Mini-modding (or backseat moderating) is when a forum member acts like a moderator or administrator without having the authority to do so. This can include making any kind of “helpful” correctional comment that would normally fall to a moderator, such as informing people that they are violating our site rules or posting off-topic.

While your intentions may in fact be good (i.e., trying to prevent someone from being banned), it is often annoying. Also, by definition, mini-modding is almost always off-topic and not constructive to the conversation, which therefore counts it as trolling.

If you’d like to warn a fellow poster that their post might be breaking forum rules without alerting a moderator, contact them via Tubmail or IDC.

If you feel a post requires moderator action, simply report it. Don’t post it publicly.