OTW News Post Moderation Policy

Table of Contents

I. General Principles
II. Prohibited Behavior
III. Moderation
IV. Disabled Comments
V. Appealing News Post Moderation Decisions
VI. Effective Date and Policy Review
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I. General Principles

This policy outlines the criteria for news post moderation on Archive of Our Own (AO3) and OTW news posts.

The News Post Moderation subcommittee (NPM) is responsible for overseeing comments on all news posts on the OTW website and AO3. News post comment sections are a place for on-topic, constructive discussion. Moderation is intended to curb off-topic discussions, insulting comments, and other problematic behavior.

News post moderation is also important when there are high levels of post interaction and commenting. This can make it difficult for users to get relevant information or find answers from OTW volunteers responding to questions. Moderators will watch over posts to ensure that questions are answered either directly by News Posts Moderators or by volunteers from the most relevant committee.

To support these general principles, the following outlines our moderation policy for news posts.
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II. Prohibited Behavior

Comments on news posts may be frozen or hidden by a News Post Moderator or other admin if they contain:

  • Spam or unsolicited advertising
  • Off-topic content about topics that are outside the purview of the Organization for Transformative Works (which is: fans, fandom, and Internet or copyright policy)
  • Misinformation (particularly about the OTW) with the potential to harm or mislead others
  • Explicit/graphic sexual or violent language
  • Attempts to draw negative attention to a specific individual or fanwork
  • Insults and personal attacks towards other users
  • Inflammatory or speculative language that may result in harassment
  • Potentially doxxing information about specific users
  • Violations of the site’s Terms of Service

Please note that the above is not an exhaustive list of all comments that may be actioned. Comments on AO3 news posts that violate the AO3 Terms of Service may be reported to the Policy & Abuse committee.
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III. Moderation

News Post Moderators monitor news posts and will approve, reply to, hide, freeze, and/or delete comments as necessary. NPM operates with a seconding process to ensure objectivity and consistency.

OTW volunteers will respond to comments using an Official OTW committee account to clarify points of confusion or engage with user feedback. Comments from Official accounts will be clearly marked on AO3 with a bolded (Official) after the username and with a signature identifying the relevant OTW committee or team on the OTW website. For example, comments from News Post Moderators will use the OTW_News_Post_Moderation account on AO3. On the OTW website, they’ll be signed with their name followed by “OTW News Post Moderator”.

If an OTW volunteer comments on a news post using a personal account, that volunteer is not acting in an official capacity. Such comments do not necessarily reflect the views of the OTW, nor do they constitute OTW policy.
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IV. Disabled Comments

Comments are automatically turned off on both AO3 and the OTW website after two weeks. Additionally, some news posts may have comments turned off at the time of posting. On posts where there is repeated or extended prohibited behavior that is not curbed by moderation, Moderators or the authoring committee may also decide to disable comments early (before the two-week mark).

If it is decided that comments should remain on, News Post Moderators may choose to take other preventative measures, such as turning on comment screening.
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V. Appealing News Post Moderation Decisions

If you would like to report a comment to the News Post Moderators or if you are unhappy with a previous moderation decision, contact the News Post Moderation subcommittee. As part of your report, please include the following information:

  • Links to all relevant comment threads or to the post with a description of the comments’ content if they have been hidden or not approved
  • A brief explanation of why you think the comment(s) in question should be actioned differently in accordance with this policy

Moderators uninvolved with the original moderation action will review the comment(s) and take any appropriate action before replying with their decision. The original decision will remain in effect while an appeal is being reviewed.
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VI. Effective Date and Policy Review

The OTW News Post Moderation Policy was first approved in April 2024.

It will be reviewed and updated as needed, with reviews occurring every three years at minimum. It can be updated at any time by a request from the News Post Moderation subcommittee. All updates will be sent to Communications Chair(s) for approval.

This policy was last reviewed in June 2026 and is next scheduled for review in June 2029 unless a request for a review or change is made sooner.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the News Post Moderation subcommittee directly.