Direct messages in the forum are only ever between a student and a teacher; students cannot message each other privately. Messages in the shared rooms are checked automatically before anyone else sees them, teachers and staff read the rooms, and anyone who posts too fast is slowed down.
Direct messages
- A Test Academy teacher can find any Test Academy student under Message a student and start a conversation, or press Message on a student's profile card.
- When a teacher writes, the conversation appears under Direct messages, and the student can reply at any time.
- Two students can never message each other privately.
Direct messages do not go through the automatic check, but Test Academy staff can review conversations between teachers and students.
The automatic check
Messages in Social, Discuss, Battle and the community rooms, and replies in class room threads, are read by an automatic moderator before anyone else sees them. Pictures in those rooms are checked too. While it runs, the writer sees Checking… beside the message. A message that breaks the rules is not posted, and the writer is told why, for example that contact details or advertising are not allowed.
If the checker is having trouble, the message waits and is tried again rather than appearing unchecked, and staff are told. An account that keeps having messages turned away is stopped from posting for a while.
Teachers and staff read the rooms as well. Any message can be reported with Report in its menu, and so can a person from their profile card. Staff see every report.
Slow down
Sending a lot of messages in a short time first brings a warning to slow down. Keep going and the account can only send a message every few seconds for a little while. Keep going after that and posting is paused: the message box says so and counts down until you can post again. A second pause on the same day lasts longer, and a third lasts until a member of staff has looked at it. Staff can lift or extend a pause.
Some rooms also have their own slow mode set by staff, which the message box shows as Slow mode is on here. Staff are not slowed down.
Editing and deleting
You can edit your own message at any time. It shows (edited), and in a checked room the new wording is checked again. Staff can see earlier versions. Deleting a message removes it from the room.