic behaviors, but in many cases it can be difficult to tell where the line is and we encourage all members to speak up directly and/or report if they are made uncomfortable. While staff may not act on every report, we will at the very least read them and open them to internal discussion.
On the other hand, please do not abuse the report system to harass or target handlers. If we come to believe a handler is persistently abusing the report system, we may bar them from using it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact staff!