woodwojr
Member
From: Boston
Registered: 2008-05-02
Posts: 530
I'm going to suggest some practices that I've seen in relatively well-moderated fora in the past; as always, they can be taken or left.
*Avoid deleting posts. This angers people, damages the ability of people reading the thread to determine what happened, and is unlikely to forestall the need for further moderator action. Only if the contents of the post itself fundamentally need to disappear for some reason (content that is certain to incite disorder from others, content the board's operators could be liable for, etc.) should deletion be used.
*Maintain a clear separation between the administrators and moderators speaking as fellow users of the forum and speaking in an official capacity. An unusual text colour serves well.
*Insist that all discussion of moderator action occur in the Feedback section. Discussion about how a site is run is feedback, regardless of whether the discussion was sparked elsewhere. Whether misplaced discussion is moved by a moderator or whether it simply receives a warning and an invitation to reopen the discussion in the proper location is a matter of taste.
*Temporary bans are a good stick to use. 24 hours to 2 weeks, especially the low end of that, is a good range for standard offenses. Use as sparingly as possible, and generally only after an individual has been warned.
*A reason should accompany all moderator actions. Being open to discussion of the validity of reasons in the Feedback section is a good thing, and in general if challenged a second, more detailed explanation should be offered, but unless general public outcry ensues further defense is not necessary.
So anyway, those are some practices I consider good. I offer them for consideration.
~J
Edit: removed unsupported list bbcode
Last edited by woodwojr (2009 March 06, 11:08 am)
Hawaii is 春 as always :-)
Is there a way for a message to automatically be sent to the user's email notifying him/her that a (anonymous) report was given for a story? This could help with self-moderation. Many new users often aren't aware of where to look up which stories have reports. Those of us who do know often have so many reports it is impossible to know what is new. I have 115 reported stories myself. None of which have graphic sexual or violent language. Some of the reports were justified and I was happy to fix them though. For the last few months, when I would run across a mistake, I have emailed the user and so far no one has gotten upset at me personally (that I am aware of).
Ironically enough. I just tried to click the quote tab on igor's post and was sent to the feedback box on why I was reporting him :-)
Last edited by bodhisamaya (2009 March 06, 5:09 pm)
Tobberoth
Member
From: Sweden
Registered: 2008-08-25
Posts: 3364
I have experience moderating... but just look at my postcount, I'm way too active and way too often involved in the actual arguments to be a moderator 
Anyways, overall it might be a good idea to have a few active members as moderators, the kind of people who won't go overboard with it.
That gives structure and structure is good.
Last edited by Tobberoth (2009 March 06, 4:55 pm)
