How to moderate our forums

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Moderators - Please note that this page changes from time to time, it is your responsbility to stay up to date with the changes. Hint - look at the page history

Overview

Moderators are volunteers from the CoolRunning community that have agreed to assist in keeping the forums worthy of reader attention. In general they are all seasoned readers of CoolRunning, but have been selected for their steady and consistent temperament. Some are elite runners of many years, some are relative beginners, from a mixture of locations around Australia. If CoolRunning were smaller their role might entail welcoming new members or contributing to discussions to keep them interesting and flowing, but there seem more than enough posts already doing this. With a large number of posts, it is more about doing “housekeeping” activities, often out of sight of the main readership.

Being a moderator means that you can edit, delete and move threads whilst ensuring that the posting guidelines are being adhered to. In general, it just means deleting spam, moving threads to the right section and making sure posts follow some “common decency” to ensure smooth running and fair play. Please bear in mind that moderators are seen to represent the ideals and accepted practices of the coolrunning site, so you need to be a good citizen.

Rules

At some stage you need to acquaint yourself with the "rules" of CoolRunning (you are always most welcome to comment on these or make suggestions for changes):

• CoolRunning Legal & Privacy statement - What CoolRunning promises its readers and what we expect of them.
• Forum Posting guidelines - General rules for what to post to the forums, and how and what is not allowed.

Activities

There are currently two types of moderator - Moderators and Admins.

The tasks of a moderator are probably best divided into housekeeping, moderation and governance of the site:

Housekeeping

1. Moving threads to the "proper" section, or splitting/joining of threads where appropriate.
2. Editing titles of threads (just edit the first post in the thread) where it is not clear what the thread is about. In particular think about people reading the homepage who just see the title.
3. Correcting web-links where people have made a mistake.
4. Correcting the typos you can't stand to read or grammar if it is very hard to understand the intent of what was being said.

Moderation

1. Deleting "inappropriate" items or editing to make them more appropriate. Clearly you need to refer to the Forum Posting guidelines (which do change from time to time). Sometimes it’s a tough call as to delete all or just edit – you get a feel for it after a while – often it depends on the context (author, amount of anger). Generally, if there is some content worthy of keeping then we should. Please refer to the exact wording of the posting guidelines for further support. Feel free to leave anything contentious (you might want to play that by ear) or flag to an administrator.
2. When editing posts, you should update the "reason for edit note" to indicate what has been changed if it affects subsequent comments or changes the meaning and why, e.g., "removed swear words" is a good example. Not required for typos etc.
3. If you remove text from a post, check to see if it was quoted further down, and if so then remove the additional references also.
4. There is a trash can which only the moderators and other staff can see. You can see deleted posts and threads and maybe retrieve them. Generally an administrator empties this out every so often.
5. At times you may be required to break up arguments – so be prepared to stick your neck out and be diplomatic. You need a thick skin, try not to take any criticism of your interventions as moderator personally. Call in other moderators if you are unsure how best to respond.

Contributions to governance of the site

1. The posting guidelines are often updated by an administrator (often after some discussion), but please make suggestions on improvements.
2. Although all moderators are seasoned CoolRunning readers, there may still be a need to ask questions about why or how certain things work a certain way (or just seem dumb) - there is a helpers messages section, which only the moderators and other staff can see. This is for "behind the scenes" discussion. Feel free to put stuff here (rather by email) so that others can see/read and chip-in and we keep an archive for moderators that will start later in the future.
3. There is a wider responsibility to help make suggestions, and constructive criticism.

Admin

The tasks of an admin are the same as a moderator's, PLUS THE FOLLOWING:

1. Resetting passwords for users who are having issues.
2. Resetting user names when requested.
3. Setting spam senders to "banned" status (ie not deleted).
4. Managing various other housekeeping tasks on user accounts as the situation arises.
5. Turning on/off various software features or making other software changes as required.

It is possible to use the CoolRunning Admin account rather than your own personal account, if you want to try to separate the Admin role from your own personal style, but you don't have to.

Expectations of a CoolRunning Moderator

For many of our readers YOU will be the face of CoolRunning, so its important that YOU always act as though everything you do will be scrutinised and reported on as being representative of CoolRunning.

In General

1. Ensure that the email address on your profile is working and that you check it regularly. Spam reports and other moderation reports are sometimes sent via that email. If it's not working then change it. We can supply a free @coolrunning.com.au address if required.
2. Be respectful of all members, and represent CoolRunning with professionalism, even though we are all volunteers - yes, moderators ARE expected to be "model citizens".
3. Be discreet and maintain confidentiality regarding moderator activities and member information. Privacy laws require strict adherence, but CoolRunning also wants to develop a sense of trust between readers and moderators.
4. Consider other's feelings before hitting the submit button, both on the public boards and in private.
5. Remember that all moderators are equal in "rank" and all insight is welcome and is to be treated with respect and courtesy, no matter how long a moderator has been involved in the site.
6. Understand that not all decisions are open for group discussion because input arrives from many sources, some of which require privacy and confidentiality.
7. Be respectful when questioning administration policy or guidelines or decisions on specific issues, i.e., if you want to disagree, please do so first in private by emailing info@coolrunning.com.au or raising a "report" – however if you prefer to raise it in public then you are free to do this.

Specific CoolRunning Points

Failure to do comply with the following points is likely to see YOU dropped from the moderation team. If there is a good reason to suspect non-compliance then staff from the committee will discuss and decide on a course of action and advise you of the outcome, which you can discuss and appeal to, however ultimately the President's decision is final. Below points refer to Admins as well as Moderators. If you would like to report an incidence of bad moderation then the best way to do this will be to email info@coolrunning.com.au.

1. Moderators must themselves comply with the Legal/Privacy and Posting Guidelines at all times (links above).
2. Moderators must be resist the temptation to become embroiled in any extended argument, even if provoked, regardless of whether its on a moderation matter or some other subject matter. It is acceptable to say "I can't take any further part in this discussion as moderators are not allowed to get into arguments" and then refuse to comment any more on that thread.
3. If moderators are required to email/pm a person directly relating to a specific misdemeanor, even if another reader sends the first email/pm then a copy should always be sent to info@coolrunning.com.au so it is archived with all other discussions. It is best to avoid sending PMs (personal messages) for moderation matters as there is a poorer audit trail but if this is necessary copy the communication to at least one other moderator. This is for the protection of all concerned. Admins are allowed to look up readers' email addresses for contact on moderation matters, but if you are just a moderator then you can ask an admin to look up the email address or refer the matter to them.
4. Moderators do not need to act alone - they are encouraged to seek the advice of other Moderators should the need arise. In particularly contentious situations, it is best that an official email be sent from the main CoolRunning account so the recipient is less likely to believe it to be a personal pm/email instead of a more formal warning.

Time commitment

If you volunteered to be a moderator, then there is no set time limit. Some people might want to help for a month or two, some longer. You are free to quit when you want, and we are just grateful someone wants to help out. Really. Just send an email ato info@coolrunning.com.au and let them know when you want off.

There is no requirement to log on every day or have a roster in place or to work X hrs per day or week just as and when you can fit it in. There are a number of people with moderator access, all of whom have been selected because they are frequent readers, i.e., daily or close to it. The theory is that if anything needs moderating, then it will be seen in an hour or two – but please if you see something, act on it, because you may be the only moderator for the next few hours.

Moderators have been chosen in a variety of Australian States - there is an extremely small likelihood that all will be attending the same events, so that our coverage is maintained.

Legal concerns

CoolRunning aims to be a well-liked, respected and credible source of information. This means that it cannot be seen to be breaking any Australian laws.

At all times, someone from the committee will be responsible for any legal issues that may result from any moderating issues as a result of postings to CoolRunning by its helpers.

In general, CoolRunning will take immediate action to comply with any formal request from news and/or media agencies concerning our news coverage.

CoolRunning has a legal/privacy page – please refer to this for your info – this covers most activities on the site.

Article : So you want to be a moderator?

From a writer on http://www.theadminzone.com (not related to CoolRunning).

I have been a moderator for a few years now for a community of a few hundred people. It really doesn’t matter the subject of the forum, because people are the same no matter where you are, or what the subject is. I had been part of this community before it became moderated, which was a bonus and meant that I could educate those that needed help, rather than just being there to see that nobody stepped over the line.

Over the years of me doing this, I have learned a great deal about myself, and online message boards. I want to help others that want to become moderators, so maybe they won’t have to go through such rough experiences as I have had to. So the following advice is just that. Advice. You can take it or leave it; agree with it or disagree; but it is my effort to educate those that might be getting into this for the first time, and are going in with blinders on.

First of all, check your ego at the door. Don’t think of yourself as policing the boards. Think of yourself as part of the administration staff, there to do a job. And moderating is a job, even if it doesn’t pay. It takes time, effort, and can sometimes be mentally draining.

Have clear communication between you and the board administrator. This is a vital part to you becoming an effective moderator. If the administrator is wishy-washy about the rules you are to enforce, and what exactly you are to moderate, then how can you do your job? You can’t. You will come off looking like a fool, and the administration looks terribly flimsy as well for lack of structure. So it is very vital that you discuss the rules you are to enforce as a moderator, as well as consequences, and also any policies on editing, deleting, and banning, if you are given access to it. You will be making your own judgment call when left to moderate, and if nobody else is around, you need to have a clear guide and structure to maintain the integrity of the boards. Your number one job as a moderator is to represent the site administrator and follow his guides, goals, and ideals as far as their message boards/forums are concerned.

Whether you want to or not, you’ll likely become intertwined with members of the community. You’ll find people you like, dislike, can’t stand, or just despise. As far as being a moderator goes, you have to treat everyone the same. This means someone you like gets the same treatment as someone you dislike. If you edit, delete or ban a member you dislike for some broken rule, you have to do the same for someone you like. This is a lot harder than you think. Being impartial is a vital key into becoming a good moderator and you will find people tugging and taking sides on issues, even if it doesn’t directly involve them. And everyone is always more than willing to throw in their two cents.

Absolutely don’t let things slide. Ignoring a problem and hoping it goes away is a surefire way to guarantee that it happens again with increasing complexity the next time. Looking the other way shows you are not capable of holding the position of moderator, and there are some that pick up on this right away and then have a focal point to chip away at. You need to be confident in your ability to make decisions. Even if you feel you could have made a better decision, you must stand by your convictions, board policy, and rules. Perhaps think things out more thoroughly if a situation comes up again. Doing nothing will only lead to disaster.

One last thing. Be yourself. Being a moderator doesn’t mean you should lose your identity. If you are selected for a position in moderation, it is likely that your great personality had something to do with it, so don’t pretend to be something or someone you’re not.

With all this said, I wish you the best of luck on your quest to become a good moderator.