02-13-2014, 05:54 PM
Thoughts on the purpose of moderation (Mark II).
This isn't a thread about whether to moderate. This isn't a thread about what's gone before or what's happening now. This is a thread about the purpose of forum moderation in general, and specifically how the process by which moderation occurs can help fulfill that purpose.
In order to determine how best to moderate a forum, one must first decide what the purpose of moderating is. Then, one must figure out how to best fulfill that purpose. Make sense so far?
Personally, I think that facilitating discussion should be the purpose of moderation.
In my opinion, this means not letting topics devolve into attacks. It means not allowing massive thread derailments, but also understanding that discussions don't always have to stay on topic. It also means not driving away members. It also means creating a place where a greater diversity of members would feel welcome.
Tough to do.
Here are some resources that I found interesting (or maybe just found a sentence or two interesting in).
http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-eff...te-forums/
http://laurelpapworth.com/how-to-moderate-forum/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Moderating-Onl...id=4156474
http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-moderating-...33073.html
http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=62.0
So, please chime in with your thoughts on the purpose of forum moderation and any ideas on how moderation/moderators can be used to fulfill that purpose, whether it's staying out of the way except for the most egregious offenses, or interacting with forum members on a regular basis, or something else entirely.
(The above text is from the original thread, auto-locked after six months of disuse.)
This isn't a thread about whether to moderate. This isn't a thread about what's gone before or what's happening now. This is a thread about the purpose of forum moderation in general, and specifically how the process by which moderation occurs can help fulfill that purpose.
In order to determine how best to moderate a forum, one must first decide what the purpose of moderating is. Then, one must figure out how to best fulfill that purpose. Make sense so far?
Personally, I think that facilitating discussion should be the purpose of moderation.
In my opinion, this means not letting topics devolve into attacks. It means not allowing massive thread derailments, but also understanding that discussions don't always have to stay on topic. It also means not driving away members. It also means creating a place where a greater diversity of members would feel welcome.
Tough to do.
Here are some resources that I found interesting (or maybe just found a sentence or two interesting in).
http://www.communityspark.com/how-to-eff...te-forums/
http://laurelpapworth.com/how-to-moderate-forum/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Moderating-Onl...id=4156474
http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-moderating-...33073.html
http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=62.0
So, please chime in with your thoughts on the purpose of forum moderation and any ideas on how moderation/moderators can be used to fulfill that purpose, whether it's staying out of the way except for the most egregious offenses, or interacting with forum members on a regular basis, or something else entirely.
(The above text is from the original thread, auto-locked after six months of disuse.)