Backseat Moderation

[† Emotional Outlet]

Happy Friday, Kamites. Hope your week was fantastic!

 

Let's talk about backseat moderation, also known as mini-modding.

 

One of our goals, and my personal pet goal, for this forum is to make it a safe and enjoyable location for all to enjoy, whether you're 13 or 65. People want to help the staff reach our goals, and that's cool. We're a volunteer force who do this in our spare time. It's fine to want to help us.

 

What's not fine is taking matters into your own hands by moderating other members. It's not fine to tell people what they can and cannot post, where they should and shouldn't post. It's even less okay to make up rules and try to enforce these made-up rules.

 

The most common one is necro-posting. If you read the rules, you'll see it clearly states:

 

• Necro-posting (reviving old threads) is allowed, as long as there is something relevant or constructive to add to the thread.

 

Making comments about people reviving years old threads are irrelevant and misplaced, so long as the new post is relevant and constructive. I know other forums have their own rules about necro-posting--some ban it entirely to the point of closing threads that are more than a few months old. We're not that type of forum. Don't try to bring in the rules of other fora into this one.

 

If you think something is problematic, if a post should be moved or removed, make a report. If you think we need a new rule or something needs to be changed, make a post in the Assistance subforum. Overstepping your bounds as a member in an effort to help us isn't actually helpful. It hurts other users and makes the staff look bad.

 

If you want to be a moderator, the way to become one isn't to act like you're already one. If you want to be a moderator, prove it to us by being a respectable member, by being someone people look up to and turn to for help. Moderators here are not dictators who rule with an iron fist. If you can't respect boundaries as a user, why should we believe you'll respect boundaries as a member of staff?

 

Again, it's fine if you want to help us. The best way to do that is to make reports about problematic content. if you think there should be a new rule, make a thread about it in the Assistance forum. Tell us you think something is problematic and we'll deal with it. I promise we look at all of the reports made and discuss them as they crop up.

 

If you try to take matters into your own hands, it becomes messy and complicates matters more than it should be. It can quickly lead to dogpiling and bullying, and we don't want that. Don't make our job harder than it should be.

 

The short of it? Knock off the backseat moderation. Stop telling people what to do and how to behave on the forum. Let staff do their job.

[DrumRoll]

To be honest I have never been on a forum where this is less applicable. Everyone on here is well behaved to a fault.

 

Although, the points you make are valid and those who choose to be an arse to someone (often due to low post count) can ruin a forum.

[JohnFlower]

To be honest I have never been on a forum where this is less applicable. Everyone on here is well behaved to a fault.

 

Although, the points you make are valid and those who choose to be an arse to someone (often due to low post count) can ruin a forum.

The people who aren't well behaved normally end up banned. Happened the other day, actually. *cough*Anras Rune*cough*

What I learnt from this post: the plural for 'forum' is 'fora'

[† Emotional Outlet]

The staff have seen cases often enough and cases severe enough that it needed to be addressed, especially with regards to making up your own rules and trying to enforce them. It's like how Maryland drivers just make up their own traffic laws and get mad that other drivers don't follow their special set of laws.

 

There's definitely a method to our madness and there are some unwritten rules of conduct, as with any community, but when it gets to the point that other users feel attacked or offended, a line needs to be drawn.

 

It's not a super pressing matter since people do tend to stay within their bounds, absolutely. It just needed to be said. Just a friendly reminder. o3o

 

I usually say fora because it's shorter, but forums is also correct, haha.