Mod Primer

Hello and welcome! This is a primer on the SCP Wikidot's moderator tools defined in the Abolishing the Mod Rank Policy.

A word on staff hierarchy:

In its current form, the Moderator tools role connotes the set of permissions granted to trusted SCP Wiki staff members, when staff require said permissions to perform their designated tasks.

While the Moderator tools role allows staff to perform site actions those without cannot, the role is not intended to confer additional status or authority within the staff hierarchy.

Operational Staff with Moderator tools permissions remain Operational Staff.

What actions do Moderator tools permissions allow, and how do I perform them?

On Wikidot, Moderator tools permissions (known as moderator permissions on Wikidot) allow greater editing actions that typical users (including other staff members) do not have, most notably:

1. Permanent deletion of any page or forum comment.
To delete a page:
Scroll to the bottom of the page, click on "options" then click on "delete". You will be given two options: "just rename" and "delete completely". Select "Delete completely" and then click the "delete" button that appears below that.

To delete a forum comment:
Below the comment select "options", then select delete.

2. Editing of any page or forum post (including locked pages and threads)
You are able to edit the pages and forum posts of others, be they locked or unlocked, the same way you would your own.
3. Ability to lock/unlock pages or threads (including pages like Metadata).
To lock a page:
Scroll to the bottom of the page, click on "options" then click on "lock page" You will be prompted with a tick box next to the words "Page blocked:" if the box contains a check-mark upon opening the page is currently locked, if it does not contain a check-mark upon opening then the page is currently unlocked. You can toggle from locked to unlocked and vice versa by clicking on the box. When it is in the desired position click on the "save" button below the box.

4. Ability to rename any page or move any forum thread.
To rename a page:
Click on the "edit" button at the bottom of the page, the first box, under "title of the page" will allow you to change the page's title, after changing it to the desired title you must click the "save" button to implement the change.

To rename a forum thread:
Above the first post in the thread click on "more options" then click on "Edit Title & Description" and then input the desired title (and/or description) then click the "save" button.

To move a forum thread:
Above the first post in the thread click on "more options" then click on "move thread". Select the new category from the drop-down list of categories, then press save when you have selected the destination. (While the Moderator tools do not allow the deletion of forum threads, they allow their renaming, the deletion of the posts contained, and it's moving to the appropriate category for deleted threads)

Note: In the case of being unable to perform a moderator action due to a redirect or CSS element it is possible to bypass this by appending "/norender/true" to the original URL.

It is important to only use these abilities when necessary.

If you are performing a Moderator tools role action, especially if you are new to using these permissions, it is common to briefly check in with another member of staff. Best practice is to be certain that this is both something you should be doing, and something that you are doing correctly.

For example, though all staff with Moderator tools permissions can delete pages, we have deletion guidelines and a dedicated deletion subteam. If, due to extraordinary circumstances, a staff member outside the team needs to perform deletions, the deletions team and/or guidelines should be consulted prior to any page removal.

Who does not need Moderator tools permissions?

While technically all Operational Staff are eligible for the Moderator tools role, not every staff member requires the role to perform their duties.

For instance, teams operating exclusively off-site, such as the staff Discord team, do not require the power to delete Wikidot pages as doing so is outside their responsibilities. (Conversely, the Deletions subteam does not require the ability to ban users on off-site platforms, and as such does not need those permissions and would not be given them.)

Thus, staff members whose team duties do not involve Wikidot operations do not need Moderator tools permissions. That said, it is important to note that some staff duties are shared across all teams, such as updating the Metadata page.

How does one acquire the Moderator tools role?

If you think you need Moderator tools capabilities to perform your staff duties, or could better perform your staff duties with said capabilities, talk to your relevant team captain!

If they concur, a captain will post an O5 thread for staff members to vote on whether you, the candidate, are trustworthy enough to be conferred these powers, and whether in fact these powers are required for your tasks. (Captains are expected to justify why the candidate requires the role.)

I hope you've found this helpful!

If there is something you do not understand, or feel is missing from this primer, talk to a fellow staffer about it! This guide may be in need of an update. :)
(Requirements for edits delineated in Section X of the [Abolishing the Mod Rank Policy http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-15668377/voting-abolishing-the-mod-rank-4:if-we-can-put-a-mod-on-the])

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