NEVR's guide to the backseat modding rule on the BBS v1.0.1
____________________
____________________

Questions are welcome from anybody, but additions / suggestions on how to make the explanation of the rule better should come only from BBS mods. I will keep adding to this over time so that it hopefully it explains as much of the rule as possible.

If you have been banned for backseat modding and still don't understand exactly why after reading this, post about it, providing some of the background info. I will check your ban history and try to give you an answer as best as I can.

I may also post this in the Forum Rules, Clarified thread as well at some point if I can be bothered to snip it down and re-structure it slightly.

A lot of users don't understand the backseat modding rule, and I can see their perspective; it seems ludicrous to ban a user for simply trying to help out, right? So I'm going to try to explain it from my own EXTENSIVE (lol) experience and wisdom.

First off, the backseat modding rule is under "the other rules" section. It's not a major offense, but you are risking a ban. This means that some mods will ban you for it, whereas others might just delete the post. Here's the rule as it's written in the BBS rules page:

- Backseat modding: pointing out what needs to be deleted, banned, locked or destroyed.

From this it makes things seem a little black and white, and I know that some users have been confused about being banned for backseat modding when they thought they were simply being helpful.

In my view of things, there's a line between a user who is trying to be helpful with good intentions, and a user who is being a bit of an elitist ass by trying to show another user that they know the site better, or something along those lines.

Three things we don't want that puts the backseat modding rule in its place:
- Users being dicks to other (often newer) users;
- Users giving out MISINFORMATION;
- Users developing superiority complexes or thinking it's their job to mod the BBS.

There are the really obvious backseat modding posts, like "I wish a mod would come along to lock this", or "You're going to be banned LOL!" Those types of posts will usually be deleted and maybe a small ban would be given to the user responsible depending on the context.

[ADDITION]
The other more obvious type of backseat modding is when one user points out that another user is breaking the rules in a thread. The user making the accusation may be trying to help, but doing it in the thread only provides ammo to derail the thread, so if you are concerned that a user is breaking the rules, PM an online mod and let them deal with it instead of taking matters into your own hands.
[/ADDITION]

There are, however, instances where it's a little more difficult to see where the backseat modding is actually occurring.

Examples of this are when one user tells another user how / where / what to post, especially if it's in an unhelpful or elitist manner. You don't necessarily have to say "this thread should be locked" in order to be guilty of backseat modding.
____________________

To help you all out, here's a quick list of tips to avoid backseat modding:

- Don't call users out in threads
It might seem like a user needs to be taken down a peg or two, but you're only making yourself look bad by getting drawn into it. PM an online mod and leave it at that.

- Be helpful, not condescending
The longer you're here, the more annoying it is when you see users who don't know the rules. In these instances, it's on YOU to be helpful to that user, but DON'T act like you're a moderator yourself. Point them in the right direction as opposed to TELLING them what to do.

- Don't quote / link to the rules
It might seem like you're trying to help, but this can very easily come off as smug or elitist. If you see someone breaking a rule, again, PM a mod as opposed to pointing it out in the thread itself.

- Don't tell mods how to do their jobs
Probably one of the easiest ways to get yourself banned for backseat modding is to actually tell the mods what they should or shouldn't be doing. We have a thread where you can express your opinions on how the mods are doing, but outside of that thread, just let us get on with it.

And finally, a tip that applies to EVERY rule on the BBS and not just this one...

- If in doubt, don't post
Fairly self-explanatory. If there's a hint of doubt in your mind that what you're about to post may not abide by the backseat modding rule, then don't hit that post button. If you have concerns about anything that you aren't sure if you should post on the BBS, we have the PM system and a list of mods who will help you out.
____________________

Remember, backseat modding is ONLY a rule on the BBS. PMing a mod about something that you think needs looking at is absolutely fine, and you'll never get a BBS ban for contacting a mod about something you think is rulebreaking (even if it turns out to be legitimate in the end).