DEV Trusted Member Guide
With a community of over one million members on DEV, we could use a hand! We would greatly appreciate your help in enforcing our Code of Conduct and assisting new community members by kindly welcoming them & guiding them through site mechanics.
Trusted Member Actions Clickable Demo
Table of Contents
What is a Trusted Member?
Trusted Members are individuals who have been granted basic moderation abilities to assist us by moderating discussions, reporting problematic content, and fostering positive interactions among members. We select individuals for this role who we believe will be kind, friendly, inclusive, and help to uphold our Code of Conduct.
As a Trusted Member, you will gain special abilities that allow you to do the following, which will affect the visibility of posts in our ranking algorithm and grant more exposure to higher quality articles in the search feed:
- Rank content 👍 👎 with emoji reactions
- Use the Flag to Admins icon 🧐 to report problematic content
- Access templated comments and post them as our mascot, Sloan the Official DEV Moderator.
Note: We would like to emphasize that this role is meant to aid us in promoting friendly interactions and nurturing a healthy, inclusive, and supportive community. It is not meant to establish a hierarchy among members. We value and appreciate all DEV members and strive to ensure a safe, productive, and enjoyable experience for everyone! The creation of this role is intended to assist us in achieving these goals.
How to Use Your Trusted Member Actions
The Mod Panel
Many of the Trusted Member actions are accessible from the Mod Panel. Trusted Members will see a shield icon on the left-hand side of a post page. Click on the shield and the Moderate Post panel will open on the right side of the page. From this panel, Trusted Users can take various actions.
Rank Content with Emoji Reactions
The Thumbs Up emoji helps boost content in our content ranking algorithm so that the post is granted more visibility within the search results and feed. Use the Thumbs Up 👍 for high-quality content that embodies the values and spirit of the DEV Community.
The Thumbs Down emoji deprioritizes content so that it's less likely to be seen on the site. Use the Thumbs Down 👎 for posts that are factually incorrect, poorly written, and those which advertise products or services using stealthy or dishonest marketing tactics, and /or link to external content (e.g. "read more here”).
If you notice content that violates our Code of Code of Conduct or Terms, please flag it using the Flag to Admins action so that our DEV team can take appropriate measures. For articles that are clearly spam, plagiarized, or offensive in nature, we recommend using the 🧐 reaction to flag them.
Rate the Experience Level of a Post
Trusted Members can rate posts’ experience levels on a 1-5 scale, using their best judgment, knowledge of the topic, and considering their own bias. The aim is to deliver more relevant content to each user’s feed based on their chosen experience level.
To rate a post, open the Mod Panel, click Set experience level, and choose the option that best fits.
Don’t worry about making a mistake or getting it exactly right. The rating is an average of multiple selections from different Trusted Members.
Flag a User
You have the option to flag a problematic user’s account from the Mod Panel by clicking "Moderating actions" then “Flag user.” This will flag all of their content for the admin to review. Use this action for spammy accounts only. For other issues like plagiarism or abusive behavior, please report them via our Report abuse page so that you can provide more context.
Becoming a Trusted Member
At DEV, we often grant the Trusted Member role to individuals who are particularly friendly and helpful in our community. We look for kind, inclusive, and empathetic individuals who genuinely enjoy assisting others. There are various ways this role is granted:
- Immediate Recognition: When we notice someone being a kind DEV citizen, we may grant them the Trusted Member role right away.
- Helpful Reports: If someone consistently sends in helpful reports, we may recognize their contributions and grant them the Trusted Member role.
- Request Consideration: Community members can reach out to us via support@dev.to, expressing their interest in becoming a Trusted Member. We evaluate their participation on DEV to determine their suitability.
Note: We avoid granting this role to individuals who have violated our Code of Conduct or have not actively engaged enough in the community for us to assess their character. We also generally avoid selecting individuals who frequently share controversial posts or exhibit harsh and impatient behavior toward others.
Expectations of a Trusted Member
The Trusted Member role is granted to individuals we consider to be trustworthy and exemplary citizens of DEV. There are no strict expectations or requirements for involvement, meaning:
- No Time Quotas: There are no mandatory participation hours or time commitments. If you need to take a break due to personal reasons or decide that the role isn't for you, just let us know, and we can remove it from your DEV account.
- Inclusive Participation: We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to participate. While much of our content is in English, we welcome DEV members to write in the language of their choice. We have a diverse international community with sub-communities focused on different languages and cultures, such as #braziliandevs.
- Kindness and Empathy: The primary expectation of Trusted Members is to demonstrate kindness and empathy. They are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct and Terms and help ensure others on the site do the same. However, we strive to avoid gatekeeping, impatience, or frustration among Trusted Members. Handling challenging situations and individuals can be demanding, and it's important to represent DEV's empathetic values. In difficult moments, we recommend that Trusted Members involve the core DEV Team and refrain from engaging directly.
