To bring a little more clarity to an always hot topic we wanted to explain our policy on this in as straight forward a way as possible.
The best way to do that, we all felt, and we've done this in conjunction with SCEA, was via an FAQ.
Q: Who is a moderator?
A: Moderators are employees of Sony Computer Entertainment that enforce not only the PlayStation®Home End User License Agreement [EULA] but also the PlayStation®Network Terms of Service and User Agreement [PSN TOSUA] that governs your access to PlayStation®Network as a whole and your usage of the services within it.
Some moderators are visible; others are not. Some moderators interact directly with the community; others do not. To identify a moderator, look for a coloured <MOD> tag attached as a prefix to any text chat associated with their username. Avatars that do not have a coloured <MOD> tag next to their user name are not moderators.
Note: Impersonation of Sony Computer Entertainment or PlayStation® staff - moderator or otherwise - is a violation of the EULA, and may result in punitive action being taken against your account.
Q: Can I volunteer to be a moderator?
A: As much as we appreciate your willingness to volunteer your time to help keep PlayStation®Home free of abuse, the answer is no. We have a large staff that is in-world at all times actively moderating. If you wish to help the PlayStation®Home Moderation team, please just use the Submit a Report feature to report any offenses that you witness within PlayStation®Home [more details below].
Q: How do I reach a moderator to report an offense?
A: To report an offense, please use the Submit a Report feature (accessible by pressing Select while in PlayStation®Home and following the onscreen instructions). Moderators may not follow up with you to resolve conflicts or communicate the status of any actions they are undertaking in regards to your submitted report. Please refrain from contacting PlayStation®staff to check the status of a report submission.
Q: How does the Submit a Report feature work?
A: Upon submitting a report, an extensive activity log generated and forwarded to the PlayStation®Home Moderation team.
This ensures that the Moderation team has all the necessary evidence to identify and take action against griefers in PlayStation®Home, as well as to identify false reports.
Note: This activity log is created when you press SELECT to access the PlayStation®Home Safe Screen (you should notice the slight pause when you press the button as it creates these files), so think of that as the camera button and make sure you are looking at what you want to report, if it’s visible, when you press the button.
The activity logs go back a few minutes so as long as you press Select and submit a report in a timely way you should be confident that you caught the abuse you wish to report.
Q: What about people who make false reports. Am I safe from them?
A: Yes. The Submit a Report tool submits evidence to us and if there is no indication of misbehavior in that evidence then the reported person has no cause for concern. The person submitting false reports will quickly show up in our system and will be dealt with as this sort of activity is also abuse.
Q: What are the consequences for violating the EULA or the PSN TOSUA in PlayStation®Home?
A: The consequences vary depending on the transgression. The most minor punishment is a warning and a note on your PSN account that this has been issued. Temporary suspensions ranging from a few days to several months are also used and these apply to your access to PSN, not just Home.
Maximum punishment is a permanent console ban that applies to the entire PlayStation®Network. Given the severity of a punishment such as a permanent system ban, we suggest you carefully read and understand the Home EULA before entering PlayStation®Home. You obviously read the PSN TOSUA when you created your account, right?
If you need to re-read the EULA or the PSN TOSUA you may do so by going HERE.
Note: PlayStation®Home’s Moderation team and Community Management team are not available to dispute moderation policies, the EULA, or the PSN TOSUA with community members. If you wish to get further details on your account and any actions taken against it by PlayStation®Home’s Moderation team, you should contact Sony PlayStation’s Consumer Services department.
Q: Does the EULA and the PSN TOSUA apply to private areas, such as Clubhouses or Apartments?
A: Yes. All areas within PlayStation®Home are subject to the EULA and the PSN TOSUA and are actively moderated.
Q: My account has been suspended. What do I do?
A: Wait it out.
Message Edited by TedTheDog on 29-01-2009 06:03 PM
