what is a mediator
What is a Mediator?A Genius mediator is someone who has intimate knowledge of the Genius platform and consistently contributes high-quality discussions, comments, posts, and messages that foster positive Genius community culture and help the average Genius user have a better experience. A Genius mediator is also someone who has demonstrated that they can exercise sound judgment managing help requests, assisting in bug reports, and resolving disputes within the Genius community. In addition, they are responsible for squashing hateful language, abuse, harassment, trolling, and unconstructive posting through thread moderation (moving/deletion), messaging users, and suspending users when necessary.
Mediator Permissions• Magenta Username
• Delete forum posts
• Lock forum posts
• Pin "discussion"
• Move "discussion"
• Delete "discussion"
• Search user aliases
• Mark user as spam
• Penalty Box
• Clear votes if vote total <0
• See chartbeat
• View the activity tab on user profiles
• View user report
Become a MediatorIf you feel like you have a sound understanding of 'How Genius Works' and are confident that you can explain the nuances of the Genius Community, as well as resolve issues/disputes with a helpful and unbiased approach, send a moderator a message or comment on the bottom of this page and tag @genius-moderation.
Essential Reading for MediatorsGenius tools & features, community culture, and moderation best practices are constantly evolving, so it's important mediators stay up-to-date.
Genius Tools & Features
Mediators should:
• Have an in-depth understanding of 'How Genius Works'.
• Follow Genius Updates to make sure they're in the loop on new changes.
• Follow Genius Help, so they can assist new and existing users in having a better Genius experience.
Community Culture
Mediators should...
• Understand and enforce the Genius Community Policy, Forum Guidelines, and what Language is okay/not okay in the forums.
• Lead by example and understand that their discussions, comments, posts, and messages will be scrutinized more than the average Genius user.
• Know how the Genius Moderation forum functions and have a clear understanding of moderation best practices.
Moderation Best Practices
It is essential that mediators handle conflict fairly, so here are some ways mediators can make sure their judgment isn't affected by bias:
• Get the full story by talking to both sides: When mediating, it's important that you learn about both sides of the story, so you have enough information to make an informed decision. If you notice two users going back and forth in a thread, scroll up and read through the thread to see how the conflict started. Don't assume that the user with a troubled past is the one who caused the problem.
• Recognize your own bias: We're all human beings, so we all have some biases. This is why it's so important for members of the moderation team to be mature and realize that their own bias may be influencing how they're handling a situation. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture so you can approach a situation objectively.
• Ask for help: If you recognize that you may not be the best person to handle a certain situation or you're unsure how to proceed, post in the penalty box thread for advice, see if anyone can help in med chat, or send a message to another member of the moderation team who can give you some feedback. If you feel your bias may affect your ability to make the right choice in a situation, don't be reluctant to let someone else handle things, we're a team, and we should work together to solve these challenges.
Can I lose my role as a Mediator?Yes. As a mediator, you are responsible for providing all Genius users with a better onsite experience. The status of a mediator's role is staff's discretion and if a mediator continuously breaks guidelines, makes poor judgment calls, or inadvertently or purposefully uses their role at the detriment of others, a moderator/community staff member will reach out to give feedback and guidance. If a mediator ignores or fails to act on multiple rounds of feedback to a satisfactory level, they will lose their role. If you have an issue with a mediator or feel like they are not serving the community to the best of their ability, contact a moderator or community staff member. Your feedback will be anonymous.
List of current Mediators