communitymoderated

Communitymoderated refers to a governance model in which the content and behavior on a platform are managed primarily by its users rather than a centralized staff. In this model, moderation tasks such as removing content, sanctioning rule violations, and interpreting guidelines are performed by volunteers or community-appointed moderators, with input from the wider user base.

Core mechanisms include flagging content, upvoting or downvoting submissions, and review queues where experienced volunteers assess reports. A reputation or privilege system determines who may take moderation actions, and roles may be organized around topics, locales, or platform-wide teams. Platforms typically publish moderation policies and provide an appeals process to address disputes and ensure accountability. Automation and tooling, such as filters and auto-flagging, often support human moderators rather than replace them.

Advantages include scalability, the ability to reflect local community norms, and reduced reliance on centralized staff. Moderators can be responsive and bring domain-specific knowledge. However, risks include bias or harassment of minority voices, inconsistent enforcement, manipulation by coordinated groups, and burnout among volunteer moderators. Effective systems often emphasize transparency, public moderator logs or decisions, clear codes of conduct, and independent reviews to preserve fairness.

Notable examples of communitymoderated platforms include Reddit, Stack Exchange, and Wikipedia, each employing different mixes of volunteer moderators, reputation systems, and community guidelines to govern content and behavior.