Post by nighttimer on Oct 28, 2017 18:02:56 GMT -5
There are small discussion boards and large discussion boards and specialized discussion boards and private discussions boards and moderated discussion boards and non-moderated discussion boards. They run the gamut and how each board handles its discussions is different and even unique at times.
With 35 members The Colline Gate is a small discussion board. There are two Moderators and when you only have two it means wearing a lot of different hats. Two of the most prolific posters and thread starters are also handling the moderating chores as well. Therefore it is unrealistic to expect the Moderators to not be active participants on this board and I am not suggesting they should.
What I am asking is how can a Moderator be objective in a thread they have already expressed a view as a participant in that thread? It opens them up to accusations of unfairness and bias. One cannot be a player at one minute and then a referee in the next. When there are only two Moderators, somebody has to police the thread. When there are disputes between Members that become heated and person, there needs to be a "good cop/bad cop" dynamic at play. The Member who is now Moderating should not be same the Member directly involved in the dispute. They are no longer a disinterested third party. They have become an active participant and as such their moderation may come off as intimidation and retaliation.
I suggest there be a more distinct identifier for the Moderator when they are exercising their ability to intercede to end personal sniping between Members and to remind all parties to attack each other's argument instead of each other, such as when robeiae's Billy Jack avatar morphs into Anthony Hopkins when he is in CG Admin mode.
Here is a suggestion from the "How to Moderate a Forum" blog written by Laurel Papworth, some which are already in place on The Colline Gate with other suggestions worth considering implementing.
1. ETIQUETTE STATEMENT: needs a whole lot of behavioural statements (play nicely) but the most important ones are:
The Moderators word is final, do not discuss bans or penalties on the forum. If you have a question regarding a penalty, please email the head honcho (usually called the Admin, so they know it’s serious)
If you have an issue with another member, please contact a moderator. Do NOT attempt to resolve issues in the public spaces, keep them to Private Messaging or notify a moderator.
3. BADGES
Make sure your moderators names, titles and badges are not copyable – do not allow Moderator, Mod or Admin in the ‘titles’ field. Give your moderators their own colour or a special non-copyable badge.
Your badged moderators show up in a thread and it should be apparent that the cops have arrived. This is not seen as negative (unless you have been spoiling your community) but as engagement and caring.
Remember: Mazlows law says we want to feel safe and secure in our community. Any community!When robeiae shows up in a thread, as long as its not a personal attack, everything else about the actual topic or his response to it is fair game. When CG Admin shows up I know its because the kids have been running with scissors again and CG Admin is there to lay the smack down and put an end to the shenanigans.
I would suggest the similar for Cassandra, a Moderator alter-ego that makes it clear she is now moderating the thread, not simply participating in it. I don't believe "Mod Note" placed within a post makes it clear which hat she is wearing. If anything it blurs the distinction and raises the question of whether Cassandra is mixing the roles and confusing the issue instead of clarifying it.
Secondly, I do not agree with publicly taking a member to the woodshed. I reference Papworth again:
6. LOCKED THREADS
First, post on the thread in question before it gets out of hand. You’ll learn quickly what the trigger points for your community are. I usually post something like “Some advice – can everyone relook at the Etiquette statement (link to it) before posting on this discussion?” Then they know that you know that they know that they are heading for trouble.
When locking threads, explain why in the last post. “I am locking this thread because in spite of warnings the discussion has not remained civil. Do not reopen this discussion on a new thread. If you have an issue with this, please private message me” Leave it to fall away into the long tail. If you remove threads to the Evidence Locker while the debate is still hot, they will simply reopen the discussion starting with “I don’t know what happened to the other discussion, but here it is again…”
In extreme cases – where the majority of the community is up in arms, not just a few trolls (troublemakers) – advise them that the discussion can continue for 48 hours but after that the thread is locked. They will get fed up and members will say “isn’t the 48 hours up yet?”
7. USE PRIVATE MAIL
Warn members that they are close to the line. Ask them to reconsider their post -never ever edit their posts, that is making a rod for your own back. Tell them they have 12 hours to edit or delete a post. Advise them of temporary bans. Advise them of permanent bans. Ask them to respond. In responses I look for ‘sorry’ or acknowledgement in some form before I unban a permanent ban. Surprisingly few will actually act contrite and not be. With a ban, advise them of email address for questions (they can’t use private mail on forums during a ban period). Advise them again not to publish private moderator messages.
8. IGNORE LISTS and KARMA POINTS
I’m a big fan of IGNORE lists. When you’re busy or have a silly troll on site, reminding everyone how IGNORE works, cuts down the one-to-one messaging you have to do. It keeps troublemakers away too.
Setting up karma points tells the rest of the community how useful or creditable the member is. Helps manage behaviours, and establish influence.
One final point on the public threats of banning a member.
9. PUNISHMENT
Don’t make the punishment sexy. Giving them a NAUGHTY badge is fun, they work hard for those. The punishments should be boredom (muted) or banishment (temporary bans working up to a perm ban). Keep a calendar and unban them when you say you will. Not sooner, not later. Put the calendar in the moderator forum, not the public space! Send a message – ignore what they did, didn’t do – please rejoin us on our community and we look forward to your valuable input.
There are many ways to consider this, but please take this in the spirit of a possibly helpful suggestion for a nascent discussion board and not as a challenge to anyone's authority or attempt to bruise someone's ego.
Thank you for time and attention to this post.
With 35 members The Colline Gate is a small discussion board. There are two Moderators and when you only have two it means wearing a lot of different hats. Two of the most prolific posters and thread starters are also handling the moderating chores as well. Therefore it is unrealistic to expect the Moderators to not be active participants on this board and I am not suggesting they should.
What I am asking is how can a Moderator be objective in a thread they have already expressed a view as a participant in that thread? It opens them up to accusations of unfairness and bias. One cannot be a player at one minute and then a referee in the next. When there are only two Moderators, somebody has to police the thread. When there are disputes between Members that become heated and person, there needs to be a "good cop/bad cop" dynamic at play. The Member who is now Moderating should not be same the Member directly involved in the dispute. They are no longer a disinterested third party. They have become an active participant and as such their moderation may come off as intimidation and retaliation.
I suggest there be a more distinct identifier for the Moderator when they are exercising their ability to intercede to end personal sniping between Members and to remind all parties to attack each other's argument instead of each other, such as when robeiae's Billy Jack avatar morphs into Anthony Hopkins when he is in CG Admin mode.
Here is a suggestion from the "How to Moderate a Forum" blog written by Laurel Papworth, some which are already in place on The Colline Gate with other suggestions worth considering implementing.
1. ETIQUETTE STATEMENT: needs a whole lot of behavioural statements (play nicely) but the most important ones are:
The Moderators word is final, do not discuss bans or penalties on the forum. If you have a question regarding a penalty, please email the head honcho (usually called the Admin, so they know it’s serious)
If you have an issue with another member, please contact a moderator. Do NOT attempt to resolve issues in the public spaces, keep them to Private Messaging or notify a moderator.
3. BADGES
Make sure your moderators names, titles and badges are not copyable – do not allow Moderator, Mod or Admin in the ‘titles’ field. Give your moderators their own colour or a special non-copyable badge.
Your badged moderators show up in a thread and it should be apparent that the cops have arrived. This is not seen as negative (unless you have been spoiling your community) but as engagement and caring.
Remember: Mazlows law says we want to feel safe and secure in our community. Any community!
I would suggest the similar for Cassandra, a Moderator alter-ego that makes it clear she is now moderating the thread, not simply participating in it. I don't believe "Mod Note" placed within a post makes it clear which hat she is wearing. If anything it blurs the distinction and raises the question of whether Cassandra is mixing the roles and confusing the issue instead of clarifying it.
Secondly, I do not agree with publicly taking a member to the woodshed. I reference Papworth again:
6. LOCKED THREADS
First, post on the thread in question before it gets out of hand. You’ll learn quickly what the trigger points for your community are. I usually post something like “Some advice – can everyone relook at the Etiquette statement (link to it) before posting on this discussion?” Then they know that you know that they know that they are heading for trouble.
When locking threads, explain why in the last post. “I am locking this thread because in spite of warnings the discussion has not remained civil. Do not reopen this discussion on a new thread. If you have an issue with this, please private message me” Leave it to fall away into the long tail. If you remove threads to the Evidence Locker while the debate is still hot, they will simply reopen the discussion starting with “I don’t know what happened to the other discussion, but here it is again…”
In extreme cases – where the majority of the community is up in arms, not just a few trolls (troublemakers) – advise them that the discussion can continue for 48 hours but after that the thread is locked. They will get fed up and members will say “isn’t the 48 hours up yet?”
7. USE PRIVATE MAIL
Warn members that they are close to the line. Ask them to reconsider their post -never ever edit their posts, that is making a rod for your own back. Tell them they have 12 hours to edit or delete a post. Advise them of temporary bans. Advise them of permanent bans. Ask them to respond. In responses I look for ‘sorry’ or acknowledgement in some form before I unban a permanent ban. Surprisingly few will actually act contrite and not be. With a ban, advise them of email address for questions (they can’t use private mail on forums during a ban period). Advise them again not to publish private moderator messages.
8. IGNORE LISTS and KARMA POINTS
I’m a big fan of IGNORE lists. When you’re busy or have a silly troll on site, reminding everyone how IGNORE works, cuts down the one-to-one messaging you have to do. It keeps troublemakers away too.
Setting up karma points tells the rest of the community how useful or creditable the member is. Helps manage behaviours, and establish influence.
One final point on the public threats of banning a member.
9. PUNISHMENT
Don’t make the punishment sexy. Giving them a NAUGHTY badge is fun, they work hard for those. The punishments should be boredom (muted) or banishment (temporary bans working up to a perm ban). Keep a calendar and unban them when you say you will. Not sooner, not later. Put the calendar in the moderator forum, not the public space! Send a message – ignore what they did, didn’t do – please rejoin us on our community and we look forward to your valuable input.
There are many ways to consider this, but please take this in the spirit of a possibly helpful suggestion for a nascent discussion board and not as a challenge to anyone's authority or attempt to bruise someone's ego.
Thank you for time and attention to this post.