System Change: Viewing Your Warning Level

I want to make everyone aware of a change we made during a recent review of our moderating procedures and policy. We've enabled the option for users to see their warning level - this will appear as a bar beneath your avatar under each forum post you make and also in your profile page. It appears exactly as the moderators see it and it will only appear visible to you when you are logged in.

This warning level is mainly a tool for the moderators to help them track behavior that skirts the boundaries or lightly tests the limits of our posting guidelines. This behavior generally does not warrant a ban or suspension, and in this case you may notice a bump in your warning bar in addition to a PM from the moderator who adjusted your warning level.

Please note that this warning history is taken on a case-by-case basis - you do not need to have a full warning bar for us to consider suspending or banning you from the website.

Warning levels can be adjusted up and down, but they do not fall on their own over time. Please do not ask for your level to be lowered. If your community actions give reason for this to be done, it will.

In addition to seeing your warning level represented as a bar under your avatar, you can click on it to view the notes moderators have left when they increase or decrease your warning level. They can also leave notes without altering your warning level. This ensures that all moderators can be made aware of any past problems when they approach an issue involving a member they have not directly dealt with before. Either way you will also receive a PM from the moderator informing you of this change as it appears the system does not automatically provide such notification.

Again, this warning meter is primarily a moderator tool, however the mods and staff don't see any reason to not make available the comments being entered into your account for other moderators to view and reference when performing their duties. These comments will still be reflected in PMs sent directly to you and quick access to these warning comments can be your reference as well to actions that should not be repeated here on the site.