My Thoughts About Forum Moderators

Discussion in 'Comments on Forum' started by Joy Martin, Sep 29, 2019.

  1. Joy Martin

    Joy Martin Veteran Member
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    My first experience with a health forum was with a FM/CFS group back in 2005. I was told I had FM so was working with this new label. It was a great education and I must have stayed with that group for at least 5-6 yrs thinking back. I made many friends and still talk to them on other groups and have a local friend I met there and we've gotten together...and often email and exchange our thoughts as we think so much alike. So a great plus. The reason I left was the moderator was so opinionated and always talking about her life and it went on and on.

    Since then I am probably on 5 other mostly health groups, as this is my Main Focus of these groups. And it occurred to me the same thing goes on in the other groups, moderators and their control. One group which is also an FM/CFS group does not have this issue at all, the owner of the group is so far from controlling. He allows everyone to be heard, even ME.

    Oh I am a member of a couple yahoo groups and it's very easy going and we talk about everything...but keep the focus mostly on the topic of the group.

    Anyway, woke up thinking this today.

    I will add since I started with forums one that I like a lot gives out infractions, puts people on time outs for the little nothings in the whole scheme of what's important in life and I have to watch my ps&q's so much as it doesn't take much to be given a vacation. I have a gut feeling they are funded by pharma and I'm not a fan of pharma, so strikes against me right there. The mod who "gets me" was a school teacher, so that says a lot.

    The above group has a HUGE political/controversial audience and it is just about anything goes but I have to say when I've made a few postings they got deleted....or not much attention. I don't go there anymore. Who needs to be around a lot of hot heads.

    I could never be a moderator as I'm too live and let live.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 29, 2019
  2. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
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    I suspect that many Moderators just enjoy the CONTROL.
     
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  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Most moderators are helping out on their own time; it is not a "job" but there is a lot of responsibility and personal time spent to do it well. I have moderated a couple of forums but I burned out after a while; it gets to be like kindergarten and I "ain't got no time for dat." I hold admin/moderators in high regard because I understand how much work goes into providing a FREE service.
     
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  4. Bess Barber

    Bess Barber Veteran Member
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    No one likes traffic tickets either, but someone in charge has to keep the roads safe for everyone else's driving pleasure. :D
     
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  5. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    It requires a balance, imo. I was on a forum once that was just the opposite. A few members were the control freaks, and whenever they complained the moderators obliged. The mods got accused of being biased and unfair, when in fact they just didn't like making decisions. It was easier for them just to keep the control freaks happy.
     
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  6. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    Hard to generalize about moderators or forum host. A forum such as this with so many sub forums, takes a lot of time to moderate. I don't know how one moderator and forum host do it. Yes, most forums are either out of control or over moderated. I feel other senior forums are way over moderated and have a hundred rules that no ones takes time to read. To many cliques that PM each other planning attacks on others. All I can say is after hosting a medical forum for a few years and moderating a few others, I don't want the job. I did it never asking or accepting donations or selling ads. It was expensive. I wouldn't want either job anymore even for a high wage.
     
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  7. Joy Martin

    Joy Martin Veteran Member
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    F.F. I hear you on the comment about Senior Forums being way over moderated. I have felt so often like I was treated like I was born yesterday instead of 81 yrs ago. I sure hope and trust I've done some learnin in my life... And it's true moderators bias on just about everything in their lives reflects their decisions on moderations. As I said I could not be one as I believe too much in "live and let live"...
     
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    Last edited: Sep 30, 2019
  8. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    .
    Here we go again. Many of us are also on "that other forum" and we see/know what goes on there. Your last dust-up was because you were trying to sell that "human growth hormone" or whatever it was, breaking the forum rules. It's not moderator bias when you're breaking the rules.
     
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  9. Joy Martin

    Joy Martin Veteran Member
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    I was not selling anything BUT pointing out all the benefits. And Beth you have no idea which forums I'm really talking about as I'm on quite a few and believe on the original post, I commented that I'm on about 5 others NOW. Glad people read posts or don't.

    In my experiences with forums, I've been on loosely moderated ones and ones VERY TIGHTLY...And the 2 yahoo groups that are NOT moderated at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And this is NOT about supplements on this thread.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 30, 2019
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  10. Tex Dennis

    Tex Dennis Veteran Member
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    This is the best there is period!

    I am on a police forum also and have been 11 yrs now, our mods are picked from members for a time frame and do change, we have a review board of members always an odd number 7 usually and the site owner over all but usually goes with the review board findings, no screen names!, all info verified prior membership as to LE work retired or prior-present form all over the world now, it can take a month to get approved at times, also contact info shown, we rarely ever have any issues at all. Mods are changed usually 2-3 times a year, you can ask to be one. All get the chance if they wish to.

    Would some one pm me the other site mentioned? I am also on a UK site with Hitler like mods other than to their cliques.
     
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  11. Joy Martin

    Joy Martin Veteran Member
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    Thanks to the HGH I've tried to tell others about, I'm avoiding major knee surgery. Going on over 9 months of using "it". It's a major part of my life and the nasty joints I live with.

    And I could never be a moderator as I'm too "light on letting people give opinions"....
     
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  12. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Your own earlier post stated that this thread was not about supplements, and yet here you are (again and again) with your one-track mind, regardless of what the thread topic is about.
    Except to tell people which supplements YOU believe they should take, I have yet to see you make a single contributing comment to any of the threads here at this forum.

    And then, you add your slightly veiled insult that @Ken Anderson and I don’t let people give opinions.........
     
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  13. Bess Barber

    Bess Barber Veteran Member
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    I just wouldn't be on a forum where adults treat other adults like children.
     
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