DWIRC:Staff Training/Policies

DarkWorld IRC Staff Training
Module 3: DarkWorld IRC Rules and Policies

Program	DarkWorld IRC Staff Training Program
Module	3 of 10
Difficulty	Intermediate
Estimated study time	3–4 hours
Assessment	Policy examination, case studies, and written assignment
Prerequisite	Module 2 — IRC Fundamentals

Module Overview

This module teaches candidates how to understand, explain, and apply DarkWorld IRC rules and policies.

Staff members must not enforce rules based on personal preference, rumors, incomplete messages, or assumptions. Every enforcement decision should be based on:

• An applicable network policy.
• Sufficient and reliable evidence.
• The context of the incident.
• The severity and impact of the conduct.
• The user’s previous relevant history, where authorized.
• The least severe effective response.
• Proper documentation and escalation.

This lesson provides an operational framework. The current official policy pages remain authoritative.

Important: If this training material conflicts with a current official policy, the current official policy takes precedence. Report outdated training material to the documentation or policy team.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, the candidate should be able to:

1. Identify official sources of DarkWorld IRC policy.
2. Distinguish network rules from channel rules.
3. Identify advertising, invitation, and recruitment violations.
4. Explain the relay and bridge registration requirement.
5. Understand registered-project and verified-presence concepts.
6. Recognize spam, flooding, harassment, impersonation, and ban evasion.
7. Handle evidence without exposing private information.
8. Apply proportionate enforcement.
9. Explain when warnings are appropriate.
10. Recognize cases requiring immediate escalation.
11. Document important policy actions.
12. Separate verified facts from allegations and assumptions.

1. Sources of Policy

DarkWorld IRC policy information may be published through:

• DarkWorld IRC Documentation
• Official policy pages
• The DarkWorld Wiki
• Network rules and guidelines
• Official network notices
• PolicyServ
• RelayServ
• Authorized staff procedures
• Instructions issued by authorized network management

Staff should verify that they are using the current policy before taking significant action.

PolicyServ

PolicyServ may provide links or summaries for official policy information.

For example:

!policy advertising

Public channels should generally receive concise official links rather than lengthy internal policy discussions.

Detailed application records, evidence, investigation history, or administrative actions belong in approved restricted systems or staff channels.

Conflicting or Outdated Information

If two official pages appear to conflict:

1. Do not guess which one applies.
2. Check the publication or revision information.
3. Ask the policy team or authorized management.
4. Follow the confirmed current policy.
5. Report the outdated page for correction.
6. Record the interpretation if it affects an active case.

2. Network Rules and Channel Rules

Candidates must distinguish between:

• Network-wide rules, enforced by DarkWorld IRC staff.
• Channel-specific rules, normally enforced by channel management.

Network-Wide Rules

Network-wide rules apply across DarkWorld IRC.

They may address:

• Network abuse.
• Malicious activity.
• Prohibited advertising or recruitment.
• Unauthorized relays.
• Severe harassment.
• Threats.
• Spam and flooding.
• Ban evasion.
• Staff impersonation.
• Services abuse.
• Attacks against users or infrastructure.
• Privacy violations.
• Other conduct affecting the network as a whole.

Channel-Specific Rules

Channel owners may establish additional rules, such as:

• Language requirements.
• Topic restrictions.
• No excessive formatting.
• No spoilers.
• No off-topic discussion.
• Participation requirements.
• Rules for bots or games.

A violation of a channel rule does not automatically require network-level punishment.

Network staff should generally respect legitimate channel autonomy unless:

• A network policy is violated.
• Serious abuse is occurring.
• A channel is being used to attack the network or its users.
• Channel management requests authorized assistance.
• The channel’s conduct creates a wider network risk.
• Management directs intervention.

3. Policy Decision Framework

Before taking action, staff should answer:

1. What happened?
2. Where did it happen?
3. Who was involved?
4. Which policy may apply?
5. What evidence is available?
6. Is the evidence complete and reliable?
7. Is immediate intervention necessary?
8. What is the least severe effective action?
9. Does the case require escalation?
10. What must be documented?

A candidate should be able to explain both the action taken and the reason it was proportionate.

4. Facts, Allegations, and Inferences

Verified Fact

A fact is information supported by reliable evidence.

Example:

The logs show that the user posted the same external-network invitation in five channels within two minutes.

Allegation

An allegation is a claim that has not yet been verified.

Example:

A user says that another person threatened them in a private message, but no evidence has yet been reviewed.

Inference

An inference is a conclusion drawn from available information.

Example:

Several connections share similar behavior and timing, so staff suspect they may be controlled by the same person.

An inference may help guide an investigation, but it should not be presented as a confirmed fact without sufficient evidence.

Staff reports should clearly separate:

• What was directly observed.
• What was reported by others.
• What staff reasonably inferred.
• What remains unknown.

5. Advertising Policy

DarkWorld IRC maintains rules concerning advertising, invitations, and recruitment.

The purpose of the policy is not to prevent every mention of another website, community, project, or service. Its purpose is to prevent misuse of DarkWorld IRC for unauthorized promotion or recruitment.

Possible advertising conduct includes:

• Repeatedly promoting another IRC network.
• Posting invitations to external channels or communities.
• Soliciting DarkWorld users to leave for another network.
• Mass-messaging users with promotional content.
• Using bots to distribute advertisements.
• Joining channels primarily to promote a service.
• Disguising promotional messages as support or conversation.
• Recruiting users or staff for an external network or project.
• Circumventing an earlier advertising restriction.

Context Matters

The following are not automatically equivalent:

• A normal conversational mention.
• Answering a direct question.
• Providing a relevant support link.
• A channel owner promoting their approved project in its own channel.
• Repeated unsolicited promotion.
• Mass private-message advertising.
• Recruitment for a competing IRC network.
• A registered and approved advertisement.

Staff must examine purpose, frequency, audience, consent, and policy status.

Advertising Approval System

Where advertising requires approval, the normal process is:

1. The applicant reviews the official policy.
2. The applicant submits an advertising request.
3. Authorized staff review the request.
4. The request receives an official status.
5. Approved advertising must remain within the approved scope.
6. Violations or changed circumstances may result in suspension or revocation.

Possible administrative statuses may include:

Status	General meaning
PENDING	The request is awaiting review.
APPROVED	The request has been approved within its stated conditions.
REJECTED	The request was not approved.
SUSPENDED	Approval has been temporarily disabled.
REVOKED	Approval has been withdrawn.
EXPIRED	The approval is no longer current.

A trainee must not approve, reject, suspend, or revoke an advertising request unless specifically authorized.

Advertising Response Procedure

When possible advertising is reported:

1. Preserve the relevant message and context.
2. Determine where and how often it was sent.
3. Determine whether it was solicited.
4. Check whether approval exists.
5. Compare the conduct with the approved scope.
6. Stop ongoing mass abuse if immediate action is authorized.
7. Escalate unclear or administrative cases.
8. Document the decision.

6. Invitations and Recruitment

An invitation may become a policy matter when it is used to:

• Move users to another IRC network.
• Recruit staff for an external service.
• Repeatedly redirect users away from DarkWorld.
• Target multiple users through private messages.
• Evade channel rules or advertising restrictions.
• Exploit a DarkWorld channel, relay, or project presence for recruitment.

A single mention is not automatically the same as a coordinated recruitment campaign.

Staff should consider:

• Was the message requested?
• Was it sent publicly or privately?
• How many users received it?
• Was it repeated?
• Was the sender warned previously?
• Was the invitation commercial, competitive, malicious, or harmless?
• Is there an approved project or advertising arrangement?
• Did the conduct disrupt the network or a channel?

7. Relay and Bridge Policy

Relays and bridges allow communication between DarkWorld IRC and an external network, platform, channel, or community.

They may be useful for communication, but they create additional policy and moderation risks.

DarkWorld IRC requires applicable relays and bridges to follow the official relay policy and registration process.

General Relay Principles

A relay or bridge should:

• Be registered or approved where required.
• Identify its purpose accurately.
• Identify the DarkWorld channel involved.
• Identify the relay bot.
• Identify the external network or platform.
• Follow DarkWorld IRC policies.
• Avoid importing prohibited advertising.
• Avoid importing recruitment messages.
• Allow responsible moderation.
• Cooperate with compliance reviews.

Relay Operators’ Responsibilities

Relay operators are responsible for:

• Filtering prohibited external advertisements.
• Preventing recruitment through the relay.
• Responding to compliance notices.
• Maintaining accurate registration information.
• Ensuring the relay does not evade channel or network restrictions.
• Cooperating with DarkWorld IRC staff.
• Suspending or correcting problematic relay behavior when required.

Possible Relay Statuses

Status	General meaning
PENDING	Application awaiting review.
APPROVED	Relay approved under stated conditions.
REJECTED	Relay application not approved.
SUSPENDED	Relay approval temporarily suspended.
VIOLATION	A compliance violation has been recorded.
REMOVED	Relay authorization has been removed.

Unregistered Relays

When an apparent unregistered relay is discovered:

1. Verify that it is actually relaying external content.
2. Identify the channel and relay bot.
3. Avoid accusing users without evidence.
4. Check the registration system.
5. Record the discovery through the authorized process.
6. Notify the relay operator where appropriate.
7. Provide the policy and registration information.
8. Apply restrictions only through authorized procedures.
9. Escalate non-compliance.

Trainees must not independently approve or permanently remove relays.

8. Registered Projects and Verified Presence

DarkWorld IRC may allow DarkWorld projects and eligible external projects to establish an official or verified presence.

A verified presence helps users identify:

• The official project channel.
• Authorized project representatives.
• The project’s approved identity.
• Relevant support resources.
• Whether the project has completed the required review.

Verification does not mean that DarkWorld IRC:

• Owns the external project.
• Guarantees every product or service.
• Accepts responsibility for external transactions.
• Grants unlimited advertising rights.
• Exempts the project from IRC policies.
• Gives project staff network-level authority.

Project staff must still follow DarkWorld IRC rules.

Suspected misuse of a verified identity should be documented and escalated to the appropriate project or policy team.

9. Spam

Spam generally involves unsolicited, repetitive, disruptive, automated, or mass-distributed content.

Examples include:

• Repeating the same message rapidly.
• Sending the same private message to many users.
• Posting unwanted links across many channels.
• Using multiple accounts to repeat a message.
• Automated promotional messages.
• Repeated irrelevant content intended to disrupt discussion.

Staff should consider:

• Frequency.
• Number of recipients.
• Message content.
• Whether the messages were requested.
• Whether automation was involved.
• Whether the conduct stopped after a warning.
• Whether multiple identities were used.

10. Flooding

Flooding is excessive activity that disrupts a channel, user, server, or network.

Possible forms include:

• Message flooding.
• Join and part flooding.
• Nickname-change flooding.
• CTCP flooding.
• Notice flooding.
• Private-message flooding.
• Connection flooding.
• Command flooding.
• Formatting or control-code flooding.

Immediate Flood Response

Depending on authority and severity:

1. Protect the affected channel or users.
2. Apply an appropriate temporary restriction.
3. Avoid unnecessarily broad bans.
4. Preserve timestamps and relevant logs.
5. Determine whether one or multiple sources are involved.
6. Notify senior staff if the network or multiple channels are affected.
7. Review the restriction after the incident.
8. Document significant actions.

Network-wide connection floods and attacks must be escalated immediately to operational staff.

11. Harassment and Threats

Harassment may include:

• Repeated unwanted contact.
• Targeted abusive messages.
• Coordinated intimidation.
• Threats.
• Stalking across channels.
• Repeatedly evading blocks or bans to contact someone.
• Publishing private information.
• Targeting a person through multiple accounts or relays.

Staff should consider:

• Severity.
• Repetition.
• Credibility of threats.
• Whether the target requested no further contact.
• Whether the conduct crosses multiple channels.
• Whether private information is involved.
• Whether immediate safety concerns exist.

Threats and Immediate Risk

Credible threats, doxxing, compromised accounts, or immediate risks must be escalated promptly.

Staff must not promise outcomes beyond DarkWorld’s authority. Network staff can take appropriate IRC action but are not law enforcement or emergency services.

12. Impersonation

Impersonation occurs when a person intentionally attempts to deceive others into believing they are:

• A DarkWorld staff member.
• Another user.
• An authorized project representative.
• An official service or bot.
• A verified organization or account.

Similar nicknames alone do not always prove impersonation.

Evidence may include:

• False claims of authority.
• Attempts to obtain passwords.
• Copying identity details.
• Using a deceptive nickname.
• Giving fraudulent instructions.
• Pretending to represent an official project.
• Repeated behavior after being corrected.

Possible phishing or credential theft must be treated as a serious security issue.

13. Ban Evasion

Ban evasion occurs when a restricted user deliberately returns or changes identity to bypass an active restriction.

Possible indicators include:

• Rejoining immediately with another nickname.
• Using multiple accounts after a restriction.
• Repeating the same conduct from a different connection.
• Admitting to evasion.
• Using bots, relays, proxies, or other users to bypass restrictions.

Shared hosts, VPNs, bouncers, gateways, or similar behavior do not alone prove that two users are the same person.

Staff should rely on sufficient evidence and authorized information before applying broader restrictions.

14. Bots, Automation, and Malicious Activity

Bots may be permitted for legitimate purposes, including:

• Channel management.
• Games.
• Statistics.
• Relays.
• Support.
• Project services.
• Information delivery.

A bot may become a policy problem when it:

• Floods users or channels.
• Sends unsolicited advertisements.
• Impersonates an official service.
• Collects information deceptively.
• Evades restrictions.
• Distributes malware.
• Coordinates abuse.
• Uses excessive connections.
• Ignores authorized compliance instructions.

Staff should distinguish a malfunctioning bot from intentionally malicious activity. Immediate containment may still be necessary in either case.

15. Privacy and Personal Information

Staff may encounter:

• IP addresses.
• Hostnames.
• Email addresses.
• Account information.
• Private logs.
• Authentication information.
• Abuse reports.
• Staff discussions.
• Project application records.
• Security information.

This information must be accessed and shared only for authorized purposes.

Staff must not:

• Publicly reveal hidden IP addresses.
• Share private logs unnecessarily.
• Request passwords.
• Copy confidential reports into public channels.
• Search user information out of curiosity.
• Retain personal information without a valid purpose.
• Share staff discussions with unauthorized users.
• Use private information for retaliation or personal advantage.

16. Evidence Handling

Useful evidence may include:

• Complete message context.
• Accurate timestamps.
• Channel name.
• Nickname and visible user mask.
• Registered account information, where authorized.
• Relevant server or Services logs.
• Screenshots.
• Reports from affected users.
• Previous related incidents.
• Relay or advertising registration records.

Evidence Quality

Good evidence should be:

• Relevant.
• Authentic.
• Complete enough to understand.
• Time-stamped where possible.
• Collected lawfully and according to policy.
• Shared only with authorized people.

Screenshots can help, but editable images or partial captures may omit important context. Where possible, compare them with server, client, bot, or Services logs.

Evidence Preservation Rules

1. Preserve the original material where possible.
2. Do not edit evidence to change its meaning.
3. Avoid reposting sensitive material.
4. Record who provided the evidence.
5. Separate facts from interpretations.
6. Restrict access appropriately.
7. Follow retention and deletion requirements.
8. Escalate evidence involving serious security issues.

17. Proportionate Enforcement

The response should be proportionate to:

• The severity of the conduct.
• The immediate risk.
• The number of users affected.
• Whether the conduct was intentional.
• Whether it continued after a warning.
• Relevant previous violations.
• The likelihood of recurrence.
• The effect of the proposed action on innocent users.

Possible responses may include:

1. No staff action.
2. Guidance.
3. Informal correction.
4. Formal warning.
5. Channel-level moderation.
6. Temporary restriction.
7. Escalation for network-level action.
8. Suspension of an approval.
9. Permanent action authorized by senior staff.

Not every violation requires every step. Severe or ongoing incidents may require immediate protective action.

18. Warnings

A useful warning should state:

• What conduct must stop.
• Which rule or policy applies.
• What corrective action is required.
• What may happen if the conduct continues.
• Where the user can find the official policy.

Example:

Please stop sending unsolicited network invitations. This conduct may violate the DarkWorld IRC advertising and recruitment policy. Review the official policy at the provided documentation link. Continued violations may be escalated for further action.

Warnings must be:

• Clear.
• Professional.
• Specific.
• Free from insults or threats.
• Documented when significant.

Staff should not claim that a warning was issued if it was not successfully delivered.

19. Enforcement Reasons

Enforcement reasons should be factual and understandable.

Good examples:

Repeated channel flooding after warning
Unsolicited advertising across multiple channels
Ban evasion following temporary channel restriction
Unauthorized relay continued after compliance notice
Staff impersonation and attempted credential collection

Poor examples:

Annoying
Bad user
You know what you did
Because staff said so
Go away

A reason should not reveal unnecessary private or security-sensitive information.

20. Appeals and Complaints

Users should be able to request review through the approved process.

When receiving an appeal:

1. Remain neutral.
2. Confirm which action is being appealed.
3. Obtain the relevant time, channel, and reason.
4. Preserve the original enforcement record.
5. Avoid arguing with the user.
6. Do not review your own disputed action alone where independent review is required.
7. Forward the matter to authorized staff.
8. Record the review outcome.
9. Correct mistakes when found.

Criticizing or appealing a staff decision is not automatically abuse.

Retaliation against a user for submitting a complaint is prohibited.

21. Staff Conflicts of Interest

A conflict may exist when the staff member:

• Is personally involved in the dispute.
• Has a close relationship with one party.
• Operates a competing project.
• Previously argued with the reported user.
• May personally benefit from the decision.
• Has already made public statements prejudging the case.

When a meaningful conflict exists, the staff member should:

1. Protect users from immediate harm if necessary.
2. Preserve relevant evidence.
3. Disclose the conflict internally.
4. Transfer the decision to another authorized staff member.
5. Avoid influencing the review improperly.

22. Policy Incident Report

Use the following format:

Case reference:
Date and time:
Reporting staff member:
Channel or location:
Users involved:
Relevant accounts:
Policy involved:
Summary of incident:
Directly observed facts:
Information reported by others:
Evidence preserved:
Immediate action taken:
Reason for action:
Users or channels affected:
Warning issued:
Escalated to:
Current status:
Recommended follow-up:

Do not place passwords, private keys, tokens, or unnecessary personal information in an incident report.

23. Practical Scenarios

Scenario 1: Normal Mention

A user asks where they can find documentation for a third-party IRC client. Another user provides a relevant official link once.

Recommended analysis:

This is not automatically prohibited advertising. Consider the context, relevance, and absence of unsolicited promotion.

Scenario 2: Repeated Recruitment

A user sends private messages to several DarkWorld users inviting them to join another IRC network and become staff there.

Recommended analysis:

Preserve evidence, determine the scope, check the advertising and recruitment policy, stop ongoing abuse if authorized, and escalate for appropriate action.

Scenario 3: Approved Advertisement Exceeds Scope

A project has approval to announce one event in its official channel but posts the advertisement repeatedly across unrelated channels.

Recommended analysis:

Approval is limited by its conditions. Record the conduct, verify the approval scope, stop ongoing disruption where authorized, and escalate for review or suspension.

Scenario 4: Unregistered Relay

A bot is relaying messages from another network into a DarkWorld channel, but no registration can be found.

Recommended analysis:

Verify that it is a relay, identify the channel and operator, record the discovery, provide registration information, and follow the relay-compliance procedure. Do not independently approve or permanently remove it.

Scenario 5: Shared Host

A banned user and an unrelated user appear from the same shared provider host.

Recommended analysis:

Do not assume they are the same person. Review account information, behavior, timing, and other authorized evidence before widening the restriction.

Scenario 6: Staff Dispute

A staff member is personally involved in an argument and asks you to ban the other user.

Recommended analysis:

Address any immediate safety issue, preserve evidence, disclose the conflict, and refer the enforcement decision to a neutral authorized staff member.

Scenario 7: Private Threat Report

A user reports a serious threat received by private message but asks staff not to post the logs publicly.

Recommended analysis:

Protect confidentiality, preserve the evidence through the approved process, assess urgency, and escalate immediately where the threat may be credible.

Scenario 8: Channel Ban Appeal

A user demands that network staff reverse a channel ban imposed for repeatedly disrupting a privately managed channel.

Recommended analysis:

Determine whether a network policy or serious abuse issue is involved. Ordinary channel-management decisions generally remain with the channel’s management.

24. Knowledge Check

Answer the following questions in your own words:

1. Which sources should staff use to verify current policy?
2. What should happen if training material conflicts with a current policy?
3. What is the difference between a network rule and a channel rule?
4. When may network staff intervene in a channel matter?
5. What is the difference between a fact, allegation, and inference?
6. Is every mention of another project automatically advertising?
7. What factors help distinguish conversation from prohibited promotion?
8. May a trainee approve an advertising application?
9. What responsibilities do relay operators have?
10. What should staff do when discovering an apparent unregistered relay?
11. Does verified presence guarantee an external project’s services?
12. What is spam?
13. Name four forms of flooding.
14. Why does a shared host not prove that users are the same person?
15. What evidence may indicate impersonation?
16. What should staff consider before applying a broad ban?
17. What makes evidence reliable and useful?
18. What is proportionate enforcement?
19. When might an immediate restriction be necessary?
20. What should a professional warning contain?
21. Why should staff actions include clear reasons?
22. How should an appeal be handled?
23. What is a staff conflict of interest?
24. Why should staff distinguish observed facts from reported claims?
25. What information must never be placed in an incident report?

25. Written Assignment

Prepare a policy analysis of approximately 600–900 words for the following incident:

A bot joins three DarkWorld channels and begins relaying messages from an external IRC network. Some relayed messages invite DarkWorld users to join the external network. The bot operator says the relay is harmless and that a channel operator gave permission. No relay registration can be located. One trainee wants to immediately ban the bot from the entire network.

Your analysis must explain:

• Which policies may apply.
• What facts have been established.
• What information remains unknown.
• Whether channel permission is sufficient.
• What evidence should be preserved.
• What immediate action may be proportionate.
• Whether a network-wide ban is justified.
• Who should receive the escalation.
• What should be documented.
• How the bot operator should be informed.

26. Module Completion Requirements

To complete this module, the candidate must:

• Read the full lesson.
• Review the current official policy pages.
• Correctly answer at least 19 of the 25 knowledge-check questions.
• Complete the written policy assignment.
• Complete all assigned case studies.
• Demonstrate safe evidence handling.
• Demonstrate proportionate decision-making.
• Receive trainer approval.

27. Trainer Evaluation

Evaluation area	Maximum points
Understanding of policy sources	10
Advertising and recruitment policy	15
Relay and project compliance	15
Abuse and conduct policies	15
Evidence handling	15
Proportionate enforcement	15
Judgment and escalation	15
Total	100

Recommended passing score: 75 points.

The candidate must not pass if they demonstrate serious disregard for privacy, evidence integrity, conflicts of interest, or authority boundaries.

28. Quick Policy Checklist

Before taking significant action, ask:

1. What exactly happened?
2. Which current policy applies?
3. What did I directly observe?
4. What was reported by someone else?
5. Is the evidence reliable and complete?
6. Is anyone currently at risk?
7. Do I have authority to act?
8. What is the least severe effective response?
9. Could innocent users be affected?
10. Who must be notified?
11. What must be documented?
12. Does the action require independent review?

29. Next Module

After passing this module, continue to:

Module 4 — User and Channel Modes

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Previous: Module 2 — IRC Fundamentals Program: DarkWorld IRC Staff Training Program Next: Module 4 — User and Channel Modes