Moderation

otoDB has a moderation system in order to filter out works that are deemed off-topic or low quality. This system is subject to change, but this document describes how it currently functions.

Moderation of a work

Upon a user adding a new work, if the user is a member, it enters the moderation queue as status:pending, and must then be approved by an Editor-level user or above within the moderation queue period (currently 5 days) to remain listed on the site. Submissions by Editor-level users and above are automatically approved. If the work is not approved within 5 days, it is status:delisted.

Works only need one approval to no longer be pending. Editor-level users may reject a work, which simply removes it from their queue. The work does not leave the queue for all users until it has been approved, or the queue period (5 days) has elapsed.

Submission limit

Currently, users cannot submit a work if they have 10 work submissions that are pending approval.

Appealing a delisted work

If you believe a work should have been approved, you can make an appeal on the work's page, which re-submits to the moderation queue again for 5 days. You can appeal your own submissions or submissions by others.

Flagging a work

If you believe a work should not been approved, you can flag it on the work's page, which will, again, re-submit to the moderation queue for 5 days.

Moderation of uploads

Adding uploads to a work are handled differently than adding works.

If the work is in status:pending, uploads can freely be added to the work, as these fold into the approval process of the pending work itself.

If the work has already been approved, uploads can still freely be added, but they will be subject to the same moderation queue and period as works (5 days), and require approval by an Editor-level user or above to remain attached to the work. If the upload is not approved within this period, it is automatically detached.

Works that are in an appealed or flagged state cannot have uploads added.

Unlike works, where rejection only removes it from that user's queue, uploads that are rejected are immediately detatched from a work. The rationale for this is that, unlike works, uploads are most commonly uploads to a different platform, or are a slight change in presentation (error corrections, box visuals version, no BGM version, etc.), but otherwise represent the same work that has already been approved prior.

Prevention of self-moderation

Users who are both 1) below Mod-level and 2) have access to the moderation queue (which fundamentally corresponds to only Editor-level users currently), will be unable to approve or reject a pending approval, flag, or appeal for works or uploads that they are responsible for adding at least one upload to. This is to prevent abuse, such as a situation where an Editor-level User A adds a work, which Member-level User B then flags, but because User A has Editor-level permissions, they can simply dismiss the flag by approving the work again, a cycle that could continue forever and introduces bias to the system.