strategies for effective forum moderation
DESCRIPTION
Slides from my forum moderation session at ForumCon 2013 in San FranciscoTRANSCRIPT
Strategies for EffectiveForum Moderation
Dave CayemDelphi Forums
Twitter: @DaveCayemBlog: cayem.com
Email: [email protected]
Opening Thoughts
• All forums are different, so each requires its own moderation style
• Moderate to your business goals
• Language is vitally important
• Praise in public, criticize in private
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #1: Have Rules!“…a publicly posted set of guidelines, or rules, is very important because then, when something needs to be addressed, you have something to refer to – a public document that all can see.”
Patrick O’KeefeManagingCommunities.com
Author of “Managing Online Forums”
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #1: Have Rules!“New members don’t read the rules. No one does. It may be comforting (and legally useful) to have them, but lets not pretend they do anything to change behaviour.”
Richard MillingtonFeverBee Community ConsultancyAuthor of “Buzzing Communities”
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #1: Have Rules!
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #1: Have Rules!
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #1: Have Rules!
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #2: Be Consistent
• Don’t let troublemakers accuse you of playing favorites
• Have a set of written guidelines detailing common infractions and how to deal with them
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #3: Take Emotion Out of The Equation
• Never get into a fight with a disruptive member – kill them with kindness
• Getting nasty with troublemakers just gives them another reason to believe that they’re being somehow victimized
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #4: Be Clear About Expectations
• When calling out a member for breaking the rules (which you should always do in private), be clear about what you’re doing and why
• Give people the benefit of the doubt
• Don’t scare the newbies!
5 Rules for Moderating a ForumRule #5: Safety First
• If anything occurs in your community that suggests a threat to anyone’s safety or property, make sure the authorities are notified.
• If a member feels threatened, urge him/her to contact law enforcement
Scenario
Your forum rules clearly state no foul language. A member drops the F-bomb in the forum.
How to you respond?
5 Kinds of Forum Participants
5 Kinds of Forum Participants
• The Professor
5 Kinds of Forum Participants
• The Professor
• The Traffic Cop
5 Kinds of Forum Participants
• The Professor
• The Traffic Cop
• The Show Off
5 Kinds of Forum Participants
• The Professor
• The Traffic Cop
• The Show Off
• The Technical Expert
5 Kinds of Forum Participants
• The Professor
• The Traffic Cop
• The Show Off
• The Technical Expert
• The Attorney
5 Kinds of Forum ParticipantsOthers?
What kind of difficult members have you come across?
5 Key Phrases for Moderators
“I know some people are anxious to post and don’t read the rules…”
“I’m sorry you’re having a problem”
“Your input is appreciated”
“I took the liberty of moving your post”
“I really can’t add anything to what’s already been said”
War Stories
Tell us about your biggest forum moderation challenge and how you dealt with it
Helpful Resources
Blogs
feverbee.com
#cmgr #cmgrhangout
mycmgr.com
Hashtags
Thanks for coming
Dave CayemDelphi Forums
Twitter: @DaveCayemBlog: cayem.com
Email: [email protected]