Mod Posts - Some Rules Tweaks

[olivermoss]

Hey all!

I am reworking the comm's rules and guidelines a bit because they seem to be confusing people. I've gotten several questions about them recently. Some of the rules and wording that has been causing confusion got added because other people specifically requested it. I've shortened and simplified the rules. I am a fan of comms haveing very few and very short rules. Long or complicated rules tends to be off-putting and confusing.

The tl:dr of the rules is: Be clear about whether a work has actual trans rep or not. Use an LJ-cut for sensitive content. Don't drag Harry Potter discourse in here, it's too big a sprawling a drama for me to know if a post or comment is vagueing about something.



Someone asked that I specify in the rules that I don't ban for one mistake. That rule seemed ominous, so I took it out. I've run comms since like 2003 and I've never banned or publicly called out anyone for anything on any LJ, DW or Discord community.

The only time I've banned someone it was from anime convention forum and I'm not going to get into that situation. Let's just say it was a clear-cut situation.

I am very sorry if that rule did help one person, but spelling all that out was making the rules long and seem like the comm had drama going on, and it hasn't so far!

I do have the comm on moderated posted because it makes my job as a mod easier. I've approved every post so far. But if there is ever a problem, that heads it off at the pass.

I don't have much time today so I'll likely take another pass at them later this week. But hopefully they are a bit clearer and shorter now!

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I am reworking the comm's rules and guidelines a bit because they seem to be confusing people. I've gotten several questions about them recently. <<

Thank you! It's good to keep things updated.

>> I've shortened and simplified the rules. I am a fan of comms haveing very few and very short rules. Long or complicated rules tends to be off-putting and confusing. <<

There's always a balance between too much or too little information.

As a moderator, I usually write things down the second or third time I get the same or similar question. I figure if 2-3 people are asking about it, others probably wonder but haven't asked.

I agree that rules should be concise, but it might help to have a FAQ list. Can I post X here? What if Y in the story? Does Z count? Those are the kind of questions I'd expect to repeat here, and having an easy place to find answers might boost participation.

Maybe also develop a framework or set of frameworks that people can use for posts if they want. I've been working to post about my trans and related writing, and it's evolving as I go along because I think of new things to put in. Some comms have a sort of template for posting stories, reviews, recommendations, etc. that can be helpful in remembering to include key details. As with rules, it should be detailed enough to be useful but not so long it's a nuisance to fill out.

Also, if we ever manage to get a database for trans works, that sort of thing would make data entry easier.

>>I've run comms since like 2003 and I've never banned or publicly called out anyone for anything on any LJ, DW or Discord community.<<

Then you've been lucky or competent. Drama is a common problem. I don't have that problem in my blog because I've told my audience what I expect. The last drama was when someone blew past "WARN ALL THE THINGS" (in bold red letters, no less), then bitched about the content and flounced out. *eyeroll* Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Conversely, the SFPA list melts down 2-3 times a year. Very tedious.

It depends a lot on a given audience, but also on the moderator(s) -- how well they've defined the space and how they defuse conflicts. If you're good and careful, you can build up an audience with low drama. If someone tries to start a flamewar on my blog, one of my fans has usually put it out by the time I even see it. \o/ But I know that not everywhere is like that, and drama is a pretty serious problem online today.

Thanks for doing your part to make a rational discussion zone.

Re: Thoughts

[olivermoss]

Luck definitely plays a role in why I haven't had to deal with too much drama. I have lots of stories of removing people from offline events. I've banned people from physical spaces, but online? Not so much.

I had a few people message me about things they thought might go wrong in the comm and I put in too many rules that were a response to that. This is a discussion com, I don't need to specify that this isn't a place for medical advice. If that ever happens then I'll deal with it. And I have moderated posting on, so it would get caught there if it happened.

If there are too many rules people stoop reading and may feel overwhelmed. That happened a lot when some LJ mods tried to restart fandom comms on Imzy. They tried to restart Crack Van and when I asked for a posting slot I was sent 3 pages of rules and guidelines.

I find that posting guidelines work for the old school LJ crowd but not for people who came from other spaces. I might add that if I can get the rules post super short, but the page is still too long and specific as it is.

Thanks!

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> If there are too many rules people stoop reading and may feel overwhelmed. <<

I agree.

>> That happened a lot when some LJ mods tried to restart fandom comms on Imzy. They tried to restart Crack Van and when I asked for a posting slot I was sent 3 pages of rules and guidelines. <<

Yikes. That probably is too much. 0_o

>> I find that posting guidelines work for the old school LJ crowd but not for people who came from other spaces. I might add that if I can get the rules post super short, but the page is still too long and specific as it is.<<

I don't think it's just a matter of timing. It's about how people want to communicate. Bloggers want a big, flexible space where they can have whole conversations, or post things like videos and photos to talk about. A lot of the later services are the exact opposite -- much smaller spaces that hold less information and are more designed for idle browsing than close interactions.

Well, the more diverse and flexible and voluminous a space is, the more it needs parameters to define what it is and how to use it. Twitter doesn't need that because what you can do with it is so limited. The platform itself sets most of the rules. From there, it's just a matter of figuring out what type and amount of rules will best suit a given goal.

Just keep tweaking your site parameters until you like the way they're working. I've been creating, and coaching people on creating, online venues for decades. It's not that hard, it just takes attention. You'll figure out what works for this community. It's a promising comm.