Moodle.org forums Code of Conduct

Note: This page is a work-in-progress. Feedback and suggested improvements are welcome. Please join the discussion on moodle.org or use the page comments.

Moodle.org aims to be a friendly place where people can get help with and learn about Moodle, and contribute to making Moodle even better. Therefore, in the interests of maintaining a productive learning environment, we request that all participants follow this code of conduct. If you do not wish to do so, you have the right not to participate.

Before posting

• Check Moodle documentation with a search and look at the frequently asked questions list of topics.
• Try a Using Moodle advanced forum search or a Google search of moodle.org to see if you can find another discussion about your topic

The basics

Choose the most appropriate forum to post in

• For technical help in English, choose an appropriate forum in Using Moodle
• For socialising with other Moodlers in English, visit the Lounge
• For posting in a language other the English, see the list of community discussion courses in other languages

Any posts deemed to be in the wrong forum will be moved. You will not be automatically told your post has moved because of the way Moodle works at this time. If you suspect your post has been moved, please try a Google search of moodle.org to locate it.

If you believe you have posted in the wrong forum or course and wish to have your post moved, please use the moodle.org contact form (at the bottom of the contacts page) and ask that you post be moved.

Please do NOT use Moodle messaging to ask for help. Instead, post in a forum to give everyone the chance to help you and to benefit from your experience.

Choose an informative subject line

Subject lines are like advertisements. You want helpful Moodlers with solutions to your specific problem to find and read more about your issue.

• Instead of using a subject line like "Urgent help needed!!!" use a subject line which is specific, such as, "Restore stops with error message 'xyz'".

Present facts and background in your post

Helpful Moodlers like posts that tell a short story that includes basic facts.

• Provide as much relevant background information as you can in your post
• Remember to state the version of Moodle you are using

TIP: For further advice on how to ensure your question is answered promptly by a helpful Moodler, see Moodle Forum Help.

Provide feedback if you solve your problem

In order to help others that may encounter the same problem as you did, rate forum posts as useful and provide a link to the documentation or discussion that helped you. Adding [Solved] to the subject line of your post is also helpful.

Good Conducts

Here are some best practices that can be enforced by moderators.

Post your question in one forum only

Posting the same question in multiple forums is of no benefit. It only fragments the support you receive and makes it more difficult for other users to find the correct information in the future when they do a search.

If you really feel your topic falls in two forums (e.g. a major development in the Quiz module that may impact other parts of Moodle), pick the most specific (e.g. Quiz forum) and post a small pointer to the other discussion in the second forum (e.g. General developer forum).

Respect other forum users

Show respect and consideration to others at all times.

Flaming and personal attacks will not be tolerated. If you come across a post that you feel is inappropriate, please report it to a forum moderator (listed in the forum introduction) or course facilitator or use the moodle.org contact form.

Please respect the decisions of forum moderators and course facilitators.

Spam and unsolicited advertisements are not allowed

Our Policy on Advertising explains the contexts in which advertising is permitted. In addition, Moodle-related jobs (offered and wanted) may be advertised in the Moodle Jobs database. All other advertising and spam will be deleted. Posts with no substantial content (e.g. "Hi") will also be deleted.

If you come across any unsolicited adverts or spam, please report it to a forum moderator (listed in the forum introduction) or course facilitator or use the moodle.org contact form.

Code of conduct violations

Posts which violate our code of conduct may be edited, moved to a hidden forum or deleted at the discretion of moderators. Moderators and course facilitators are encouraged to discuss issues in the Facilitators Corner.

Spammers or anyone else who persists in violating our code of conduct will have their account blocked.

Disclaimer about forum posts

Whilst moodle.org moderators and course facilitators will attempt to remove or edit any generally objectionable material as quickly as possible, it is impossible to review every post. All posts made on moodle.org express the views and opinions of the author and not the moderators or course facilitators (except for posts by these people) and they cannot be held liable.

If you have any comments on our code of conduct please use the talk page or post in the Moodle.org design forum.