Forum that exists to disparage another forum

[rikkistevens]

I am a concerned internet user who values the importance of respectful and safe online communities. Recently, I came across a forum hosted on this platform, specifically the Stereo Central website (https://stereocentral.freeforums.net). This discovery has prompted me to reach out and gain a better understanding of ProBoards' policies and mechanisms for content review.

so far as I can tell, this site exists only to bully and intimidate members from *another* web forum, seemingly comprised of people kicked/banned from that forum.  

While navigating through the forum, I encountered sections that appeared to contain content potentially violating standard online conduct, such as personal attacks, defamation, and privacy intrusions. This situation has raised concerns about the effectiveness of content monitoring and enforcement of community standards on this platform.

Could you please provide some insight into how ProBoards addresses such issues? Specifically, I am interested in learning about your procedures for identifying, reviewing, and addressing content that may contravene your platform's guidelines and the legal frameworks regarding online behavior.

Moreover, I am curious about the steps ProBoards takes to foster a supportive and harassment-free environment, ensuring that all users feel safe and respected. 

[🎶Sossity🎶]

Hi

If someone is violating the TOS then please report the violation by using the "Report Abuse" link in the footer of the forum. The abuse team will investigate and take appropriate action.

[Kami]

In addition to the above, the ProBoards Terms of Service prohibits users from using PB as a platform for activity like what you have mentioned, and if upon investigation the PB abuse team concludes that the inherent purpose of the forum is forbidden under the TOS, the forum will be removed from service.

If you follow Sossity's suggestion and reach out to the PB abuse team, make sure that you provide ample information (links are generally preferred over screenshots wherever possible). You can also reach out directly to [e-mail] if the information and supporting evidence you have doesn't quite fit into the report form.

To levelset expectations, it takes 1-2 business days on average to confirm your report has been received. For privacy and other legal reasons, the amount the abuse team discloses to you (if anything) about how the situation is being addressed may vary depending on the nature of the solution (though of course, if the forum is removed from service, that will be apparent). Please note that the removal of a forum isn't always the first recourse, depending on the nature of the violation(s).

With all that said, I do want to make sure that there is a clear understanding about "content moderation" on ProBoards as a platform. ProBoards isn't like social media, where the platform serves as a central hub for multiple users in one environment; PB is a host, and each forum is effectively an island of the forum creator's own. Unless the forum is actively violating the TOS, forum creators are free to run their forum as they wish, even if they're jerks who create a haven for jerks, as long as the content posted or the forum's purpose isn't inherently the TOS. To be clear, this doesn't mean that PB allows bullying and harassment — rather that there have, historically, been folks who choose to run forums that are just unpleasant as individuals or in such a way that not all users agree with. PB doesn't interfere in cases of a social mismatch between an admin/community and a user, but rather only in the event of an actual violation of the TOS (I am sure you understand the difference, but I wanted to add it in as in the past some folks have tried to report TOS violations where the only issue was they socially did not jive with a forum).

As a personal note, for what it's worth: I did have a peek at the content and — as a long-time user, not a PB staff member — I think you are spoiled for choice for the evidence you can present to the abuse team.

Anyway, due to this setup, as well as the fact that the PB team is small (and always has been small), PB doesn't have a dedicated "content moderation" team to actively moderate every single created forum across their service and instead relies on users to file a report.

There are some internal things, from my understanding, to help weed out some of the more blatantly egregious violations in content, but beyond that the abuse team really relies on user-submitted reports. Last I knew, PB is host to hundreds of thousands of forums, each forum having anywhere from a dozen to tens of thousands (for some forums, even more than that) of members apiece.

But part of the PB TOS that forum creators agree to when creating a forum on the PB service is that the forum creator will be responsible for policing the content on their own forum. Overall, this has worked quite well to offset the fact that PB's team simply doesn't have the manpower to dedicate people to only monitoring forums for content violations.

That is where user reports come in. If someone discovers that a forum is being used as a platform for content PB has deemed objectionable (see the PB TOS section 19), there is a reasonable likelihood that the abuse team simply hasn't seen it — especially if the forum is younger / smaller — and a report would be highly encouraged and appreciated.

I just really wanted to make sure that was understood; the PB team is diligent, but there simply aren't the resources for a dedicated, full-time "content moderation" effort across the entire platform. Every report is taken seriously and on good faith and will be investigated, as long as report is made to help PB identify forums that are breaking the terms of service.