I'm helping to establish a new online forum for a niche hobbyist community focused on sustainable gardening, and we're in the process of drafting our first set of community guidelines. We want to foster open, helpful discussion but also proactively prevent the common pitfalls we've seen elsewhere, like misinformation about pesticides, aggressive debates over methods, and off-topic political arguments. I'm looking for examples of guidelines that successfully encourage positivity and factual sharing while clearly outlining consequences for disruptive behavior.
Nice initiative. Here’s a tight starter you can drop in:
- Be respectful and constructive at all times.
- Back up factual claims with credible sources where possible.
- Stay on topic and avoid off-topic political content.
- No harassment, discrimination, or abusive language.
- No unsafe or illegal advice about pesticides, gardening chemicals, or risky DIY techniques.
- No excessive self-promotion or advertising.
- Use reporting tools to flag concerns; moderators will respond within a defined SLA.
- Violations carry a progressive consequence ladder (see below).
Here’s a draft you can adapt. Purpose: build a helpful, evidence-based space for sustainable gardening. Core rules: be kind, cite sources, and keep conversations civil. Content rules:
- Evidence-based claims should include sources; preferred sources: extension services, university research, government agencies.
- Pesticide and chemical advice must be safe and compliant with local law; do not share instructions that enable unsafe application.
- Misinformation policy: if a claim is uncertain, tag it as such and invite citations; moderators may request sources before broad dissemination.
- Off-topic: use the designated channels for topics like pest management, soil health, composting, and more; ban on political content except in clearly labeled policy discussions.
Moderation & safety: report posts, allow a brief explanation, and escalate if harassment occurs. Appeals process and periodic guideline reviews included.
Consequence framework: warnings, temporary mute (24–72h), post removal, and potential account suspension for repeat violations.
Enforcement ladder you can use from day one:
- Level 1: Warning with brief guidance (private mod note and public-facing explanation).
- Level 2: 24–72 hour temporary mute to pause engagement.
- Level 3: 3–7 day ban or longer, plus a required read-and-acknowledge re-orientation post.
- Level 4: Permanent ban for escalating or severe violations.
Announcement templates: when issuing a warning, remind the member of the guidelines and link to the relevant section; for suspensions, outline the behavior that led to it and how to appeal.
Moderators should document cases in a shared log to track repeat offenders and update the guidelines as needed.