Hiya everybody! It's been a while since we've had a Backstage column, hasn't it? With ToonFest 2017 coming up, we decided that it was high time to give you some more information with what's going on with the Toontown Rewritten Team.

My name’s Kam (You may know me as “Anna Sun” around Toontown) and I’m here to bring you a behind-the-scenes look at one of the many mysteries of Toontown: Our Game Moderators!

What's Moderation All About?

It’s a well known fact that Toons just want to have fun, and that’s why our moderation team is here to help! We dedicate our time towards keeping Toontown Rewritten a safe and friendly environment for players of all ages. With over 20 moderators working around the clock and more currently in training, we represent the largest division of the Toontown Rewritten team.

Moderators? Quick, HIDE!

You might be wondering what a moderator actually does on duty. Contrary to what some Toons may tell you, we don’t spend our time scheming against players. We're here to help you! Moderators are here to make Toontown more enjoyable, and the last thing they want is less people playing the game.

At any given time, our moderation team is approving names, sifting through blog comments, monitoring actions within the game, answering emails, handling reported Toons, and that's only the beginning of it.

Fun fact: Each moderator can review over one thousand names per day! Keep that in mind next time you're waiting for your name to be approved.

With so much to do, our first priority is keeping the game clean. Toontown Rewritten was created to be a safe game that entire families could enjoy together, whether young or old. Protecting the youngest among us is our top concern!

Sometimes people think that reports and bans are handled by automated systems, but robots are for Cogs, not Toons! That’s why we believe in reviewing each individual case by hand. Every name, infraction, and email receives personal attention from at least one moderator, ensuring that your voice is heard and that you’re in good hands (or gloves!).

No moderator is ever “out to get you”, and even if they were, another moderator would put a stop to it! Our game is designed around the players, and so we don’t take bans lightly.

Moderators and YOU

We know rotten apples have a certain smell, but it might surprise you to learn that only 0.73% of accounts registered with Toontown Rewritten have ever received any kind of infraction. The overwhelming majority of Toons never receive an infraction, and we tell you this so that you know not to fear us moderators. We’re on your side!

If you ever spot a troublemaker trying to ruin another Toon’s fun, You can lend us a hand by using the report button in-game or sending us an email with the Toon ID, time, district, and any other information you can give us about the disturbance. Thanks to our amazing Technical Operations team, we can see every report made in real time and take care of problems faster than ever before.

Learning to Look

We do our best to ensure that our moderators are well-equipped for the task at hand. Each new member of our moderation team spends an extensive amount of time in training, where a mentor teaches them how to use our many tools to track down trouble.

Did you know? Our staff members actually have to pass a certification test to be able to teach new moderators to make sure they are always fit for the job.

Think you might have what it takes to join us and help out Toontown? I’ve got great news for you: you can! We’re always accepting applications for our team, and you can find them on the Apply Page of our website.

I hope that you enjoyed this little glance into the innerworkings of the Toontown team. It’s not always a glamorous job, but we enjoy doing anything we can to keep Toontown alive. We’re looking for some Toontastic individuals who share those ideals, and want to make sure Toontown stays fun for everyone!

Thanks for reading, and keep your eyes peeled for more Backstage information at ToonFest at ReplayFX 2017!

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BONUS: Moderation FAQ

Q: I’m applying for moderator but I’ve recieved an infraction in the past. Will this disqualify me?
A: Your infraction history does factor into your application, but most infractions will not disqualify you immediately. Only the most severe infractions will immediately make you ineligible. We understand that people make mistakes!

Q: Why was my infraction harsher than someone I know who did the exact same thing?
A: Multiple factors affect the consequence of your infraction. The severity of action itself and the amount of prior infractions on any of your accounts will determine the infraction that you receive.

Q: Why haven’t I received a response to my email yet?
A: In short, answering emails takes time and we receive a lot of them. We do our best to answer everything in a timely fashion, but if you haven’t gotten an answer after one week's time, feel free to email us again! Your email probably got lost in the mail somewhere. If it hasn’t been a full week yet, we thank you for your patience and we’ll get to yours soon!

Q: What are you looking for in moderation applications?
A: We’re looking for applicants that are active, eager to learn, and dedicated to the job. Although we hire from all experience levels and time zones, prior moderation experience and/or residing in a non-US time zone are particularly beneficial to your application.

Moderation requires a mandatory age minimum of 13 due to the nature of the content being viewed. Additionally, we strongly recommend our applicants be at least 16 years of age because of this. We also encourage you to tell us about any other unique skills you might have. It’s important to note that each department has its own standards for applications, so this information does not necessarily apply for other staff positions.

Q: Why is some behavior prohibited that most other online games allow?
A: Something that makes Toontown Rewritten so unique is its dedication to remaining suitable for all ages. We want to ensure that even our youngest players are able to experience the game so we gear our Terms of Service towards preserving this goal.

Q: Why was my Toon’s name rejected?
A: Our Naming Guidelines can be found here. Still not sure? Feel free to drop us an email at support@toontownrewritten.com with the name in question and we’ll be happy to elaborate!

Q: What do you ban for?
A: That information can be found in our Terms of Service.

Q: Can you really get terminated for saying “You Stink!”? It’s a phrase in the Speedchat so how can it be bad?
A: Rest assured, you cannot be banned for saying “You stink!” -- however, you can be banned for harassment. Using “You stink!” or any phrase to harass another Toon (That is, following them around or continuing to bother them after they’ve asked you to stop) can result in an infraction. We’re all humans behind the Toon, so please be friendly to one another!

Q: Why do you reject so many applications if you need more moderators?
A: We want to ensure our staff is as qualified as possible so you get a safe, fun experience while playing Toontown Rewritten. Don’t worry, though -- it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong! Moderation simply isn’t for everyone.