How do you become a Moderator for this site??

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 13, 2006

I have seen this term a few times, and have an idea of what it means, but could someone give me an actual definition?
What is a troll? (As mentioned on the discussion boards) I obviously know what a troll is per the fairy tale variety.
Thanks!

This link explains it well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

rn/writer, RN · Sep 13, 2006

Thanks, Jay. (Doffing Jiffy Pop turban--hey THAT must be what the handle is for!) Your most excellent link explains trolldom to a tee.

Most moderation stems from a direct and obvious violation of the TOS in which ALL members here have agreed to abide by, though.

One of the most common problems is that people frequently agree to the ToS without reading them. Then they are just SO surprised that something they wrote was a problem.

Another difficulty is they read the list of rules but don't see how it applies to them.

Finally, an unfortunate number don't understand that free speech rules can have limitations in a privately owned and run forum. Anyone who thinks free-for-alls are a good idea can start their own board (and experience first-hand all the headaches that go with it).

mariedoreen · Sep 13, 2006

There are times though when the political correctness of it all can be a little frustrating, you almost feel like: "How about if you just write what you want me to say and I'll post it ???" The medstudent site isn't moderated quite so heavily and I kind of enjoy that. Just an opinion...

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 13, 2006

how do you get to be a moderator?

1. post, post , post and post some more...just not on joke threads, good morning or game threads.

2. offer help:

question about hct level and lasix??

can anyone please help me with a dumb question?lol

questions about ec practical exam

terms of service?...what is it and how does it affect me?

3. have specific expertise that your willing to share:

tips for new nurse educators

tips for making your clinical day better

meds for staff members ??

a primer for all that wish to work in the us

4. welcome new members:

rn trying to get back into the field and have to take a meds test.... help

switching jobs

new to the forum

hi, first timer-help me find the best forum

5. have a passion for nursing, patient advocacy and demonstrating what nurses do:

the pt advocate thread--you did it when...

famous nurses from the civil war

the perfect shift

kathryn's story

one of my favorite moments... elderly pt

6. have a sense of humor:

last chance cyber saloon open...

investments for 2006

check out the back cover of november's ajn!!

funniest real orders you have seen in a chart?

members of the mod team point out frequent posters who repeatedly offer great advice, help self police threads and answer posters questions pointing out where to get answers on the board. periodically, brian reviews moderator activity to make sure mod team members active in forums. some mods resign due to family life/work commitments so need to replace staff periodically. moderators are asked for input into who might make good moderators then brian sends out inquiry/ questionnaire. only about 40 % members approached accept becoming moderator---all done on volunteer basis.....our opportunity to "pay it forward".

difference between moderator status?

moderator:

tends to business only in forums volunteer for and assigned to them.

reinforce terms of service and answer posts in their forums only.

given silver moderator shield and logo.

super moderator:

responsible for forums assigned to them but can backup-assist anywhere on the board. help add content and initiate threads on varying topics to keep forums lively.

reinforce terms of service and respond to any reported post. approve moderated members posts.

ban accounts of spammers "i've gota tv/pda for you....free herbal supplement...check out our free land". able to close accounts of members who repeatedly violate tos despite guidance/warnings with alert to admin team re final decision to ban from site.

get to play with many behind scene buttons.

given gold moderator shield and logo.

administrator:

responsible for forums assigned.

mentor new moderators and helping moderators perform their job by being sounding board/giving advice. interpret tos grey areas.

moderate administrative site feedback area.

responsible for maintaining positive, collaborative and supportive bulletin board. final say in banning members. look at ways to creatively turn threads around or close for cooling off period. add original content to board.

suggest new forums. change members bb names. instruct/protect privacy regs when new posters reveal way too much personal info and ensure hipaa/legal tos followed. approve moderated posts. back up brian during his vacations (boy does he travel!).

get to play with many, many buttons daily. not permitted to :sofahider.

given teflon coat of armor, inherit ted's eau de ban spray can and have logo.

anyone interested in joining our mod squad can always leave message in

administrators site feedback for future consideration.

final thoughts from brian per tos:

though we certainly are a little stricter here than other boards, i think you'll agree that it is necessary when dealing with such a large membership. we can guarantee that most of you will never even realize there are guidelines here. you will enjoy a great deal of freedom here, with the ability to freely debate upon a number of subjects, as long as you remain civil and polite to each other.
you are among the most intelligent, friendly, experienced, passionate and vocal nursing posters anywhere on the internet. you are part of a bb whose opinions are widely read by men and women considering nursing, nursing assistants, students and nurses: rn's and lpn/lvn's from across the us and through out the world especially australia, canada, uk, and others. this website is one of the most highly respected within the nursing community and is listed as a resource in nursing publications and at other nursing related websites. we didn't get to that status without the professional and courteous contributions of our membership. we welcome you to a place you will soon call home.

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2006

Whoops! Didn't see karen't post!

I think it's an unfair conclusion that some of our actions get lumped into "politically correct". Believe me, we aren't "politically correct" - I'm not sure it's been mentioned here, but moderation isn't done per whim and fancy. Moderators have our own secret forum where threads are posted and opinions sought. Discussion takes place and consensus is arrived at before action is taken. :)

We tend to give off a perception of being "politically correct" because experience has taught us that the opposite is simply not worth it. There aren't enough hours in the day to extinguish every little flame fest and troll war that would erupt if sensible posting isn't enforced. Thus our interventions are many a time equivalent to the old "nipping it in the bud" - it seems harsh, but I believe cleaning up after a flame war is worse.:)

A while back someone asked me how to post/debate without violating the TOS. This is what I told them, culled from my experience over the years at 4 different forums:

I have a few "tips" I try and follow when I'm posting on any bulletin board:

* I maintain the discussion as if it were happening in real life and that others are physically present. For example, if anything I post might earn me a punch on the nose in real life, I try and not post it.

* On touchy topics and touchy threads, I generally stop and read and re-read my post before I post a reply. Sometimes, when I read something particularly flammeable, I resist all temptation to respond and 'up the ante' - I reserve my comments for when "passion" has been replaced with "reason". I take a small break. I also inform the moderators of the forum of the offending post.

* I find it best to be as unambiguous as possible - even if it means typing an extra 5 sentences. The internet is a hard enough medium to decipher intent (since we lack feedback from non-verbal cues as we do in real life), without confusing it further by making deliberately vague comments. Also, before I jump in and tell someone for being misleading, incongruous or inflammatory - I request clarrification [Gentlemen give their opponents a fair shake and a fair shot. Chivalry isn't all dead ].

* I cannot stress the importance of reading through the entire thread before making a comment.

* And as regards posting material/links -- try to follow TOS regarding "Age". Does PG-13 apply to what you are about to post?

Try also to decipher if the content is deliberately inflammatory - a good idea is to see if there are many overt generalizations, belittling comments, Ad hominem attacks, blanket claims etc.

Lastly, I would also like to state that just because Moderators act on any particular post or thread, it isn't a reflection on the poster. It's a reflection on the content - content deemed inappropriate for the boards. The moderators may or may not agree with the ideas and/or principles espoused in the link/article - but board rules are board rules and must be enforced.

Believe it or not:: my very first thread on allnurses.com was locked for gross violation of TOS for inappropriate language and content! I was assigned points for being a pest.

We all make mistakes - but it's equally important that we use them as learning experiences.

cheers,

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2006

Ban accounts of spammers "I've gota TV/PDA for you....FREE herbal supplement...Check out our FREE LAND".

Back up Brian during his vacations (boy does he travel!).
Get to play with many, many buttons Daily. Not permitted to :sofahider.
Given Teflon coat of armor, inherit Ted's eau de BAN spray can and have logo.

I think I need to make a smiley of 'Eu de Ban' and gift it to you guys

leslie :-D · Sep 13, 2006

Whoops! Didn't see karen't post!
I think it's an unfair conclusion that some of our actions get lumped into "politically correct". Believe me, we aren't "politically correct" - I'm not sure it's been mentioned here, but moderation isn't done per whim and fancy. Moderators have our own secret forum where threads are posted and opinions sought. Discussion takes place and consensus is arrived at before action is taken. :)
We tend to give off a perception of being "politically correct" because experience has taught us that the opposite is simply not worth it. There aren't enough hours in the day to extinguish every little flame fest and troll war that would erupt if sensible posting isn't enforced. Thus our interventions are many a time equivalent to the old "nipping it in the bud" - it seems harsh, but I believe cleaning up after a flame war is worse.:)

why do you consider ones' (or several?) perception of needing to be politically correct, unfair?

it's not fair to project a 'we' vs. 'them' gen'l statement.

when you refer to "we", as in "we, the mods", it's not being completely accurate in speaking for all.

perhaps you're speaking in ideals, but that is not the reality.

we (the members) have all seen the different styles unique to ea mod.

and some do respond on a whim, presumably for the sake of immediate intervention.

one mod might give a series of warnings with appropriate limit-setting and redirection.

another mod may come across as abrupt and absolute.

granted, i'm sure any and all questionable threads w/questionable posts, are discussed as a team.

but over the yrs, i have seen questionable comments and actions of different mods; and the subsequent frustration that ensued related to broad inconsistencies.

so i just don't think you can say "we" and honestly represent all mods, all voices, all perspectives.

what one mod finds inappropriate, another mod does not.

furthermore, there have been mods who posted right along in these heated threads, w/o ever feeling the need to 'moderate'.

but then, another mod will come along and close it down.

it's not conducive for self-discovery and growth, to suggest that "we the mods" all stick together and this is why we do what we do.

it's a learning process for all of us.

so while a few may benefit from your tips on maintaining decorum, i am quite satisfied that the majority of allnurses members, are mature and courteous adults who do know how to debate with civility and respect.

no matter what profession you're in, there will always be a few who thrive on being antagonistic or do not think before they speak.

personalities and their flaws, are evident whether you're a member or a mod.

it really does work both ways.

it would benefit this bb when we all recognize that it's just not about us or them.

we're in this together.

and so, somes' perception of being expected to be politically correct, is not unfair.

rather than trying to defend it, it would benefit everyone, to take a few minutes and actually reflect on the writers' concerns.

leslie

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2006

Leslie, I understand what you're saying. Really I do.

However, you should know by now that the mods aren't going to let this thread stray too much from the original topic of how one becomes a mod, and into a discussion of our faults, inconconsistencies and how we moderate, or how our personalities change once we become a mod.

I personally have used the administrative feedback site more than a few times to bring similar concerns. This site is not visible to us mods, but just the administrators. Sometimes it's resulted in things going my way like a thread being reopened, other times it merely allowed me to express my concerns and opinions which at least made me feel better.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Sep 13, 2006

I think a discussion of moderating can really be productive when members have suggestions or questions. Not just discussing how to be a moderator, but actually talking about decisions and how they are made. I think shutting down the thread would be counterproductive. We all need feedback, positive and negative.

That said, I also have always thought the feedback forum should be visible to all moderators, not just admin. Brian and the admin team have every right to make whatever decisions they want to- but honest feedback from members helps all moderators.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 13, 2006

Brian developed Admin Site Feedback so members could leave feedback, report concerns regarding how forums moderated, request for name changes, closing of accounts, make suggestions for bb upgrade/special features allowing privacy from entire bb.

Occasionally, I will ask a member if I can share info with entire Mod Team and will do so when appropriate.

Together many hands make light work.

Anyone interested in more info re How do you become a Moderator for this site?? can contact any of the admin team.

Mod Application questions include:

Prior bulletin board moderating experience?

Which forum(s) would you be interested in moderating and why?

Number of years of nursing experience?

What is your Clinical Expertise?

Please provide your nursing license# and the state/country you are registered.

How would you describe yourself as a member currently?

Regarding the forum(s) you are applying for:

1) what current forum strengths are present?

2) what current forum weaknesses are present?

If you became a Moderator, how would your forum(s) benefit from your presence?

How would you go about promoting activity on the board as a whole?

What would impair your ability to moderate forums on a regular basis?

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Moderators may be student nurses. The application is shared with Moderator Team, posting history reviewed with Brian making final decision to bring a new mod aboard.

I've learned and grown as a person and RN from my many interactions with moderators and bb members over the years.

Always believed knowledge = personal power so willing to share the wealth.......especially about nursing! Links + more links!!

Best benefit of volunteering as Moderator: FREE allnurses pens!!!!!!

rn/writer, RN · Sep 13, 2006

Anyone who wants to communicate with the mod squad en masse can either report a post or PM any of us and ask us to share the message with the rest of the group.

The reported posts go to a Staff Forum that we all have access to. PM'd messages can be posted to a Staff Review Forum that, again, we can all see and respond to.

If you feel a thread was closed prematurely and would like to express your opinion or ask questions, by all means, contact one of us and share your concerns. One of my earliest experiences with PM'ing was respectfully challenging the closing of a thread. It had gotten a bit heated, but the two main antagonists had made peace with one another and put the thread back on track. I wasn't sure the mod who had closed the thread was aware that the problem had been resolved. After my PM, the thread was reopened and went on to produce several more pages of worthwhile posts.

The thing you don't want to do is challenge mods publicly. This would be like mouthing off to an officer in the military. It's a violation of the ToS and it's unnecessary as there are other means provided for expressing your dissatisfaction. Complaining about a mod's actions or messages within a thread is often a form of hijacking it and is NOT well received. Use the report or PM functions if you want to lodge a complaint.

We take respectful criticism seriously, evaluating it as a group and often mulling over a number of possible responses. The thing is, we're only human. With a couple of dozen people involved in moderating, it would be unrealistic to expect absolute uniformity in our decision making. We strive to be consistent, not so much with the letter of the law, but with the spirit.

We take a number of things into consideration when giving warning points, putting a member on moderation, or shutting down a thread. Is the poster someone who is a frequent source of concern? Is the subject matter hot enough without crossing the language line? Does there seem to be a run on certain types of violations? Are there just one or two problem posters in a thread or is the whole thing heading south? And so on.

One more thing. Sometimes when a thread is closed or some other action is taken, there are things going on behind the scenes that we are not at liberty to share. Sometimes the OP asks us to close the thread. Other times, we find out that people are posting under more than one identity and intentionally stirring the pot. There are many possibilities and some we just can't reveal.

We try our best to keep threads open and members happy. When there are problems, we try to put our heads together to come up with the best solution. Occasionally, we rethink a decision, either on our own or because a member has asked us to. We really do take this responsibility seriously.

Your best option, if there is any question, is to contact us privately and state your thoughts with a reasonable tone. I can't stress that enough.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Sep 13, 2006

Before this site, I normally hung around in 'chat rooms'. What a different culture! Flames for no reason and all the time. Trolling an art form. The only point is to find someone to chat with and take it off room - as quickly as possible.

What I like about allnurses: posting instead of real time response means some give and take time to organize a thoughtful response. It lends to more intelligent conversation. And, the mods DO play a large role in directing those conversations more toward intelligent exchanges.

I don't always agree with the mods, but I absolutely agree with the environment they create.

The only other experience I've had with a 'moderated' BB was a Christian site and it wasn't very well moderated. Boy howdy! You can tell tons about how a person defines their Christianity when they think they have an ounce of anonimity!

Allnurses is the bomb. And the reason why: its moderators. They reflect the quality of this site, indeed, they ARE the quality of this site.

(wiping off my nose, now)

~faith,

Timothy.