NOVA Moderation Handbook
A quick guide to keeping NOVA safe, welcoming and fun.
Last Modified:
🚨 Need to escalate something serious?
Escalate to NOVA when a situation involves self-harm or suicide, credible threats, immediate danger, minors or child safety, exposed private information, severe abuse, moderator misconduct, moderation evasion, or anything you are unsure how to handle.
Contents
01. Welcome
Thank you for helping make NOVA a safe, welcoming and enjoyable place for everyone.
Your role is to support and guide the community by facilitating healthy conversations, addressing rule breaking behavior and help members feel comfortable participating.
| Principle | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Safety | Protect the community |
| Respect | Treat people with dignity |
| Fairness | Apply rules objectively |
| Consistency | Similar situations result in similar actions |
02. What the Role Means
Moderators are responsible for helping maintain a healthy community within their Interest Group (IG).
What You Do
| Community | Keep conversations welcoming and respectful. |
| Reports | Review and address reported content. |
| Enforcement | Remove content and take appropriate action when rules are broken. |
| Safety | Escalate serious or unclear situations to NOVA. |
| Leadership | Lead by example. |
Moderator Standards
BE FAIR
Apply the same rules regardless of who is involved.
BE RESPECTFUL
Enforce rules without hostility or judgment.
BE OBJECTIVE
Focus on what happened, not assumptions about someone’s intentions.
BE DISCREET
Keep reports, moderation discussions, and personal information private.
03. What Not to Do
| ✅ DO | ❌ DON'T |
|---|---|
|
|
04. Moderation Quick Reference
Moderators should use NOVA’s Community Guidelines as the primary source of truth.
Not everything needs moderation. Always consider the context.
Disagreement ≠ harassment
Criticism ≠ violation
Off-topic ≠ automatically disruptive
| Situation | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| Harassment / Bullying | Remove → Warn / Action → Escalate if serious or repeated |
| Personal Attacks | Address → Remove when appropriate → Warn if needed |
| Spam / Disruption | Remove → Warn / Restrict → Escalate if malicious or repeated |
| Scams / Suspicious Links | Remove → Restrict → Escalate |
| Private Information | Remove immediately → Escalate |
| Off Topic Conversation | Redirect → Address if repeatedly disruptive |
| Threats | Preserve context → Escalate immediately |
| Safety Concerns | Do not investigate → Escalate |
05. Moderation Process
01 — CHECK
What happened? Review the content and surrounding context.
02 — CONSIDER
Does it violate a guideline? Consider the severity, context, and whether it is repeated behavior.
LOW SEVERITY — View examples
Minor violations that cause limited harm and can usually be corrected with a reminder.
- Mild off-topic posting
- Accidental duplicate posts
- Excessive self-promotion without significant disruption
- Mild profanity where profanity isn’t allowed
- Minor formatting or posting-rule violations
MEDIUM SEVERITY — View examples
Clear rule violations that disrupt the community or target another member, but do not involve severe threats or serious harm.
- Repeatedly ignoring moderator instructions
- Harassment or personal attacks
- Persistent unwanted tagging or messaging
- Spam or repeated promotional posts
HIGH SEVERITY — View examples
Serious violations that create meaningful risk, intimidation, or harm to community members.
- Targeted harassment or sustained bullying
- Hate-based attacks against a protected group
- Credible threats of violence
- Sharing someone’s private information without permission
- Sexual harassment
- Coordinated harassment or brigading
🚨 CRITICAL SEVERITY — View examples
Extreme violations involving serious threats, exploitation, or conduct that presents an immediate and substantial danger to people or the community.
- Credible and imminent threats to kill or seriously injure someone
- Child sexual exploitation material or sexual exploitation of minors
- Deliberate publication of highly sensitive personal information to facilitate real-world harm
- Coordinating serious violent attacks
03 — ACT
Use the appropriate response: No Action → Reminder → Warning → Remove → Restrict. Not every situation requires every step.
| Severity | Typical Response |
|---|---|
| Low | Reminder or gentle warning. Remove content only when necessary. |
| Medium | Content removal + formal warning. Temporary restriction or short suspension if repeated. |
| High | Immediate removal of the content + temporary or extended suspension. Escalate to permanent removal when warranted. |
| Critical | Immediate removal and permanent ban, with escalation to appropriate authorities or emergency services where legally appropriate and necessary. |
04 — ESCALATE
If the situation is serious, unclear, or outside your permissions: Contact NOVA.
There are two ways to escalate to NOVA:
- Email Help@NOVAverse.me
- DM the NOVA Official Account on NOVA
When contacting us, please provide:
- Link to the post and nicknames of the users involved.
- Links to all relevant details and posts.
- Additional context, if necessary, to help our team understand the situation quickly.
Neither method of contact is monitored 24/7. Our team operates Monday through Friday, and responses may take 1–3 business days. We do not operate on U.S. federal holidays. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible during our operating hours.
06. When to Escalate to NOVA
🚨 SAFETY
Self-harm, suicide, credible threats or immediate danger.
👤 MINORS
A user may be under 13, or there are concerns involving child safety or exploitation.
🔒 PRIVACY & SECURITY
Doxxing, exposed personal information, compromised accounts or serious security concerns.
⚠️ SERIOUS / UNCLEAR
Severe or repeated abuse, moderator misconduct, moderation evasion or anything you’re unsure how to handle.
When in doubt, escalate. You do not need to solve every situation yourself.
07. High-Risk & Sensitive Situations
Some situations require more care than a typical Community Guidelines violation. Moderators are not therapists, crisis counselors, or emergency responders.
Self-Depreciating Comments
Usually low concern, no action is needed:
- “I’m so bad at this game”
- “I’m such an idiot lol”
- “I look terrible today”
Pay closer attention when it becomes extreme or suggests self-harm.
- “I’m worthless”
- “Nobody would care if I disappeared”
- “Everyone would be better off without me”
Action: Respond calmly and escalate if there is a potential safety concern.
Mental Health
A user saying they are depressed or struggling is not automatically a violation. You can respond with basic empathy: “I’m sorry you’re having a difficult time. I hope you can reach out to someone that can help you navigate this.”
Do not diagnose, provide medical advice, provide therapy, or encourage personal dependency. Escalate if self-harm, suicide, threats, or immediate danger are involved.
🚨 Self-Harm / Suicide
Take statements about self-harm or suicide seriously. For example:
- “I want to kill myself”
- “I don’t want to be alive anymore”
- “I’m going to hurt myself”
DO NOT:
- Provide instructions or methods
- Argue, shame, or dismiss the user
- Attempt to become their personal support system
- Promise to keep imminent danger secret
DO:
- Remain calm
- Preserve relevant context
- Escalate to NOVA immediately
Abuse / Threats
If someone says they are being abused, threatened, or is in danger, do not investigate, demand proof, contact the alleged abuser, or encourage confrontation.
Take the statement seriously → Preserve relevant context → Escalate to NOVA.
For credible threats toward another person, escalate immediately.
Graphic / Disturbing Content
Examples include self-harm imagery, graphic injuries, suicide-related imagery or violent content.
Remove the content when appropriate → Do not repost or share → Document what is necessary → Escalate when there is a safety concern.
08. Common Scenarios
| Scenario | Situation | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 💬 Disagreement | Two members disagree but remain respectful. | No moderation needed. If it becomes personal → Remind → Address if it continues |
| 🚫 Personal Attack | A member repeatedly insults another member. | Remove when appropriate → Warn → Escalate if serious or repeated |
| 📢 Spam | A member repeatedly posts the same message or disruptive content. | Remove → Warn / Restrict → Escalate if necessary |
| 🔒 Private Information | Someone posts another member’s phone number. | Remove immediately → Escalate |
| 🆘 Self-Harm | A member says they want to hurt themselves. | Do not attempt to handle it yourself → Escalate immediately |
| ⚠️ Threat | A member makes a credible threat toward another person. | Preserve context → Escalate immediately |
| 👤 Under 13 | A user says they are under 13 or provides credible information indicating they are under 13. | Do not publicly question or expose the user → Escalate to NOVA → Follow account enforcement process |
| ❓ Unsure | A situation doesn’t clearly fit a guideline. | Don’t guess. Gather context → Ask NOVA. |
09. Child Safety & Exploitation Information
Confirmed users under 13 are not permitted to use this app.
When a minor may be experiencing abuse, exploitation, grooming, trafficking, sexual exploitation, coercion, or an immediate threat to their safety, refer to this section.
Core Principle
When a minor may be at risk of exploitation or abuse, prioritize immediate safety, protection, and connection to appropriate human intervention over ordinary conversational assistance.
🚨 Immediate Danger
If a child is in immediate physical danger, direct the user to contact local emergency services (911) or get to a safe adult/place immediately.
Sexual Exploitation or Abuse
Do not provide sexualized content involving minors, instructions that facilitate exploitation, or assistance concealing abuse.
Prioritize the child’s safety and encourage reporting to appropriate authorities or child-protection services.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline
RAINN
1-800-656-4673
Online Grooming or Exploitation
Encourage the user to stop engaging with the suspected perpetrator where safe, preserve relevant evidence such as messages, usernames, URLs, or timestamps, use the platform’s reporting mechanisms, and involve a trusted adult or appropriate authorities.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
24-hour call center: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
Submit an online report
Childhelp Hotline
Childhelp Hotline
Call or text: 800-422-4453
Trafficking or Coercion
Treat threats, forced sexual activity, forced labor, confinement, blackmail, or coercive control involving a minor as an emergency.
Prioritize getting the child to a safe location and contacting appropriate emergency or child-protection resources.
Do not investigate independently: Avoid advising a child or other user to confront, threaten, bait, or meet a suspected exploiter. Safety and professional intervention should take priority.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call: 1-888-373-7888
Text HELP or INFO to 233733
Handling Information Safely
Potentially identifying information: Avoid requesting or reproducing unnecessary personal information about the child, including their full name, address, school, phone number, or precise location.
If the user is the minor: Respond in an age-appropriate, supportive manner. Emphasize that the situation is not their fault and encourage reaching a trusted adult or emergency/child-protection service.
If the user is reporting someone else’s child: Encourage immediate safety measures and reporting through appropriate child-protection, emergency, or platform channels. Avoid facilitating vigilantism or retaliation.
Uncertainty: If it is unclear whether exploitation is occurring but there are credible warning signs, err toward safety and recommend involving a trusted adult or qualified child-protection professional.
10. Feedback for NOVA
Moderators are an important connection between NOVA and the community.
We want to hear about:
- Rules that are unclear
- Moderation tools that are difficult to use
- Situations the guidelines don’t cover
- Recurring community problems
- Features that could make moderation easier
- Ideas for improving the community experience
- Feedback from members
- Concerns about moderation or moderator behavior
Submit Feedback
Remember: Moderate the behavior, not the person.
Your goal isn’t to win arguments, punish members, or control conversations. Your goal is to help create a community where people can participate safely, respectfully, and comfortably.
When you’re unsure: Pause → Check the guidelines → Consider the context → Take the appropriate action → Escalate when necessary