Moderation 101 - How To Become A Moderator For A Website Robot Seb: A segment from a book I'm writing... Q) Why am I here reading this? A) Because you're interested in learning more about online moderators or site moderation. Just as in reading this thread, moderation itself requires effort to be made. If reading a thread in full is not something you can commit to, moderation is not for you. Q) What is a "moderator"? A) Let's start with the definition of "moderator" which is: - an "arbitrator", or one who "arbitrates". (to act as an arbiter upon which decides or determines) - a "mediator", or one who "mediates". (one who occupies a middle position between parties at variance) Q) What does a moderator do? A) There are numerous things depending on the place in which a moderator resides from forums to chatrooms to sites in general. The main goal of all moderators is to help all users in need of it while maintaining a peaceful atmosphere & also while resolving conflict. Some duties of a moderator are: - assisting users in need of help or referring them to where help can be found - advising or answering questions relating to the service - maintaining a peaceful atmosphere at all times - enforcing the policies established by the service - reporting offenses or infractions of stated policies - responding to & resolving disputes & conflict that occurs - suspending or restricting offenders to end conflict or disputes Q) Why are most moderators mean to users? A) This happens quite often on many sites and is due to the everyday occurrences all moderators go through. It takes a lot of mental ability to endure extended periods of moderation which is a direct result of a moderator's behavior. Some may seem to be in a rush, some may seem rude, some may ignore users all together. This is due to a number of reasons such as: - managing a large volume of users in a short amount of time - repeated instances of abuse towards the moderator - expectations placed on a moderator when it's not their responsibility Q) Why are moderators too strict? A) All services are different and have equally different terms, policies, and procedures to handle various situations. A moderator often does not have the option to be lenient and is following procedures which are given to them and must be carried out in order to function properly within their infrastructure. Many procedures that are carried out are designed to keep the operations of the service running smoothly and efficiently. Most services have "Zero-Tolerance" policies which dictate the moderator's actions as it requires the moderator to dispense a predetermined disciplinary action to minimize, prevent, or eliminate bad behavior or negative conduct. Q) Why aren't moderators helpful since it is their job? A) This is inaccurate as moderators are often volunteers which contribute their time and effort without payment. It also may not be the moderator's responsibility to help users as there are numerous roles and duties that can apply or that may not apply at all. Some moderators may be dedicated to tech support, some may be dedicated to security, while some others may be dedicated to resolving disputes. Not every moderator has the same duties and responsibilities. Q) Why should I become a moderator? A) If you're asking yourself this, you're already starting off on the wrong foot. Moderators are people dedicated to helping others. If that's not something you enjoy doing, moderation is not for you. If you're becoming a moderator for any reason other than helping users such as suspension privileges or status of a moderator, those are also the wrong reasons to become one. Q) What benefits are there in becoming a moderator? A) There are no benefits to becoming a moderator aside from the satisfaction gained from the effort made while helping others. This may be hard for some people to comprehend however this is a trait all moderators have in common. Q) How does a person become a moderator? A) Moderators are never given their status by asking for it. They are always given their status, duties, and responsibilities by earning those privileges. Asking to become a moderator in most cases will actually automatically disqualify anyone that does this. Q) How does a person train to become a moderator? A) Training is something which is rarely offered as moderation is more based upon numerous things such as: - how much effort or contributions a user has made - how much experience a user has as a moderator - how much time a user has spent using a service - how good a user's history is while using a service - how knowledgeable a user is on the service - how well a user interacts with other users - how well a user communicates in general - how mature, honest, and helpful a user is Q) Where can I learn more about becoming a moderator? A) Just as in life, there's no handbook to moderation (just yet) although this is as close to it as you'll probably find. (Edited by Robot Seb) Robot Seb: lol well it's intended to be an e-book on moderation which will eventually cover nearly every aspect of it. This also reflects my background as a journalist/columnist many years ago so naturally it has to be composed a certain way. Robot Seb: ty ty Ruby!  and awesome KMA, that means you're twice as qualified if you read it 2 times ahahaa (Post deleted by staff ) (Post deleted by staff ) (Post deleted by staff )  sixty 9 yrs of wanda: off topic - i dont think all the moderators are honest at all - i think they play to their favorites on the site - i have enemies who sit in the room list for the purpose of reporting everything flaggable that i say while everybody around me on the screen is saying way worse stuff and nothin happens to them ... |
i read this twice, seb 
