kokonutz

The TalkBoard is tasked with making recommendations for the creation and eliminating forums and TOS amendments.

In this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/talkb...l-you-why.html

a prolonged discussion took place regarding how to make the day-to-day management of FT more responsive to posters and poster input.

Among the suggestions was a forum dedicated to moderation input. Such a forum exists on other boards such as http://www.travelunderground.org/index.php

On that forum there is a section specifically for discussion of moderation. There exists there a healthy and open dialogue about moderation on the board. I am not certain, but I think that 'moderated' posts go there as well, so all can see what is being moderated out of the main forums.

The approach is: moderation actions will never be taken in secret; that way everyone can learn from them.

Meanwhile, on an ad hoc basis, some FT moderators have created threads within the forums they moderate to accept feedback on day-to-day management.

These include (but are not limited to):

Moderators Guilty of Premature Evacuation

The Merged Merged Threads Thread

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni/...t-discuss.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...-type-dos.html

To me, the problem with this ad hoc approach is that it requires a moderator willing to allow (or start) such threads and ends up providing different levels of poster input into the day-to-day operation of FT based on whatever forum one happens to be in.

So my question is whether it makes sense for the TB to recommend the creation of a forum where poster input is allowed on day-to-day management where things like mega-threading, best practices and general rules can take place?

Or if perhaps there should be a standardized thread in each forum for such input?

Or some other method to publicly discuss these matters?

Or if this discussion should continue to only take place (in some instances) at the discretion of the moderator of the specific forum or (in other instances) in the specific instances the moderators care to collect feedback, leaving all other questions and discussions about day-to-day management to PM, email and other IBBs where FT moderation is openly discussed (ie, the status quo)?

Any and all input welcome, AFAIAC. ^

Kagehitokiri

ignoring everything else - even if there was such a thread in every forum, i dont see how moderators could be forced to participate. related >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/talkb...orp-forum.html

Silver Fox

Is Premature Evacuation when you cannot make it to the toilet in time ?

Anyway, I find that all the moderated threads are done in secret unless you count "we deleted unnecessary posts that we did not like and added no value in our opinion" added as a post.

Canarsie

I believe that it depends on the what the community in a particular forum wants or needs, not whether or not a moderator is “willing” to launch threads requesting feedback.

FlyerTalk moderators — by my observation, anyway, and not just because I happen to be a FlyerTalk moderator — generally do care about the FlyerTalk members whom they serve and want to provide them with the best experience possible. Otherwise, what is the point of volunteering to become a moderator?

Also, not all discussion needs to be public: FlyerTalk members also send private communications to moderators with their ideas, concerns or suggestions.

While I believe — and always have believed — that openness and transparency should be encouraged, I am not convinced that having an entity recommend or dictate this openness and transparency is the best solution.

I could be wrong...

kokonutz

Certainly public input and discussions having a standardized home would not preclude private discussions as well. ^

kipper

I would like to see a thread on moderation as a sticky in each forum, as I think that the members of each forum are the best ones to comment. A sticky would be easy for members to find, rather than sending them to a different forum to comment on moderation.

That's a start anyway.

Cholula

MikeMpls

Your description is correct, although I will confess to taking immediate action a couple times. One I regretted & posted about it; the other involved removing a derogatory reference to a young woman in the news, however, no "disciplinary action" was taken in that case either.

In six months we've suspended ZERO real members at Travel Underground. Perhaps half a dozen forum spammers have been put on ice.

What we've discovered at Travel Underground is that people respond (sometimes reluctantly, but they do respond) if you apply enough just effort to effect the desired behavior. It keeps our best & most active members contributing productively, and they are worth the time & effort.

And yes, I do read every post -- about 17,000 to date. If your moderators can't do the job, you need moderators interested enough in the job to get it done.

Someone (kipper?) asked how many were disengaged from TS/S after the changes. About 200 have shown up at Travel Underground, and they continue to arrive. Many more have probably disengaged but not made the switch. Our annualized rate of pageviews runs 700k - 1M, depending on how much TSA stupidity is in the news.

These users and all this activity gladly would have remained at TS/S were it not for the ill-advised changes that were made there.

TS/S, on the other hand, is just a shell of what it used to be. What's most ironic is that the two FlyerTalkers who whined the loudest about the old TS/S still don't grace the "new" TS/S with their participation, even though it's been destroyed to their liking.

nsx

This is my initial favorite.

I do. Carol could add this requirement to the moderator's counterpart to the TOS. This would not be something the TB should formally recommend, but if a consensus develops on this thread I'm sure the idea will be thoroughly considered by the moderators and by Carol.

nsx

This is EXACTLY how we do it on the Southwest forum, where you used to hang out a lot. It's difficult to sustain as a forum gets large, but it's worth the effort. It's much easier to keep the garden weed-free than to remove weeds from an overgrown garden.

My perspective:

essxjay

Congratulations on your windfall, Mike. I really do wish you well and hope your board continues to be a smashing success. ^

kokonutz

After watching the Delta moderation thread in action today, I am beginning to lean that way was well.

I'm certain the TB could come up with a recommendation to amend the TOS to create these threads, preferably as stickies and with clear titles....

Something like this:

Discussing Specific Forum Moderator Actionsion
Each forum contains a stickied thread for discussion of that forum's moderation decisions and actions. These threads exist to collaboratively discuss and improve moderation in that forum. On-board discussion of moderator decisions - including post deletions and member discipline - is not allowed and will be removed in these threads only. Members will also be subject to disciplinary action. Similarly, However, abusive and/or uncivil posts will be deleted. posts announcing a member's return to FlyerTalk after aDiscussion of individual posters' suspension or ban are not allowed in these threads. If you have a question about a moderator action, you may also contact the moderator directly or Carol the Community Director (SanDiego1k).

jackal

Given that some members have complained about too many stickies at the top of some forums, I'm not sure a sticky thread would be a workable solution.

Besides, often stickies are the least-looked-at threads in a forum. The eye seems to naturally skip all the administrative junk at the top of the page and jump right down to the meat of the forum.

kipper

I don't like the idea that it floats and can be pushed several pages down, because I think it might make it more difficult to find for users.

jackal

I appreciate that a few members here think that this is a major, major issue. But I defer to Canarsie's experience:

In one of the busier forums on FT, there's a few posts each month (on average) on this subject. Certainly not worthy of sticky status, IMHO. Ignoring the arguments for and against whether this type of venue should exist, it appears that where it does exist, it serves to show that this is not a major issue for the vast majority of posters.