Curious about your mod teams

[IvyKeepMommy]

I'm curious about your moderator teams and how you set them up -- how you choose who to add and if you have an application process what you ask them.

I have a moderator team on my local area site and have just created a national version of that site (it's a mommy group). Some of my existing moderators on the local site tend to be drama queens that ADD to my stress level rather than help relieve it (you wouldn't believe some of the infighting between the moderators themselves).

Needless to say, I don't want to just move my existing team over to the new site, so I'm looking for ideas on how other people structure their teams and what questions they ask when "hiring"

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to reading your answers.

[Rapscallion]

I inherited a team of moderators. Within three months, the admin and three of her friend moderators were well on the way to burning a hole in my stomach lining. I wasn't innocent in this - some mistakes and some arrogance on my part, I'm afraid. They were certainly not innocent either - didn't like the fact that someone else had taken over who didn't like the hardassed 'slap them all with infraction' style.

If you've got drama queens, though, do what I had to do. Drop them to member status and say "Thanks, but no thanks." You have the good of the community to look after. You can try giving warnings, but they will only last so long. People revert to type. Some people relish the power. If you have two constantly infighting mods, drop them both.

Moderator selection on my main board is fairly democratic. If I reckon we need a new mod or two due to activity levels, I discuss it with the team. At that point, I ask for suggestions, though I usually have ideas in mind. We base this on peoples' activities on the board - how they deal with newbies, how they deal with arguments (do they debate or skirt the belittling line), are they well-liked, and most of all have they got a sense of humour. When we have a name or three we all agree on, we delete the discussion thread in the mod section and then I make some invites in private. That's the only question I ask of them.

Another forum I run is one I started from scratch. I've only ever needed one other moderator on there. He was active and has managed to keep things under control quite nicely. That said, considering the lack of rules on there and the general respect of the members for each other, it's a fairly easy task. One banning and one thread closure in nearly a decade can't be bad

In your situation, if you're going to start a forum from scratch, I'd do the work myself for a while and see from the gained members who you want to offer the position to.

Rapscallion

[mpasternak]

Currently the only mod's are me. And the financeer of our site.

when i deem there a need to be more mods, I will pick the members who have best exemplified their ability to follow the rules, and understand the goals of my forum.

Forum moderation to me isn't a democratic policy. The mods must be able to follow the official board rules, Uphold them and our image and follow my orders unquestionably.

[Rapscallion]

Oh, indeed - the rules have to be followed. I only work democratically for the selection, and it's not for the members to decide. Damn, but we'd have some bad choices made if members could choose mods

Follow orders unquestionably? I have two rules for my moderators. The first is that they are members first and should enjoy themselves. The second is to kick my bum if I'm doing something stupid. The final decision has to be mine in contentious cases, but I'm pleased to say I have a good group of people.

Rapscallion

[Crinos]

I handpick my mods from the most rational, sensible and helpful people in my forum. Several people apply for the mod position, but I always have the same reply: there is no moderator application, I choose mods based on forum etiquette and knowhow.

We have a private staff forum where we throw around ideas, and criticize each other when needed. Forum drama is unavoidable when dealing with differences of opinion, but the good thing about choosing mature people is that it doesn't prevent us from always coming up with a compromise.

- T

[Ryan Ashbrook]

Handpick by my current staff.

I started with 3 admins (we all started the site) then we pick who will join the moderator team.