Upcoming Changes, Clarifications, and a Note on Community Conduct
Hi everyone,
We wanted to take a moment to talk about some of the updates currently in progress, clarify a few processes, and address recent discussions happening across the community. We know things have been unclear at times, and we’re actively working to fix that.
Website Footer & Rule Overhaul
We’ve heard your feedback, the footer pages are long overdue for some clean-up. Here are a few things we’re actively working on:
- - A full rewrite of the Rules page to be more clear and easy to understand
- - An Examples page that outlines specific behaviors that break the rules (and ones that don’t)
- - Publishing our Staff Code of Conduct so you can see the standards we hold ourselves to
We want Santae to be a place where everyone knows what’s expected and feels confident navigating the site. The above isn’t an exhaustive list, but just some examples.
Clarifying Reported Posts & Content Removal
We’ve seen some confusion around how post deletion works, so we’d like to clear things up:
When a post is reported, it isn’t permanently deleted right away. Instead, it’s temporarily hidden while a moderator reviews it. If the post doesn’t break any rules, it will be restored. If it does, it will stay hidden. Either way, the post isn’t lost—staff still has full access to review it.
That said, we’ve noticed some misuse of the report function, which has highlighted areas where our system can improve. Suggestions like allowing more context with reports or showing a reason for post removal are on our radar, and we’re open to more feedback.
For now, though, posts flagged for review will continue to be hidden during the review process.
On Moderation & Internal Staff Matters
We want to be transparent without breaching privacy. If you don’t see a public warning, timeout, or ban, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening on our end. All moderation actions happen privately and not every infraction leads to an instant ban.
Especially on Discord, unless it’s a severe offense like a threat of harm for example, users are usually given chances to improve their behavior before serious action is taken. Just know: if something needs to be addressed, it is.
Moderation decisions are handled by staff and will not be discussed publicly or with unrelated parties. As such, we won’t be discussing further actions taken by the moderation team in terms of a recent event that happened where an individual was misgendered. We know this particular situation raised questions, but in order to respect everyone’s privacy, we won’t be discussing moderation actions involving specific individuals.
On Public Grievances, Callouts & Community Disruption
We’ve recently seen some public posts sharing personal experiences, concerns about past conflicts, and frustrations around moderation. We recognize that many of these concerns come from real experiences, and when something feels like it hasn’t received closure, it’s natural to want to share.
That said, Santae’s public spaces are intended for gameplay-focused conversations, and deeply personal or emotionally charged topics can unintentionally derail those spaces. They also put strain on both the community and the individuals involved.
For this reason, we ask that any serious concerns, whether about other users, staff, or moderation, be brought directly to the team through a ticket or by contacting the support email.
This isn’t about silencing anyone. It’s about making sure these conversations happen in a space where they can be heard, handled respectfully, and without causing harm to others in the process.
We also want to highlight that these expectations aren’t unique to Santae, many online communities, including games and forums, have similar rules in place to protect users and staff alike. Here are examples of guidelines from other sites:
- Attacks, comments, or opinions that slander, defame, threaten, insult, or harass others are not allowed
- Publicly posting grievances without first contacting staff
- Callouts: Posts made to draw negative attention to a player or group
- Insults or personal attacks, including:
- Back-handed compliments
- Singling someone out or accusing them of breaking rules
- Blacklisting, naming/shaming, character assassination
- Passive-aggressive remarks aimed at specific users
- Linking to or alluding to offsite content containing personal attacks
- Harassment, including:
- Repeated unwanted messages or stalking
- Bypassing ignore lists
- Spreading damaging claims to harm someone’s reputation
- Sharing someone’s personal info
- Blackmail or extortion
Santae’s rules, like 1.3.1: Avoid Public Disputes and 1.1.2: No Harassment or Public Shaming, exist for these same reasons: to prevent harm, protect our players, and maintain a space where people can enjoy the game safely.
By choosing to be part of Santae, users agree to follow the rules and community guidelines we’ve put in place. These exist not to limit voices, but to help keep the space respectful, inclusive, and focused on the game we all enjoy.
We understand not everyone will agree with every decision, and we’re always open to constructive feedback, but participating in the community means agreeing to the terms that help it function safely for everyone.
Clarifying CJ’s Role Going Forward
We also want to take a moment to clarify CJ’s current role.
CJ is still the brains behind Santae’s systems and features, and you may continue to see him answering gameplay-related questions, especially those tied to mechanics or development decisions. However, he is no longer involved in moderation or community management, and any questions or concerns related to those areas will be answered
The Support E-Mail
Brief sidenote into the support email, as this has also been a concern in the past. We’ve taken steps to improve this and are now committed to responding within 5 business days to all inquiries sent via the support email.
At the end of the day, Santae is a creative, cozy space for stories, connection, and fun. We know things aren’t perfect, but we’re committed to building something better, and we want the content and conversations on our site to reflect that. We welcome discussion, ideas, and critique, but we also expect everyone to help maintain a respectful, constructive environment.
We understand that the community is feeling frustrated and even mistrustful right now, and that’s okay. Rebuilding trust doesn’t happen overnight, and we know it will take time, work, and consistency on our part to reestablish connections.
More updates will be coming soon, including the rule rewrite and changes to how moderation tools function which we expect to have completed and posted before the end of the month. Thank you to everyone who’s been patient, thoughtful, and open with us.
~ The Santae Team
