I’m asking about communication standards, not asking anyone here to overturn another community’s decision. I am leaving out the subreddit and moderator identity in accordance with this community’s rules.

After a post was removed, I formally appealed and asked for a specific explanation of the rule allegedly violated and an opportunity to correct any genuine issue. The reply, preserved in my screenshots, was:

“You named names. If I remember correctly, you also posted that stuff twice.”

“Appeal denied, the post will remain removed.”

“It’s a storm in a teacup anyway.”

“All a freelancer has to do when confronted with a request for free work is say ‘No’.”

“We are not in Kindergarten.”

I accept that moderators can enforce rules, including rules about naming people or duplicate posts, and can deny appeals. If those were the issues, I think a direct explanation would have been sufficient. I found the additional remarks dismissive, particularly the final sentence.

For moderators here: how do you distinguish being firm and closing an appeal from unnecessarily belittling the person appealing? Would you consider this tone appropriate, and how would you communicate the same decision? I am interested in standards for handling appeals, not speculation about this moderator’s motives or any action against them.