On-site behavior includes any activity on The Bell Tree Forums, including public posts, profile posts, and direct messages, as well as any messages in The Bell Tree Discord server, on The Bell Tree Twitch channel during a stream, or as comments or messages on any other The Bell Tree social media accounts. On-site behavior will be moderated according to the Rules & Guidelines.
Moderating Off-site Behavior
Most of what happens off-site between members, such as personal disagreements, is outside the scope of staff and won’t be moderated. However, in some cases, off-site behavior can seriously affect the safety or comfort of the community, and action against a member's TBT account may be necessary.
Off-site behavior includes any activity outside of The Bell Tree involving one or more members. These are categorized into:
- Offshoot Communities- Spaces with close links to The Bell Tree, such as:
- Discord servers or group chats primarily comprised of The Bell Tree members
- The public comment section of Twitch during a stream
- Direct messages on other platforms (e.g., Discord) between two members, when those messages relate to site activities or other members.
- Unassociated Communities – Unrelated platforms, such as other forums, Discord servers with no ties to TBT, or popular online platforms (e.g., Twitch, Ko-Fi, Toyhou.se, DeviantArt, etc.), even if an interaction involves two or more members that originally met on TBT.
Behavior Not Moderated
Staff will not intervene in most off-site disagreements or negative social behaviors by members. These behaviors include arguments, sarcasm, trolling, vague-posting, personal disputes, gossip, venting, or name-calling. These matters should be resolved privately or reported through the platform on which they occurred.
Examples
While these behaviors are not ok, they are beyond the scope of moderation:
- Two members arguing in a personal Discord DM or a server consisting primarily of TBT members (Offshoot Communities)
- A Discord group chat between members that becomes unfriendly (Offshoot Community)
- Vague-posting or venting about someone on Twitter or in their blog (Unassociated Community)
- A dispute on Ko-Fi over a purchase or donation between two members (Unassociated Community)
Behavior That May be Moderated
Staff may take moderation action against a member’s account (such as a warning or ban) if certain behaviors happen in Offshoot Communities of The Bell Tree. These behaviors need to pose a credible risk to community safety, comfort, or inclusivity. Examples of off-site behavior that may result in action include harassment or intimidation, sexual harassment or sexually hostile comments, discrimination or hate-speech, doxxing, and credible threats of stalking.
Examples
- A user sending death threats in a Discord DM to another user
- A user making threats about another member in a Discord server comprised primarily of members
- A member making suggestive or explicit comments about another member in a DM or Offshoot Discord server
- A member in an offshoot community mocking another member based on protected characteristics
- Leaking another member’s real name or personal details in an Offshoot Community
Staff will not act on incidents from Unassociated Communities unless they believe there is a clear and significant threat to the community as a whole.
Examples
- A member posting someone’s personal information (full name, email address, etc.) on another platform such as Twitter or Ko-Fi
- A member making credible threats to harass, stalk, or harm another member outside of The Bell Tree
- A member posting discriminatory messages, sexually aggressive content, or credible threats on another platform that directly targets members
- Anti-social behavior done with the intent to cause harm or disharmony within the community
Staff will only act on verifiable evidence. Acceptable evidence may include:
- A staff member verifying the contents of an on-site DM by joining the conversation
- A public post that staff can see (e.g., in a Discord server, or a public post)
- With exception, screenshots of interactions. While we take this evidence seriously, we would also need to take precautions to verify that the contents are legitimate.
In all cases, where there is an altercation between two people, we will attempt to seek information from all parties involved.
Any action taken against an account only affects their participation on The Bell Tree and The Bell Tree Discord server, and does not extend to other platforms.