Share | facebook twitter instagram flickr flickr
DonateAdoptExplore
 

CWF Live Chat and Comment Moderation Policy

Please review our live chat and comment moderation policy for users of YouTube, Chatroll and Disqus.

Introduced December 2021 (Updated December 2023)

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF), a non-profit environmental organization, established this comment moderation and live chat policy to keep online discussions friendly and educational. Our comment moderation and live chat policy is enforced by CWF staff and designated volunteers (moderators) who remove offensive content and ensure that participants do not violate our live chat comment policy.

Online discussions on CWF’s website are a valuable resource for the public to share information about rare wildlife, their management, and CWF’s mission. Comments with helpful information play a positive role and are valued much more than those that are unhelpful. Our volunteer moderators -- many of whom also devote countless volunteer hours working to protect at-risk species in the field -- can help build better understanding and appreciation for wildlife conservation efforts in New Jersey through this positive interaction. Participants can also have direct interaction with wildlife biologists to gain valuable insight and knowledge from their experience managing rare wildlife. Providing this educational experience is at the core of CWF’s mission.

CWF LIVE CHAT COMMENT POLICY

To help improve the overall experience for viewers of our live cams (osprey, eagle and falcon), we have developed a common sense policy for live chat on our website using YouTube, Chatroll and Disqus. Please be aware of this, as our staff and moderators will enforce the following guidelines:

  • Be respectful and polite. We do not allow profanity, personal insults, or other inappropriate comments. Keep the conversation family-friendly.
  • Don't bully, harass or threaten other participants. If another participant offers an opinion that you don't agree with, you have no right to demand that they support their position with a detailed argument. They do not have to respond to your questions.
  • Please stay on topic. While we love all wildlife, please keep discussion focused on the particular species that the chat was created for. For example, for Three Bridges Eagle Cam, the subject is the Three Bridges eagle nest and bald eagles in New Jersey and for Barnegat Light Osprey Cam, viewers should focus their discussions about that nest and ospreys in NJ.
  • Don't discuss politics, religion, or sports. There are plenty of places to do so, but this isn't one of them.
  • Respect the diversity of others.
  • Limit sharing personal information and use common sense.
  • Do not disclose the locations of nests, breeding sites or other secretive locations. This can have negative consequences for the species we aim to protect.
  • Never post personal information about another chat participant. This includes identifying any individual by their real name if they have not already done so, or providing personal contact information.
  • Be thoughtful in your choice of words when you chat. What you intended to say may not come through clearly to others. Disagreements might be unavoidable but should remain polite, and they should never become arguments.
  • Do not post strings of several emojis or random characters. Do not invite roll calls of any type.
  • While viewers and participants come from all over the world, we use English to communicate most effectively with other chatters.
  • Unless you are visually impaired, please do not post in all caps; it’s like YELLING.
  • Don't be a "troll". Trolls intentionally incite annoyance or offense. They do not participate constructively in the discussion and do not add any value to the debate.
  • Don't post any advertisements, however much you believe in the service or product.
  • Please respect the moderators. Their job is to keep the chat safe and constructive so that everybody gets to have his or her fair say.
  • Don't complain about the moderation on the site, you can email us if you are unhappy.

If you feel that someone has insulted you, report their comment to a moderator. Don't prolong the dispute. The moderator will look at the offending comment and decide whether it should be removed. If you fail to abide by these policies, your comments may be removed and you may be banned from making future comments. Thank you in advance for respecting our volunteer moderators and fellow participants!

SANCTIONS

Violations of the live chat policy and moderation rules will be dealt with as follows:

  • Removal of comment - any comment that, in the view of the moderator, breaches the rules will be removed and the offending participant will be issued a warning.
  • Temporary Suspension aka “Timeout” - a participant who repeatedly and flagrantly disregards the moderation rules may be suspended from commenting for a period of time up to one week, as determined by moderators. The period of time will reflect both the severity and consistency of the breach.
  • Permanent Banning - a participant who continues to violate the chat policy and moderation rules following reinstatement after a period of suspension may have their access to the site permanently blocked.
  • Automatic Banning - a participant who posts or links to inappropriate, offensive or illegal material will be immediately blocked from the site.