After setting up a list of questions for potential moderators, I have thought about what would be a good set of guidelines for a moderator to follow.

I know that infopop has a set of guidelines for moderators in a file titled Tips on Becoming a Great Community Moderator. In this file there is just about everything a moderator will need to know in regards to how to act in the position and I don't dispute what they say. The document is pretty much right on.

For me however, I guess well I don't know LOL I was bored so I made up a set of guidelines of my own to use for moderators of my bulletin board.

No i'm not a mad scientist or a demonic ruler LOL. These are just things I would expect a moderator to do on my board..

well, enough about me Here's the guidelines


Moderator guidelines


Congratulations on becoming a moderator in my online community. For some of you this is your first time being a bulletin board moderator and for others, it is nothing new. In either case it is important to make sure that everyone is working on the same level leading to the same goal. That goal is to have a community that runs smooth and has the least amount of problems as possible.

On many bulletin boards the atmosphere is very relaxed by the moderators and sometimes that’s good, but on this bulletin board the emphasis is not set so much on our
relaxation, but on making sure that “the people” who come to this bulletin board can come in and relax. No one wants to come into a forum setting and with every post they open, feel as though they are being treated in an unfair manner. A forum member going to a moderator for help and getting told to “calm down” or take it easy and stop being a baby” is an insult to injury. The worst thing that can happen to a forum is losing members because of the management or a lack of the same.

Moderators are not only members of the forum; they are representatives of the forum and the people in it. Moderators are the voice of reason in a place where there might not be any reason. Situations arise and someone needs to deal with it in a levelheaded manner or the whole community suffers and fails. Many bulletin boards close up because of those types of problems. Good communication between the members and the staff is of the utmost importance.

Below you will find a set of guidelines that will assist you in not only enjoying the forums yourself, but allow you to make good judgments along the way. Before reading them "remember" moderators are not above the rules of this forum and the guidelines below are a guide to help you do the best job you can.

1.)1.) A moderator should be helpful to all users of the forum no matter who they are.

2.) A moderator should act in a professional manner (when needed)

3.) A moderator should act on situations in the manner in which they were prescribed by the administration. (Follow the rules)

4.) A moderator is responsible for the forums they are appointed to.

5.) A moderator will “never” bash, flame, criticize, belittle or mistreat any member of this forum.

6.) A moderator should do their best to read all posts within a forum they’re moderating.

7.) A moderator should report any problems within other forums to the moderator of that forum.

8.) A moderator should be able to recognize a potential problem and be able to defuse it before it gets out of hand.

9.) A moderator will “never” give out passwords, material or information related to the functions and security of the forum. Any moderator found breaking this rule will be dealt with in a fitting manner set by the administration and a board of peers (moderators). See note at bottom of this document.

10.) A moderator is not allowed to make changes to the bulletin board without permission of the administrator

11.) A moderator should have fun and enjoy the forums as much as they wish. It is after all your community too.

Additional guidelines will be added as the need for them arises.

Moderator review panel


By becoming a moderator of this forum you are required to be a part of a review panel which will preside over situations involving the misconduct of a moderator or forum member.

By following the guidelines listed above, a moderator should have no problems carrying out the functions of the position. If you find that another moderator is acting in a manner different then listed above or in the forum rules, they are to be reported to the administrator for a review of their actions.

Not every situation is going to mean a moderator will be removed from the forum. At most a moderator will be questioned about the situation and different ways of handling it will be given. In the event that a moderator attempts to hack into another pc, offer information of an illegal nature or show a pattern of poor behavior they will be removed from the site.

The review panel will also be used for admin and moderators to govern over issues that arise within the forum


OK, so the wording can be changed a little and it might not have to be as straight and to the point as it sounds but to me the bottom line is this: We pay for a bulletin board service. We design them and set them up to our liking.We run them and we take on (most of the time) strangers to help us do the job more efficiently. We have them for a source of enjoyment, entertainment and information and regardless of what anyone says in response here in this post, "we want them run the way we want".

OK, with all that said....i'm ready to be burned at the stake LOL lemme have it :P

[This message was edited by pat31nj on August 29, 2002 at 07:29 PM.]

Well, it all sounds good to me. My board is very small, hence my wife and are are the only admins/moderators, so it's a little easier to make sure we're both reading off the same page than in your situation.

There are some boards where there is no moderation, and sometimes folks come in who are used to "anything goes". I think it's important to make it clear that there are rules, and that they will be enforced, for ALL members, equally.

I'm not sure if your "review board" would serve that purpose, but depending on your situation/focus/goals, maybe you should have regular meetings (maybe online in a chat) with the new moderators to see if they're encountering problems you haven't covered, and to let them know you have a genuine interest in helping them to be successful.

The fact that you took the time to write all that up speaks volumes about your determination to create a useful and comfortable community.

--------------
Bill
Disabilities Bulletin Board

yup, I'll agree with Bill. This is a great sign about how you care for the growth and strength of your community. Good admins take care of their moderators so that the good moderators can help the admins take care of their members!

Thanks for sharing your guidelines Pat - I think these will be helpful for other members to see as well!!

Kate Sloan
Customer Care/Account Management
Infopop Corporation
Moderator: Community Management Forum

"Barn's burnt down, now I can see the moon." - Masahide

Kate and Bill, you're welcome and thank you for the kind words.

Kate, as you know my board is brand new and very empty for the moment(til the game releases-LOL) but its always been important to me to care about whatever it was I did.

I'm glad to share any info I can to anyone who might be able to use it or atleast get something out of it.

anyways thanks guys


BTW if anyone wants to go see my empty bulletin board and make fun of the colors-LOL feel free to check it out
TSO Simquirer forum

yeah I know, the title graphic is too big LOL

Thanks for sharing this, it's a great resource for all admins & moderators alike!

Everybody make sure to check out the YouMeWe newsletter, coming out next week - I won't spoil it all, but I imagine those of you reading this topic would be quite interested in its content!

quote:

---

They are successful moderators because they continue to negotiate their roles with the community they serve. That's the single most important characteristic of a moderator. Consultation with the list at least mitigates the stifling/narrowing effect I fear moderation can create. A bad moderator would be someone who established roles and guidelines without consultation or who enforced those rules too strictly, which would have a chilling effect on the community.

---

I read it everyday before I start work LOL....