Rule Changes (Member Feedback)

[abhorsen.]

Hello, all!

We've been working on some fairly significant rule changes for awhile (mostly revolving around the archive), and as per our current +site rules, we want to give our members the opportunity to give feedback before finalizing them. We want to emphasize that while we will consider any concerns expressed and do our best to address them, we will not necessarily integrate them into the final rules.

Following the results of several feedback polls, we finalized a draft of the new site rules that you can access below.

Highlights include:

• Combining the forum and archive guidelines into a single document.
• Narrowing where advisories are necessary, particularly around T-rated fics and references.
• Moving "fuck" to be a T-rated word, based on the feedback poll +here.
• Removing the 25% on sexual content.
• Removing/combining advisories that don't get much use and/or have a lot of overlap with other advisories, based on the feedback poll +here. The planned changes include:
  • Combining the 'self-harm' and 'eating disorder' advisories due to overlap and for the latter, lack of author use.
  • Removing the derogatory language advisory due to overlap with the hate speech advisory and lack of reader use.
  • Removing the 'spoilers' advisory due to lack of reader use and inconsistent author use.
  • Removing the stalking advisory due to lack of author use and overlap with 'domestic abuse' and/or 'consent issues' advisories.
  • Relaxing our rules limiting numbers of awards or chapter images, leaving multiple reviews on the same chapter, and linking to material directly in the chapter.

The main reason we're making these changes is to make the site easier for both authors and readers to use. Right now, the advisories can be difficult to navigate, and they're also required so broadly that they don't necessarily function to warn readers of potentially triggering content, which is what they're intended to do. We think that these changes will improve both of those things, and after the new rules are finalized, we encourage authors to go back and edit their ratings/advisories to reflect them. We will also be revising tutorials to be more specific and clear.

We're including our draft below in the spoiler tag, and you can find the googledoc +here. You're welcome to give your feedback in this thread or in the google doc - whatever you're most comfortable with. Please make sure you leave it by December 16th. Thank you!

 

Spoiler

Site Guidelines

HPFanficTalk is first and foremost a multi-fandom community for fanfic writers and readers to discuss fanfiction, writing, and fandoms overall; connect with each other and; and participate in site activities. Harry Potter fans to discuss fanfic, writing, fandom news, and connect with one another. Our site values +inclusive behavior and fun, open discussions. We are run by a group of volunteers whose number one goal is to make this site an online home for our members. This document is not exhaustive nor is it meant to cover every scenario for content on this site, rather it is to set the overall spirit and tone of HPFT.

Ratings on HPFT

• A: Content appropriate for all readers, including children. It should contain no reader advisories on the archive (other than spoilers, if applicable).
• T: Content appropriate for teen readers and up. It may include most profanity and limited discussion of sexual content, violence, and potentially sensitive material (including addiction, self-harm, or sexual assault). Content posted in public areas on the forum and the archive must not exceed this rating.
• M: Content appropriate for mature readers. It may include profanity and slurs; detailed descriptions of sexual content and violence; and limited description of potentially sensitive material (including addiction, self-harm, or sexual assault).

For more details, please review the spoiler tag below. Please keep in mind that it is a broad overview, and you may need to check out our +staff content tutorials for more information.

• Language - Most profanity is permitted at the T rating. Profanity restricted to the M rating includes some sex slang; some slurs; and any use of slurs to attack a person on the basis of characteristics like race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, etc. Stories containing M-rated slurs require a 'Hate Speech' advisory on the archive.
   
• Minors - Minors cannot be romantically linked to characters in a position of significant authority over them (e.g., a teacher or a boss). Characters under the age of 16 also cannot be more than two years younger than a partner, while characters who are 16-17 cannot be more than six years younger than a partner. References to and/or depictions of minors in abusive or dangerous situations (e.g., self-injuring, being sexually abused, battling addiction) may be restricted to the M rating, face some limits, and/or require advisories on the archive.
   
• Sexual Content - If the characters are at least 16 years old, sex acts (e.g., oral sex, masturbation) can be depicted at the M rating and require a 'Sexual Content' advisory on the archive. If the characters are at least 14, making out and references to sex ats can be depicted at the T or M rating and only require a 'Sexual Content' advisory on the archive if partial nudity is involved.
  
  Depiction of or reference to sexual interactions in which consent is not clearly given (including but not limited to sexual harassment, reproductive coercion, and rape) may require a 'Consent Issues' advisory. Depiction of incest (i.e., relationships with a character's sibling, parent, aunt/uncle, grandparent, or first cousin) is only permitted if it is canonical to the fandom and requires the 'incest' advisory on the archive.
   
• Abuse and Violence - Detailed description of most non-fatal violence and limited reference to sustained nonsexual abuse (i.e., not just arguing a lot or not getting along) of a close family member or romantic partner are permitted at the T rating without any advisories on the archive. Depiction of torture, fatal violence, and abuse are only permitted at the M rating, and may require advisories on the archive.
   
• Self-Harm and Substance (Ab)use - Most references to self-harm (including self-injury, eating disorders, and suicide) and addiction are permitted at the T rating and may require advisories on the archive. Depiction of these themes are only permitted at the M rating and require advisories on the archive.
  
  Recreational drug use does not require any advisory on the archive. Depiction of common substances (e.g., cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) is permitted at the T rating, and depiction of harder drugs (e.g., cocaine, heroin) is only permitted at the M rating.

General Site Use and Guidelines

• Members must treat this community with respect. Excessive rudeness, harassment, abuse, plagiarism, or other similar activity toward other members is not permitted on HPFT, and in +extreme situations, members may face consequences for doing so offsite as well.
• No member may share potentially identifying information (e.g., legal names, fine location, phone numbers) in public areas of HPFT, and members under the age of 18 may not share personal photos or link to social media accounts that include potentially identifying information about them. If you are unsure about internet safety practices, please visit https://www.staysafe.org/teens/
• Members may not review their own stories on the archive or nominate their own stories for awards on the forums unless explicitly given permission to do so.
• Spamming (e.g., irrelevant posts, many repetitive posts in a short period of time) is not permitted. Non-spam double posting on the forums or posting multiple different reviews on the same chapter is fine.
• Multiple user accounts are permitted as long as they are not used to sidestep rules.
• All graphics on the site must be credited, even if you made them yourself.

Forums

• Members must read and post in the +welcome thread.
• Members may not attempt to gain entry into any other house's common room.
• Members must include a rating with links to M-rated material unless they are linking to material on HPFT's forums, archive, or social media. Links to A- or T-rated material do not require a rating.
• Signature graphics may be be no larger than 500 x 200 pixels.

Archive

• All stories submitted by authors without +Certified Author status must go through the +validation process.
• Submitted poems must be at least 40 words long. All other submitted stories (including but not limited to narratives, letters, newspaper articles, and drabbles) must be a minimum of 100 words long.
• At least 90% of the story has to be original, and non-original material must be credited. Authors may only reference living people (e.g., J. K. Rowling, Kit Harington, Barack Obama) in their stories in limited detail, and no plots, characters, or lengthy quotes from Disney are permitted (though pop culture references are fine). No HPFT member can be used in a story, and stories based on another member's work must have the original author's permission to be posted.  
• Authors may have no more than one banner no larger than 700px x 150px in their story summaries.

Site Operation and Management

Transparency and Distributed Power

• No single user shall have sole control and access to the running of HPFT. At least two members shall have access to systems that run HPFT.
• Any costs attributed to running and maintaining HPFT will be made available on an annual basis as to provide a clear and understandable insight to the way in which HPFT is being run.
• Member concerns may be brought up through:
  • Directly contacting a staff members by
    • Using the forum PM system
    • Emailing admin@hpfanfictalk.com
    • Emailing validator@hpfanfictalk.com (for archive issues)
  • Publicly posting suggestions or feedback in the +Suggestions & Feedback forum
  • Anonymously leaving feedback through
    • Using our +anonymous feedback form
    • Answering periodic surveys regarding the site
    • Submitting an +ask to our tumblr

While we will not always be able to make changes based on all feedback provided, members should always feel safe stating their concerns, suggestions, and criticism of the site. We will not retaliate in any way if a member chooses not to remain anonymous, and we will try to address suggestions and concerns within a time-sensitive manner.

If at any point you feel that staff are not following through on the Transparency and Distributed Power rules as promised or are violating rules in other ways (e.g., member harassment, rudeness), please reach out using one of the above methods, and staff will work to resolve the issue.

Change management on HPFT

• Technical, behind the scenes changes (such as servers, web hosting, and software) will be made by the site administrators to keep the site running efficiently. Any planned downtime will be communicated on social media and HPFT at least 48 hours in advance barring emergency maintenance.
• Rule changes will be agreed upon by staff and explained to members in an overview post, detailing what has been changed and why (this could include adding/removing words to the profanity list, changing the parameters on images used on the site, etc.).
• Changes to the site which impact the tone of the community in a significant way will be discussed among members and staff before changes are put in place (these might include deciding on member group themes, what rating content the site should allow, etc.).
• Staff and prefect positions will be filled using an open application process. All members are welcome to apply for positions on staff during the first ten days of each month. Decisions will be based primarily on application scores, which are aggregated from each staff member's individual scores. You can read more about that process +here.

Member Groups

• Headmaster / Site Administrator
• Professor / Forum Moderator
• Gamekeeper / Event Coordinator
• Auror / Archive Validator
• Muggle Liaison / Social Media Manager
• Prefect / Staff Assistant
• Student (with houses and muggles) / Member

Enforcement of Rules

Minor rule violations will typically be handled by a staff member messaging the member to remind them of the rule (and, if necessary, explain it). Warning points are assigned when a member breaks the same site rule more than 3 times in 6 months or if a single incident is determined to be severe enough to warrant it (such as deliberately targeting and harassing another member or cheating during an event). Continuing to break a rule after receiving a warning point for doing so may result in an additional point for each infraction until the member has gone 6 months without breaking the rule again. Points may be removed once the member has gone a year without further rule-breaking, though staff reserve the right to use their discretion depending on the nature of the broken rule(s).

Accruing five or more warning points may result in a suspension; accruing 10 or more warning points will result in the account in question being reviewed as an appropriate fit for the community. Please be aware that any incident of doxing, stalking, or similar activity may lead to an immediate suspension or ban.

 

[Bat Stitch Crazy]

This isn't so much a feedback as much as a question but I was wondering if the archive tutorials will be updated to reflect the rule changes? 

 

[abhorsen.]

2 minutes ago, MalfoysAngel said:

This isn't so much a feedback as much as a question but I was wondering if the archive tutorials will be updated to reflect the rule changes?

Yes - we're in the process of revising the tutorials to be more specific and clear.

[MegGonagall]

This might be a stupid question, but I just wanted to clarify something. When it says, “Removing the 25% on sexual content.“ does that mean there would be no restrictions in a story/chapter? Not that I’m planning on my page becoming Meg Gone Wild or anything, I was just wondering. 

[abhorsen.]

3 hours ago, MegGonagall said:

This might be a stupid question, but I just wanted to clarify something. When it says, “Removing the 25% on sexual content.“ does that mean there would be no restrictions in a story/chapter? Not that I’m planning on my page becoming Meg Gone Wild or anything, I was just wondering. 

Not a stupid question at all! Yep, no restrictions.

[facingthenorthwind]

Is it possible to have a split in the sexual content warnings? At the moment, if a story is rated M for another reason but involves T-rated sexual content, it's unclear whether it should be added, and I have no idea whether it indicates smut or not? This might become far less of an issue with the rest of the changes but idk, a suggestion! 

[poppunkpadfoot]

I have concerns re: the removal of the derogatory language warning. I use that warning for sure, and many of my stories include scenes where characters refer to themselves using derogatory language or even slurs. I wouldn’t want a reader to stumble upon that content without warning and be triggered, but I also wouldn’t be comfortable tagging that content with “hate speech”, and I wouldn’t find that to be intuitive either.

regardless of what happens with the advisory, I’ll continue to warn my readers using the chapter notes or some other space, but I just have concerns about this change.

maybe the hate speech advisory could be updated to “hate speech/slurs” or something?

[abhorsen.]

10 hours ago, facingthenorthwind said:

Is it possible to have a split in the sexual content warnings? At the moment, if a story is rated M for another reason but involves T-rated sexual content, it's unclear whether it should be added, and I have no idea whether it indicates smut or not? This might become far less of an issue with the rest of the changes but idk, a suggestion! 

There won't be much sexual content allowed at the T-rating that requires an advisory - it'll be reserved for pretty smutty scenes. I'll make sure the new tutorial is super clear about that - thank you!

 

6 hours ago, poppunkpadfoot said:

I have concerns re: the removal of the derogatory language warning. I use that warning for sure, and many of my stories include scenes where characters refer to themselves using derogatory language or even slurs. I wouldn’t want a reader to stumble upon that content without warning and be triggered, but I also wouldn’t be comfortable tagging that content with “hate speech”, and I wouldn’t find that to be intuitive either.

regardless of what happens with the advisory, I’ll continue to warn my readers using the chapter notes or some other space, but I just have concerns about this change.

maybe the hate speech advisory could be updated to “hate speech/slurs” or something?

We'll discuss this among the staff, thanks!

[abhorsen.]

We're adding this under the "transparency" section:

Quote

Specific voting information is accessible by site administrators and is only disclosed to other staff members if the member has broken a rule (e.g., voting for themselves in the yearly awards).

We're adding this section because we've had several members express concern over the past couple years about their privacy re: votes they cast, and while we're rewriting the rules, we want to clarify who has access to that information.