Position Title: Policy & Abuse Volunteer
Organization: Organization for Transformative Works
Project: Archive of Our Own
Committee: Policy & Abuse
Reports to: Policy & Abuse Chair(s)
Time Requirements: 5 hours per week (minimum). Additional time may sometimes be required during the training period, which lasts for several months.
Term: 1 year (minimum)
Role Overview: The Policy & Abuse committee is responsible for addressing questions and concerns about potential violations of the AO3 Terms of Service. Policy & Abuse volunteers investigate user reports, answer questions about AO3 policies, and work with other Policy & Abuse volunteers and OTW committees to complete tasks and projects.
Key Responsibilities:
- Investigate and resolve Abuse reports submitted by AO3 users
- Review investigations performed by other Policy & Abuse volunteers
- Enforce the AO3 Terms of Service and associated policies consistently, regardless of personal views
- Respond to users in a courteous and professional fashion under all circumstances
- Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive material, including users’ personal information and details of all investigations
- Participate in discussions with other Policy & Abuse volunteers about individual cases and general policies
- Take on tasks within the committee appropriate to skills and experience, such as writing and editing documentation, proofreading or translating ticket responses, managing projects and teams, training newer volunteers, etc.
- Learn new skills that may be necessary for fuller participation in the committee
- Communicate with the Policy & Abuse Chair(s) and other volunteers regularly to keep them apprised of availability, progress on tasks, and any issues that arise that may impact committee work
Skills and Attributes:
- Must be at least 18 years old and legally of age to work with explicit material in your local jurisdiction
- English language proficiency is required; additional language skills are an asset
- Excellent written communication skills
- Strong respect for confidentiality and user privacy
- Ability to remain professional and patient when communicating with users and resolving complaints
- Willingness to make difficult or unpopular decisions
- Ability to work successfully in a highly collaborative environment while completing individual responsibilities
- Willingness to accept and offer constructive criticism in a clear and helpful manner
- Ability to reliably meet deadlines, sometimes for unexpected and time-sensitive tasks
Experience:
- Familiarity with AO3 as a user is required.
Role Restrictions:
- A Policy & Abuse volunteer cannot be a member of more than three OTW committees, including Policy & Abuse. Exceptions to this restriction will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the workload required by each of the committee memberships, liaison roles, and/or other positions held by the volunteer.
- A volunteer cannot be in training (including any probationary periods) for both Policy & Abuse and another committee at the same time.
Training Requirements:
- New Policy & Abuse volunteers will be trained in all necessary tools, skills, and other tasks. The training period will last several months.
Technology Requirements:
- Policy & Abuse volunteers must have reliable access to a computer or laptop; committee work cannot be performed solely on mobile devices (phone, tablet, etc).