Organizing Case Groups

How to Think

About this Space

The easiest way to understand how everything works here is to think of it like a school.

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Case Groups = Classrooms

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This is where the actual work happens.

Each case group is a space to:

– build timelines
– organize documents
– ask questions
– contribute research
– and think things through

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These are meant to stay structured, focused, and useful over time.

Think: collaborative brainstorming, not noise.

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Watercooler Group =

Lunch / Break Room

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General true crime discussion, missing persons cases, thoughts, and conversations that don’t belong in a specific case group.

Still respectful, but just general conversations. 

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Announcements & Updates

Group = The Office

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If you need something:

– request a new feature
– suggest or clean up topic tags
– report an issue
– or just see what’s new

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This is where to go.

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Topic Tags

(Think Filing Cabinet)

Topic tags are how everything stays organized.

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Think of them like drawers:

– timeline
– documents/files
– media/updates
– evidence

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Use the tag that best fits your post so it can be "filed" and found later.

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The community may request to have whatever tags they think will help organize their research for that case group

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If a tag doesn’t exist or one needs to be deleted:

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👉 request new tags or removals in the Announcements group. (or message Admin)

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They’ll be reviewed and updated promptly.

Timeline & Caretaker

Each case should have:

– one primary timeline
– one Timeline Caretaker maintaining it

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If you’re adding new information that affects the timeline, add it in the comments of the timeline post so it can be incorporated and kept in one place.

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The goal is a timeline that stays updated and reliable—not multiple scattered versions.

Becoming a MOD

If you find yourself especially interested in a specific case and want to take a more active role, you can request to become a mod for that group.

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To do that, message The CaseDive here on the site and include the case (or cases) you’re interested in.

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Mods help keep things:

• organized

• respectful

• and easy to work through

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This includes:

• checking for duplicate posts

• removing duplicates when needed

• helping maintain structure and      organization within the group

• taking action if posts or behavior fall outside the guidelines

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This role is about keeping the space usable as it grows.

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Duplicate Posts

Before posting a link, document, or article:

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👉 do a quick check to see if it’s already been shared

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Duplicate posts will be removed by Mods to keep things:

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– organized
– clean
– easy to work through

Badges

Badges are used to recognize how people contribute within the community.

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They aren’t based on volume, they’re based on how you show up.

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Some examples include:

• Timeline Caretaker → maintaining and updating a case timeline

• Contributor → consistent, thoughtful contributions

• Wild Card → outside-the-box thinking that adds value

• Article Contributor → writing structured, case-focused articles or deep dives for the community

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Badges help highlight the role someone plays within a case or across the platform.

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They aren’t required, and they aren’t permanent. They reflect ongoing participation.

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Additional badges may be introduced over time as the platform grows and new roles naturally develop.