Forum Moderators: phranque
I would like to know what different people feel are appropriate postings on web forums and what roles moderators should have for example.
Here are some things that could be enforced:
- All website links aren't allowed
OR
- Commercial or promotional website links aren't allowed
- Email addresses aren't allowed (or any other personal details, like address, phone number etc..)
- Duplicate postings aren't allowed
- Profanity isn't allowed
Now, when does a moderator need to step in and what is the best way to respond to a case where the rules are broken?
I would love some advice, as I have had to deal with people wanting to leave my site because they weren't happy with their duplicate posts being deleted or their personal contact details being edited out! Of course, for every one that complains there are many more that have no problems with it.
Thanks.
IMO it's your forum you make the rules and enforce them if people don't like it they can leave
I realize what you're saying about people just leaving if they don't like the rules, but on the other hand .. I don't want too many people to leave :)
- All website links aren't allowed
I allow personal ones, in sigs, or links to articles or other sites of interest.
- Commercial or promotional website links aren't allowed
Same here... unless someone has asked about a spoecific type of widget, and someone spots one- they can throw a lead out. Kinda hard to really enforce whether someone is "trolling", but oyu can usually tell.
- Email addresses aren't allowed (or any other personal details, like address, phone number etc..)
I actively remove these from posts. My theory is I want the traffic- so come back and see if someone answered your post!
- Duplicate postings aren't allowed
Kill 'em on sight (site) :)
- Profanity isn't allowed
I allow SOME, depends on how used. Just deleted a post (by a mod, no less) with the word crap in it. I would not normally delete that, but as it was by a Mod, I thought it a bad example...
dave
>>> realize what you're saying about people just leaving if they don't like the rules, but on the other hand .. I don't want too many people to leave
Your problem getting started is getting them in, and then holding on to them! You won't notice them leaving for a LONG while!
dave
That's a great help! Basically what you said pretty much confirms what I was thinking of implementing.. Till now, we haven't allowed any weblinks, but I am changing that to the second rule that doesn't allow promotional or commercial ones. I don't have sigs as yet, but have figured that that will be a good way of keeping people happy that they can promote their site somehow as well. It also makes it clear that it is their site and they are biased towards it!
I know what you're saying about getting people in.. it ain't easy! I have had a couple of people just take it the completely wrong way when I deleted their email address for example and ask me to delete all their details! I always send people a PM letting them know that I have edited their post and why, so it's a dissapointment when people don't get it. In the long run though, I figure it is all for the best.
Add one more rule - No Ad-hominem attacks allowed. Discuss ideas, don't argue with (or flame) other people.
Jim
Well, I allow 2 lines for a sig- how you use it is up to you. All the same "clutter," two lines of text, or a URL!
>>> Add one more rule - No Ad-hominem attacks allowed
I think THAT goes w/o saying.
In my case (as Jim knows!) there is an illegal activity that often comes up in relationship to my topic... lets just say that my widgets site sometimes leads to discussions of how to conterfiet widgets. That is more topic specific to me, so something I watch; You may have something like this you may need to watch, too.
dave
As a webmaster victimized by this, too, I made that a policy, too. In the same vein, I allow the quoting of a "couple" lines of text of someone elses work, as long as it has a link to the fulkl work, AND credit to who wrote it.
dave
If people could disallow external jpg links in forums it would keep things more under control.
Good tip! I don't really feel they would add much anyway, as I find forums lend themselves better to plain text conversations :)
Good idea on the quotes too having to be referenced.
I created my forum myself, so at the moment it is still a little bare of features (ie.. no formatting)
What do you think are the most popular features to implement? I don't want to add too many useless stuff, but would like to add the following functions in due course:
- quotes in bold or something similar
- enable weblinks (currently they aren't clickable)
- sigs (seems like it would be a good solution to me :))
Anything else you feel people can't live without or like to use regularly?
As for signature links, it might be a good idea to let those who participate actively add them. Why don't you make this option available to those who have, say, over 100 meaningful posts and a good personal record? It might stimulate you members to be more active, helpful etc.
Personal data IMHO can and should be allowed in user profile.
I would figure out the rules properly before starting the forum by the way. It is very hard to start enforcing new rules once a precedent has been set in previous posts.
You may also want to think about ways of ensuring that there are regular posts - for example you could post news on different products on a regular basis or something similar.
Of course, this is all just my opinion.. as you can see I'm also in learning mode here ;)
I allow the quoting of a "couple" lines of text of someone elses work, as long as it has a link to the fulkl work, AND credit to who wrote it.
Cool idea. That way the person quoted gets a free promo, with full credit and an incoming link.
