Forum Suggestions & User Assistance - Mod Job

if y'alls focus is to just keep this place from getting out of hand, cool.

But how about being interactive? Maybe ya are already, in which case, ignore me. By interactive, I mean keeping threads on track, like Ti or Carbon for light rider? (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=81540)... went off into a stupid tangent about materials, design, engineering. The poor girl only wanted some advice on what she should consider.

If y'all want the added work, I recommend that forum specific mods read as many threads as possible, split threads when appropriate. Can y'all move a bunch of posts into a new thread at once? If not, you can just start a new thread and tell peeps in the original thread to go back to the original discussion.

Y'all can lead discussions too, when things are slow.

Just some thoughts.

By interactive, I mean keeping threads on track, like Ti or Carbon for light rider?... went off into a stupid tangent about materials, design, engineering.

Members should be able to do that as well and perhaps encouraged to try to keep threads on track.



If y'all want the added work, I recommend that forum specific mods read as many threads as possible, split threads when appropriate.

Rather than taking existing mods and making them forum specific (adding on to an existing workload) perhaps have "experts" for each forum. The main mods than can deal with the more day-to-day needs while the "experts" can help keep forums geared towards the topics. We've used that at my security forums just because of the broadness of the topics.




Y'all can lead discussions too, when things are slow.

So can "y'all" members. ;)

Mods are underpaid (most of the time these are people who volunteer), overworked (expected to be experts at everything and be everyone's best bud) and underappreciated ('nuff said).

I think that it would be far more beneficial if members took the lead on this rather than depending on the mods to do this. Last time I checked, this was a member driven forum.

We do try to do that, but there aren't many of us and we can't get to all threads all the time.

If you see a thread getting like that, report it and we will split it. This isn't a self moderated forum but we do need assistance from users :)

The idea of forum specific mods is a good one, and I know this works elsewhere.

Cheers

Maelstrom

On one of the other boards (http://www.fastcougar.com/forums/) I frequent, there are only 5 of us with global moderator powers. Each sub-section has anywhere from 1-3 moderators that are in charge of that section. The Section Mods are either subject-matter experts, or are even-tempered people who are good at babysitting, or both. It seems to work well for us (although I'd like to have the ability to split a thread, like the mods can do here, the software we use there doesn't have that feature). I'm not saying that BikeForums should be run this way, only that it's a way that works well for another board.

We're already doing that.

I don't know if the other mods are reading, but I pretty much read through all the threads, or as much as I can. I spend quite a bit of time online, but even then, we can't catch everything. That's why the report button is on the bottom right of every post- so if members see something we don't, they can hit the report button and bring it to our attention.

Trust me, I have split, moved, deleted, etc. threads so much it's second nature to me. There isn't a moderator function I haven't done yet. There may be some things I've done that other mods aren't aware we can do! ;) But if you have a problem, the most effective thing you can do is let us know by hitting the report button. Then you won't get upset or irritated over the direction of a thread anymore. And then there would be no need for a thread where someone makes suggestions about what we should do and stuff.

Please everyone.... start using the report button and help out the mods if you think something is inappropriate.

Koffee B.

to be honest I don't automatically split all threads that derail. Its an online community and it happens. Unless it is reported I just let the thread go (unless on rare ocassion I see a thread totally going off the wall and not even staying on the topic of bikes for example)

Me, I don't really like splitting threads unless I absolutely have to. I'll usually post a reminder to keep on topic or delete posts if it goes too far off track.

Edit: I know that at least 90% of my posts are in the mtbing forum, I'm a freerider by trade. I could probably figure out that if she's light, carbon would be a great material for her.

I like the light touch of the moderators. Sometimes threads naturally move into related areas. Also, sometimes people's arguments about topic "A" rest on an assumption about topic "B." If the mods didn't allow a discussion about "B," we couldn't fully discuss "A."

Daily Commute said it. The topics get woven into each other, so splitting threads can require a lot of editing for even remotely readable results. Same with merging two cross-posted threads. Personally I am sometimes too busy, lazy or both to get into it.

--J