Moderating in a Mental Health Forum

[David Baxter PhD]

Oh. Well, I don't see it as a hierarchy per se, although I guess I can understand how it might be viewed that way.

I don't think I've ever seen a forum that did not have moderators, regardless of the type of forum (although I won't pretend I've been to all of them, of course - my interests tend to be in psychology forums and webmaster forums). There's a reason for that, I think. It provides a way of helping to protect forum members and maintain order in the forum. That is certainly why there are moderators here.

 

[Holly]

Hi everyone,
I am curious as to the issue of hierarchy rather than individuals with life experience, common sense and wanting to help individuals.
Do you think personal experience is part of what makes this forum? The development of each person who chooses to take part!
I do not see the moderators the same way!

 

[Peanut]

It's over regulation. It's like driving down the street and having a police officer at every corner. It makes some people, and although I don't doubt that many people will speak up and disagree--which is totally fine, feel uneasy. Many people are already really paranoid about what they write and I don't think having that many moderators is helpful in that regard.

However one point that you did make, Dr. B, about having cohesiveness through transitions, does make sense. I had not thought about it that way before.

 

[Peanut]

I'm sorry I should have prefaced my over regulation comment with "To me it feels like it is over regulation".

 

[Retired]

A forum like Psychlinks which has a substantial number of message sections, along with a significant traffic flow is by no means overstaffed with a team of 10. The advantage of having a good number of moderators is that no one individual needs to be online every day, hours at a time.

There is also a team approach to moderating or responding to postings. Moderation does not necessarily mean providing an answer to every posting, though one of the tasks of a moderator is to keep things going. This would include acknowledging a new posting, so the member knows there is someone around, and to comment or add a question to a thread to introduce another perspective to keep the discussion alive.

It's over regulation. It's like driving down the street and having a police officer at every corner

I have never gotten that impression in Psychlinks. The team here does not impose their presence on discussions in a threatening manner. However, having a forum which is well staffed does have a deterrent effect on most troublemakers. When you look at forums or newsgroups where there is no moderation or supervision, the place quickly turns into a chaotic mess of flaming and rude behavior.

New material is the lifeblood of any forum, and by having a good number or staff allows for a diversity of new postings by staff intended to start new discussions. This diversity is what keeps the forum fresh and interesting.

 

[Holly]

Hi TSOW,
That was put very well, thank you!

 

[Peanut]

Ok, maybe it's just me...sorry I did not mean to take over this thread, I guess I need to learn to keep my opinions to myself.

A forum like Psychlinks which has a substantial number of message sections, along with a significant traffic flow is by no means overstaffed with a team of 10.

Just out of curiousity, how many moderators do you think would be ideal for Psychlinks? 20,000? Just kidding about the number part The question is serious though!

Hi TSOW,
That was put very well,

TSOW always phrases things well!

 

[Holly]

Hi Toeless,
I do not agree you need to keep your opinions to yourself, you part of the forum you offer valuable information and people seem to response to you! I think your very thoughtful, understanding of each person who comes to the forum. Your a valuable part of the process of this forum!

 

[Cat Dancer]

Toeless, I agree with Holly. I have a really hard time expressing my own opinion and I greatly admire people who can.

Lots of times I can't even figure out what my own opinion is.

 

[Peanut]

Thanks ladies. Those were nice compliments from both of you and I really appreciate them.

 

[Retired]

Everyone's opinion contributes to the discussion and everyone's point of view is valuable.

how many moderators do you think would be ideal for Psychlinks?

That's a question for each forum moderator to ponder and decide based on what the vision and style of the forum is intended to be.

I work in a forum which handles about the same amount of traffic as Psychlinks and we have about twelve moderators. Some of us travel, so others pick up the slack, but what's most important is every new member is acknowledged and every posting by a member receives a reply.

IMO when someone visits a forum they often feel intimidated to post. They may even feel uneasy about "breaking into the crowd". By acknowledging a new member's posting with a welcoming message, the new member is reassured and is likely to continue participating.

The first time I posted in Psychlinks, I was made to feel welcome and have felt that way ever since. It's a pleasure to participate in an environment such as this one.

Applause for the Psychlinks Team

 

[Peanut]

Here here! :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly: :bubbly:

 

[HA]

Oh no... 10-12 modertors? I only have one other person that is willing to help with moderating the SSC forum. It has very little traffic so we should be okay and if it happens to get busier then we will add more moderators hopefully.

Thanks for the information on checking e-mail addresses as well as links on profiles, ThatLady.

Thank goodness for moderators and thanks for all of your volunteer hours in making this forum a comfortable and safe place to be.
Cheers 👏

 

[Lana]

This is quite an interesting thread with many great questions, comments, and interesting observations. I must say, I have never felt like a cop here. But, a cop?s job is to serve and protect, so I guess I can see the similarity there?and that?s where it ends. Cops enforce laws and rules, we don?t. We follow them and our priority is care and safety for our members. I don?t view moderation as a title or a job. I see it as a privilege with great responsibility. But at the end of the day, I?m just another member on this board with my own set of questions, interests, and concerns.

What makes an ideal moderator? I think an ideal moderator is the one that puts members first. That means, ensuring that they are not harassed, mistreated, offended, spammed, hurt, ridiculed, and so on, all the while maintaining balance. It requires patience, introspection, knowing when to remove questionable posts, when to leave them be, and when to ask for help. Sometimes, it means knowing when to step away and let others step in.

I moderate at another forum that is not related to mental health. The big difference is that here we care about the tone and how posts may be perceived for the sake of the members. On the other forum, the only time a moderator would get involved is if there is open hostilities, name calling, disclosure of personal info that may scare off other members. Sometimes posts are harsh, potentially triggering, and at times right down questionable. But, so long as there is no nastiness directed at anyone, the admin lets it slide. In fact, I have been ?told? not to moderate too much because it may stop others from posting. So, safety and care for all members, quality of posts are not a priority ? quantity of posts is.

What?s expected of a forum moderator? Hmm...I think the members are best at answering that one, and in doing so, will help us also: What do you, as a member, expect of a forum moderator?. After all, we are here to serve and protect.

 

[ThatLady]

That Lady,

On what software platform is the gaming forum you moderate?

It's a V-Bulletin forum, TSOW.

 

[Halo]

I have to agree with Lana about the great questions, comments, and interesting observations being discussed on this post.

What makes an ideal moderator? I think an ideal moderator is the one that puts members first.

What’s expected of a forum moderator? Hmm...I think the members are best at answering that one, and in doing so, will help us also: What do you, as a member, expect of a forum moderator?.

I liked what you said Lana about the ideal moderator being one that puts the members first. Not that you don't need to put yourself first in your life but that while being a moderator on here you take care of the members and watch out for us. I like the fact that I always feel like I am safe on here with the moderators out and about. I know that no matter what "weird" thoughts and feelings I have and that I post on here, I will always be safe and taken care of by the moderators. It is definitely a nice feeling to know that people have your back and will not let any harm come to you by another member. That to me is a great moderator.

As for the number of moderators, to me I don't really care who and how many there are on Psychlinks. I think that we are generally all here for the same reason which is to share, to care and to help others and to get help from others when we need it. To be honest if having more moderators helps this forum in any way I say great.

Of course these are only my opinions and I have enjoyed hearing others as well.

Thank you to Dr. B. and all the moderators who help me feel safe on here everyday, especially when I sometimes don't feel safe in the real world or even with myself. 👏 :goodjob:

Nancy

 

[Steph]

I just started moderating on a mental health forum and it is good so far.

Moderating is such a big step that I still don't know if I am good enough to moderate. I also wonder if I wasn't a nursing student, would he still have asked me?

Anyway, I think the key to moderating any forum and in helping people in general, is to have your heart in the right place.

When you really want to help people and guide them to a happier, healthier life then it shows in your posts.

No one is perfect and sometimes everyone goofs but that is ok because having another moderator that is your friend, will help point out a better way to moderate.

I hope this helps.

Steph

 

[Retired]

V-Bulletin forum,

That's a platform with which I have had no experience, though I have read many people like it. Am I correct that unlike SMF and phpBB, it is not open source?

HeartArt, some types of forums, such as "condition specific" support forums may not generate the traffic to require ten or twelve moderators. This type of forum usually sees participants who come in for information, get what they need, then they move on. Occasionally a dedicated member will continue participating long after receiving the support they require in their own life, and this person, depending on the quality of their participation, could be a prospective moderator.

I took a page from Psychlinks in the support forum which I co-administer, where we initially invite active members to join a private group of "Most Active Participants". These members provide us with input about the forum, and allows us to determine their potential for moderating. Each of our moderators has come from this group of special forum members.

No one is perfect and sometimes everyone goofs but that is ok

My feelings exactly. When it comes right down to it, most of us who volunteer our time to staff forums are doing it because we enjoy it. When it stops being fun to do, it may be time to try something else.

 

[Peanut]

OK I'm sorry to write here again. But I was thinking maybe it would help me understand if someone could tell me what the job of a moderator is that is different from a regular member? I gather one thing is to delete spam posts or solicitations.

Also, my main question was, how do you moderators feel about specialization? I.e. The maintenance and policing of one section of folders.

To me it would make sense to have people with specialized knowledge, information, or interest in a subject or small group of subjects moderating specific areas that they know a lot about. Nobody can be expected to know everything about everything and I think being labeled a "moderator" across the board makes it appear to people that this person is the resident expert on whatever they are talking about, when that may or may not be the case. As evidenced in a recent thread, I think if you have multiple moderators speaking to someone at once it can feel like ganging up to certain people, whereas, if they were just regular members, the member may not have felt so ganged up on. Here I know I am treading on thin ice myself as I am speaking mainly to moderators in this thread (plus Janet, Holly and Nanc!).

I'm not meaning anything personal by this, I am just more inclined toward specialization, such as how TSOW is moderator of the Tourette folder.

I am interested in answering Lana's question but I want to figure out what the job of moderator encompasses before I answer (if anyone is still speaking to me).

 

[Retired]

Good questions, Toeless.

Moderators don't actually need to have expertise in a forum dedicated to a specific subject. Of course the usual course of events is that moderatora are recruited from within the ranks of forum membership, but this does not have to be the case.

Consider that moderators are forum hosts, who greet you at the door, guide you to the living room, let you know where the facilities are located, and acquaint you witht the house rules. They will start the conversation among the guests, interject a few questions or comments to keep the discussion going and keep an eye on things so the guests don't begin slugging it out.

All this can be accomplished without really knowing anything about what the topic of conversation might be. As you well know, a conversation or discussion can be kept alive just by injecting a few questions and the participants will carry on the discussion by themselves.

Now in a support or information forum, moderators may or may not have the expertise to answer questions, but usually there are members who can contribute information, or a resourceful moderator knows where to find an answer, or at least point the discussion in the right direction.

In summary:

Moderation is simply the process by which we keep things moving along smoothly on the message boards. It includes reading topics/messages and taking actions such as moving, splitting, renaming, or combining messages & topics. It may also involve injecting appropriate comments into a topic to defuse some discussion that might otherwise go downhill. Moderation is key to keeping the message boards "clean" and making it easy for members to find things. It also minimizes the possibility of members downloading messages they don't need &/or have no interest in.

There are a number of tools available to staff to aid in moderation.

Moderators can:

• 
  ?Move a message or topic to a more appropriate message board, sometimes rename the topic title. In addition to making things easier to find, this also maximizes the probability that members with the relevant knowledge will see and respond to the message.
  ?Move offensive/unacceptable messages out of public view.
  ?Split and rename a topic when the discussion has strayed far from the original topic, as defined by the subject line, &/or the discussion has wandered off into a number of unrelated sub-discussions.
  ?Merge two or more topics, or merge a single message into a relevant topic.

Seeding topics.
Much of the forum content starts with a member asking a question. Replies follow and they, in turn, can lead to further questions. In order to introduce new material into the board it will sometimes be appropriate for forum staff to seed a topic by either asking a question or reporting some event. News about events or developments relevant to the aims of the Forum keeps people coming back because they get to know they can learn the latest in that forum.