Passive Moderation Techniques

Passive moderation refers to a type of moderation that focuses on observing and monitoring user-generated content without any kind of direct intervention unless certain predefined rules or criteria are violated. In simpler terms, instead of taking actions actively such as issuing warnings or removing content, passive moderation relies on automated systems to identify or flag potentially inappropriate or rule-breaking content. 

Below we give you some of the key aspects of passive moderation:

Reporting Systems: Giving your community members the option to report behaviour or content that is inappropriate to alert the moderation team can help them review and take action based on the reports they receive.

Ensuring you have a code of conduct within your online community can help greatly when it comes to reporting systems and dealing with reports that may violate community guidelines or a code of conduct. You can find more on how to best write a code of conduct in this article How to Write a Code of Conduct

Automated Filters: The use of automated filters and algorithms can help to scan content for specific phrases, patterns or keywords that may violate any community rules or guidelines in place. 

User Reputation Systems: Based on the behaviour of community members, assigning reputation scores which can affect the member's influence or visibility on the platform can help to encourage community members to follow and adhere to community rules and guidelines. 

For more information on user reputation systems, this entry in the dictionary gives you both a description and an example so you can better understand reputation systems. The dictionary entry is Reputation Systems

Data Analytics: Analyzing data patterns and trends to identify potential areas or issues of concern within the platform can help your community moderation team greatly. 

Shadow Banning: Hiding content from community members without their knowledge, rather than eliminating it. This is a method that can be used to limit the visibility of users who tend to consistently violate the community rules and guidelines.

Alerts and Warnings: Sending automated alerts or warnings to community members when their behaviour is approaching a violation or when their content is flagged can allow community members to rectify their behaviour before more serious consequences are imposed. 

Passive moderation is often a method that is complemented by more active moderation methods, this could be where human moderators directly intervene, take punitive actions or issue warnings to community members who violate community rules and guidelines. 

The combination of active and passive moderation can help maintain a healthy online environment by addressing both underlying patterns of behaviour and immediate issues.