If you are warned, banned, deleted, or have content removed or locked by a mod, you may appeal. This invites a second moderator to review the decision and decide whether it was correct.
Who Can Appeal
You can only appeal a mod decision about your own content: You cannot lodge a "third-party appeal" on behalf of somebody else. This applies even if you are the original reporting party. For example, if you reported another player's post for flaming, and the moderator decided it didn't constitute a rule violation, you may not appeal. Moderators may choose provide a second opinion on request in such cases at their discretion, but are under no obligation to do so, and will not entertain Final Appeals in third party cases.
You may not repeatedly appeal the same decision; see "Final Appeals" below.
Where to Lodge an Appeal
For most forum issues, such as a moderator warning you for something you posted in the forum, reply directly in the relevant thread, stating that you wish to appeal the decision. If this isn't possible, instead start a new thread in the Moderation forum with the pretitle "[APPEAL]."
If you've been banned from the forum, or your issue isn't forum-related, instead lodge an appeal by filing a Getting Help Request.
Don't post in the forum if you've been given a ban there, not even to lodge an appeal.
What to Say
The appeal will be reviewed by a moderator who was not involved with the original ruling, so you should make sure your appeal clearly states what, exactly, you are appealing. Don't assume the reviewing mod will automatically know what you're referring to.
You don't need to argue why the original decision was wrong, but do provide any additional context or information that might inform the mod's decision.
Where relevant, include links to forum threads. For account deletions, be certain to include another nation name or an email address where you may be reached.
Always remain polite and courteous. It may be upsetting to receive a warning or ban, but you must remain respectful throughout this process. Mods don't always get things right, but they are happy to overturn decisions when there has been a genuine error.
What Happens Next
You will receive a response via the same channel through which you filed your appeal. That is, if you filed a Getting Help Request, you will receive a Telegram; if you posted in the forum, that thread will receive a reply. This will come from a moderator who was not involved with the original decision. It will usually be prompt, but if you don't receive anything within 36 hours, you may inquire as to your appeal's status.
If the response to your appeal is still not satisfactory, you may lodge a "Final Appeal."
Final Appeals
Final Appeals are time-consuming, and you should lodge one only when you believe a significant injustice has occurred--not for minor forum warnings and short-term forumbans (which would be over before a Final Appeal could conclude). Frivolous appeals may result in warnings being added to your nation.
A Final Appeal is the only way to overturn the result of a regular appeal. You should lodge it in the same way you lodged your original appeal, stating that you are requesting a Final Appeal. It will be reviewed by a panel of three or more mods who weren't previously involved in the decision, including at least one Senior Game Moderator. (The presence of a Senior is to ensure the panel is sufficiently experienced, not to provide a higher authority: the panel's decision will be reached by consensus, with no individual having greater influence than another.)
Final appeals usually take at least a few days, and sometimes much longer, so please be patient.
Admins (including Max Barry) are not moderators and not involved in rulings or appeals. If you bypass this process and go directly to admin, they will almost certainly toss it back at the mods, or simply ignore it. Admins will only be involved in cases involving changes to the game framework, or serious claims of moderator abuse, such as those that might cause a moderator to be stood down. In this case, you should file the appeal as normal, and admins will be alerted by mods.
Legal Threats or Actions
If a player commences legal action against NationStates, staff, and/or affiliates, we are required to terminate all future service. This may involve the deletion of all of the player's nations, as well as the private archiving of all posted content and/or log files. Moderators are not authorized to discuss any legal matters involving NationStates or its staff, and so will not be able to respond to appeals or requests for further information; instead, all communication should be conduced via legal representatives. Repeated threats of legal action will also generally result in a permanent ban from the site.