THE ROLE OF THE MODERATORS AND HOW THE FORUM WORKS (PART 1)

[ChrisM]

THE ROLE OF THE MODERATORS AND HOW THE FORUM WORKS (PART 1)

The Forum has (in March 2021) some 30,000 members. Not every one amongst them will fully understand how the Forum operates and especially the responsibilities and function of the Moderators. And there is rarely any real need for them to do so. Nevertheless, an understanding is occasionally necessary and this and the associated post have been made by the Moderating Team to explain how everything works and why.

This is what is covered:

1 - THE FORUM AIMS
2 - THE MODERATING TEAM - WHO ARE THEY?
3 - WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF MODERATORS?
4 - HOW THE MODERATORS OPERATE
........and in Part 2.......
5 - COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MODERATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS
6 - A BRIEF REMINDER .....
7 - AND FINALLY AN ASSURANCE, A REQUEST AND A THANK-YOU



1. THE FORUM AIMS

THE AIMS of the Forum are:

- to collect, assemble, share and preserve everything which is relevant to the history of Birmingham and its immediately adjoining areas, and, in doing this,​

- to provide a happy, friendly environment where members can enjoy contributing and receiving information, and​

- to ensure that the wealth of information available is in an accessible, coherent and readable form so that it is a pleasure to delve into it rather than a chore.​

By having applied to join the Forum, every member is effectively committed to these aims and will do their utmost to pursue them.


2. THE MODERATING TEAM - WHO ARE THEY?

The Moderating Team is a small group of members who have been invited by the Forum Owner to oversee the day-to-day running of the site in order to ensure that

- the achievement of the Forum Aims (above) remains the overriding priority, and​

- the Forum rules (which can be read here), aimed solely at achieving that, are observed in letter and spirit.​

Considerable time and effort is expended by individual Moderators to maintain the Forum in the best possible state. Current Moderators are listed within the "Members" section of the Forum.


3. WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF MODERATORS?

Their function is:

- to identify and remove any inappropriate material of any sort, whether malicious or well-intentioned;​

​

- to maintain the Forum and its individual threads in a form which is orderly, accessible, readable and a pleasure to delve into.​

​

- to identify and deal with any action by an individual member which threatens the comfortable, courteous and positive experience which the Forum offers to its members.​

The Moderators' function is thus to ensure that the Forum operates correctly - in other words, in a way appropriate to achieving its stated aims.
(Please note: its function is NOT to answer individual queries on specific historical matters: such questions should be raised by a post on open Forum - that is the very reason for the Forum's existence).


4. HOW THE MODERATORS OPERATE

Moderators act in accordance with an informal set of procedures which have evolved over time and have proved to work satisfactorily. The fact that the Forum, unlike others and after many years, continues to survive, and even thrive, is an indication of this.

Most Moderators are present on the site on several occasions during any 24 hour period, generally keeping an eye on things and making modest interventions of editing, tidying and providing guidance and support to members.

These actions can be sparked by a wide range of circumstances and can be very minor - perhaps correction of a clear, unintended error in a post, moving a misplaced post to a more appropriate section of the Forum or giving a bit of advice. Sometimes the need for action can be less obvious and is based on long experience of anticipating how things can start to go wrong: for example, a thread which is starting to drift off-topic; or where a comment is made which we know will lead to upset later; or a statement of opinion which is too emotional, too one-sided, too blindly held to be appropriate - in other words "a rant". From time to time a really significant problem is detected (and/or reported upon by a member). It could be something simple such as a post which is obviously spam, perhaps from a newly registered member who has slipped through the vetting net. Or something much more serious and difficult, and not so readily handled, such as inapproriate behaviour by a member which could include an attack on another member or on Moderators, or a more general undermining of the Forum's wellbeing and stability.

Depending on the seriousness of the circumstances a Moderator will take one of the following actions:

- delete an offending post immediately where it is in clear breach of Forum interests and rules - such as spam, pornography, racism etc. - and where urgent action is essential. The offending "member" (possibly very new, having slipped through the vetting net) may even be banned immediately. The Moderator will report this action back to the Moderation Team who will review the actions taken and either confirm or modify them.​

OR​

- delete a post or lock a thread temporarily and request a Team discussion/decision before a final action is agreed upon.​

OR​

- report his/her concern back to the Team for discussion and decision before any action is taken and any contact is made with the member involved.​

It follows from the above that any decision involving a member and his/her post is effectively one which is taken by the Team as a whole: either by approving or modifying the action of an individual Moderator who has had to move quickly, or by reaching a collective decision in less urgent or especially serious circumstances. No individual Moderator has the opportunity of acting alone nor of exercising his/her individual whims or fancies.

Discussions within The Team about a particular problem can be complicated and time-consuming. They are conducted in writing, with no verbal contact. All or most Moderators will participate in them and be party to whatever conclusion is reached. They can be tiring and emotionally draining, especially when they are the result of disruptive behaviour by an individual member; such behaviour can include rudeness or even abuse in the direction of another member or Moderator; public, aggressive questioning of the way in which the Forum is run; or outright, public defiance of previous Team guidance or rulings. No problem of this type can be ignored and The Team has to address it, as promptly, thoroughly, patiently, rationally, consistently and, above all, as fairly as it possibly can. And reach the right decision, in the interests of other members and the well-being of the Forum as a whole, both now and into the future.

(Please also see Part 2, containing:

5 - COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MODERATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS​

6 - A BRIEF REMINDER .....​

7 - AND FINALLY AN ASSURANCE, A REQUEST AND A THANK-YOU)​

 

[ChrisM]

THE ROLE OF THE MODERATORS AND HOW THE FORUM WORKS (PART 2)
containing:
5 - COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MODERATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS
6 - A BRIEF REMINDER .....
7 - AND FINALLY AN ASSURANCE, A REQUEST AND A THANK-YOU


5. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MODERATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS

Communication in these circumstances isn't always easy. With the huge membership (not all of whom are active, fortunately!) it is simply impossible to enter into detailed discussion over every facet of the Forum's operation.

When deleting a post the system gives the Moderator the option of providing a reason and this will often be conveyed to the member. But the software used by the Forum system does not, for unknown reasons, identify the Moderator who is actually pressing the button; this anonymity however should not be taken as a sign that the Mod. is deliberately hiding him/herself away. There may, just conceivably, be a situation where personal messaging between Moderator and Member cannot be avoided; but situations like that have to be kept to an absolute minimum, they only occur in the most exceptional circumstances and in no circumstances can they be prolonged.

When a member receives no notification of a deletion or other action, it will possibly be because the reason is so obvious that it requires no justification; or because there has been some overall notification that posts will be removed without comment - a general thread tidy-up, for example, or contributions which are clearly off-topic.

If a member is concerned about a post which has appeared, they should refer it immediately to the Team by using the Report button and making a suitable comment - but should make no public comment. Similarly, if a member has a genuine concern or query about any aspect of how the Forum is operating or how he/she is being treated by another member, any comment should in no circumstances be made as a public post. Rather it should be conveyed by a private message to the Owner or to a member of the Moderating Team and The Team will then give it the necessary consideration.

In all circumstances, direct communication with individual Moderators on any subject should not normally occur unless the circumstances make it ENTIRELY UNAVOIDABLE. Queries on subjects covered by the Forum can normally be satisfied by a post in the appropriate public section; and those of that type which are nevertheless received direct by a Moderator run the risk of being ignored. Please see also the next Section).

6. FINALLY, A BRIEF REMINDER for a moment of one of the (few) Forum rules:

Rule 4. Members accept that the decision of the Team in all matters relating to the maintenance of the site, interpretation of the spirit and rules of the Forum, moderation and membership is final and binding.Your permission is neither needed or requested in order to tidy up threads or postings.​

And at the foot of the rules list, a message from the Forum Owner:

Moderators are just ordinary people, with lives that extend well beyond the boundaries of this forum, who have volunteered (unpaid) to continue to moderate one of the more busy and difficult forums. Please try not to make their lives any more difficult than you have to, and be aware that they will not enter into any discussion about any decisions they make as there isn’t enough time in the day to do so. Neither will they explain or justify any such decisions for the same reason. You may think they should write and explain why they have done something, but just think of having to do that dozens of times a day or more. Not going to happen!​

7. AN ASSURANCE, A REQUEST AND A THANK-YOU

For the Forum to work well, and for the Moderators to be able to do their work to ensure that it does, all members have to rely on the experience, the judgement and, most important of all, the good faith of The Team. Each Moderator will continue to do everything possible to justify the confidence and trust which members extend towards them.

The Moderators are very aware that each member is an individual with his/her own opinions and feelings and will always do their utmost to treat them with courtesy and sensitivity. Equally it is hoped that there is appreciation of the Moderators' position and responsibilities as they try to help fulfill the Forum's aims and that they will be treated similarly by all members.

We very much hope and believe that most members will not need much assurance about The Team's good faith and that they have confidence in the actions we take on their behalf, almost always quietly, in the background. We rely on the goodwill of every member and are ever grateful for it. Without it and without the work of The Team, the Forum would rapidly deteriorate into a place where most sensible people would not wish to be.