Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-28606847-20161105163948

Hello all! This is a blog that mainly focuses on the major aspects of mini modding, and on how to identify and refrain from mini modding. All users, new or 'old', are welcome to view this blog.

Let's start with focusing on the definition of mini modding. Mini means a user who does not have staff rights, and moderating means to monitor, and in this case, making sure that the wiki is spam free and no 'irregular behavior.' In other words, mini modding is just a simplified version of 'dealing with non compliant behavior without staff permissions.'

The reason why Mini modding is so important is because it is a bannable offense. It can create arguments, spam, and general chaos. Telling users what to do is a staff's job, not a regular user's. Staff are here to make rules, and without staff, the wiki would be in complete chaos. I will leave the imagination to you.

Now that we know the definition of mini modding, let's start on how to identify mini modding.

Here are some of the common words that are often used in mini modding:


 * "Please don't"
 * "Refrain from doing so again"
 * "Try not to.." (Depends on the context)
 * "Please try.." (Depends on the context)

If you feel like yours or another users comment/thread is mini modding, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does it seem like a command?

2. Would it cause any unnecessary arguments?

3. Is it necessary?

4. Is it offensive?

5. Does it violate any of this wiki's rules?

If any of the answers to these questions is a 'yes', and if it involves the words mentioned above, then I am afraid that it is mini modding.

Mainly due to misunderstandings, suggestions can be mistaken for mini modding, or vice versa.

Here are a few words and phrases that are commonly used in suggestions:


 * "It's suggested that this action is not repeated again, because it does not follow the wiki's rules."
 * "Just saying, it's probably not a good idea to do this because of [state reason]"
 * "Probably not a good idea to do that because [state reason]. Instead, here's a better option: [state option]."
 * "It's best for you and the wiki if this action is not repeated because [state reason]."

Suggestions, of course, are permitted. It is a much more healthier and non-argumentative way to state why a user must not do the action.

Here are a few examples of mini modding, and not mini modding.

Mini Modding:
 * "Do not spam on the page, otherwise you will be reported to an admin."

As you can see here, the user is giving a command to the other user to not spam. The way the user worded his comment gives out a tone of command.


 * "Please refrain from vandalizing the Zombie page."

There is another tone of command here. It also uses the words that I gave you for identifying mini modding. The user is stopping the user from vandalizing the page, which is a good thing, as vandalizing is most definetly not allowed here. But the way he stopped the user is not the right way, and instead, he should have reported this to a staff member.

Not Mini Modding
 * "It's best for everyone if you lower down the amount of caps you used in your comment."

The user is not giving a straight forward command, and neither is he offending the other user. He is merely presenting the wiki's rules about caps in a peaceful manner.


 * "Just a tip: Spamming is not allowed here. Staff won't be happy with the amount of spam you posted here. Spamming can get you blocked, as it goes against the wiki's rules."

As you can see, the user is just giving a 'tip' or a suggestion, to the other user who is breaking the rules. Note that he did not give a direct command.

Staff understand that users are trying to help by telling other users what to do, but as I said multiple times above, this causes many arguments and overall hate. If you really feel that the user needs to be told what to do, report this to a staff member. If you aren't sure if your comment or someone else's comment is mini modding or not, feel free to ask a staff member. Remember, staff are here to help/guide users and to enforce the rules.

Thank you for reading! :)

Your friendly discussions mod, Rith 4 life (Contact Me) 