Galamsey Reporter

Community guidelines

Community Moderation Guidelines

How community moderation works, what it takes to participate, and what we expect from moderators.

What is Community Moderation?

Community moderation helps keep our platform trustworthy and safe. When you opt in, you join a group of dedicated contributors who review reports, flag inappropriate content, and help maintain the quality of information on the platform.

This is voluntary. You can choose to participate or simply use the platform as a regular user. Either way, your reports matter and contribute to protecting Ghana's environment.

How to Opt In

You can opt into community moderation in two ways:

  • During registration: Check the community moderation option when you create your account.
  • In your profile settings: Go to your profile page and toggle the community moderation option on.

Once you opt in, you become eligible to earn higher tiers based on your contributions and account history.

Tier Progression

As you contribute to the platform, you can earn higher moderation tiers. Each tier comes with additional privileges and responsibilities.

User

Starting tier for all members

All community members start here. You can submit reports, view the public map, and participate in discussions.

Trusted Contributor

60+ reputation score and 30+ days on the platform

You have shown consistent, quality contributions. Your reports carry more weight, and you can flag content for review by moderators.

Community Moderator

80+ reputation score and 90+ days on the platform

You help keep the community safe. You can review flagged content, vote on report authenticity, and help train newer contributors.

How Reputation is Earned

Your reputation score reflects your contributions and trustworthiness on the platform. All users start with a score of 50 out of 100. Here is how you can build your reputation:

  • Submit quality reports: Reports that are verified by officials or confirmed by the community boost your score.
  • Provide accurate information: Adding clear descriptions, precise locations, and helpful photos helps your reports get verified faster.
  • Flag appropriately: When you correctly flag inappropriate or misleading content, your reputation grows.
  • Consistent participation: Regular, constructive activity shows you are a reliable community member.

Your reputation can decrease if your reports are rejected, if you flag content inappropriately, or if you violate community guidelines.

Moderator Responsibilities

If you reach Trusted Contributor or Community Moderator status, we expect you to:

  • Be fair and impartial: Review content based on our guidelines, not personal opinions.
  • Act promptly: Flagged content should be reviewed in a timely manner to keep the platform healthy.
  • Respect privacy: Never share personal information you may encounter during moderation.
  • Report serious issues: Escalate content that may involve safety threats, legal matters, or harassment to platform administrators.
  • Stay informed: Keep up with any updates to these guidelines or platform policies.

Expected Conduct

All community members, especially moderators, should:

  • Treat others with respect, even when disagreeing.
  • Focus on facts when reviewing or discussing reports.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest when moderating content related to your own area.
  • Keep discussions constructive and focused on protecting the environment.
  • Never use moderation privileges to settle personal disputes.

Opting Out

You can opt out of community moderation at any time from your profile settings.

When you opt out:

  • Your role resets to User, regardless of your previous tier.
  • You lose access to moderation tools and privileges.
  • Your reputation score is preserved but no longer affects your tier.
  • If you opt back in later, you will need to meet the requirements again to regain higher tiers.

Opting out does not affect your ability to submit reports or participate as a regular community member.

Consequences of Misusing Privileges

We trust our moderators to act responsibly. If you misuse your moderation privileges, we may take action to protect the community.

Examples of misuse include:

  • Approving or rejecting content based on personal relationships rather than merit.
  • Using moderation access to harass or intimidate other users.
  • Sharing private information encountered during moderation.
  • Coordinating with others to manipulate report outcomes.
  • Repeatedly flagging legitimate content without cause.

Consequences may include:

  • Warning: For first-time or minor issues, you may receive a warning.
  • Reputation reduction: Your score may be reduced based on the severity.
  • Tier demotion: You may be moved to a lower tier or reset to User.
  • Moderation ban: In serious cases, you may lose the ability to opt into moderation permanently.
  • Account suspension: Severe or repeated violations may result in account suspension.

Our goal is not to punish but to maintain a trustworthy platform. If you have questions about specific situations, reach out to platform administrators before taking action.