In the real world, when something happens is very important. Applying moderation before publication is active moderation, so everything that appears is approve

In the real world, when something happens is very important. Applying moderation before publication is active moderation, so everything that appears is approved by the "publisher." Applying moderation after publication is reactive moderation, so things the publisher disagrees with could get published. It's like the difference between shooting someone to death and shooting a corpse.