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Online forums have become a vast discussion tool for Internet users around the world. Its scale of growth also brought problems like derailment, irrelevant comments, trolls, fiery wars, riots, and spam. Moderators are an important aspect of keeping online discussion communities clean, relevant, and enjoyable.
The role of an online moderator involves monitoring and enforcing the rules and policies of the forum. Depending on the message board, moderators have certain powers to modify or delete posts and suspend or ban members who do not comply. It is an intricate juggling act that involves many facets, from helping members in need to maintaining order within the community.
How to moderate online forums without conflict?
It is the moderator’s duty to remove posts or comments that do not meet the requirements and to remove or suspend members involved in sending spam. While it is important to eliminate spammers, there may be instances of inadvertent non-compliance. Pedantic or obsessive restraint can be worse than no restraint.
A member may feel alienated or annoyed when they see their post or account deleted for no conceivable reason. You may not have a chance to explain your reasoning if the member chooses not to broach the subject and simply leaves the message board. Do not forget that it is the members who make a quality forum.
When and how should I act?
If you find an inappropriate comment, please contact the member directly (don’t embarrass them in front of their peers), explain or point out the relevant rule, and allow the member to delete the comment themselves. They will appreciate being treated as a valuable user.
If the comment needs to be deleted immediately, delete it yourself. Inform the member of your actions and the reasoning behind them. Even issue a warning if the violation is serious. Before deleting the member’s account, it would be wise to provide them with some kind of warning and reasoning. The member can alert you to some kind of explanation for their behavior or even apologize. If they continue to ignore your warning, then it is morally acceptable to remove them. It has done its best to warn the user, despite their indiscretion, to continue breaking the rules.
Prior notification and communication with these members is one way to keep things civil. It will also save you a lot of unnecessary vile comments that are placed on blogs and other online discussion sites. This is good communication.
Be impartial when moderating online forums.
It is not a sufficient reason to delete posts or comments simply because you do not agree with the opinion of the author. The forums have to do with the free expression of opinions. Members will soon begin to exclude the forum if they cannot legitimately express their point of view, even if it is different from yours.
If the policy of the site owner is to remove opinions that differ from the majority, their members will find that the forum is not objective and not worth contributing. Differences of opinion are what trigger controversy and conversation that are essential for posts with rich, entertaining, relevant and informative content.
Site owners should be specific in their policies and training manuals. Moderators need to know exactly what is expected of them and how to enforce the rules. Rejecting different opinions is certainly not good policy. Moderators should also have the power to edit and delete posts.
Knowing the forum rules
For a moderator, there is nothing worse than being corrected by the members. Before starting your role, read the forum rules over and over again. Memorize them. The first few times you need to enforce a rule, refer back to them and even quote by copying and pasting the relevant rule if necessary. Misinterpreting or misquoting a rule can be disastrous and will cause members to lose respect for you.
Stay a part of the online forum community
Members like to be friendly with moderators, especially when they are approachable and involved beyond their duties. It can be nice and firm at the same time. Be sure to register regularly. You don’t have to stay for hours to maintain your presence. Make an impact on members, get to know them and have fun being there. Try to find a forum site that interests you. It will be even more interesting and satisfying, which will make your work easier.
Moderating can be stressful at times, but participating in an online community can also be rewarding if done right. Follow these guidelines and you will be respected. Don’t let the bad apples put you off.