Title: Proposal for updated support guidelines Author: Marius L. J. Published: August 25, 2023 Last modified: October 1, 2023 --- [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 2:03 pm _on_ August 25, 2023   # Proposal for updated support guidelines The support guidelines serve as the guidestones for support moderators (and pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. reviewers) in setting expectations around what is and what isn’t acceptable behavior. The guidelines were last _fully_ reviewed during WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/). San Francisco in 2013, and a lot has happened in those 10 years. Some guidelines were added ad-hoc to account for timely situations, while others have just become dated, and may not necessarily reflect the current state of the WordPress user base, it’s surrounding ecosystem, or the outward facing opinion we wish to nurture. The following is a collaborative effort in refining, simplifying, and clarifying the [guidelines as they are today](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/), into something that is both easier to understand for users, but also makes the job of those moderating much easier in the long term. The proposal is available in a separate document, to make it easier to reading in an isolated (and easily comparable to the current iteration) manner. Note that some changes would initially impact existing forum content. As these are new guidelines; once implemented, they will only relate to new content moving forward. The reasoning being that existing content were a product of the guidelines of their time, and moderating this existing content every time a guideline changes is just not something that can be done.. **[Read the new guideline proposal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nUpOcXWiepU9OAMThoEmQ9ZB5-uNSkBBeGP_vOgzJ4I/edit)_( the doc is ready only, please leave your comments in this post)_ As these are a result of work during WordCamp Us 2023, if you are at the venue and wish to discuss something, please feel free to reach out and a summary of it will be posted as a comment here. Otherwise, please use the comment section below for feedback, or questions, if there are uncertainties as to why some guidelines may have been removed, amended, or added to, this helps ensure everyone that wants to can have their opinion voiced, and that the same response does not have to be repeated in private channels. The feedback period ended on [2023-10-01 00:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20231001T0000) ### Share this: * [ Threads ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/08/proposal-for-updated-support-guidelines/?share=threads) * [ Mastodon ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/08/proposal-for-updated-support-guidelines/?share=mastodon) * [ Bluesky ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/08/proposal-for-updated-support-guidelines/?share=bluesky) * [ Facebook ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/08/proposal-for-updated-support-guidelines/?share=facebook) * [ X ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/08/proposal-for-updated-support-guidelines/?share=x) * [ LinkedIn ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2023/08/proposal-for-updated-support-guidelines/?share=linkedin) 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3686c465c34ede89ec27b0ae1d6c270d66aab3e44643c49f5f5e67eeb5833a67? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 2. [Alan Fuller](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alanfuller/) 2:53 pm _on_ August 25, 2023 3. I can see a couple of changes 4. * Bump and NSFW are no longer mentioned – is that deliberate 5. * Advertising: this is good covers several things simply ( spam, offer work for money ) 6. * PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. / Theme reviews: this is a big one and will make many developers happy, no longer a review like 1 star– I paid for pro and it didnt work and they didnt give my money back. Is that the intent? 7. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a456ef03cbe00c97550679fb264b6e51da93c8443aa1114069ddd49f3d0e8f8d? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Felipe Santos](https://profiles.wordpress.org/felipevelzani/) 3:41 pm _on_ August 25, 2023 * > Bump and NSFW are no longer mentioned – is that deliberate * Yep, it is deliberate. 🙂 * TL;DR: Bumping is no longer impactful — thanks to some code changes introduced by Marius — and we now have the checkbox for tagging a topic as NSFW. * > PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions > that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or > add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written > in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. > These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) > or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. / Theme reviews: this is > a big one and will make many developers happy, no longer a review like 1 > star – I paid for pro and it didnt work and they didnt give my money back. > Is that the intent? * The intent is to ensure that folks only review the software they are using. * Also, considering that we don’t allow support for these commercial plugin forums, we felt that the same logic should apply to the reviews as well. 8. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a456ef03cbe00c97550679fb264b6e51da93c8443aa1114069ddd49f3d0e8f8d? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 9. [Felipe Santos](https://profiles.wordpress.org/felipevelzani/) 3:05 pm _on_ August 25, 2023 10. Thank you for your excellent contribution, Marius! Really appreciate everyone who contributed to it. 🙂 11. I already shared some feedback on Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of [https://make.wordpress.org/](https://make.wordpress.org/) There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. [https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/](https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/), and I agree with adding the details on this new proposed guideline. Some small things: 12. > As a volunteer-powered forum, […] 13. I feel that this “volunteer-powered” thing is a bit repetitive at the beginning of the text as we already say, “The forums is a volunteer-powered resource” above. Maybe we could remove the one under the “User Expectations” section. 14. > The link is to a reputable image-sharing service for screenshots. 15. Maybe we can give some examples of good/reliable services (both free/paid)? 16. Some examples: 17. * [https://snipboard.io](https://snipboard.io) * [https://skitch.com/](https://skitch.com/) * [https://getcloudapp.com/](https://getcloudapp.com/) * [https://awesomescreenshot.com/](https://awesomescreenshot.com/) * [https://droplr.com/](https://droplr.com/) * [https://imgur.com/](https://imgur.com/) 18. > Individuals are limited to a single personal account. A company may register > a brand account with a verifiable company email. We do not allow individual > users to make multiple accounts, and consider this a bannable offense. 19. I think this is really a great way forward. As I mentioned during the Contributor Day, I believe that we should make this even more flexible and just allow folks to have as many accounts as they want, as long as they don’t have bad intent — I think this would keep things simple and more practical. 20. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/69282acfecde82a10134cd4cf555ce1c8cf4580e2890a7323b75bd085cd9067f? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Alvaro Gómez](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrfoxtalbot/) 8:45 am _on_ September 4, 2023 * > A company may register a brand account with a verifiable company email. * I would maybe add a line clarifying that company accounts can be used to submit plugins but should never be used to interact in the forums. 21. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3686c465c34ede89ec27b0ae1d6c270d66aab3e44643c49f5f5e67eeb5833a67? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 22. [Alan Fuller](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alanfuller/) 5:00 pm _on_ August 25, 2023 23. As a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. developer I am very comfortable with the idea that plugin developers can rated through reviews if the developer is using the free platform as a form of advertising in their readme.txt or their free code. It seems a fair exchange for the privilege. 24. By closing that off, you will get less reviews reported by plugin dev son slackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) saying ‘it isn’t fair’ but you will get just as many users that come and complain their review was removed because it mentions the pro that they were up-sold from the repo. 25. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 12:07 pm _on_ August 26, 2023 * Valid concern, how would you approach a solution to this? * One of the big considerations here is that the _current_ guidelines allows you to review the experience of the premium pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. when it is upsold via the plugin, and although this was fine when it was written, today you have major ecosystems around individual plugins as well (think WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, ACF), where a mention of a plugin solution may be a completely different plugin that isn’t directly related to the one where it was “upsold” (or mentioned, for that matter). * The workgroup looking at this figured it would be easier to say that only the code as hosted on WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/)( and if there is an upsell, the purchase flow, so you **can** still say “bought this, didn’t work but they didn’t refund me like they promised when I clicked the purchase button” (because that particular area is directly tied to the upsell in the WordPress.org code), but **can’t** say “Bought the premium plugin and it’s garbage” (I’m putting it a bit on edge for emphasis 😅). This might perhaps need some additional verbiage to clarify (?), but overall should still be a much better experience for plugin and theme authors we hope. * Another consideration was trying to simplify the guidelines so that users are actually inclined to read them, so we are very open to ways to convey this better, but also wish to be mindful of the size of the document. - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/69282acfecde82a10134cd4cf555ce1c8cf4580e2890a7323b75bd085cd9067f? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Alvaro Gómez](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrfoxtalbot/) 8:49 am _on_ September 4, 2023 - > Another consideration was trying to simplify the guidelines so that users > are actually inclined to read them, so we are very open to ways to convey > this better, but also wish to be mindful of the size of the document. - Maybe each section could have a “more details” link to an in-depth article? That way the guidelines could stay “consumable” in size but also provide more information if/when needed. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 10:37 am _on_ September 29, 2023 * I think that’s a clever way to keep things consumable, but offer a way to a more living document, sort of a “For more details on the Support Teams handling of the guidelines, and more in-depth examples, see the extended article” type of deal! 26. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d1900f2adcdf1910bcaad713bdba5d308f16efb7919671ed46a69b2d6cad0833? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 27. [t-p](https://profiles.wordpress.org/t-p/) 8:17 pm _on_ August 25, 2023 28. Thank you, Marius! 29. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c930400d131bec47aa06af1442c8abcc199618b9285e334ee08cbd4e82e91d05? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 30. [Richard van Denderen](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rdd/) 9:54 am _on_ August 29, 2023 31. > **When creating links to other resources** > The link is posted by the pluginPlugin > A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be > added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features > to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming > language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress. > org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) > or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. or theme author themselves ( > or registered support users) to an external resource related to the topic. 32. I think it should also be allowed to link by other users to high quality related resources, if relevant and no wp.org or theme/plugin author resource is available. 33. For example specific code snippets on stackoverflow but also longer tutorials and source reference. 34. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 10:39 am _on_ September 29, 2023 * This is intentionally limited, it makes it easier for moderators to approach spam/unrelated links. Ideally we want as many responses to be fully included on WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/)( you may notice Stack Overflow for example doesn’t let you just link to third parties, since those can go away without warning, and then they have dead content that doesn’t help anyone). * So by maintaining this same approach, but at the same time giving theme and pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. authors flexibility, I personally think is the best approach at this time. 35. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1fca83ee8490ae9ab4b26cd13bf41002d74e69f2ba77d2762632308a26ad2bfc? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 36. [Angela Jin](https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin/) 8:48 am _on_ August 30, 2023 37. Thank you so much for this, Marius! I’m excited to see these guidelines being reviewed, and have a few recommendations. 38. First, I recommend reminding everyone that the [Community Code of Conduct](https://make.wordpress.org/handbook/community-code-of-conduct/) applies, as part of user expectations. 39. Next, alongside where a moderator may intervene, I recommend sharing some examples of where a user may be blocked immediately without any recourse to become unblocked. And, if a temporary ban is issued, what would be a path to redemption. I know we have some excellent long time contributors in this space already, but if you’d like some extra support in thinking this through, I know some of the Incident Response Team members would be happy to be thought partners here! 40. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 9:15 am _on_ September 1, 2023 * Adding the Code of Conduct is absolutely something we should be doing, great reminder! * Adding in a little “This is a bannable offense” to a few of the existing example( such as harassment and threats, those have no home here) does also make sense. * I’ve added both of the above to the document for now as part of the proposal, if anyone has opinions on wording and the likes 🙂 * As for bans, I’ve never heard of us issuing temporary bans, if a user is banned, it’s because whatever was done was so grievous that there’s no recourse. As we have no precedence for temporary bans within the support-scenario, I’m not quite sure what (if at all) this should cover, so would love insights there. 41. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/15c1992340b393e287c6050901b6c4a5a10204d854c84ee8be6be84aca77de95? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 42. [Timi Wahalahti](https://profiles.wordpress.org/sippis/) 1:41 pm _on_ September 5, 2023 43. > users are therefore expected to abide by the Community Code of Conduct. 44. Using “abide” might be difficult for non-native English speakers and for those with limited vocabulary. I’d change the word or rewrite this part of the sentence to make it easier. 45. On “Do Not Create Multiple Accounts” section I’d add instructions on how to check if you have an account and how to recover a one, in case someone comes back after years of inactivity. 46. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/69282acfecde82a10134cd4cf555ce1c8cf4580e2890a7323b75bd085cd9067f? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Alvaro Gómez](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrfoxtalbot/) 7:48 am _on_ September 20, 2023 * > I’d add instructions on how to check if you have an account and how to recover > a one * That’s a good idea. We could include a link to the “recover your account” section and explicitly ask users to, if unsure, try and recover their account before they create a new one. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 10:46 am _on_ September 29, 2023 * Good point about the language, I’ve reworded it to use plainer language, and also replaced “expected” with “required”, as the Code of Conduct is not something those interacting on WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) can opt out of at will 🙂 47. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 48. [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:55 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 49. Not being able to comment on the doc makes this a little clunky so I’m going to break this out. 50. **Intro** 51. > The forums is a volunteer-powered resource, available to all users of WordPress > to help improve the quality of WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software > required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., plugins > and themes and to help you solve problems with WordPress. 52. Change “help you solve” to “help solve” 53. Recommend adding : 54. > Use of the forums is a privilege extended to all members of the community, no > matter their background, provided they can abide by these guidelines. > > > Keep > in mind, it is not necessary to have an account on WordPress.orgWordPress.org > The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. > This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and > themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. > [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) in order to download themes > or plugins, nor is it required you use the forums if you have an account. 55. Shouldn’t be needed, but people think they need an account for that, and maybe they’ll notice this one :/ 56. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:55 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **User Expectations** * We don’t want to bury this, so this section should be moved from the END of the whole doc up to “User Expectations” * > Be mindful to follow any and all instructions given by a forum moderator > at all times, they are long time contributors with experience to know when > action needs to be taken, or warnings need to be issued. * Also I would change it to “all REASONABLE instructions” because Mods can be wrong too 🙂 * Speaking of those expectations: * > and users are therefore expected to abide by the Community Code of Conduct. * Not expected, Users are **REQUIRED** to follow the code of conduct. * > This also means that there is no obligation for support to be provided, including > by the developers of themes and plugins hosted on WordPress.orgWordPress. > org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the > users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, > plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations > and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/). * Change “This also means that” to “Be aware that” * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:56 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **Do not advertise on the support forums** * > Please do not use the forums as a venue to promote your own (or others’) > plugins, themes, websites or services. * Remove PLEASE. This is flat “do not advertise” – please will make it sound like a suggestion. * Also should include: * > In addition, do not offer to fix people’s sites for payment. If you are looking > for work, please see (Jobs board link). * Again, should be obvious, but people goober that a lot 🙂 * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:56 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **Contacting the Moderators** * > If immediate action is needed, or the situation is not in a specific post * Change to: * > If immediate action is needed, or the situation is not limited to a specific > post * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:57 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **Do Not Create Multiple Accounts** * > Individuals are limited to a single personal account. * Should include “No matter how many websites you have, you only need one account on WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/).” to clarify a very common gaff. * > A company may register a brand account with a verifiable company email. * This should be clarified as to **why and where and when** a company actually needs an account. * > A company may register a brand account with a verifiable company email, if > they have the intent of creating and supporting their own themes and/or plugins. * We don’t want people thinking they need (or should need) a generic company account AND a personal one for no reason. If you’re not making code/themes/ plugins, you really don’t. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:57 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **When creating links to other resources** * Rename to “Be mindful when creating links to external resources” * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:58 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **Scenarios where moderators may intervene** * Perhaps this should be “We reserve the right to manage the forums to the best of our ability” * That means the tone and tense of the next section needs a little cleanup…. * > We endeavour to keep the forums friendly and safe for all users and developers. > In order to do so, topic content may be moderated and users may have their > access restricted, should the moderation team feel it is appropriate. > We aim to use this power lightly and as sparingly as possible, however in > severe cases, users may be suspended and posts removed entirely. > Common reasons for edits or suspensions include but are not limited to: > - Violations of the WordPress Community Code of Conduct [LINK] or the WordCampWordCamp > WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything > related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community > comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the > year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/). > Code of Conduct [LINK]. > - Posting personal information information of other people (including but > not limited to email, name, job, gender, living situation, location, etc). > - Posting private communication in the public forums or SlackSlack Slack > is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). > The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/). > This includes DMs, emails, or other off-WordPress.orgWordPress.org The > community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. > This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins > and themes as well as the central location for community conversations > and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) communication. > - Posting offers or requests for login information to a site. While pluginPlugin > A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can > be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add > new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written > in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. > These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) > or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. and theme authors may > ask for this on their own support systems, they may not do so _on org for liability reasons. > - Harassment, threats, or abuse via any of WordPress.org’s systems or events( > such as meetups or WordCamps). This includes actions such as following > people to social media to continue a disagreement or complaint. > - Posting broad questions about opinions, such as “who is the best web host?” > or other similar discussion topics that are not directly related to WordPress, > its themes, or plugins. > - Posting only to solicit feedback for a site, theme, or plugin. > - Posting in ALL CAPS or abusing formatting (such as bolding the entire > topic). > - Seeking legal advice or threatening legal action, including lawsuits. > Please note that neither the list of examples above, or bannable offenses > are exhaustive. Each and every post and interaction is judged on its own > merits. * I know it repeats the comment about the CoC but it should be made clear that you really have to abide by that. Also if someone gets punted from WordCamps for abuse, we probably don’t want them in the forums either. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:59 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **In Closing…** * Having this just hanging out below the ‘reasons we may punt you’ is confusing. We need to have some sort of headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes. BEFORE this: * > And that’s all. Enjoy your stay at the forums! > Oh.. And, when you’re done, please mark your topic as “Resolved”. Thanks! * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 6:04 pm _on_ September 21, 2023 * **Do Not Post About Commercial Products** * > Commercial plugins and themes are not sold on WordPress.orgWordPress.org > The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. > This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins > and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and > organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/), therefore > please use their respective websites for support and reviews. * Remove “please” again. In fact… * > No commercial plugins or themes are sold on WordPress.org and cannot be supported > here. Support of commercial products must happen on the official support > channel. - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 7:12 pm _on_ September 29, 2023 - This one is slightly tricky, and stems from discussions on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/). - It boils down to the fact that users have a hard enough time navigating plugins and resource locations as is, and if they post in the wrong place, we won’t hold that against them; We should put enough trust in authors that they can point users in the right direction if it’s a complex issue, or just give a quick answer if they know it and want to do so. 57. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/debe1dd21714076495d48c33e76f6e2c410df34dadd4240c0d9a9e695d58958f? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 58. [Bethany Chobanian Lang](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mxbclang/) 5:29 pm _on_ September 28, 2023 59. Glad to see this being updated! A few little things… Is there a reason why some of the section headers are in title case (“Do Not Create Multiple Accounts”) and others are in sentence case (“Do not advertise on the support forums”)? I don’t have a preference for one or the other, but would be great to standardize them to one or the other. 60. > Bump and NSFW are no longer mentioned – is that deliberate > Bump and NSFW are no longer mentioned – is that deliberate 61. I always thought that the rule about bumping was not just for the mods, but also because it’s a kind of “bad behavior” by users? For example, it’s not uncommon for a user to post a topic, not get a reply as quickly as they’d like, and comment“ bump” a few times to try to get someone’s attention. In the past, the mods have often come in and given a warning to users who did this. Will this not be the case any longer? 62. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 6:51 pm _on_ September 28, 2023 * It is always discouraged (it’s annoying) but it’s no longer necessary to have a guideline. * The original reason was actually **NOT** ‘bad net behavior’! Self-replies/bumps would cause a post to be removed from the ‘no replies’ view, so people would assume you’d been helped and … not help you. * Currently, self-replies to your own thread _do not_ remove you from the ‘no replies’ list, so you will still get the benefit of the ‘no replies’ patrol 🙂 (IIRC — [@clorith](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) is that right?) * It won’t get ‘more’ attention but it also no longer actively causes ‘less’ attention. It’s still annoying, but we need to stop trying to parent people on the web. There isn’t enough time in the day. - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/debe1dd21714076495d48c33e76f6e2c410df34dadd4240c0d9a9e695d58958f? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Bethany Chobanian Lang](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mxbclang/) 7:01 pm _on_ September 28, 2023 - Haha I totally feel that [@ipstenu](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/), and thanks for clarifying why it impacted the mod management. Removing it from the guidelines makes sense to me in that context, thanks! - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 7:15 pm _on_ September 29, 2023 - You’re spot on here Mika 👍 - And of course, if someone is being abusive with 5 “bumps” in a row, we can still tell them to stop doing that, it just doesn’t cause “system” issues any more 🙂 * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e1a850bca164e3d29c1d8ae8117fa4b341ed150ea4d8ab29a285726c944c453b? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Marius L. J.](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clorith/) 7:21 pm _on_ September 29, 2023 * The mixed title heading is probably my fault when making edits 🙂 * As this was written while in the US, where the use of title case is more prominent( at least in my experience, and as obvious here, hehe), that’s what the initial draft had. But since I am European, I use sentence case, and that naturally snuck in during editing. * We’ll be using sentence case in the final released copy of the text, in following with the documentation style guide though! 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