Topical question of the day, how would you do it, what do you think is the best way?
If I ran a forum, I would enforce rules on questions posted and delete all repeat posts immediately. When you first joined my forum it would appear somewhat heavy handed, but after a few weeks you would realise what a fantastically organised resource it was and how easy it was to find an answer or get help on your problem. You'd soon realise the approach and respect it for what it actually gave you, not how it treated you at the start.
I'd have rules of no links until 20 posts had been made, you can't have a site review until you yourself have done a site review, basically encouraging people to join who want to play an active part in the community. I'd also have a £10 joining fee to pay for the hosting of it. I'd run a competition of some kind and run official rewards on a monthly/annual basis to reward the top people on there.
This approach would mean people would leave of course, it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but what it would do is prepare those who stayed, for what is inside and how it runs. Whenever we go somewhere new, it's a period of adjustment, whether that be a new job or house and there is always a period of adjustment for everyone. That time is also the most important one to set down ground rules and illustrate how things work.
I would allow all banter and conversations to occur and would only come down hard on religious, racial or any abuse towards a person's family. I'd provide a warning for the first time and then a posting ban for 2 weeks after that. If above rules were not broken, i'd not close or moderate in anyway, because I am yet to see a thread not manage itself personally, one of the parties always gets bored or takes the high ground in the end. I want people to be people and do as they wish following a few simple rules for the good of all, I'm not after a utopian community, I'm after a real life one as it is out on the streets.
That's how I'd do it, how would you do yours? If mine would fail, why would it?
If I ran a forum, I would enforce rules on questions posted and delete all repeat posts immediately. When you first joined my forum it would appear somewhat heavy handed, but after a few weeks you would realise what a fantastically organised resource it was and how easy it was to find an answer or get help on your problem. You'd soon realise the approach and respect it for what it actually gave you, not how it treated you at the start.
I'd have rules of no links until 20 posts had been made, you can't have a site review until you yourself have done a site review, basically encouraging people to join who want to play an active part in the community. I'd also have a £10 joining fee to pay for the hosting of it. I'd run a competition of some kind and run official rewards on a monthly/annual basis to reward the top people on there.
This approach would mean people would leave of course, it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but what it would do is prepare those who stayed, for what is inside and how it runs. Whenever we go somewhere new, it's a period of adjustment, whether that be a new job or house and there is always a period of adjustment for everyone. That time is also the most important one to set down ground rules and illustrate how things work.
I would allow all banter and conversations to occur and would only come down hard on religious, racial or any abuse towards a person's family. I'd provide a warning for the first time and then a posting ban for 2 weeks after that. If above rules were not broken, i'd not close or moderate in anyway, because I am yet to see a thread not manage itself personally, one of the parties always gets bored or takes the high ground in the end. I want people to be people and do as they wish following a few simple rules for the good of all, I'm not after a utopian community, I'm after a real life one as it is out on the streets.
That's how I'd do it, how would you do yours? If mine would fail, why would it?
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