FAQs

  •  
  •  

Categories

Most Viewed FAQs

2 faqs found.
Browse FAQs » Report Abuse or Policy Violation » Addressing Abuse, Trolling, and Violations
  • What should I do if someone harasses or stalks me on answerMug?
    We take allegations of stalking and harassment very seriously. These kinds of actions violate our terms of service, and can result in the...
    We take allegations of stalking and harassment very seriously. These kinds of actions violate our terms of service, and can result in the other party being suspended or permanently removed from the site. If you're being stalked or harassed here on answerMug, please report the issue to the admin.


    With this said, we'd also like to clarify what constitutes stalking and harassment.
    Black's Law Dictionary defines it as:

    "A course of conduct directed at a specific person that causes substantial emotional distress in such person and serves no legitimate purpose" or "Words, gestures, and actions which tend to annoy, alarm and abuse (verbally) another person."

    Working to End Online Abuse (WHO@) adds:
    This is of course a very broad definition, which state and federal legislation and common law have narrowed and refined in various ways. However, for our purposes, WHOA defines online harassment as any actions that meet the qualifications of the above definition after the harasser has been told to cease.If someone simply disagrees with you, however strongly or unpleasantly, that isn't harassment. Someone who sends you a single email message that isn't overtly threatening probably hasn't harassed you. Spam, while very annoying, isn't harassment. And messages posted to any open venue, such as a newsgroup, a web-based board, an AOL discussion forum or a chat room, are seldom truly harassing unless they're forged to appear to come from you or contain direct threats or libelous statements. The same goes for things said on someone else's web site. Harassment usually involves repeated communications via email or some sort of instant messaging program after the harasser has clearly been told to go away.

    To clarify, we don't consider it harassment for someone to interact on the main areas of the site, as long as they aren't spreading damaging lies about you or threatening you. If all they're doing is answering questions or disagreeing with you, we won't take action against them. However, if they are breaking our policies, or even if you think they may be, you can (and should) report the issue.


    If someone is sending you unsolicited emails, we suggest that you unfriend them (only your friends and the answerMug team can email you) and notify the admin of what was sent.


    You also have the ability to block someone from sending you private messages via chat. Again, we suggest that you block the other party and notify the admin.


    If the issue is occurring in a group chatroom, you may notify a moderator/ admin via chat if one is listed as being online. If you don't see one listed, please report the issue via one of our other reporting options or through a direct message to the admin.




    Permalink |
    [Hide]
  • How do I report or block someone here?
    answerMug does not have a blocking system. Instead, we do our best to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all, and we monitor/ mo...
    answerMug does not have a blocking system. Instead, we do our best to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all, and we monitor/ moderate issues as necessary. Habitual "troubled" Muggers are escorted out. 


    If you're having trouble with a specific member because they're bullying, attacking, stalking, or otherwise violating our TOS, please report them. Most content includes "report" flags that you may use to notify the admin. You may also use the "Feedback" tab to talk with the admin. The Feedback reports allow for messages back and forth between you and the admin, so you'll always know if your report was seen and what action was taken as a result of your report. The "Feedback" tab is located on the left side of the screen for desktop users or in the main menu under home. You may also access the Feedback page here. 


    We understand that sometimes people don't want their names attached when they're reporting something. To be clear, your report is never shared with members and the creator of the content that was reported is never told whether the issue was something the mods caught on their own or if someone reported it. Moreover, content is never removed because it was reported. It's removed when it violates our TOS. No amount of reports for content that don't violate the TOS will result in it being removed. At any rate, if you have concerns over remaining anonymous when you report, please log out of your account or open a private/ incognito window. Then, file your report using the "Contact Admin" link found in the footer menu.

    Permalink |
    [Hide]