Moderating Forums
- October 22nd, 2008
Here’s a little bit of insight I’d like to share with those of you who run forums, blogs, and other social sites. Though my wisdom comes from running a gaming forum, this can pretty much apply to anything *coughentrecardcough*
The average user should read this as well, especially if they think their needs should come before the needs of the entire group (hence the pic). This likely applies to you, since the majority of people seem to think they are kind of a big deal. Hopefully, by the time you have finished reading all of this, you will have gained a little understanding about how and why this works.
Most mods have everyone’s interest in mind when they make the decisions they do. That’s not to say there aren’t any power tripping asshats out there. Those guys are easy to spot and even easier to avoid. If you find yourself confronted by one, just find another of potentially millons of other sites to troll on. Boards that tolerate that crap don’t last long anyway 
Deleting Threads
Most forums (and websites in general) get away with the standard internet totalitarian policy. Delete posts, threads, members, etc whenever you want. If the offending party doesn’t feel the need to read the FAQ, then you shouldn’t feel obligated to explain your actions. That said, you MUST have a valid reason for every action. Rather than just deleting threads or posts, keep the topic, but point its link to the specific rule that was broken. It’s not a power trip, we understand the ratio of mods to members isn’t high. Time is valuable, and no one is getting paid.
Whiners
The typical mantra of most forums is something along the lines of “No one here gives a rats ass about what you think. If you can’t accept this, try harder or leave”. Everyone on the net from the little 30 member forums to huge corporate giants use these seemingly unfair methods to keep their sites clean because it’s proven and works.
Armchair activists
Angering bloggers and such is a touchy subject. I wouldn’t worry about them making posts about how much you suck or whatever. As long as your actions are in line with the rules, others will see that they are an idiot fairly quickly and everything will work itself out. That’s not to say you have to be the bullshit non-confrontational type either if you don’t want to be. Feel free to make sure everyone knows how retarded they are on their own new turf. Go join their new forums and make sure it’s mods know how stupid the user in question is, and the lengths at which they will go to make a fool of themselves. Or not… it’s totally up to you.
Hackers
Hackers and script kiddies often have nothing better to do than screw with your site. You really don’t want to piss them off, but if you have to ban one, make sure you have thier info handy so you can report their silly ass to their ISP if it comes to that. Most of the time, a few edits to your .htaccess can take care of them. When dealing with hackers, be sure to post all their info on 4ch or other random boards that are frequented by other hackers. Tell them that they think they are 1337 and someone is bound to show them how wrong they are 
Conclusions
Take ownship of your site. You don’t have to be a bleeding heart ultra left wing liberal to be fair. If all else fails, fear will garner respect. Don’t be afraid to swing the ban hammer when applicable. While I’m on that note, if you decide to become an “Internet Badass” be absolutly sure you can back it up. Always be wary of pissing off the wrong person, especially if you aren’t apt to updating your software or computer.
If you don’t feel like being the asshole, you’ll be glad to know that these harsh methods can (and probably should) be used sparingly. The typical mod should only have to do his thing once in a great while. If you find yourself banning and hammering on a daily basis, it is HIGHLY likely that your rules aren’t in plain view. Make sure your new visitor has to read them before he can sign up. Post it at least 3 times, once on a big bold link in your header, once in BOLD RED type at the top of your new user agreement, and again at the TOP of the confirmation email they recieve when they join. Make it very apparent that their crap will not be tolerated, and will surely lead to deletion without notification or explaination.