1. Content moderation is important in ensuring that low-quality posts don’t drown out useful content and exhaust the limited attention of users. 
2. It is critical to determining which voices get heard, and whether more vulnerable groups are able to participate in online public spheres

Importance of Content Moderation

An automatic process for content moderation (i.e. Reddit Automoderator, 1cademy's upvote/downvotesystem).
Online communities continue to grow, making automated moderation tools increasingly important for handling the heavy traffic of posts 

Automated Content Moderation (and importance)

Transparency increases user trust, corporate social responsibility, and ethics. It can be seen as a means to ensure social accountability

User reception of Transparency

Content advisories are warnings, often in the form of text or symbols, intended to inform parents or guardians that certain media may contain material unsuitable for children. This allows for informed viewing decisions without necessarily censoring the content.

Content Advisories for Children

As the moderator for this forum, what is the most appropriate action to take regarding the user's comment, and why? Justify your decision based on the principles of managing online content to maintain a healthy community.

Online Community Moderation Scenario

The process of monitoring and managing media content to determine its appropriateness for a given audience or platform. This can involve removing content, limiting its visibility, or applying advisories and ratings.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

New York University

Google

- Screening out inappropriate members
- Moderating content
- Dealing with inappropriate messages
- Resolving conflicts

Regulating behavior In online communities

Shagun Jhaver, Amy Bruckman, and Eric Gilbert. 2019. Does Transparency in Moderation Really Matter?: User Behavior After Content Removal Explanations on Reddit. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 3, CSCW, Article 150 (November 2019), 27 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3359252

Does Transparency in Moderation Really Matter?: User Behavior After Content Removal Explanations on Reddit

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Communities that use prescreen messages and assess the information being put into the community limit the harm inappropriate messages can cause

Design Claim 1

Moving inappropriate messages instead of removing them benefits the community by promoting fair procedure

Design Claim 2

Allow members the ability to argue their case if content is deleted.

Design Claim 3

- Social anonymity: newcomers feel less social accountability than established members
- Ease of entry and exit (can lead to high user turnover)
- Textual communication: conversation is prone to misinterpretation since it lacks fluidity and visual social cues 

Problems with regulating behavior in online communities

Content Moderation

- using pre-screen messages and assess the information being put into the OC
- moving inappropriate messages instead of removing them
- allowing members to argue a case for their content being deleted/taken out

Ways to deal with inappropriate messages

While actively recruiting new members, many communities also implement measures to exclude those deemed unsuitable. For instance, support groups for specific health conditions may limit membership to individuals who have the condition or are caring for someone who does.

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