Community Contract

The site you are using is moderated independently by Bang the Table, a company that specialises in hosting online community engagement for its clients. 

It is important to note before joining our online conversations that the decision making authorities we work with - whether government, private sector, or community based - are duty bound to take a wide range of matters into consideration when making public policy. This means that the views, ideas and issues that you raise through our forums will be one of a number of views and issues that the authority will consider.

We are paid by these clients to host discussions with their communities and stakeholders and we moderate these discussions.

Moderation takes place independently of our clients.  The only payment we receive is for use of our site and software and for hosting conversations and occasionally for providing staff training and consultancy support about how to best engage communities online.  Bang the Table and its staff have no financial interest in the results of any of the consultations we host.

No matter what the branding on the site if you see that Bang the Table is providing moderation services you can be assured that moderation is carried out independently and by our rules.

Moderators work to ensure that our sites remain a safe and relevant environment to discuss the issues.  Comments will be removed if they contain:

1. Defamatory material against any business or individual.
2. Comments that name or could potentially identify any individual.
   
3. Name calling, and unsupported derogatory remarks about individuals or organisations.
4. Comments that disrespect other users.
   
5. Comments that are posted multiple times will be removed leaving just one on the site.
6. Abusive or offensive language.
   
7. Heated arguments that become personal or off topic.
8. Issues that are not relevant to the consultation will be removed - for example, on a site hosted for a council to talk about child care we would not allow people to discuss council roads.
9. Links to other websites that are not relevant to the discussion or breach the above site rules.
10. Comments regarding the site moderation should be forwarded directly to admin@bangthetable.com rather than made on the site.
    

All our moderators are independent and operate only according to the rules above.

Whenever Bang the Table is moderating a forum you can be assured that the moderator is not influenced in their decision making by the client. Our contract with our clients explicitly states that the site will be moderated according to the site terms of use.

Contributions that meet site rules will not be removed. 

When a comment is removed from the site a message remains in its place stating that the comment has been removed and why. An email is also sent to the person posting the comment explaining what has happened.

Removed comments are stored so they can be restored to the site if it is later deemed an error has been made by a moderator.

Bang the Table will not identify users or provide their email details to our clients. Our privacy statement states this clearly as does our contract with clients.