blog: add hyprland moderation post

by raf

src/content/news/onModeration.md

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+---
+title: On Hyprland Moderation
+date: 1728487000
+author:
+  name: NotAShelf
+  link: https://github.com/NotAShelf/
+  picture: /imgs/profile_pictures/raf.webp
+---
+
+Hyprland's moderation and the state of the community has been a touchy subject
+for a while. Today, I would like to address this comprehensively. While I
+believe the community has improved significantly, I also acknowledge that it is
+not yet perfect. This post covers previously raised pain points alongside my
+personal comments, our response, and the future direction of the Hyprland
+community.
+
+This will be a somewhat unusual post, as it is both a heart-to-heart message
+aimed at improving the community and a status report. Let me begin by
+highlighting the steps we've taken so far, along with our efforts to improve
+moderation. You may or may not agree with these actions, but please understand
+that they were taken in good faith, with the genuine intention of bettering the
+community.
+
+## Previous Attempts
+
+Some time ago, I requested that Vaxry appoint me as the "Community Manager" to
+help share the burden of feedback and criticism that Vaxry personally receives.
+My goal was to address issues from a different perspective and bring more
+balance to the moderation process. This has certainly been... an experience for
+me, but unfortunately, it has not been as effective as I initially hoped.
+
+I am sorry to report that it was not as effective as I have initially hoped for
+it to be. Although we came a very long way, my attempts to communicate on or
+resolve existing issues have failed time and time again, which is why I think
+the general narrative Hyprland community is wildly inaccurate: the feedback
+comes in the form of rants, and never a constructive, two sided process of
+communication.
+
+From the perspective of someone who actively engages with the community, I must
+say I do not see any instances of problems present in most common comments found
+online, especially the accusation that Hyprland community hosts nazis and
+transphobes. Let me go on to say that this is _wildly_ incorrect as for the
+longest of time those who spread hateful ideology, such as not but limited to
+previously mentioned groups, have been dealt with swiftly. Those groups of
+people are NOT tolerated, and they will NEVER be tolerated. Let me make that
+**very** clear.
+
+Moving on to more visible issues, a frequently raised concern is the lack of
+communication from the moderation team. This is true. Although we have a
+relatively large moderation team, only a few members are consistently active,
+while the rest are barely engaged. As a result, I often find myself the primary
+recipient of complaints, and I acknowledge that I have not been able to handle
+them all effectively. In some cases, I have been insufferable and unresponsive.
+For that, I apologize, and promise to be more approachable in future
+communications regarding moderation.
+
+Similarly, I can only apologize for my inability to resolve all the issues
+within the Hyprland community. That is why I am asking you -whoever you may be-
+to talk to me. If you feel harassed or attacked as part of the community, please
+reach out. You can use the mod-mail feature we implemented some time ago, or
+contact me directly via Matrix or email. I am open to discussing any and all
+concerns you might have about the community.
+
+For those wanting to address Vaxry’s behavior, that is not my place, nor is it
+the purpose of this post. Vaxry is his own person, and I will not comment on his
+actions. However, Vaxry has asked me to tell you that you can contact him
+directly if you have concerns. He is open to civil discussions.
+
+## Next Steps
+
+As we look toward improving moderation, I invite all of you to reach out with
+any concerns. You can contact me via email or, preferably, on Matrix at
+@raf:notashelf.dev. In the coming days, we will be hosting a form to collect
+your **anonymous** comments and critiques on moderation. If you're part of the
+Discord community, I encourage you to participate in the voting process.
+
+Additionally, I will be working on reworking the moderation team and improving
+our communication methods. If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to
+let me know through the channels mentioned above.
+
+Best, raf