Meta Features and Abilities
Metas may perform the following community management
functions: New Editor Applications, New Category Permissions, Abuse
Investigations, Editor Removals, and Nominations of Candidates for
Higher Permissions. There are no minimum time requirements or quotas.
Any time you can devote to these activities is valued by editors and
the greater Web community. You
are not bound by doing only these functions. You are in a unique
position to seize new opportunities and fill in gaps where you see
them. New ideas for growing and developing the ODP are encouraged.
In addition to the features category editors and editalls
have access to, metas have access to additional features.
Warning Editors
The most important meta activities are combating abuses and
spam, and taking corrective actions against behavior that seek to harm
the directory. To facilitate these activities, Metas should use
the dashboard message tool to issue warnings to wayward editors.
Instances where the tool may be used include abusive editing, uncivil
and inappropriate communications, and other harmful activities as
specified in the editing guidelines.
When a dashboard warning is submitted, the warned editor can
only continue editing after accepting the warning. All warnings are
logged and subject to staff and meta review for appropriateness.
While consensus is not required prior to issuing a warning, it's often
helpful to get the input of others to ensure that a warning is an
appropriate and necessary step.
To ensure proper self-regulation, Metas should avoid issuing
warnings over e-mail, AIM, ICQ, and other external communication
media.
Granting Categories
Metas may grant editors additional permissions without their
explicit request, and under the following conditions:
- When an editor is dropped from a category by a "Catmv"
bug, or other instances where a bug might leave editors without
categories.
- Adding former categories to a reinstated editor when
necessary.
- When an editor is applying and getting accepted for a
number of subcats, you may grant a higher category.
- If an editor creates a new category in their Bookmarks
or Test categories, and forgets to name himself as editor, you may
grant him the permissions.
- If an editor is doing a especially good job, you may
grant categories as way to reward and encourage the editor.
Editors should refrain from asking metas to grant categories
as a way to circumvent the new permissions process. Also, metas should
refuse requests that don't involve special circumstances, or in cases
where a category request was recently denied by another meta.
Blocklist
When an element of the ODP is being abused, you can
prohibit, via specific criteria, certain users or groups thereof from
using these features. You can implement blocks for the Add URL form,
the editor fora, Editor Feedback, and the Newapp feature.
- This feature should be used very cautiously, metas
should take extra care to ensure that if banning an IP address it is a
suitable static address, for example banning a dail-up ISP of a major
host would have no effect. When in doubt post in the meta forums for
discussion.
- All actions to ban must be backed by a clear and repeated
violation of the directory and/or submission guidelines.
- Blocklist entries are subject to review for
appropriateness by staff and other metas.
Thread Locking
Metas may lock forum discussion threads. Doing so prevents
editing of existing posts, and posting of new ones, to the locked
thread. For threads that have either been continued elsewhere or
duplicate an existing thread, you can lock them without discussion. In
all other cases, you must document your reason for closing the thread
either in the thread itself or in the Meta forum.
Polling Place
Metas may create and close polls for editors. You can
specify which class of editors should be able to vote. When resolving
issues, polls can be useful in two instances:
- When you have a set of options that have come out of
some brainstorming and discussion, and when you can't glean a clear
consensus or compromise from the discussion itself. Polls are to
be used to help direct a course of action rather than a consensus on a
final decision. They should be used in the final phases of a
discussion, not as a last resort.
- For fun, Penguin Cafe type topics (e.g., the Mozzies,
browsers editors use, favorite color, etc.).
