Periodic Fable

I was preparing a “checklist” for e-moderators of online communities and thought I’d post some of the more important and skilled tasks that e-moderators need to do and to evaluate themselves on.

So often we hear managers who believe that anyone can run a community – they think: “how difficult can it be? If we build it they will come.” And time and again, as a community fills up with spam or at best stays sadly empty with no-one posting but the owner, people begin to see that there is a need for skills and experience in this area. These tasks are mainly in the beginning stages of a community: as the community develops, there are different needs.

Tasks of a community moderator

• Provide a helpline for password and access problems.
• Know how to write effective written and on-screen instructions.
• Clarify the differences between email and community discussions.
• Present (sell, if necessary) interacting online as a powerful way of networking, emphasizing its importance as a communication and networking tool.
• Ensure the “look and feel” of your system is user-friendly for all comers.
• Welcome participants individually.
• Constantly improve and update support materials
• Keep the conference structure relevant and easy to use
• Be very patient in providing support, explanation and resolution
• Offer ways for participants to benefit from reading about other people’s online experience and problems
• Explain the importance of acknowledging and respecting others online and set an example yourself
• Emphasize transferable skills and links to other experiences
• Aim to summarize, weave and archive messages often
• Provide practical ways of sharing information online
• Look for and build links with other media
• Provide relevant and purposeful discussions, useful activities and tasks
• Deal with requests for information
• Deal promptly with difficulties among participants, such as dominance, harassment and perhaps excessive lurking
• Offer tips and strategies for dealing with information overload
• Deal with any persistent technical problems
• Pose insightful questions and give participants time to reflect and respond
• Encourage participants to contribute to the community, not merely read what others offer
• Explore every opportunity for online collaboration with others
• Expect, welcome and respond to challenges of all kinds
• Ensure that appropriate evaluating, monitoring and reflection on your own practice occur

And do all this quickly, efficiently, in a timely manner, and cost-effectively!

With acknowledgement to Gilly Salmon, “E-moderating”