Building Community Spirit

What does everyone think some of the most important elements of building a community spirit are?

Do you think the admin/sets set the pace, or, does the spirit of the community naturally evolve sue to the members who particiapte?

Personally I think the MODs set the pace. If you have a great group of MODs then they will make your forum the place it really needs to be, b/c they are both MODs/Members and can feel out everything in times of need.

I agree that Mods initially do set the pace but I have seen (and very interestingly) that as a forum grows, it seems to develop its own identity. Obviously the Mods and Admin are fundamental to the direction the forum takes, but it is superb to see a community start thriving off each other.

I am totally delighted with the 'Family Friendly' image tMP has had attached to it...:)

Both are correct. The mods shape the original attitude, and then the members kind of take over, being only guided by the mods. IMO the most destructive thing is when the mods become gestapo and dictatorial. Nothing will chase long term members away quicker.

I have seen moderators ruin threads that were very hot by censorship, locking threads for no reason and defending members that could not debate facts when they complained to the moderators by PM's.

This sort of conduct by moderators will ruin any forum as members start discussing among themselves the terrible conduct of the moderators.

Moderation should be neutral and not favor one member or position over another unless it is damaging the forum or the information posted is unfounded propaganda.

Moderators should let the members set the tone of the threads in most cases unless their are no members posting, then moderators should create content for the forum for search engines and to help build the forum for future members.

When a forum grows moderators should back down and let members create most of the content. They should also never tell a member how to post or to change their posting style, I have quit posting at forums when moderators made demands like this on me.

Know what - controlled debate and dispute is good for some forums, IMO. Crippling that freedom to speak will only backfire. People want to speak their mind. Guide them - dont stop them.

Couldn't agree with you more with that comment Joey.... spot on. If you stop debate, or if you move threads without justification, you simply cannot run a fair shop and members will soon see this and move on!!

Well - people are drawn to a debate though also. You should have seen my forum in October before the election. AND I HAVE A CAR SITE! But it was mostly intelligent debate. Here and there I would jump in and remind everyone that we're friends and you have to be civil to each other, but for the most part things went well, and people were coming back often to see what someone else posted next.

Yeah and members also want to have fun, if some moderator jumps in every time an off topic comment comes into a thread and warns the poster to stay on topic or else, that makes posters mad also and they will leave.

In fact, over moderation and censorship is the reason for most forum failures.

For example, this forum has enough moderators for the amount of traffic it has at this time and I think for the next year or so it will be fine without additions.

In fact, over moderation and censorship is the reason for most forum failures.


I couldn't agree more. I've been tinkering around in forums for a pretty long time. When I think back to all the forums I've visited but don't visit anymore they all share one of these characteristics:

1) Out of control mod/admin egos. They knew it all and wouldn't permit any disagreement.
2) Deleting/Editing of posts without explanation (when needed).
3) Banning of long time users/members over minor issues.
4) Excessive advertising.

Been there, done that, ForumJunkie. I've dealt with some pretty amazingly egotistical personalities in my time. Never again!

Aye... me too!

In particular I have very recent experience of #1 in your list FJ as well. The term "Over inflated ego" is an understatement in this case (and I have the proof ;) ).

Funnily enough, after I suggested somewhat tongue-in-cheek that my pragmatic and polite critique would get me banned, the over-inflated-egoist came back with a retort such as... "don't be silly, what on earth would make you think you'd get banned for saying something like that"... which was only said because he wanted his membership to see he was a good chap when in reality he isn't. Guess what... it ended up in a banning... hehe ;). Am more than happy to elaborate if required.

Thing is, what these #1's don't realise is what goes around, comes around... hehehehehe ;)

You sure we weren't on the same site, Music Man? That's exactly the way the ones I've dealt with acted. I just kinda smile to myself when I think about it because I know that one day it will all blow up in their faces.

Well... it would seem that the more people I speak to about this, the more people say they have the same opinion on the way this particular egoist runs his forum as I do. It keeps getting better eh...;)

Certainly not the way to - and I quote the title of this very good thread - build community spirit.

Don't you just love it when you know people are watching and reading and you have all the facts at your fingertips...:)

Well Music Man, this will make you a better moderator here and a better administrator on your own forums.

You now also know how to pick a moderator and what to fire a moderator for.

Couldn't agree more AnthonyCea... thanks...:)

Funny thing is that even the mention of the word moderator brings out strong emotion in forum users, you can see that by the posts here in this thread.

So moderation is critical to the success or failure of any forum. Administrators have to be very careful on who they appoint as moderators.

Some forums do fine with NO moderation and the members self moderate the forum by peer pressure in most cases.

There is a need for moderation within forums though, I have seen members gang up on me at some forums because they could not debate in some cases.

I have also seen moderators jump in to prove to the forum that "they" could beat me in debating my subjects so they could "prove" to the members that I really could be beat, only to embarrass themselves and cause the forum to lose credibility.

Moderation should be neutral in every case and moderators should step back from most heated debates lest they ruin the thread by making "final judgments" and then locking the thread because they got too involved and let their own ego and emotions get caught up in the debate and ruin the thread.

Some of the best threads I have been involved in have been ruined for the forum by bad moderation and forum management.

If an administrator expects forum members to create good content for the forum they can not cause threads to cease and desist themselves, thus shooting the forum in the foot.

SO far im in agreement with all of this. Its almost funny how some people think the only way to solve their problems are by banning people, using IP bans to boot so you cant even see the forum in question. All they do IMO is irritate people to the point that now they are motivated to cause problems.

The bottom line is this, members create the content for the forum, if you want content treat your members like they are paid writers for your newspaper, not slaves that work at your every wish as an administrator or moderator.

Treat your members with respect and do not tell them how to post or try to change their style and they will create content like there is no tomorrow for your forum. Never look down on any member regardless of their level of knowledge, do not punish newbies because they posted in the wrong forum but guide them privately with PM's.

You must manage a forum with much tact as Robert Plant once said about how Jimmy Page got him to become the lead singer for Led Zeppelin when they first got started in 1968.

If you irritate your stars (members) they are not going to sing much for you.

Bottom line is, you cant have much of a community if you act like Saddam.

Personally, I try to moderate by private contact. Unless it's something exceptionally inflammatory, I will usually contact the member in question privately, explain the problem and give them a chance to edit the post in question themselves. I'm not always subtle when I contact them ;) but in the end people seem to take it better if it's done privately. I also expect that to go both ways on my sites. If I am out of line, )it happens; I'm only human too!) I fully expect one of my mods to say something to me.