Many people co-exist in cyberspace in online forums. Often moderators are called on to enforce the Terms of Service (TOS) of these forums. An online forum moderator’s ability to effectively manage a forum hinges on a variety of factors. These range from the number of moderators assigned to the forum, the times in which moderators actively maintain the forum and the number of posts made to the forum. If there is not sufficient moderation, online forums can decay by either gradual corrosion or they can simply implode.
Online forums are a lot like neighborhoods. Some are safe. These provide security, comfort and value. Some are dangerous and offer little to nothing. Of course, there are those online forums that fall somewhere in between. These are the forums that are tricky for a moderator to effectively control. The moderator is often faced with a decision as to where and when to draw the line in terms of what is acceptable conduct within the forum. When moderators consistently apply the (TOS) Terms of Service agreement it is to their advantage. It helps develop the framework of the forum. However, gray areas will always exist.
What happens if a forum moderator is not available at a given time? Who decides if a post is appropriate or not? Usually the community itself will attempt to self monitor. This self monitoring can be brief or lengthy in time. This can be beneficial, because it allows the online community to ultimately define its own personality. Additionally, if this community can self monitor, it reduces the need for an online moderator to actively manage the behavior of its participants
However, just like an individual’s personality or the soul of a neighborhood, an online forum can become dysfunctional. Once it becomes dysfunctional, it loses its ability to monitor itself. This is because it is unable to recognize itself as the broken record that is. For example: An online forum that develops the reputation for aggressive and hostile behavior will lose people that actively participate and it certainly won’t draw in as many new active participants.
If a multitude of people abandon an online forum or chose never to participate, often only a few select individuals come to rule the roost. Sometimes, a sort of queen bee of the hive with some drones that follow the lead can be found. Now if this some sort of private little club, this is fine. However, sometimes online forums are vital instruments to convey information. If an online forum is dysfunctional the communication breaks down. No matter how informed individual posters may be, their message gets blurred by the overall negative environment.
As is the case in face to face interactions, people who participate in online forums will push the limit as to what is considered appropriate behavior. Sometimes due to laxity in enforcing the TOS, TOS violations become more frequent. Sometimes posts to a thread in an online forum may not violate the (TOS). However, there tone can still rise to being rude, questionable or just unnecessary.
Once a thread in an online forum turns negative it can easily spirals out of control. Many times it is easy to identify one particular post that sets the thread on fire and sends it down the river.
How can a group of people regain control of a forum that has become dysfunctional? I believe they need to unite. First, they need to nip the (TOS) Terms of Service violations in the bud. Next, when they see forum participants being treated rudely, inappropriately or aggressively they need to should sound off too.
Here is a suggestion. In addition to flagging posts, quote the forum post in question and respond with YABADABADOO. If you are a form participant or forum lurker and you come across a YABADABADOO, respond with your own YABADABADOO. If enough people YABADABADOO forum posts that violate the Terms of Service (TOS) and/or the sort of posts that are rude, questionable or just unnecessary, hopefully a more pleasant forum community will develop. One that is rich with information, where communication flows freely and an inviting atmosphere replaces one of hostility.
If you know of a forum that has become dysfunctional, give this method a chance. There is nothing to lose. Don’t go quietly into the night. If you do nothing, one thing is for sure. As sure as the sun rises in the morning, the rooster of the hen house will say cockadoodle doo and the forum business will go on as usual.
Now after reading all this, some rogue person may say something along the lines of, it looks like you put a lot of thought into something that does not interest me in the least. To which I respond: YABADABADOO!
Originally published on Associated Content / Yahoo Contributor Network (YCN) on February 1, 2011
© Copyright, Han Van Meegerin – All Rights Reserved
Han Van Meegerin
