Staff

[JVCode]

I've had the same problems as most in this thread, users stay really involved and almost beg to become part of the team, and when that time comes and they get promoted, they seem to lose all interest in the site and not bother anymore.

 

[LPH]

We made a mistake on a site and gave too much permission to someone. They deleted every thread. We had to restore a backup and remove their priviledges. We've never made that mistake again.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

Anytime I make someone staff on my site, no matter how active they always have been; they suddenly become less active and in a few case disappear (without notice).

Does this happen to anyone else or have I been unlucky all this time?

I have had staff last only a day or two, and suddenly become overwhelmed with messages they receive once wearing that moderator hat. I do find staff tend to post less though purely because they find that people pay more attention to their posts once having the moderator badge attached, thus often they're targeted.

This is why I use the more approach with staff, that way those who can't handle it fall outward and those who are truly committed to helping the community grow, tend to fall into the role and adopt it better.

At the end of the day... I find a whole lot of luck is involved with volunteers. I usually have around 10 mods, scattered globally, that way there is always a presence of staff online pretty much. It is extremely rare not to see a staff member online. I also have a rule that staff are not allowed to hide their online status, because presence is everything.

 

[Adam Howard]

I have had staff last only a day or two, and suddenly become overwhelmed with messages they receive once wearing that moderator hat. I do find staff tend to post less though purely because they find that people pay more attention to their posts once having the moderator badge attached, thus often they're targeted.

This is why I use the more approach with staff, that way those who can't handle it fall outward and those who are truly committed to helping the community grow, tend to fall into the role and adopt it better.

At the end of the day... I find a whole lot of luck is involved with volunteers. I usually have around 10 mods, scattered globally, that way there is always a presence of staff online pretty much. It is extremely rare not to see a staff member online. I also have a rule that staff are not allowed to hide their online status, because presence is everything.

I had my status whenever I am staff on site. I find that when I am seen, people go quite for some odd reason. LOL

(It also helps to catch the troublemakers who wait for staff to not be there)

 

[DRE]

Thinking about installing XenStaff: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/xenstaff.5072

 

[DRE]

Alright I installed XenStaff and I think it works great. I created a 'View Moderators' link for the sidebar that links directly to XenStaff. I got that idea from vBulletin. I am now holding moderator elections on my site since some people are complaining about inactive moderators. I don't have the time to work on my site anymore so holding Moderator Elections will be perfect for letting them sort it out on their own.

 

[AdamD]

It's hard to find hard working, pro active staff

You have to bear in mind though, unless they have no job, or are at the computer all day, you won't get staff who are online all the time.

 

[DRE]

It's hard to find hard working, pro active staff

You have to bear in mind though, unless they have no job, or are at the computer all day, you won't get staff who are online all the time.

Man it took me almos a year and a half to realize this because im used to chatting with peeps who are online often.

 

[Jeff Fuqua]

Alright I installed XenStaff and I think it works great. I created a 'View Moderators' link for the sidebar that links directly to XenStaff. I got that idea from vBulletin. I am now holding moderator elections on my site since some people are complaining about inactive moderators. I don't have the time to work on my site anymore so holding Moderator Elections will be perfect for letting them sort it out on their own.

I too have XenStaff going but to list donors. I'm looking to find a way for this list to be a sub-page under my Members menu (with "registered", "current", etc.). Anyone know how it's done? The XenStaff thread has been shut down and I've had no luck finding any other reference in the forum. Thanks.

 

[FredC]

I also have a rule that staff are not allowed to hide their online status, because presence is everything.

Ha that would suck for me ive gone invisible, on all my sites for years at a time.

 

[BGL]

Anytime I make someone staff on my site, no matter how active they always have been; they suddenly become less active and in a few case disappear (without notice).

It takes the fun out of it for them. In the old CompuServe days, they got free access which, if they were active, was good compensation for the job. Job and compensation are probably the operative words unless the site has some charitable mission.

 

[Adam Howard]

It takes the fun out of it for them. In the old CompuServe days, they got free access which, if they were active, was good compensation for the job. Job and compensation are probably the operative words unless the site has some charitable mission.

Can't really imagine how.... Responsibility and work required on an uncensored community is almost zero. It's practically a title and that it... ie... About the same difference as the title here from "New Member" to "Well-known member"

 

[borbole]

The typical reply....

"Oh I've been busy.... blah....blah...blah...."

Do you pay the staff or do they do it on their own time and dime?

Because if the latter, the way I see it you shouldn''t complain and moan but be thankful and appreciative to them for the help that they have given you in moderating/managing YOUR forum.

 

[DRE]

One of my mods came out of nowhere and asked to be deleted. I said no, he told me why, I felt bad for him so I demoted all mods for the hell of it.

Already got a text from someone about it. Will probably get more. I'm calling it a 'Moment of Demotion' kinda like 'Moment of Silence' but more crazy.

I'll re-mod them later. Just want everyone to feel my paaaiinn. I'mma miss dude.

 

[Wildcat Media]

On my oldest forum, dating back to 1997, I have the same handful of staffers that first joined me back then as members. A couple of more recent moderators have come and gone but, mainly, due to shifting life around and not staying online as much. On our big board, however, the job is stressful and it is a fact that moderators do get tired of it and move on. I'd rather have them tell me they are done, rather than just move along and not let anyone know.

 

[0xym0r0n]

All the damn time. I made a new rule that if they don't produce any activity in 7 days without a proper excuse, then they'll removed until active again.

I'm down to like 5 staff now lol from the initial 10 I had.

One person's excuse was "There's nothing to do as a staff member."

the frig are you talking about? And they thought all they had to do was delete spam and control trolls. NO NO NO! You're also supposed to stimulate activity and promote the site!!!

*SMH*

I've even got a ton of Staff Room Topics to help give them ideas and motivate. Yet I get crickets -.-

I suppose they expected ass kissing and medals of some sort.

 

[Adam Howard]

All the damn time. I made a new rule that if they don't produce any activity in 7 days without a proper excuse, then they'll removed until active again.

I'm down to like 5 staff now lol from the initial 10 I had.

One person's excuse was "There's nothing to do as a staff member."

the frig are you talking about? And they thought all they had to do was delete spam and control trolls. NO NO NO! You're also supposed to stimulate activity and promote the site!!!

*SMH*

I've even got a ton of Staff Room Topics to help give them ideas and motivate. Yet I get crickets -.-

I suppose they expected ass kissing and medals of some sort.

In my case, I expect them to continue on as regular members... ie... Be as active as they were before they became staff. Their only duties are delete spam and maybe move a thread if it ends up in the wrong place.

So technically, our duties are less than yours (respectfully). Trolling is kind of allowed on our site as we're an uncensored community which allows everything the freedom of expression, opinion, and free speech.

So all the normal thing most people do as staff.... You don't need to worry about on our site. Because they do not apply to us. Just spam, moving some content, and it goes without saying, anything that is illegal (as with any site).

So we have less responsibility.

 

[Morgain]

I agree that it's a tricky balance between people needing to feel they are DOING something, but not too much. This is why my staff have a 'duty day' so it's clear what I expect. They do visit other days and help[ out but dont have to worry if life is pushed and they can't.
I have American and Euro staff to span the timezones.

I hold a meeting every 2 weeks in our chatrooms exclusively for staff - they like that. 8pm UK meansthey can all attend and most do. We gossip a bit as well as look at issues.
I carefully pace bringing in new projects and site features so they don't get fraught. They like having an early preview on what's going on. They are very much my advisers so I ask their opinion about various things, though always clear I have the final say.
Disabled and older people are god for having available time.

My mods are not called mods, they are Elders or Teachers something else. I choose them for being socially skilled to deal with aggro and yet be kind. The software is not their thing.
No one has power to delete except me. They can moderate a user, move stuff around, soft delete pending my assessment, set Tasks and give rewards. More than that they bring it to me and I might delete.

We have a Support Circle so someone keeps checking on their day of the week if anyone is in need of support (via Whats New). It's a big part of what we do to generate mutual support.
But this is a small site so wouldnt work for big guys.

 

[Morgain]

Brad's post raidsd an interesting issue - whether to run explicit rules, written and accessible; or whether to run on a build of shared understanding.

Not an easy one this. Some starter points:

Written rules no matter h0w carefully done, will ALWAYS come up against limits and exceptions. So inevitably there has to be SOME outer area beyond them or under them that is operated by common understanding.

Common understanding SEEMS obvious - to anyone who shares it!
But people do see things so differently. If you don't have that common understanding you just don't.
#Which means either written guidance is needed, or moderation setting limits, or negotiation.

If it's moderation setting limits it can be resented. Written rules help to soften then. Heaven knows why because it's still blocking what you want but "it is written" is heap big magic.

Common understanding creates an elite in-crowd after a while which can be dominating and authoritarian even if not intended to be. Again a written code offsets this.

BUT a written code can only go so far without becoming introcate and bureaucratic. You can end up damned if you do or if you don't.

This is a headache area could well benefit from discussion.

 

[Adam Howard]

On our site the only rules are thus

• No illegal content
• No spam. Posting of e-mail addresses or attempting to overcome our spam filters will also be viewed as spam.
• No hard-core pornography, outside Adult Table or Social Groups

Everything thing else is allowed. We're uncensored and so there are really no rules. Staff technically has little, if ever, anything to do. They're free to be themselves as they were before they were staff. No behavior change required.