Moderation policy

By Cycling UK
Three cyclists at an outdoor cafe discussing cycling
The Cycling UK website is a place where Cycling UK members and Registered Users can enjoy an exchange of comments and views on cycling topics. Moderation will be kept to a minimum but for the benefit of all do please observe the guidelines on this page

Why ha​ve moderation?

The intention of moderation is not to censor free speech.  If the site was completely unmoderated then the site could soon be filled with commercial plugs placed by companies, could contain racist and sexist material, links to pornography and lots of slander and personal fights between users. This isn't what most people would want from a cycling website so moderation is needed.

It is not our policy to remove posts that contain constructive criticism.  Moderation is intended to ensure debate is fair and inclusive, and will not be used to suppress legitimate, reasoned debate about the issues under discussion.

Administrators and moderators

The administrators and moderators of this website will attempt to remove or edit any generally objectionable material as quickly as possible.  Also, they will sometimes use moderation management software to aid in the prevention of spam appearing on this website and to highlight unsuitable content.

Pre-moderation of first two comments

  • The first two comments of Registered Users will be pre-moderated to ensure that the participation guidelines (stated below) are observed – these first two comments will appear on the website within a maximum of 3 working days (normally it will be much quicker).
  • Be assured that the author or administrator or moderator will only check for adherence to the guidelines and his/her decision to publish will not be affected by whether the participant agrees or disagrees with the comments.
  • After the first two comments have been pre-moderated, further comments by that participant will appear immediately.

Participation guidelines

When posting comments, please observe these participation guidelines:

  • Be respectful of other users of this site.
  • Stay on topic and do not upload content that is unrelated to the purpose of this site.
  • Do not use language that is offensive, inflammatory, sexist or provocative (this includes swearing and obscene or vulgar comments).
  • Please do not use “hot-linking” as we do not wish to use other person’s bandwidth.
  • Do not post bad links. Do not add links to any racist, offensive (politically or otherwise) or pornographic website - this will result in an immediate ban from commenting.
  • Do not select a user name that is offensive, inflammatory, provocative or contains advertising.
  • Do not break the law (this includes libel/slander, condoning illegal activity and contempt of court).
  • Please do not post personal information – addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other online contact details – relating either to you or other individuals.
  • Do not impersonate or falsely claim to represent a person or an organisation. Do not attempt to log on using another user’s account.
  • Do not make any commercial endorsements or promotion of any product, service or publication not relevant to the topic.
  • Do not post in a language other than English.

Please note that not adhering to the guidelines may result in an immediate ban from commenting.

Banning escalation policy

The author of an article will not be able to ban a participant without previously having escalated the non-adherence to the guidelines to his manager or to a moderator. However, this escalation is not required if a participant is continuously advertising or using offensive language on the site.

How to report a comment

If you read a comment that you feel breaks the participation guidelines (stated above), please report it using the 'Report this comment’ button next to the relevant comment. To submit a report, you will be asked to confirm which moderation rule you believe the comment breaks and why you believe it breaks this rule. Your report will be received by the the author of the article who will respond in either of two ways: agree with the report that you have given and thus remove the comment or disagree with it and close the report. In either case, you will be notified by email of the response.

Moderation decisions

If you disagree with the decision to remove your comment or disagree with your report being closed and the comment having not been removed, then you may raise your concerns with the moderators by emailing: moderators@cyclinguk.org. Please note that the moderators will respond to emails during normal working hours.

Support and guidance for children

If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to an adult you trust, such as a relative or teacher. If you would prefer to talk to someone in confidence you can contact Childline (0800 1111). If someone has acted inappropriately online towards you, or someone you know, you can report directly to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). It could be sexual chat, being asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or someone asking to meet up.

If someone is bullying you, there is help and support available from BeatBullying.

If the problem concerns issues of privacy, or a breach of terms of service, report the issue to us by emailing: moderators@cyclinguk.org.

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