Does Sigforum have a "how to mod 101"?

I'm part of a 25k+ member FB group, and we've recently had some drama. I'm not a mod there, but would like to participate, and realized that I don't have a clue how to be a mod.

Been here a long time, and you guys do a good job. I've learned that people who are really good at what they do will often share their knowledge with those willing to actually listen.

I can't really criticize mods over there without having some suggestions for how to improve things.

Would anybody here share some basic rules for mods to live by?

How do you learn to be a good mod?

The FB group I'm part of has grown beyond the control of the originator, who's a really nice guy, but seems to be in over his head. You can't expect 25k people to get along, right?

Thanks for any responses.

I have often wondered what it would be like to be a moderator for a forum like this.
I believe the best advice is to pay attention and observe how this one is run. I haven’t always agreed with every decision I’ve seen made here, but there can be no doubt that the decisions have resulted in making this the only Internet forum I’m interesting in remaining a member of.

Each group, each board, is a completely distinct entity, with its own set of rules. I don't know how you can ask someone from a different board to help you run your group.

I am a mod on a Military board. The best advice an admin gave me was, “think of heated discussions like a hockey game. They’ll push and shove a bit; that’s okay. Once it goes to blows, stop it and send every to their corners to chill out a bit. “

Personally I think Para is good at that, and I laugh when folks don’t understand why he has a short fuse sometimes. A staff of 3-4 to manage thousands? Please, folks are fortunate he does not just autoban trouble makers.

Mouth slamming shut.

You know what..

I've learned a lot since becoming a mod here. If you remember how spicy I was before, and in the intervening years, well, you watched evolution.

I could tell you all kinds of things.

Would you like to know?

Pay me. Then I'll tell you. It still won't stick. You're not going to get it until you've weathered years of nonsense.

The guy who runs a group about moderators is in over his head? Is that comedy intentional or natural?

If I'm to take this post seriously... I have to say that never once have I sought insight on how to moderate a board. Yoda said it best. Do your job, and follow the guidelines of staff. Like many trades, I've learned by fucking up. People remember the fuckups long beyond the good calls.

Whoever or whatever you are or were, you will live long enough to become a villain.

The "mod mentor" group, exists in the community in which you are a mod. They will set the rules, they will shape the community with you. If that isn't happening, you're in for a more heaping ration of shit.

I have many thoughts on this which will never be expressed publicly, nor privately beyond very close friends. Skip the email, this is all you'll get.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I have often wondered what it would be like to be a moderator for a forum like this.

It's neither as fun nor as easy as it looks, IME

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I have often wondered what it would be like to be a moderator for a forum like this.

It's neither as fun nor as easy as it looks, IME

Yeah, but oh the mountains o' CASH!!!

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
I've learned by fucking up. People remember the fuckups long beyond the good calls.

Mod mentor group. That made me laugh reading this thread.

Long ago I was a mod, then admin on a Nissan car forum. I banned (one day) a well respected member because he pissed me off. Took forever to live it down.
Saw him in March, in person at the Forum owners home for a ten year anniversary. Still poked fun at me for banning him for a day.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
I've learned by fucking up. People remember the fuckups long beyond the good calls.

Mod mentor group. That made me laugh reading this thread.

Long ago I was a mod, then admin on a Nissan car forum. I banned (one day) a well respected member because he pissed me off. Took forever to live it down.
Saw him in March, in person at the Forum owners home for a ten year anniversary. Still poked fun at me for banning him for a day.

The idea that a FB group meant to nurture moderators has gone beyond the control of its host, only shows that someone in particular is a shitty moderator. A number of other thinks could also be deduced.

This is a complex topic. Please ponder this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3lsJmwNO40

Arc,

Watchmen? Quite a statement he made there.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
The guy who runs a group about moderators is in over his head? Is that comedy intentional or natural?

The idea that a FB group meant to nurture moderators has gone beyond the control of its host, only shows that someone in particular is a shitty moderator.

While that scenario would certainly be ironic, I don't believe the OP ever stated the FB group was about nurturing moderators...

Just that it was a FB group where the moderators had lost control.

^^^^^^^^^^
Agree completely.

I went back and re-read the original post carefully, and nowhere did the OP state that it's a group of moderators.
Rather, he stated that it's a FB group that needs moderation assistance; that the host has lost control.

I'm guessing that he didn't really appreciate the tone of some of the responses to what was a serious and reasonable question.

Text is funny, it's confoundingly hard to say what you mean, even when you believe you've been coherent.

Does anywhere have a "mod mentor" group? I doubt it, and I question its usefulness anyway if such exists.

You let people participate until they break the rules.

As a moderator, you follow the rules yourself.

You see a rule broken, you apply it consistently no matter who broke it.

You look at the group's reasons for existing and you look at whether the rules help support its existence. Add the rules that are needed and remove the rules that hinder.

You do the above and you've mastered modding 101.

What Para does here is past 101. In general, you won't see a mod apologize for a decision elsewhere like I've seen Para did at least once or twice. You won't see a mod "break" or "ignore" a rule once set. For example, charity drives were stopped but a couple has been allowed since then.

All this to say, Mod 101 is easy: decide on the rules that support the group's intent and live by them. Advance Mod is knowing the rules are there as tools to get you where you want to go and sometimes, you have to transcend the rules.

It may sound counter-intuitive to think that rules that were made to get you towards the goal can somehow derail you. But the proof of that is understanding management's fear when the union says they will start working to the rules.

Whenever there are rules, there will be people who will game the rules to their advantage. Such is the nature of people.