How does moderation work

How do I report someone's post?

We are a community that relies on users to report content that is a guideline violation, so if you see something that violates a guideline, please report the post using the tools on the bottom left of each post. Select Flag, then Report. We have a team of staff and volunteer moderators who review reports and issue warnings if the posts violate a guideline. Our team does not review every post made on the site.

What happens when a post enters moderation?

Once a post enters moderation, a moderator or staff member will determine whether there is a violation based on the report that has been submitted. If we determine that the post deserves a warning, we then select the severity of the violation along with information about why the post is a warnable offense. The warning is selected based on the frequency and severity of prior warning history.

We attempt to work with users when it is clear that there are issues between that person and another user or group of users, rather than just handing out warnings. Please don't try to handle the situation yourself or reciprocate an attack; come to mods or staff if there is a problem.

What happens when a user abuses the flag feature?

Users who flag content that does not meet the criteria for a flag will be subject to warnings and points. This includes users who are flagging content due to past events gone sour, a dislike of the user, and those who are trying to incite drama, flame-bait or are flagging to attack another user in a thread due to disagreement.

• Warnings and Point System for Reported Posts:Notice = 0 Warning Points: This type of warning is used to let a member know they have violated a guideline and request they review our guidelines to avoid future warnings. This type of warning is appropriate for new members and for notifying members of posts removed that don’t warrant disciplinary action.
• Minor Warning = 2 Warning Points: This type of warning is to let a member know they have violated a guideline and have received 2 points. Minor warnings remain in place for 1 week.* This type of warning is appropriate for members who have received previous notifications to review our guidelines.
• Major Warning = 3 Warning Points: This type of warning is to let a member know they have significantly violated a guideline and have received 3 points. Examples include hate speech, blatant personal attacks, or posting images containing nudity; as well as repeated violations of the same guidelines. Major warnings remain in place for 2 weeks.*
• Banning = 5 Warning Points: A member who accumulates a total of 5 active points will be banned and lose posting privileges.

add info about 10 warnings in a calendar year here

*When a user’s warnings expire, their warning level will be reset to zero and the user will no longer have any active warning points. If we warn a user who has already been warned, then the points from the new warning will be added to their warning level and their warning’s expiry will be extended. When a user reaches certain warning levels they will have forum restrictions placed on their account.

*We feel strongly that posts or actions disregarding these guidelines jeopardize the supportive atmosphere of MyFitnessPal. Such posts may lead to consequences including warning, suspension of posting privileges, or, in extreme cases, removal of a user from the site. As a general practice, anyone who receives 10 warnings in a calendar year for any of the above reasons, will be permanently banned from all of the Main Forums and Groups.

Important Notes:

• If your posts are flagged for spam, abuse, or reported posts; the only points that count are warning points given by a staff or volunteer moderator after the actual content has been reviewed. If your content is reported and its not a problem, then the report won't have any impact on your account. If it is a problem, you will get a notification with additional details including which guideline was violated, whether its a notice, minor, or major warning, and whether the content was removed.
• We are testing out new approaches to flagged content and warning users. We have made these changes based on a great deal of member feedback, but are in a process of experimentation and encourage folks to both keep an open mind and let us know your thoughts. We are monitoring a bunch of discussion on forum feedback and in the next few weeks will re-introduce the forum survey to continue gathering feedback on a large scale about the forum experience.