Forum Guidelines Enforcement Procedures

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Forum Guidelines Enforcement Procedures
IPS Warning Points, Expirations & Forum Restrictions
Public GGU moderation documentation — IPS warning-point enforcement model.

Public Enforcement Standard:
GGU publishes its Forum enforcement framework so members can understand how warning points and restrictions are applied. Private reports, sensitive evidence, and Staff-only notes may remain restricted.

GGU Forums use the IPS warning-point system. Forum enforcement should therefore be recorded through warning points, point expirations, and the moderation/restriction options attached to those warnings rather than through an unrelated generic punishment ladder.

 

How the IPS Warning-Point System Is Used

• Warning Points record the severity and history of a Forum rule violation.
• Expiration determines how long the points remain active for escalation and automated/manual restrictions.
• Content Moderation may require a member's future content to be approved before it becomes publicly visible.
• Posting Restrictions may prevent the member from posting until the restriction expires or is successfully appealed.
• Spammer Status may be used for qualifying spam behavior.
• Zero-Point Warnings may be used when GGU intentionally wants an administrative record without adding active warning points.

Point Values Matter:
Do not replace a point-based offense with a generic warning unless the Forum policy is intentionally being changed. The points, expiration, and attached restriction are part of the enforcement action.

 

General Forum Moderation Process

1. Identify the specific Forum rule that was violated.
2. Preserve the relevant post/topic and surrounding context.
3. Confirm whether the member has prior active/relevant warnings when the procedure uses escalating offenses.
4. Issue the warning using the point value and expiration listed for the applicable offense.
5. Apply the content action and any moderation/posting restriction required by the offense level.
6. Record a clear reason so another authorized reviewer can understand the action.
7. Escalate unusual, disputed, or severe cases when appropriate.

 

Advertising

• 1st Offense: 10 warning points, expiring after 3 months; hide/remove the advertising content.
• 2nd Offense: 150 warning points, expiring after 1 year; place the member's content under moderation for that duration.
• 3rd Offense: 150 warning points, expiring after 1 year; restrict the member from posting until successfully appealed or otherwise reviewed.

Evidence / Record: preserve the advertising post, link, invite, server IP, recruitment message, or other content that triggered the warning.

 

Doxing

• 1st Offense: 8000 warning points and restrict the member from posting.

Evidence / Record: preserve the original content in a restricted location. Do not repeat personal information publicly in the warning reason.

Sensitive Evidence:
Doxing evidence should be hidden from public view while remaining available to authorized Leadership.

 

Forum Alternate Accounts

• 1st Offense: close the alternate account. The existing procedure requires Senior Manager+ authority.

Under the current GGU hierarchy, Senior Manager+ includes Senior Manager, Operations Leader, Community Leader, and Owner. Identity should be reasonably verified before account closure.

 

Harassment, Slurs & Discrimination

• 1st Offense: 10 warning points per instance, expiring after 6 months; hide/remove the content and place future content under moderation for that duration.
• 2nd Offense: issue 3× the points assessed for the 1st offense, expiring after 1 year; hide/remove the content and restrict posting until successfully appealed or otherwise reviewed.

Evidence / Record: preserve the offending content and enough surrounding context to identify the target, conduct, and number of distinct instances being counted.

 

Malicious Links

• 1st Offense: 8000 warning points and restrict the member from posting.

Evidence / Record: preserve the post and URL in a restricted location. Do not repost malware, phishing, credential-stealing, or otherwise dangerous links in public Staff notes.

 

Necroposting

• 1st Offense: 0 warning points; lock the thread where appropriate. This warning is used strictly as an administrative record.
• 2nd Offense: 10 warning points, expiring after 1 month.
• 3rd Offense: 150 warning points, expiring after 1 year; place the member's content under moderation for that duration.

Use Judgment:
Not every reply to an old topic is harmful. Apply necroposting enforcement when reviving the thread is actually contrary to current Forum rules or materially disrupts the Forum.

 

Spamming

• 1st Offense: warning points are based on the content/severity of the spam; points expire after 1 month; hide/remove the spam.
• 2nd Offense: issue 3× the warning points and duration used for the 1st offense; hide/remove the content, flag the account as a spammer where appropriate, and moderate future content for the issued duration.
• 3rd Offense: issue 3× the points and duration used for the 2nd offense; hide/remove the content and restrict posting until successfully appealed or otherwise reviewed.

Evidence / Record: preserve representative spam content and enough context to show frequency/volume. For automated or malicious spam accounts, faster action may be appropriate under the Global Moderation Standard.

 

"Shitposting" / Low-Value Content

• Offenses 1–3: 0 warning points, expiring after 1 month; hide or move the posts as appropriate.
• 4th+ Offense: 10 warning points, expiring after 3 months; hide or move the posts.

Evidence / Record: preserve or reference the affected posts so the pattern can be reviewed. Moving content may be more appropriate than hiding it when the problem is location rather than misconduct.

 

Content Actions

• Hide content when it violates rules but may be needed for Staff review.
• Move content when the primary problem is that it belongs elsewhere.
• Lock a thread when further replies should stop.
• Delete permanently only when preservation is unnecessary and authorized.

Preserve Reviewability:
When in doubt, hide rather than permanently delete. IPS moderation history is more useful when the underlying content can still be reviewed by authorized Staff.

 

Automatic vs. Manual Restrictions

IPS may apply restrictions through the warning configuration, while Leadership may also attach or review restrictions manually. The Forum procedure should describe the intended outcome; the IPS warning configuration should be kept aligned with that policy.

 

Point Expiration

Expiration is part of the punishment. A warning should use the duration listed in the procedure unless an approved exception applies. Expired points may remain historically visible to Staff even though they are no longer active.

 

Escalation & Appeals

• Moderators should not alter point values simply to reach a preferred outcome.
• Unusual cases may be escalated to Staff/Manager or higher Leadership.
• Appeals should be reviewed by someone with appropriate authority.
• A reviewer may correct an incorrect warning, point value, expiration, or attached restriction.
• Reports involving higher Leadership should follow the normal GGU escalation chain, including Operations Leader where applicable.

 

Point-System Maintenance

The written procedure and the IPS warning configuration should be reviewed together. If GGU changes a point value, expiration period, or automated restriction in IPS, this public procedure should be updated at the same time so members and Staff see the same enforcement model.

 

Use the point system consistently and keep the written policy aligned with IPS.