Moderator School

[fumbalah]

Would you all be interested in seeing some sort of moderator school or certification?

[Scott]

Please, do elaborate!

A place where people learn what to moderate? How to moderate? The tools? Everything?

[fumbalah]

Exactly. Pretty much are trained in what could be called "Standard Moderating Procedure" along with knowledge in all the major forum software(s)

[PN-Matt]

That's a good idea. A optional certification would be good. This way a owner can see a moderator who has met basic standards etc.

You have a idea to make some sort of community based site? Where this can be done? I do :P

It sounds quite good to me.

Cheers

[writespeak]

Forums can be moderated quite differently from each other, but some things should be the same at all forums, such as how to use moderating tools (although the tools may be different) and how to apply forum rules fairly.

Can you give us examples of topics you have in mind?

Lois

[PN-Matt]

Forums can be moderated quite differently from each other, but some things should be the same at all forums, such as how to use moderating tools (although the tools may be different) and how to apply forum rules fairly.

Can you give us examples of topics you have in mind?

Lois

Indeed, but there is no reason why we can't have something covering the basics. There is a lot that can be mentioned.

I will let the threadstarter chime in here cause I think you wanted his views not mine :cool:

[writespeak]

I think you wanted his views not mine :cool:
I'm interested in your views too. :star:

Lois

[PN-Matt]

Well, Basic Moderation, Moving topics, Basic Etiquette, how to enforce rules fairly and Different forum software and the different moderation tools between them.

Basic stuff really, but something a community can expand on! :)

[writespeak]

Even "basic moderation" is open to interpretation. At one forum I go to (where I'm not a moderator), I'm surprised at what doesn't get removed or moderated. For example, some members often put down other members' choices or actions, and that kind of thing drives people away. But other than moving threads to the right forums, I see little moderation happening there. Perhaps "basic moderation" doesn't apply for some forums.

How would you (anyone who takes part in this thread) define basic moderation?

Lois

[Scott]

I agree with Lois, this topic changes a lot on a per forum basis. If something like this were to start, it would have to (originally at least) focus on how to use the tools, rather than when.

This could form a number of certificates, one for each of the common boards.

There'd be quite a lot of logistics involved, although it sounds good in principle.