Based on your continued feedback we are going to try something brand new for the July 1 Free Agency and if successful we will do it on Trade Deadline Day as well.

For the longest time, the mod team has believed users should submit the content and we will try our best to moderate low-content and duplicate posts. But the sub has grown a long way since then and we’re over 700k subscribers.

Because of this and the feedback you gave us from the last trade deadline we are going to try something different.

We still want the content to come from the users, but the ability to mod such a large subscriber base during the busiest time of the year has become difficult

Our Proposal

• We will select at least 10 users to become approved submitters (if not more) during the 12 critical hours during NHL Free Agency.
• Only these users posts will have their submissions automatically be posted into r/hockey/new.
• All other posts will hit the modqueue for mod review and approval (more on this)

Why have approved submitters?

• The rush to be first has made titles for news during this day not be accurate.
  • Names misspelled
  • Details of the trade missing
  • Inaccuracy on the trade
• Trolls or new accounts pop up on this day
  • They create the post first, then once popular delete their post and thus it disappears from the hot page. This creates discord and accusations of mods deleting threads
  • They create fake trades/signings to bait users and antagonize
• 5+ posts can come up at once into the new queue
  • Creating too much room for mod discretion on the “best” titled post
  • Users being upset their post was deleted over another post
  • Lots of extra work for the mods
• News is breaking every minute
  • It makes it difficult to coordinate the entire mod team
  • It makes it difficult for quality titles to be written
  • The rush for karma and being first is too great with little benefit to the entire user base

How will the mod team choose approved submitters?

• Users must have an account older than February 25, 2019 (NHL Trade Deadline)
• Users must be within good standing meaning they have not been banned since January 1, 2019
• Users must have at least one news based submission to r/hockey since January 1, 2019. A duplicate post is still fine as long as it was a quality submission.
• Users must apply in a Google Form after the Stanley Cup Finals. Mods will review applications and the best quality submitters will be given approved status for only July 1, 2019.

So how will NHL Free Agency Work?

• The approved submitters will be asked to follow strict submission guidelines. Some of these will include spelling names correctly, including team names, adding as much detail to a trade/signing in a timely manner (less than 5 minutes), self-deleting their post if another approved submitter has posted. Making it a self post, so added details can be added will be another requirement. The source would be linked at the end.
• If, for some reason, all approved submitters are not posting trades/signings in a timely manner mods have the option to re-open to all of r/hockey to post.
• Mods will approve posts by non-approved users in the modqueue that are relevant or have not been posted by the approved submitters (in a timely manner).
  • Non-approved users can still submit, but it will be filtered for mod review.
  • Mods will defer to approved submitters posts before approving a non-approved user. As long as it is posted in a timely manner (~5 minutes since news broke).
    • This does mean, some details may be missing in a trade if they come later. Mods will flair threads with this missing information but at least most threads will be fairly accurate.
• A Game Day Thread will be stickied where you can post about “rumblings” and rumors live in the moment. Some “rumblings” will turn into actual posts if needed for discussion.

To reiterate. All users will be able to submit content during free agency. Non-approved submitters content will have to be reviewed by the mods in the modqueue. They must follow all the same rules lined up above. If you’d like to be an approved submitter you can apply. We will have at least 10 approved submitters, if not more.

This is a trial

Mods are trying this out based on your feedback and because of the growth of the sub. We understand that only select users being able to submit has downsides. But, we’re hoping to get a broad variety of good, consistent submitters for this very important day.

If you have ideas on how to make this better, please add a comment below and we will take it into consideration.