Kotbo 3 min read
Discord anonymous confession: a channel where people write without a name
A confessions channel lets members write without their name showing: a thought, a confession, an awkward question. On Discord a member’s message always shows its author, so a bot has to relay it. With Kotbo, a member types /confession send, the bot posts the text under a number, and an administrator keeps the ability to lift anonymity if things go wrong
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What a confessions channel is for
Some members will never say in public what they’d say without a name. A confessions channel frees speech, and starts discussions the server wouldn’t have had otherwise
- Shy or struggling members dare to write
- Funny or touching confessions start conversations
- The server keeps a more human, closer tone
- Staff see topics that would never have surfaced otherwise
What Discord offers without a bot
Nothing. A message sent by a member always carries their name. Anonymous messages go through a bot that posts in the author’s place. The delicate part is therefore what the bot keeps behind the scenes, and who can access it
Setting up confessions with Kotbo
The channel is set from the Fun channels page of the dashboard, or with an administrator-only command
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Turn on fun channels
The Fun channels module groups confessions and channel games. It has to be on
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Pick the public channel
Where confessions will appear, with /confession setup or from the dashboard
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Add a staff log channel
Optional but recommended: every confession is noted there, without its text or author, and every reveal is traced
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Explain the rules
State in your rules what’s forbidden, and that anonymity can be lifted in case of abuse
How a member confesses
A single command is enough, and nobody sees who typed it
/confession send message:<text>- Posts an anonymous confession in the dedicated channel. 1500 characters at most, with a 60-second wait between two sends
/confession setup channel:<channel> log:<channel>- Administrators only. Sets the public channel and, optionally, the private staff channel
/confession reveal number:<number>- Administrators only. Reveals a confession’s author to whoever runs the command
Being honest about anonymity
A confession is anonymous for members, not for administrators. Kotbo keeps the author of each confession so it can reveal them to an administrator in case of abuse: harassment, threats, forbidden content. Revealing is restricted to administrators, and every reveal is noted in the staff log. Say it clearly in your rules: a member confessing should know where they stand
- The public channel never shows the author, only “Confession #number”
- No mention can go out from a confession, to avoid pinging someone nameless
- The dashboard lists the latest confessions without ever showing the author
Keeping the channel healthy
An anonymous channel attracts excess. A few habits help
- Pin a message reminding what’s forbidden
- Set the staff log channel so you know when a confession is posted
- React fast to abuse: an administrator can lift anonymity with /confession reveal