In this my very first Community Operations Newsletter, I hope to provide an overview of who we are, what we do and the ways which we do things for you -- the community -- in order to give you the very best of experiences here at deviantART.

It's my role as Director of Community Operations to ensure that things are running as smoothly as possible within the community. It's also my job to listen, and ensure that your voice is heard by all departments. This means that I work closely with other departments such as Community Relations, devious Technology, Creative and Advertising on a daily basis.

Over the next few months I will be sharing with you a wealth of information and statistics which will give an interesting insight into exactly what we do as a department. This will include reference to the number of help desk tickets resolved, number of moderation reports handled, bans, suspensions and policy changes. I'll be asking you for more input on this in the near future to make sure that we provide you with the right type of information.

One of the best parts about my role is providing community accolades and recognitions. Each month, an inspirational deviant is chosen to receive the Deviousness Award. I'll also be making quarterly announcements to celebrate deviants who have been selected to receive Seniority status within the community.

I'll also be making some announcements in the near future about potential employment and volunteering opportunities within the department.

What is Community Operations?

deviantART's Community Operations Department encompasses the Help Desk, Copyright & Etiquette Administration and Message Network Administration (MN@). These 3 teams are dedicated to providing a high standard of community development, encouraging innovative and creative opportunities within the community.

Our department drives an environment where deviants can come together and be empowered within, and by, the community. We believe that community development is not a department -- it's an approach which helps people to recognise and develop their ability to reach their potential. By providing this organised, motivated, accountable and effective department, we are leading the way for deviants to continue participating in a way which they feel listened to, valued and inspired.

Our Values

C O M M U N I T Y
We believe that our community is our most important resource and we strive to act in ways that nurture and encourage its growth, development and ultimately its ongoing success. We err on the side of the artist.

R E S P E C T
We treat each other with respect, as we believe that every staff member, volunteer, and member is a contributing factor to deviantART’s success. We acknowledge that even those that challenge our patience offer important lessons we can learn from and strive to do so.

E X C E L L E N C E
We share a passion for excellence, quality and creativity in everything we do and strive to instill these values in our community.

A R T I S T S
We are artists and we reserve time for creative expression. We recognize the importance of nurturing our inner artist, as not only beneficial to ourselves, but also integral to our connection with the community.

T R U S T
We build trust among ourselves and within the community by being true to our word. We speak honestly and with integrity and hold ourselves personally accountable to deliver on commitments we’ve made.

E M P O W E R
We believe in a commitment to continuous learning and improvement, and maintaining open, positive communication that encourages and fosters creative genius.


Meet The Teams!!

The Help Desk Team

$hexentanz Help Desk Manager
$ewm Help Desk Representative
$Stykera Help Desk Representative

The HD team is responsibile for responding to all queries which come into the Help Desk via ticket or email, in a timely manner. Alongside regular status updates, bug reporting and maintaining our FAQ, you can also find the staff providing real time assistance in deviantART's Official #help channel on our chat network.

In addition to this, HD Staff are now involved in supporting the handling of miscategorized deviations (miscats).

The Copyright & Etiquette Administration

$realitysquared Copyright & Etiquette Manager
$damphyr CEA Staff
$y2jenn CEA Staff

The CEA team is responsible for handling all moderation reports regarding inappropriate content on site. This can be images, literature, comments between other deviants and providing any conflict resolution. The team make sure that our policies regarding copyright and etiquette are followed correctly and at times may require to take action against persistent offenders. Naughty deviants!

In addition to this, the team aim to provide a proactive approach to policy development and education within the community. Over the next few months you'll see some changes to the way in which we present opportunities to engage with the team, to influence policy and ultimately provide you with even more transparancy and accountability. Watch this space.

The MN@ Team

$Tachy-on MN@ Project Manager

The Volunteer MN@ are: @Sting1, @Narfmaster, @youthculture, @mykel, @anjules, @OpalMist, @sapphiretiger. @Comrade-Kelly, @realillusions, @kyza, @FixMeKnow, @kamizu, @karyaazure, @quickdraw, @Rendarin, @ananasjihad, @limetastic, @sine-out, @shuttermonkey, @yashachan, @Little-Vampire, @leaf-lover, @martypunker, @p-u-r-i-n, @nokari, @Xerces

The Message Network Administration team ensure that our chat network (dAmn) and the forums are a safe and fun place for our community to interact. You can find lots of themed chat rooms run by deviants focussing on different genres and art mediums, but your first stop as a chatter should be #devart, which is our official dA chat. Throughout the year you'll find lots of events going on in dAmn such as our birthday bash, critique events and spotlight chats with featured artists. If you haven't noticed already, the LOL corner is an excellent article which provides you with a glimpse into the lolworthy gems which fill the chat network.

The MN@ Team are currently working on a number of regular events which will be announced over the next few weeks. You can also expect to see some updates to dAmn and the forums, as well as opportunities for you to get involved as a volunteer.

So - that's all for now, I hope that this has provided you with an insight into the department and I look forward to moving forward and connecting creatively with you all.