Primer on the Debate Politics Infraction/Penalty System

[vauge]

A primer on the Debate Politics Infraction/Penalty System.

Definitions:
DP - Debate Politics.
Violation - A violation occurs whenever one or more of our Forum Rules is breached.
Warning - A Warning can be issued to you by a Moderator for a violation of our Forum Rules. A Warning typically results in no penalty points being awarded.
Infraction - An Infraction is issued to you by a Moderator for a violation of our Forum Rules. An Infraction always results in penalty points being awarded.
Penalty - Points awarded for Infractions.
Points - A numerical quantity. Points are accumulative.
Duration - Infraction points are "active" for a determined period of time.
Suspended - A member's DP privileges are reduced for a specified period of time.
Perma-ban - A member is permanently removed from the DP community.

Infraction System:
Debate Politics has an Infraction/Penalty System in place to help ensure that remedial actions for violations of our Forum Rules are accomplished in a fair and impartial manner. For the most part, this software program accomplishes most Infraction/Penalty tasks automatically.

10+ accumulative total active points
Automatic Two (2) day member suspension.

20+ accumulative total active points
Automatic Two (2) week member suspension.

30+ accumulative total active points
Automatic Perma-ban.

Penalty points and duration are always subject to Moderator decision. A moderator may also apply a custom award for rule infractions. Below are the default in our system.

Warnings:
Warnings may be applied for any of the below, but do not result in a net gain of points. In effect, warnings are verbal requests.

1 Point Infraction Violations:

No link to original source - 30 days
No user content in OP - 30 days

3 Point Infraction Violations:
Bypassing Word Censor - 15 days
*Breaking News* Violation - 30 days
Fair-Use violation - 30 days
Offensive/Disrespectful Post - 30 days
Baiting/Flaming/Trolling - 30 days

5 Point Infraction Violation:
Spamming/advertisements - 30 days

10 point Infraction Violation:
Insubordination - 60 days

20 Point Infraction Violation:
Hate Messages - 90 days

The Infraction/Penalty system will notify a member of an issued Warning/Infraction via PM. The system will also automatically create a new thread in a dedicated Moderator forum and detail the Warning/Infraction information. The system creates a "paper trail" that helps the Mod Team resolve any Infraction issues as well as discuss resolutions of potential bias.

Errors and Challenges to issued infractions
If an Infraction is issued in error, Moderators have the ability to "reverse" the Infraction. This results in the specific active points awarded in error to be rendered as inactive.

If you wish to challenge a moderators' action against you please do so via PM and not within our main forum. You may address *any* of the moderators as your request will be placed in our main moderator forum for a proper hearing and discussion of action. This was put in place so that if an action was unwarranted we can quickly resolve the issue and not entangle unintended consequences. If the issue still remains unresolved after this PM contact, you may contact the Lead Moderator - vauge - via PM.

Contact us
Anytime that you have questions, concerns, or a complaint...we encourage you to contact any Moderator via PM. All such communications will be made available to the entire Mod Team.