📌Reasons for unpublishing content

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Уредник 👨🏻‍🏫🇧🇷✍🏻👨🏻
<a href="/sr/translator/don-juan" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1110108">Don Juan <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 05.04.2012
Pending moderation

Let there be a detailed guide explaining reasons for unpublishing content of all kinds. This thread can and most likely will be alluded to if and when needed. Also needed given the fact that Mods every now and then have been accused of purposefully and deliberately unpublishing content.

It also should be made clear that Mods have a given set of reasons for unpublishing content - so we cannot unpublish anything without a very specific cause.

Moreover, everything a Mod ever does goes to a list of actions (accessible only for other Mods and Admins), so basically we know who did what, why, when and where. All our actions can be and are discussed when needed, among the team. This is done to avoid things such as threads like "Unfair Mod (x) unpublished this" and "Mod (y) is stupid because they did that so they're my #1 enemy in this website".

That said, the reasons for unpublishing include the following:

1. Songs
These apply for each and every song page, regardless of submitter's recent activity (or its inexistence). It means that content added by long gone users can be unpublished if they fit one or more scenarios listed below.

  • Empty song: When users add empty pages of lyrics. Often happens with users that do not know how to request transcriptions and with specific languages (Arabic, Persian) - user comes and writes something like *I don't know the lyrics* as lyrics and submits it, often also requesting a translation afterwards. In these cases, Mods can open a proper transcription request in user's name, but this is not mandatory. Some do, some do not, it's up to them.
    • Editors and Mods have access to a list of short lyrics, which can contain these, but it's not a guarantee that all content there will be checked soon.
    • Also applies when user writes random gibberish instead of words.
    • Has also happened when users purposefully delete lyrics they added for a reason.
  • Duplicate: When a user adds lyrics that have already been added to the artist page. Does NOT apply for cover versions.
    • In cases of alternate versions of a song, we normally ask users to make that clear, with a note to the song title, something like what was done to differ this song from this other one.
    • Also happens as a result of duplicate merging.
  • Incomplete or incorrect lyrics: This is not an usual reason for unpublishing as Mods and Editors can edit content when asked to. However, this has happened before. Users who add incomplete lyrics are also subject to receive a warning via PM.
    • Often happens with snippets of songs released by artists before the full thing comes out. Users are often asked to complete the lyrics whenever possible, but this also varies from Mod to Mod.
  • On user's requests: No LT user is able to delete lyrics pages (not even Mods) as, if they did that, translations attached to that page would also vanish. If a user adds something wrong and is not able to correct it, they can ask a Mod to come and unpublish it.
    • Translations attached to these songs will also be unpublished in the process.
  • On request from a third party: When external forces ask Admins or Mods to do it. It can be an artist, a composer, a record company, etc. 
    • Note 1: I myself have been contacted once by an artist asking me to unpublish one song of theirs I had added. As they own copyright for it, I can't do anything but abide to their request.
    • Note 2: In these cases, translations attached to that song will also be removed and will NOT be republished.
  • Entry violates the site rules: This applies for:
    • Content with extreme hate messages (Neo Nazi songs, songs that have been prohibited from being published, songs that carry hate messages, etc.).
    • Users who add translations as lyrics.
    • Instrumental pieces.
    • Content that falls outside of what has been established here.
    • Translations attached to these songs will also be unpublished and will NOT be republished.

2. Translations
These apply for each and every translation, regardless of submitter's recent activity (or its inexistence). It means that content added by long gone users can be unpublished if they fit one or more scenarios listed below.

  • Machine translation: If a translation is proven to have been done using ANY automatic translation service (GoogleTranslate, Yandex, DeepL, etc.) it will be unpublished.
    • Altered/tweaked automatic translations are also subject to be removed after discussion among staff members (Editors included).
      • Originals of translations can be retraced by Admins and Mods. In case a translation which has been edited is found to be GT, it will be unpublished still.
    • Users can use these services to understand specific words and constructions for their translations, but their works must be original. 
    • Ratings can and should be used to point these - by giving 1 star to automatic translations.
      • Use ratings wisely. If a low rating is found to be a result of vendetta against someone else, especially a Mod (which has happened in the past and often still happens), the spell may turn against the magician.
    • Also applies for automatic translations of other people's works (I mean, translation B is actually the output of running translation A through a machine translator).
  • Duplicate: At times, there's a small glitch in internect connections that end up adding two identic translations. When spotted, one of them will be unpublished.
    • It also happens in cases of duplicate merging. If merging of a song results in duplicate translations added by the same user, most recent copy will be unpublished.
  • Incomplete translations: If users add translations where most of the original lyrics are missing they'll be given a warning via comment asking them to complete it. A due date will be given by Mods. If after this date nothing was done, it will be unpublished.
  • Copy of original lyrics: It says it all. Often happens when users don't know how to request a translation, so they copy lyrics and add them as a translation marking the language they actually wanted the song being translated into. Not that common.
  • Translation stolen from other website: Applies for unsourced translations.
    • Procedure varies: Mods can either unpublish that translation directly or manually adding the source if and when available.
      • If user later undoes Mod's edit, authorship will be lifted: it means user won't have access to content, even if they added it themselves.
    • In any scenario, user will be sent a warning via PM asking to always provide a source when adding content they did not do themselves.
  • Translation doesn't make sense: Used when the translation doesn't match any output of automatic translation services, but it makes no sense due to poor/broken grammar/syntax, as if their author had no idea of the language into which they were writing.
    • Also applies for automatic translations that are tweaked by someone who still doesn't know the target language to an advanced level.
    • Native speakers are often asked before action is taken in this specific case. These include Editors. 
      • If a Mod finds content in their native language(s) which falls under this category, they are allowed to unpublish it without asking others.
      • Editors and Mods both have private discussions where problematic content is discussed.
    • Ratings of 1 star can also be used to report these.
    • If you come across a nonsensical translation you can either:
      • Report it in private for a Mod.
      • Report it using Report broken data/SPAM and explaining the reasons in detail (don't say something like It's bad).
  • Copy of an existing translation: When user B adds a translation user A added elsewhere. In 100% of the cases, A was not asked for a permission and B does not mention the translation source. Can also be used for duplicates.
  • Empty translation: When users add empty blocks of text as a translation or when they add gibberish or random writing in that field. That also happens when users copy the first verses of a lyrics then add them as a translation. Also applies when user writes random gibberish instead of words.
  • On user's request: Although users can delete (results of which are unrestorable) their own translations, they can also ask a Mod to unpublish it (which can be restored) - which is not that common.
  • Translation violates site rules: When a translation violates something that has been set here.
    • Also applies when user adds the lyrics of another song as a translation - often happens in OST pages.
  • On request from a third party: Same as mentioned in #1. 
    • Can also happen in cases of unsourced translations. Mods have been asked via email in the past to remove translations because their submitters did not ask for permission to republish someone else's work(s).
    • If an original source of that translation is found, Mods can and will ask original authors if permission was given for reprinting before acting.

3. Requests

There have been cases where users bragged they received a notification claiming a request they opened was unpublished. Most of the times this is NOT because of rule breaking. When the content they request is added, the request is automatically completed (unless in specific situations related to translations, wherein users can choose if they want to complete an existing request) and is unpublished. Mods have no finger in this and should not be accused of doing anything regarding that.

However, duplicate requests (someone requests a second translation although there's already one added) will be checked by the staff - if there's no explicit reason to keep request open, it will be unpublished/closed.

4. Artist pages
These apply for each and every artist page, regardless of submitter's recent activity (or its inexistence). It means that content added by long gone users can be unpublished if they fit one or more scenarios listed below.

  • Artist pages can also be unpublished, but we don't have a set of reasons to do that. Those can include:
    • Duplicates - which are often mentioned via comment.
      • Also include duplicate merging - in this case, the oldest entry will always remain and the newest will go down/be unpublished. 
    • Request from someone/a third party - like the artist themselves (not common, though, but has already happened).
    • User request - specially in cases of duplicates, via the Reporting thread.
    • Artists that break the website rules - like Neo Nazi bands or performers whose songs carry out hate messages.
    • Artists that are proven to not exist
      • Mods and Editors will likely go around all social media trying to find info about a suspicious artist - if none is found, user who added it will be asked, if nothing is provided, it will be unpublished.
      • Content added to these pages will:
        • 1. Be moved to a page for the user themselves (in accordance to the Own content section of the FAQ).
        • 2. Be moved into 'unknown artist' in case it's impossible to know if user wrote the content.

If an artist page where songs and translations have been added goes unpublished, all said content will be unpublished. In that case, user will receive an *Unpublished due to original song/artist being unpublished* alert/notification.

5. Collections
In the last few months we've noticed some different users adding collections for the same theme twice or even thrice (sometimes collection #2 was added seconds before #1). We don't know why or how they do it, but we the staff can know who was the first, so subsequent copies will be removed and author will be warned via comment. You should all know by now that every collection ever added to the website which is still published can be found here - and it's easy to find a duplicate.

If this includes acts of abuse of the system, further action may be taken.

Notes:

  • Only translations can be deleted, and only by whoever added them and Admins. Mods can't delete anything.
    • Votes, however, can be manually removed by Admins (in cases of abuse, biased ratings, etc.) and voters only - in that case a Vote has been deleted message will be shown.
  • Deleted content may not be retraceable. 
  • Unpublished songs and translations may go into user's Drafts. 
  • Only Mods, Admins and users who submitted unpublished content can access it.
  • All that a staff member can and cannot do can be found detailed here.
  • Comments can also be unpublished by Mods if reported by users or other staff members, for reasons including those listed below:
    • Comment contains vulgar language or threats - even implicit.
    • Comment contains SPAM.
    • Comments by Novice users with links to external sites are automatically unpublished because the system thinks it's SPAM. It may or may not really be, Mods need to check and confirm, but we DON'T KNOW when this happens.
    • Comment breaks any site rule or incites people to break them.
    • Moderators aren't obliged to know/speak the language of a comment to remove them - only if they do it considering common sense of courtesy or respect
  • Mods often keep track/evidence of unpublished comments. So we can back ourselves if user brags about unfair actions. As we said, we also keep track of who did what, when, why and where, so if you find anyone implying Mods act out of spite or because they have a grudge against someone it's a lie.
  • Users are always alerted via notification whenever something they added was unpublished. It says who did that, where, why and when. 
  • Massive unpublishing is NOT an usual occurence. It has only happened in cases where a Mod had their account hacked or broken into - or due to a very nasty bug. Every time it happened, content can be easily republished, users just have to wait. 
  • When users delete their own accounts at their own will, everything they added will remain published.
  • Every now and then you may see a *Lyrics removed on request of (x)* warning in lyrics pages. This is made by Admins and cannot be undone after request of copyright holders. Unfortunately, it means that you won't be able to translate that song.

Thread will be expanded if needed.

Editor
<a href="/sr/translator/stefano8" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1450734">Stefano8 <div class="editor_icon" title="Editor" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 29.03.2020

There is a rule to unpublish translations posted as lyrics.
What about lyrics posted as translations?
An artist writes a song X, and it gets translated by another artist into song Y, in another language, with the same music and meaning, but different sentences. Then some users publish X's lyrics - verbatim - as a "translation" for Y.

Уредник 👨🏻‍🏫🇧🇷✍🏻👨🏻
<a href="/sr/translator/don-juan" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1110108">Don Juan <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 05.04.2012

We've had these cases quite often, specially in OSTs, they're also unpublished.

As for your comment, I unpublished it - I knew I had to correct, but I also did not have the time.