1. What happens to comments
that are not constructed in straight English?
Expect that in rare times,
you will be dealing with members who mix two or more languages in messaging. It
is up to you to include in your policy whether to allow users to mix up more
than one language. Always let the users realize that using straight English
maximizes understanding.
Tip: Hire online moderators
who can speak more than one language.
Most use the power of
direct notification. Users receive the notification with an explanation of what
is going to happen. You must play
penalty leveling: warning, one week suspension, one month suspension and
termination.
Tip: Instead of banning a
member, personally talk to the member via phone.
3. What happens to comments
that are “partially acceptable”?
Online moderators are
humans who get confused sometimes. Some comments are too hard to decipher whether
they are acceptable or not.
Post the comments and
observe how members react on the comment. Reactions of members may help you in
deciding whether to pull the message out or not. However, this is risky.
4. Can banned members
appeal for a motion for reconsideration?
Chances are members who are
banned sign up for another account using other names and other information. Thus,
it would be better to give everyone (even members who have committed the most
violations) to express his side and justify himself.
Tip: It is important that
when a member starts, he understands all the rules and obligations bound a
member.
5. What is the easiest way
for members to flag an abusive comment?
Basically, most forums have included the “red
flag” button in every message for an easier reporting. However, some forums
depend on the “contact us” button for general messaging to the administrator.
Special Strategies
1.
“Publish Later”. There are times when there
are too much topics being discussed in the board. Thus, commanding the software
to publish a new thread in a specific time promotes a balance in the site.
2.
“Spam Filter”. The best thing with using
spam filter is the automatic detection of abusive messages. However, manual
checking is necessary after the software identifies a “probable” abusive
message.
3.
“Reactive
Moderation”. This is considered the lowest level of moderation. All you need to
do is to wait for messages from users who may be offended or harmed by a
certain message. Then you do appropriate moves whether to delete the message or
not.
