LATEST CHATTY HEADER

Featured Thread: Shacknews Chatty Moderation Update Regarding Political Threads

duke nuked Announcement: The gradual end of political threads on Chatty After much consideration, and with the support of ownership, the moderation team has decided to amend community guidelines to reduce and ultimately end daily and ad-hoc political threads on Chatty. This decision reflects a common request in community feedback that Shacknews Chatty should be a fun, engaging place focused on what originally brought us together: video games, social connections, shackbattles (Wreckfest, L4D, TF2, CS, etc.), internet memes, and other shared hobbies and interests. The daily politics thread has created recurring tension and discord among users, often over the same topics, and has led to a noticeable increase in reported posts, moderator interventions, and user departures. These discussions and the resulting conflict aren't aligned with the type of community most Shackers want to contribute to and build here. Filtering out political posts in user preferences is an option, but it doesn’t appear to be effective and we’ve seen debates and arguments spill over into unrelated threads. To foster and build on the community we all want, a more decisive change is necessary. Starting in December, 2024, political posts will only be allowed Tuesday through Thursday, Eastern Time. Political posts outside these days will be removed by moderators and we will not issue bans unless there is deliberate abuse. This gradual transition is intended to help everyone adjust to the upcoming change. From January 1st, 2025, political posts will no longer be permitted on Chatty; A New Year, a new Chatty. There will be a grace period as posters get used to the amended guidelines with political posts being removed but no bans being issued. We want to emphasize and clarify that this policy does not prevent the community from sharing their personal experiences, particularly when discussing issues related to video games, employment, social experiences, or human rights. We believe the community values these perspectives and they help foster positive discussion, build empathy, and provide an opportunity to understand different individual contexts. We also recognize that in some instances, these issues may be inextricably connected to topics that are otherwise political in nature. Further, the Shacknews editorial team may publish stories that reference or align directly with politics. In each of these instances, posters can engage in those threads within existing community guidelines. We also acknowledge there will be occasions when regional or world events warrant discussion due to their significant impact or relevance to the community. For example, breaking news about major world events, natural disasters, or significant social issues that are tangentially political may be allowed. These threads will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the understanding that the discussion remains focused on the event at hand. To summarize, from January onwards, posts sharing political news articles, or the creation of political threads solely intended to create a debate or discussion that don’t fit into the noted exceptions described above, will no longer be allowed. We understand this is a significant change, and there will be a learning curve for all as we adjust. The mods and ownership are committed to refining this policy to ensure it supports a fun and engaging community. Thank you in advance from all of us - we believe this is a necessary adjustment to support Chatty’s future.