!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE NOTE!!!!!!!!!!
There is a lot of misinformation currently passing around social media and various websites. Please avoid the impulse to believe absolutely everything you see scroll across Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, Discord, etc. or hear from someone without relevant expertise saying they heard "such and such," even if you usually might trust and agree with them, and even if they have no clear malicious intent. Everyone can be subject to hyperbole, anxiety, and fear, even if their intentions are pure.
If you're just in need of a smile or a laugh, drop by The Sunshine, Daisies, and Lollipops Happy Stuff Thread. Come share some good news, something that just made you happy or smile, and have a bit of light-hearted fun. (No COVID-19 discussion permitted.)
Further, due to social distancing and the isolation that comes with it, as well as the near-constant bombardment of news involving COVID-19, if you or someone you know is undergoing a crisis or struggling with anxiety, depression, or other difficulties at this time, please urge them to seek professional assistance.
Lastly: we know everybody is stressed, we get it. People who are stressed are more likely to lose their temper, including those who might ordinarily never come anywhere close to breaking the site rules. In light of current events, we're making some adjustments to the usual ban escalation and warnings as a whole:
COVID-19 related warnings and bans are being treated as entirely separate from a user's existing warning record. Essentially everyone has a clean slate with regards to COVID-19 warnings. Regular non-COVID-19 related warnings will still be applied to an account's existing record subject to the usual warning/ban progression (with some modifications, noted below).
Greater use of very short-term (30 minutes, 1 hour, and 6 hour) bans. Particularly for users with generally clean or very minor warning histories and if we happen to catch the perpetrator currently online, short-duration bans are meant to put somebody into time out to cool back down before they can escalate in a moment of temper and wind up earning themselves a heavier penalty. Consider it basically an official warning with a little more teeth, but not the full bite of a 1-day ban.
Adding a 2-week/1-month ban tier before DEAT. Call it digital social distancing. We understand that everyone is a bit on edge right now. People getting these are very likely at the "DEAT on next offense" stage. Shutting these near-DEAT users out for two weeks to a month will hopefully keep them from further riling up everybody else and from tipping themselves over the edge into getting that DEAT.
PLEASE NOTE! In the event of an account getting one of these non-standard bans (or warnings), the warning note on their record will include the fact it was related to our COVID-19 policy so that when dealing with future violations said bans will be considered accordingly. Furthermore, please understand that information and details involving COVID-19 are changing rapidly, sometimes from one hour to the next. A certain degree of give is being provided for differences in "outdated information" and blatant misinformation.
This announcement and the manners of our enforcement of this exigent policy are subject to change without notice. We will try to keep you as up-to-date on information as possible throughout this trying time.
Please stay safe, stay civil, and stay home. ...And wash your fucking hands!
— NiS Moderation Staff
