🗞️Forum

An immutable, auditable, public forum is the main communication and coordination forum among platform members.

Introduction

The forum is the primary place for community-wide asynchronous written communication about all topics relevant to the platform among members. It is hierarchically organized into a tree of categories, each with designated moderators responsible for policing and encouraging effective and beneficial interactions among members. The moderators are part of a designated forum working group, and the lead of that working group can decide what moderators are responsible for what categories. Categories contain subcategories, and threaded topic-based discussions, called threads, where any member can open a thread, and others can come and make replies in the form of posts. Some threads can also include a poll, allowing any member to weight in on a question. To create a thread an initial deposit is needed that goes into a thread account, all posts also requires a deposit that goes into the thread account related to the post, whenever a thread is deleted the funds from the thread account are transferred to the caller of the delete extrinsic.

Notion Space

The community maintains a dedicated Notion space to the operational activities of the forum working group.

Forum Moderator

Responsibilities

• Monitor and supervise public communication channels for compliance with usage policies as decided through the governance system

• Communicate with end users about any possible violations and sanctions

• Collaborate to come up with new policies as circumstances change

Requirements

• A deep understanding of the Joystream platform structure and function

• Clear written communicator, ideally with good command of more than one language

• Hold sufficient amount of the native platform token to put at stake

Forum Moderator Lead

wip

Roles

The relevant actors in the forum are

• Member: A members participate as normal forum users, creating and responding to threads, participating in polls, and so on.

• Moderator: A moderator is assigned to one or more categories. Importantly, when assigned to a category, the moderator can act as a moderator in any descendant category. The root category is an exception where moderator can act, only the lead can moderate. Lastly, a moderator cannot participate in normal forum activities as a moderator, only in distinct moderator activities.

• Lead: The forum lead is a member occupying the lead role in the forum working group. Beyond the normal working group lead obligations, the lead can act as a moderator as well, including in the root category.

Concepts

Archiving

Both categories and threads can be archived. When a category is directly archived, or is an ancestor of a directly archived category, it is considered archived. If not, its considered active. If not, its considered active. In either case, being archived prevents normal users from updating any associated forum state, for example through user level interactions like creating threads, creating posts, reacting to posts, etc. However, actions associated with moderators and the lead are still unconstrained.

Category

Any non-root category is defined by the following

• Id: A global unique category identifier, effectively the number of categories created in the forum prior to this one.

• Parent: An optional reference to a parent category. When not set, it indicates this is a root level category.

• Title: A human-readable category name.

• Description: A human-readable description.

• Stickied Threads: A list of threads in this category that have been designated as having long-run importance to the category.

• Subcategories: The categories with this category as its parent.

• Threads: The threads directly contained in this category.

• Moderators: The moderator directly assigned to this category.

• Archival Status: Whether the category is archived or not. This impacts whether one can use the category, such as creating threads or posts directly, or recursively, within the category.

Thread

A thread is defined by the following

• Id: A global unique thread identifier, effectively the number of threads created in forum prior to this one. From this one can infer a chronological ordering of threads within the category. Importantly, because of the way information is organized in the blockchain state, the identifier for the category is also also required when identifying a thread.

• Title: The human readable title.

• Author: Member who created the thread.

• Poll: An optional poll for the thread, defined by the following

  • Description: A human readable description of what question is being polled.

  • Deadline: Some block before which is the only time anyone can participate in the poll.

  • Alternatives: A list of alternatives, each with its own explainer text, vote count and members who have voted in favor of it.

• Number of posts: Number of posts in thread

• Cleanup Payoff: Payoff for deleting thread from storage.

Post

A post in a thread is defined by the following

• Id: A global unique post identifier, effectively the number of posts created in the forum prior to this one. From this one can infer a chronological ordering of posts within the thread. Importantly, because of the way information is organized in the blockchain state, the identifiers for the category and thread are also also required when identifying a post.

• Text: The post thread

• Author: Member who created the pot.

• Last edited: Last time the post was modified by the author

• Cleanup Payoff: Payoff for deleting thread from storage.

Editable/Non-Editable

A thread and a post can be either editable or not editable. A non-editable thread/post doesn't take any space in the runtime's storage. When a thread or post is being deleted it just indicates that you no longer want to edit it. To indicate that you want it to be hidden, similar to deletion in a classical forum, you need to set hidden to true. The first post in a thread is by default editable as well as any thread at creation. To create a thread or an editable post you require an initial deposit for the usage of storage space. Non-editable posts doesn't require an initial deposit. Furthermore, by deleting a thread/post you can reclaim the initial deposit.

Reaction

A reaction is a signal a member can send to associate a sentiment, in the form of a non-negative integer called a reaction value, with a forum post. Importantly, it is only possible to react, not unreact, that is to withdraw a reaction. The semantics of different values, or of submitting the same value more than once, will require social consensus.

Constants

The following constants are hard coded into the system, they can only be updated with a runtime upgrade.

Name	Description	Value
MAX_SUBCATEGORIES	Maximum allowed subcategories in any category to be created.	fill-in
MAX_THREADS_IN_CATEGORY	Maximum number of threads in any category for any new thread.	fill-in
MAX_POSTS_IN_THREAD	Maximum number of posts allowed in any thread for any new post.	fill-in
MAX_MODERATORS_IN_CATEGORY	Maximum number of moderators allowed in a category for any new assignment of the moderator to category.	fill-in
MAX_NUM_CATEGORIES	Maximum number of categories allowed in total for any new category to be created.	fill-in
MAX_POLL_ALTERNATIVES	Upper bound on the number of alternatives in a new poll.	fill-in
MAX_CATEGORY_TREE_DEPTH	Maximum category tree depth allowed for any new category to be created.	fill-in
MAX_NUMBER_OF_WORKERS		fill-in
BASE_PAY_OFF_FOR_THREAD_CLEANUP	Base deposit for a thread	fill-in
THREAD_DEPOSIT	Base deposit for creating a thread	fill-in
POST_DEPOSIT	Base deposit for creating a post	fill-in

Notice that a lot of the limits are forward-looking. In the even to of a runtime upgrade, it may be that the limits are changed in a more restrictive direction, in which case it should not be expected that there is a migration that throws out the storage state, instead, the limit should only be understood to have bearing on future actions.

Extrinsics

Create Category

Parameters

Name	Description
parent	Optional parent category identifier.
title	Title of category.
description	Category description.

Conditions

• Signer is working group lead.

• If provided, parent corresponds to valid category. [Remove: , and it is not directly or indirectly archived.]

• Limit MAX_NUM_CATEGORIES is respected.

• Limit MAX_CATEGORY_TREE_DEPTH is respected.

Effect

A new category is created.

Update Category Archival Status

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
new_archival_status	Whether new status is archived or active.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• If signer is moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category.

• The category has archival status different from new_archival_status.

Effect

Archival status of category corresponding to category_id is updated to new_archival_status.

Update Category Title

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
new_title	New title for category.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• If signer is moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category.

Effect

The title of the category corresponding to category_id is set to new_title.

Update Category Description

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
new_description	New description for category.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• If signer is moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category.

Effect

The description of the category corresponding to category_id is set to new_description.

Set Category Stickied Threads

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
threads	List of thread identifiers.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• If signer is moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category.

• All thread identifiers must have existed at some point in time.

Effect

The stickied threads of the category corresponding to category_id is set to threads.

Update Category Membership of Moderator

Parameters

Name	Description
category_id	Category identifier.
moderator	Working group identifier of moderator.
is_member	Whether moderator should be member.

Conditions

• Signer is working group lead.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

Note: There is no check that the provided moderator identifier corresponds to a genuine working group moderator.

Effect

If is_member is true, then the moderator identifier is added to the category moderators for category corresponding to category_id so long as the MAX_MODERATORS_IN_CATEGORY limit is respected. If is_memberis not true, then the moderator is removed if present.

Delete Category

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• There are no threads in the category.

• There are no subcategories in the category.

• If the parent of the category is the root, then actor must be the lead, otherwise for other categories actor must be lead, or moderator must be assigned have control of the category.

Effect

The category is dropped.

Create Thread

Parameters

Name	Description
member_id	Identifier of member.
category_id	Category identifier.
title	Thread title.
text	Body text of thread.
poll	Optional poll information for thread.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of member corresponding to member_id.

• Signer has enough balance to cover deposit for thread creation and post creation(ThreadDeposit + PostDeposit)

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• Limit MAX_THREADS_IN_CATEGORY is respected.

• The category is not archived.

• If poll information is provided, make sure

  • limit MAX_POLL_ALTERNATIVES is respected, and that there are at least two alternatives.

  • the end time is in the future.

• Signer's account has at least THREAD_DEPOSIT + POST_DEPOSIT free balance.

Effect

• A thread is created.

• The first post is created.

• Post + Thread deposit is substracted from signer account, ThreadDeposit is added to thread's cleanup_payoff and PostDeposit is added to post's cleanup_payoff.

Edit Thread Title

Parameters

Name	Description
member_id	Member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
new_title	Thread title.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of member corresponding to member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread.

• member_id corresponds to the author of the thread.

• The thread is not deleted from storage.

• The category is not archived. [WIP]

• The thread is not archived. [WIP]

Effect

The title of the thread is set to new_title.

Move Thread

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
new_category_id	Category identifier.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• new_category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• category_id and new_category_id are distinct.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread that's not deleted from storage.

• If signer is moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category corresponding to category_id.

• If signer is moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category corresponding to new_category_id.

• Limit MAX_THREADS_IN_CATEGORY is respected for category corresponding to new_category_id. [WIP]

Effect

The thread has relocated to category corresponding to new_category_id.

Delete Thread

Parameters

Name	Description
forum_member_id	Forum member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
rationale	Human-readable text.
hidden	Indicates whether the thread should be hidden or just removed from storage.

Conditions

• Signer corresponds to forum_member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread that's not deleted from storage.

• forum_member_id corresponds to thread creator.

Effect

• The thread is removed from storage.

• cleanup_payoff is paid to the thread deleter account.

Moderate Thread

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	Either member identifier, lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
rationale	Human-readable text.

Conditions

• Signer corresponds to forum_member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread that's not deleted from storage.

• If signer is moderator then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category corresponding to category_id.

Effect

• The thread is removed from storage.

• Thread's cleanup_payoff is slashed from thread account.

Create Post

Parameters

Name	Description
member_id	Member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
text	Human-readable text.
editable	Whether or not the post is editable.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of member corresponding to member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread that's not deleted from storage.

• Signer has at least PostDeposit usable balance.

• category is not archived.

• thread is not archived.

Effect

• A new post is created in thread with text textand author is member_id and cleanup_payoff is PostDeposit.

• PostDeposit is transferred from signer's account to thread's account.

Edit Post

Parameters

Name	Description
member_id	Member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
post_id	Post identifier.
new_text	Human-readable text.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of member corresponding to member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread that's not deleted.

• post_id corresponds to an existing post that is in storage.

• member is author of post.

• category is not archived.

• thread is not archived.

Effect

Post text is set to new_text.

React to Post

Parameters

Name	Description
member_id	Member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
post_id	Post identifier.
reaction_value	Reaction value.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of member corresponding to member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread that is not deleted.

• member is author of post.

• category is not archived.

• thread is not archived.

Effect

Reaction with value reaction_valueis accepted.

Delete Post

Parameters

Name	Description
forum_user_id	Member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
post_id	Post identifier.
hidden	Whether post should be also be hidden.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread.

• post_id corresponds to an existing post.

• post is not first post in thread.

• forum_user_id is member of forum and is either

  • Post author

  • Or Post's thread has been deleted and PostLifeTime has happened since post's last_edited

• If forum_user_id is not author hidden must be false.

Effect

• Post is deleted from storage.

• Post original deposit is transferred into the Signer's account.

Moderate Post

Parameters

Name	Description
actor	lead or working group identifier of moderator.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
post_id	Post identifier.
reaction_value	Reaction value.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of actor.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• post_id corresponds to an existing post.

• post is not first post in thread.

• If moderator, then this moderator must be assigned have control of the category corresponding to category_id.

Effect

• Post is deleted from storage.

• Post original deposit is slashed from thread account.

Vote On Poll

Parameters

Name	Description
member_id	Member identifier.
category_id	Category identifier.
thread_id	Thread identifier.
alternative_index	Index of a poll alternative.

Conditions

• Signer uses role account of member corresponding to member_id.

• category_id corresponds to an existing category.

• thread_id corresponds to an existing thread.

• thread has poll which has not expired.

• member has not already voted in poll.

• alternative-index identifies an alternative in the poll.

Effect

The member is registered as having voted for alternative aleternative_index

Examples

WIP