1. Site Administration
1.1 User Ban Policy (Site Wide)
Site administrators will generally only intervene to ban users if they are found to be violating the global site terms of service.
Users who violate community-specific rules should typically only be banned from the respective community; a site-wide ban would generally be disproportionate unless the violation directly impacts the platform.
As a rule of thumb, site admin staff will not be involved in community moderation or enforcement of community-specific rules as long as the community has active moderators. In addition, the site admin will not serve as regular members of community moderation teams to ensure that community oversight remains independent.
1.2 Site Admin Issues (for Community Moderators)
If community moderators encounter any issues with site administrators, they should first attempt to resolve the matter through direct communication with the administrator in question, using a mutually agreed-upon communication medium.
In cases where community moderators feel their concerns are not addressed fairly by the involved admin, they may escalate their complaint by contacting the operations staff via email at the address below. When escalating issues, moderators are encouraged to include relevant information, such as web archive links or links to moderation logs, screenshots, or other documentation.
Contact for Site Admin Issues:
- Email: security@europe.pub
Note: This contact is exclusively managed by operations staff (volunteers selected by Europe Pub Operator Tobias Feistmantl) and is not accessible to the site administrators.
2. Community Moderation
2.1 User Ban Policy (Community)
Users may be banned from a specific community by the community moderators in cases involving:
- Hostile behavior toward others
- Known bad-faith activity
- Repeated violations of the community’s specific rules
Bans should only be issued after exhausting other conflict resolution methods, such as dialogue or warnings, unless the situation requires immediate action.
Any banned user has the right to appeal to the community moderators, who may deny the appeal based on reasonable grounds. Users may escalate their appeals to a site admin, though the admin will generally prioritize the preferences and established rules of the community in question during the review process.
All user bans within a community must include a clearly documented reason referencing the specific community rules that were violated. Proactive engagement with problematic users is encouraged to avoid potential miscommunication or misunderstandings.
2.2 Community Mod Removal
Site administrators may remove community moderators under the following circumstances:
- Gross violations of the site’s Terms of Service
- Persistent actions that counteract community rules
- Extended periods of inactivity, as evidenced by a lack of interaction with the community and/or failure to address reports
Community moderators removed by the administrators may appeal their removal using the contact details provided below.
How to appeal:
- Email: security@europe.pub
2.3 Abandoned Communities
Communities with inactive or unresponsive moderators for an extended period may be considered abandoned. Any user who wishes to assume leadership of an abandoned community must submit a formal request. Requests for community stewardship will only be considered if:
- Moderators of the community have been inactive for at least 2 weeks, AND
- Reasonable efforts to contact the existing moderators have been made and documented.
To request stewardship of an abandoned community, prospective moderators may contact the site administrators at security@europe.pub. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
2.4 Community Content Removal
Community moderators are authorized to remove any content (posts or comments) that violate:
- The community rules established by the moderators
- The overarching site rules of Europe Pub
When removing content, moderators are strongly encouraged to provide documentation or rationale citing the broken rules to ensure clarity and accountability. Updating community rules regularly is highly recommended as the community evolves and grows.
Site administrators also recommend moderators consider removing problematic content before issuing bans, ensuring proper context is available in the modlog (or removal reasons linked as appropriate).
2.5 Content Reporting
Users are encouraged to use the built-in report function to flag problematic content or behavior. Such reports are visible to community moderators and site admins until they are resolved, making it the preferred method for community moderation requests.
In exceptional cases where issues cannot be resolved adequately through the standard reporting process (e.g., extreme or urgent incidents), users may escalate their concerns directly to the operations staff via the contact details below:
- Email: security@europe.pub
Note: Direct escalation to site admins or operations staff should only be used for severe issues requiring immediate attention. Non-critical concerns should always be addressed using the report function.
3. General Community Rules and European Context
Europe Pub upholds values and legal frameworks aligned with European principles, including freedom of speech, while adhering to European laws such as GDPR. However, all content shared on the platform must reflect these values and comply with established rules.
Hate speech, harassment, or any form of illegal activity prohibited under European laws will result in account suspension or removal of the associated content, subject to review by moderators or site administrators.
4. Transparency and Accountability
Transparency and accountability are vital components of the Europe Pub platform. Community actions such as bans, moderator changes, or content removals are recorded in the moderation logs, which are accessible to both moderators and site administrators for auditing purposes.
By fostering an open and cooperative environment, Europe Pub aims to support the development of thriving communities across the platform.
These bylaws may be revised as necessary to reflect changes in policies, platform practices, or applicable law. Any amendments will be communicated to the community in a timely and transparent manner.