The BBC online team has launched a new appeals process for moderated comments, in a move which aims to ensure greater equality and fairness when sharing opinions online.
The broadcaster announced that a new system became necessary after the growth of online communities within the BBC site.
The old system relied on you responding to a moderation email and was devised when we had half a dozen community sites using the DNA moderation system. However, with nearly 300 different blogs, boards, community sites and comments systems now using DNA, it became impossible to even maintain the folders, let alone ensure that all the teams responsible were responding to your moderation queries.
The new system will mean all appeals and complaints will be handled by a dedicated team, who will turn to hosts, bloggers or production teams for direction where necessary.
The moderation failure emails are shorter and contain a link to more information about the rule your contribution was deemed to have broken. If you wish to appeal you can contact us via the feedback forms on http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs and http://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards. You will get an initial response within 10 working days, and if you are unhappy with the outcome, an opportunity to continue with the appeal procedure. If you have restrictions placed on your account, you can also appeal with the new process.
Could be a good step. Or an opportunity for further irony.
I shall await my next ‘something in all you wrote appears to be defamatory, but we’re not saying what or why and so will just can the whole shebang until it blows over’ email.
Which, when fired to complaints as less than useless and more than a small homage to the HHGTTG ‘Beware of the Leopard’ file, can result in a ticking off for not playing the game and/or a threat of banning.
I’d also be keen to see how it relates to the blanket ‘off topic’ referral, especially with one of the major political commentator blogs on its 7th week and another constantly closing for comments before most get home the same day it is ‘published’/posted and then locked down for watertight oversight.