Managing forum toxicity and negativity

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Handbook for Admins and Mods:

An eBook written by Matt Meecham, chief software architect at Invision Community.

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• Submitter
  george
• Submitted
  11/10/2023
• Category
  ASEAN NOW Member Files

 

An interesting insight about moderating a forum with toxicity and negativity. For members to read as well.

Enjoy your reading.

 

Your feedback is welcome!

I think the owners of the forum need to decide what sort of forum they wish to operate. Some of the sub-forums on ASEAN Now are well-run, others are a free for all where anything goes. If you want this forum to be a place where people goof around and where topics with inane discussions are allowed, then keep doing what you're doing. If you want something a bit more serious, I really think the moderators need to be a bit more firm. Too many clowns dominate the forum these days, lowering the tone and ruining many threads.

12 minutes ago, mstevens said:

I really think the moderators need to be a bit more firm.

 

Yes, there are many clowns but some of the moderators are too strict and conservative….

Some will delete a post just because there was a meme or a giphy they didn’t understand.

 

 

With apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan "I've got a little list - they'll never be missed" 

I think it is high time to allow the use of words that are consider rude or impolite by many of the modes, i mean this is 2023 where coarse language is used almost anywhere even in respectable institutions...

23 minutes ago, ezzra said:

I think it is high time to allow the use of words that are consider rude or impolite by many of the modes, i mean this is 2023 where coarse language is used almost anywhere even in respectable institutions...

I disagree, politeness and civility cost nothing. If posters can't express themselves without resorting to vulgarity they shouldn't be published in public forums.

Currently, a handful of members create new topics in the Pub that are constant drivel, all about nothing.

Clearly took less than 30 seconds to write.

Then follows hostile banter, personal attacks, page after page.

This has been going on for some time already, and many members has commented on this.

 

These handful members who do nothing else than post drivel, should be on Full Moderation (moderator approved, before thread / post become visible).

 

Forums want traffic, preferable quality content that engage members and readers.

Not nonsense drivel that mostly result in flaming trolling, multiple personal attacks. Plenty of this now, and increasing.

 

Moderation is very complicated. Some other forum previously banned left and right for years, and lost many valuable quality members. 

Those forum become famous for banning. As a result, less new members, less traffic.

 

I believe that moderators should use Personal Message more often to warn individual members.

 

Then increasing posting holiday for members who already received and ignored formal warnings given in PM.

 

Some moderators are too strict, they've been moderator for too long.

 

Example, I wrote a post where I made a joke about myself with a image (old man with a walking cane) I am old and after surgery, I needed a walking cane. This was lost on moderator, and post removed by a certain mod that members consider 'extremely strict'.

 

Moderators should have a lifespan, as they become judgmental and over time some act too strict.

Other forums required a minimum of 2 mods to agree, before action was taken. Only Admins had the power to ban.

 

Luckily, some mods are excellent, balanced moderation, have a good sense of humor and make jokes with the members. 

 

The Handbook is Excellent read, and toxicity is on a all time high, currently.

 

Community Pub should be hidden from public view, and access only on request from members.

53 minutes ago, Shop mak said:

Currently, a handful of members create new topics in the Pub that are constant drivel, all about nothing.

Clearly took less than 30 seconds to write.

Then follows hostile banter, personal attacks, page after page.

This has been going on for some time already, and many members has commented on this.

 

These handful members who do nothing else than post drivel, should be on Full Moderation (moderator approved, before thread / post become visible).

 

Forums want traffic, preferable quality content that engage members and readers.

Not nonsense drivel that mostly result in flaming trolling, multiple personal attacks. Plenty of this now, and increasing.

 

Moderation is very complicated. Some other forum previously banned left and right for years, and lost many valuable quality members. 

Those forum become famous for banning. As a result, less new members, less traffic.

 

I believe that moderators should use Personal Message more often to warn individual members.

 

Then increasing posting holiday for members who already received and ignored formal warnings given in PM.

 

Some moderators are too strict, they've been moderator for too long.

 

Example, I wrote a post where I made a joke about myself with a image (old man with a walking cane) I am old and after surgery, I needed a walking cane. This was lost on moderator, and post removed by a certain mod that members consider 'extremely strict'.

 

Moderators should have a lifespan, as they become judgmental and over time some act too strict.

Other forums required a minimum of 2 mods to agree, before action was taken. Only Admins had the power to ban.

 

Luckily, some mods are excellent, balanced moderation, have a good sense of humor and make jokes with the members. 

 

The Handbook is Excellent read, and toxicity is on a all time high, currently.

 

Community Pub should be hidden from public view, and access only on request from members.

I agree very much with what you've said, especially about the role of moderators and a limited lifespan.

 

 

2 hours ago, mstevens said:

I think the owners of the forum need to decide what sort of forum they wish to operate. Some of the sub-forums on ASEAN Now are well-run, others are a free for all where anything goes. If you want this forum to be a place where people goof around and where topics with inane discussions are allowed, then keep doing what you're doing. If you want something a bit more serious, I really think the moderators need to be a bit more firm. Too many clowns dominate the forum these days, lowering the tone and ruining many threads.

I think they are just happy to have posters at all. I've seen many many good posters leave the forum for reasons I can't discuss.

 

For those very reasons I've had a love hate relationship with TVF/AN and come close to leaving a few times myself.

 

I'm still here, as it's US election time, so the fun is about to start, but before that I barely posted at all for a long time.

1 hour ago, Shop mak said:

Community Pub should be hidden from public view, and access only on request from members.

Life is too short to be serious on everything, and IMO the Pub is too restricted, and more discussion of the sort of silly things one might say in a real pub allowed. The Lounge is already restricted, but subject to the same level of moderation as other subforums, so not used as it should be, with topics that should be on the Pub instead.

 

My main problem is that abuse is too often allowed to stay. I've even reported abuse that was allowed to remain.

Another problem is that some posters make it about other posters, IMO baiting them, to try and get them suspended.

As much and a little as 'they' (plural usage) annoying vs entertaining, just like the TV/radio, ignore/change the channel.

 

I'll post occasionally starting of with 'to the title' ... which usually means just that, as poster is probably on my ignore list. Or I peeked, rolled my eyes to the OP, but title might warrant a reply.

 

What is annoying, is the repetitive ignorance/trolling of good info threads; solar & EV threads being prime example.   Repetitive stupid comments = trolling, going way being ignorance, and they really should be told to stop it or put on vacation.

 

Though most are ignored of late, and they seem to get bored if nobody replies to them.  So slowly self correcting.

 

The forum is a quick read now, with ignore list, and knowing the OP posting, and I seem to be able to go through 8 hrs of posting in 5 minutes, by simply opening the ones that interest me in another tab, and come back to them to reply after ignoring the other 8 hrs of postings 🤣

4 hours ago, Shop mak said:

Currently, a handful of members create new topics in the Pub that are constant drivel, all about nothing.

What a surprise, conversation in the pub is not intellectually stimulating!!

It's the Pub!! what did you expect? don't like it dont go there. Or perhaps find a different pub. 

Moderators if you are reading this , can you please create a Salon where where wine a cheese is served , Poetry is recited and erudite subjects are discussed . 

 

 

 

For a public forum there sure is a lot of sphincter clenching going on at times.

 

11 minutes ago, sirineou said:

What a surprise, conversation in the pub is not intellectually stimulating!!

It's the Pub!! what did you expect? don't like it dont go there. Or perhaps find a different pub. 

Moderators if you are reading this , can you please create a Salon where where wine a cheese is served , Poetry is recited and erudite subjects are discussed . 

If you enter AN through 'new content', then impossible to avoid the 'pub', which does have an interesting thread, now & then.  I'm not going to try to enter each sub forum for content, as that's too annoying.

Don’t have the time to read that.   
The negativity (esp about Thais) is a real drag, but c’mon guys it’s a forum about living in Thailand, not a law firm or a kindergarten. TV (and certain mods) takes itself way too seriously at times. A lot better when you had it and pre-2010, George. 

Just now, KhunLA said:

If you enter AN through 'new content', then impossible to avoid the 'pub'.  I'm not going to try to enter each sub forum for content, as that's too annoying.

On every post there is a notation where it is posted. In fact one should always look where the thread  was posted. and act accordingly.

I have made the mistake if not looking and ended up  making inappropriate comments that I thought were funny but given the context were not. So Now I alway make it a point to look at the context of the subforum a thread is posted. 

So in the words of the great Philosopher Erroneous. "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy "

In the new content page, that I also often use, look to see where the thread  is posted, and avoid if it is posted in the infamouse pub subforum. 

By the way, regardless of the veue, when I see your avatar I always read on. Your posts are alway in good taste. Which is a lot more than I can say for some of mine LOL

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

If you enter AN through 'new content', then impossible to avoid the 'pub', which does have an interesting thread, now & then.  I'm not going to try to enter each sub forum for content, as that's too annoying.

By the way. 

In the "new content page " you will see what is popular and everyone is talking about, rather than what is good. There are a lot of good thread that quickly cycle out of the 'New content" page

6 hours ago, mstevens said:

I think the owners of the forum need to decide what sort of forum they wish to operate. Some of the sub-forums on ASEAN Now are well-run, others are a free for all where anything goes. If you want this forum to be a place where people goof around and where topics with inane discussions are allowed, then keep doing what you're doing. If you want something a bit more serious, I really think the moderators need to be a bit more firm. Too many clowns dominate the forum these days, lowering the tone and ruining many threads.

I have the impression they want any users, because more clicks is more money. (I don't blame them for trying to make money).

But sometimes more is less. Less stupid posts would on the long run likely improve this forum.

But then, who decides. 

I am sure it's a lot easier to manage a forum i.e. specific to Posche 911 or any other limited topic. 

3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

By the way. 

In the "new content page " you will see what is popular and everyone is talking about, rather than what is good. There are a lot of good thread that quickly cycle out of the 'New content" page

Have to give that a try (click source forum), see if I'm missing a bit ... thanks

Wow! Thanks a lot for the early feedback on this.

 

I’m following this topic with great interest as we have actually radically changed how moderation has changed to the better during the last 3 months or so.
 

If you haven’t noticed the changes I’ll be  happy to discuss more about this, but in the meantime keep posting your ideas here. On mobile right now with fat fingers.

🙏

 

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, sirineou said:

By the way. 

In the "new content page " you will see what is popular and everyone is talking about, rather than what is good. There are a lot of good thread that quickly cycle out of the 'New content" page

There is a way of filtering out which subforums you want to show up in “new content” . Have you tried that? Could we improve that feature? Let me know please 🙏 

As far as I know moderators in this forum don't get paid.

So, who wants a job like that?

For sub forums like DIY or Electric I understand that it can be a hobby to do this. But who wants to spend hours every day deleting and warning and blocking idiots? 

6 minutes ago, george said:

Wow! Thanks a lot for the early feedback on this.

 

I’m following this topic with great interest as we have actually radically changed how moderation has changed to the better during the last 3 months or so.
 

If you haven’t noticed the changes I’ll be  happy to discuss more about this, but in the meantime keep posting your ideas here. On mobile right now with fat fingers.

🙏

 

 

Thanks

 

If "you" change moderation policy I think it would be good to publish information about that so that we are aware of the changes.

I was suspended a couple of times for little things which I would never have imagined could be a problem.

Now I don't post certain things anymore because I don't want to be suspended again - and only for that reason.

It's sad when members have to learn to self-censor even harmless jokes to avoid aggressive moderators. 

Aseannow has turned into the Bignok ,BS , GeorggiaGeorgia , show ,with stupid

posts everyday , but they do create more clicks for management so they are tolerated,

but I feel Aseannow has turned into a TikToc forum ,

Currently, a handful of members create new topics in the Pub that are constant drivel, all about nothing.

 

This was posted above. I fully agree with this statement.

15 minutes ago, george said:

Wow! Thanks a lot for the early feedback on this.

 

I’m following this topic with great interest as we have actually radically changed how moderation has changed to the better during the last 3 months or so.
 

If you haven’t noticed the changes I’ll be  happy to discuss more about this, but in the meantime keep posting your ideas here. On mobile right now with fat fingers.

🙏

Hi George,

Just my my opinion, but in the last few months I've felt moderation has become much more, positive, fair and even handed. 

No need to ban anyone, just remove any posts that break community guidelines.

I'm particularly happy that personal attacks and insults are being removed so quickly these days.

No need to be rude or insulting to anyone, whether you agree with them or not.

Good job George, and your Moderating team!

 

Personal note,

I can't believe that this forum has been so supportive to me during my difficult time after my hit and run injuries in the past month.

Many thanks to everyone (both friend and foe) for their support on my thread, you've really helped me through a really low point in my life.

5 minutes ago, swerve said:

Currently, a handful of members create new topics in the Pub that are constant drivel, all about nothing.

 

This was posted above. I fully agree with this statement.

 

I am monitoring this issue. Thanks for bringing this up.

I get the criticism of a few posters but I find those topics often have something interesting to say within them even if the way they are delivered can seem a bit trivial or tedious. The good thing about a forum is if you were actually at a pub, you would have to find a way to be polite and excuse yourself from certain ramblings, but here you can read something else or go for a walk in the sun. 

I find moderation fine but I don't tend to say controversial things to get noticed.

There's a fine line between deleting tedious bickering on the one hand but leaving some entertaining heated discussions. The latter can be where people let down their guard and show themselves and can be fun. Some are good at banter and that can be more interesting than the same old comments about perceived corruption or tourism statistics.   

16 minutes ago, swerve said:

Currently, a handful of members create new topics in the Pub that are constant drivel, all about nothing.

 

This was posted above. I fully agree with this statement.

Thank you for that...

Not only drivel but a platform to troll other members, one of the downsides of moderations new orders..........