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Being a moderator at BigBlueBall is really much like hosting a good meeting (or a party!). You help make the forum an inviting and interesting place for people to hang out in, and keep the rowdy or unruly ones from getting carried away. You help redirect people when they’re lost, and keep the conversation rolling along. If you do it well, the forum will be active with growing participation and lively, purposeful discussions.
So how do you achieve this? I don’t really have any strict rules, but here are some guidelines. If you think some of these should become rules, or if you have other ideas for improving the moderation function, please post them in this forum.
- Subscribe to your forum – Yes, you can receive email notifications whenever a post is made to your forum. This is a simple way to stay up-to-date with new posts without visiting the site.
- Plant Seeds – Ever been in a group that has a hard time getting the conversation going? You can plant the seed! Start a few new topics each week (relevatnt to your forum, of course). Sometimes a controversial topic will really drive up participation, but be careful it doesn’t blow up in your face! 🙂
- Start a Poll! – Anyone at BigBlueBall can start a new poll, but moderators should set the example for good polls. If you think it would help, let me know and I’ll make it the featured poll on the home page.
- Encourage Participation – Don’t feel compelled to answer every post. It can intimidate others from sharing. Of course, if no one steps in, then of course you should post to keep things moving.
- Give Homework to the Troublemakers – This won’t always work, but you might shut them up for a while. If someone is posting nonsense in mass quantities, gently redirect them by giving them an assignment that would prove truly valuable. Generally speaking, try to redirect the “misguided souls” before condemning them.
- Edit & Delete with Discretion – As a moderator, you have the power to edit or even delete replies or even whole topics. Please don’t abuse this prviliege. I can count on one hand the number of topics I’ve deleted in the past year, though I have been deleting some replies just to reduce the noise level. If you must edit a post, remember that we have the
strikeouttag (so context is not lost). - Ask Questions – No one of us know all the answers, but together we do much better! Not sure how to deal with a situation? Ask! Got a post you think should be in a different forum? Ask!
- Communicate With the Rest of the Team – When you do need to take action with a member such as emailing them, editing their profile or locking them, post a message in the Moderators-only Forum so we don’t send multiple, potentially conflicting messages to the member.
Check this area regularly. I’ll update these guidelines occasionally based on our real-world experiences and your feedback.
And thanks for helping make BigBlueBall a decent place!
Jeff Hester
BigBlueBall.comQuote:quote: Any suggestions for expanding these guidelines?Oh Wow, I come back n read em from time to time, I got nothing to add. I try all those thing, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didnt. I try to remain detached but……. OMG its hard, I get involved with the topics, I get sucked in to reply when I really think I shouldnt, I bite (verbally) the butts of dumb posters cos maybe its a bad day or I just feel like biting butts, I help out, I steer, direct, mother, cajole, hint n maybe bark.
actually i’m enjoying my time here, dont stop me, please.
rustedtightWhat does a moderator do?
Ah, well she gets up a lil late in the morning, showers, attends to personal hygene stuff n dress’s for a visitor ( hey! its important that we feel we are more than just a housewife). makes the bed n goes downstairs n consumes copious ammounts of coffee, Hey!, I’m dry OK?.
My other half is at work n the house is mine, coffee absorbed, 30 mins on the oxygen n I can tackle the world, well OK, fo a couple of mins, 🙂
The house is quiet, most of the neighbours have gone to work, its ages before the phone freaks start trying to sell me crap I dont need or want. The dishwasher hums away, the washing machine throbs in the background, a dog barks. I hate radio’s n so theres a CD playing, ambient electronic music spacial, the effect hypnotic. I resist n continue with my chores, walk to the store, chat n bring the goodies home, who cares what those freaks think?. just like you guys…….. its boring,I dont do this by choice……………. Oh God, nobody would.
Later I’ll turn the computer on and another world opens to me.
Peopled by (to me) strangers, some close, some more distant. some I can relate to and do, others while strangers, seem close somehow each of them I care for, ‘wanna cyber’ I ask? Damn, I gotta look up just what it is I’m asking. Why do they not respond? Its ony chat I’m asking for. Cyber seems such a dificult thing to ask for. rustedtight
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