29 September 2000
Statute of Democratic Moderation
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1) Three months after the result of the ballot, the first elections
must be held; in the first three months the newsgroup is not
moderated.
2) In the first legislature the newsgroup proponent is elected
by right; voting lasts fifteen days.
3) The moderation team is comprised of five moderators
(plus two backups, the first of the non-elected candidates).
4) Any of the newsgroup's posters may stand for election
as a moderator.
5) Only the newsgroup's posters may vote and each user may
vote for one single legislature at a time.
6) The elected moderators hold office for a year and may stand
for re-election.
7) Each moderator may moderate only one newsgroup at a time.
8) After the election the moderators shall elect a spokesman
(the one who gets most votes) to handle any explanations on
news.admin.moderation (a simple majority of three moderators
is required to replace the spokesman).
9) Should one or two moderators resign, their place will be taken
by the first of the non-elected candidates; should the majority
resign, new elections must be held within a month.
10) A moderation commission (fifteen members plus seven backups)
must be elected every year by users to settle controversies
in all the newsgroups.
11) Anyone may stand for election as a member of the moderation
commission.
12) Outgoing members of the moderation commission may stand
for re-election.
13) During their period in office, commission members may not
moderate newsgroups.
14) The moderation commission shall elect a spokesman (the one
who gets most votes) to deal with the official posting of its
decisions on news.admin.moderation (a simple majority of eight
members is required to replace the spokesman).
15) Should members of the moderation commission resign, their
place will be taken by the first of the non-elected candidates;
should the majority resign, a new election must be held.
16) In the case of a member's absence for more than two months
without giving notice, the moderation commission may propose
a substitute (confirmed with a simple majority).
17) In the case of article considered off-topic, the moderator shall
submit the article to the moderation team: the decision of the
majority of the moderators, voting within 24 hours, shall be
final. Should the ballot result in a tie, the article shall be
considered on-topic. In the case of article considered
off-topic by the moderation team, the poster shall be notified,
explaining the reason why, and also informed of the existence
of the moderation commission on news.admin.moderation,
to which an appeal can be made.
18) A simple majority of the moderators may propose the suspension
of a moderator to the moderation commission (which, with
a simple majority, may confirm the suspension).
19) In the case of appeal to the moderation commission regarding
users articles, the decision of the majority of the commission
members, voting within 48 hours, shall be final. Should the
ballot result in a tie the article shall be considered on-topic.
20) In the event of disputes not settled unanimously the moderation
commission must specify how members have voted.
21) The moderation commission may suspend individual moderators
or the whole moderation team and call new elections.
22) Suspended or resigning moderators may not stand for re-election
at the next election held by the same newsgroup.
23) Should part of the moderation team fail to comply with a decision
taken by members of the commission, the spokesman for the
moderation commission shall report the incident to the person
in charge of the hierarchy (David Lawrence) so that the
moderation bot owner be notified, or for rmgroup should
there continue to be problems.
24) A 2/3 majority of the commission members may write new rules
for moderation or may change the rules contained in this Status.
25) For each moderated newsgroup there must be a corresponding
unmoderated one.
Proponent: Giovanni Greco
https://groups.google.com/u/1/g/news.groups/c/oMQe8w_AvSQ/m/2URgYtS4pfoJ