Some members, probably many of them don’t have the slightest interest in going up against authority. They WANT to obey the rules. They want to respect you. I can’t emphasize that enough. If you find you are getting a lot of members disagreeing with Admin and and you’re having to hand out more and more warnings and infractions ask yourself this:

!. Are the posted rules clear? Are they easy to understand? Don’t just assume that “any idiot could understand them” You would be surprised. You have to understand your own rules and be able to articulate exactly what is meant. NOTHING drives a member more crazy than rules that are ambiguous and confusing. Some will contact Admin to demand clarification. There’s a ton who never do. They just don’t.

2. Can some ‘favorite members’ get around the rules with no punishment, but others have to toe the line? If you think no one is watching–beleive me, everyone sees it.

3. Despite your best efforts, has the community descended into politics and what members you will protect at any cost? Some of the ones you think are the “troublemakers” are actually getting subtly bullied by these usually longtime members and treated with hostility. Are you turning a blind eye to some things? Are you shrugging away the “troublemaker” ? Sometimes–not always–but sometimes they are sincerely hurt and outraged and never wanted any bad thing to happen at all.

If you want to get a member out in order to protect the “majority” then ask yourself: who is the majority? Is the majority the “other good members”? How do you define “good”? How do they define it? Think about it.

Smiley – Dealing with disagreements with maturity as you mention can help prevent them from degrading into abuse. Leading by example is the best way of proactively reducing flame wars and offensive posts.

When I first started, I just used my Alf Garnett-style political humour on my forums, and others followed, so even the serious discussions are debated in a light-hearted manner. Not too many problems arise.

Cody – Yes, IP proxies can be a pain however if you temporarily switch off automatic activation for new accounts, it doesn’t matter how they are registering on your site – they won’t be able to post.

Nicole – I am glad your strategy is working for you. I would recommend you email users with a warning before you delete any posts; very often you are then able to prevent any further occurrence of the behaviour you are concerned about.

John – Sure, you should tell a member why they have had action taken against them, but I disagree this should be publicly broadcast. Why risk further conflict if you don’t have to?

Reena – An overzealous moderator can destroy an online community. You really need to ensure that moderators understand that their primary role is to encourage interaction and discussion – not stifle it!

Make Money – Yes, it is important to remember that your site is yours. However, it is also important to remember that you should ensure your members feel some sense of shared ownership if you want to win their trust and loyalty.

Auto – I disagree. Yes, some abusive users can be really problematic however you need to remember it is much easier for you to delete accounts than it is for them to register a new email address, use a new IP address and register on your forum. In the end, you will always win.

I think doing things in private only is the best way to go. I’ve never let it escalate to the point of banning. It takes a lot of patience and a clear, cool head to deal with abusive members.

One of my formerly abusive members is now one of my favourite wind ups. I allow him his ‘play time’ without him resorting to offensive comments and/or personal attacks, but have carefully steered him towards more fun, banterful wind ups. He still gets the reaction and attention he wants, but what he does is no longer offensive and users have an ignore function on my phpBB boards. If they don’t like someone’s posts, they can put them on ignore.

It’s an adult site, so I expect them to act like adults. Encouraging them to come crying to you about everything and banning everyone for everything is treating them like children. Treat them like children, they’ll act like children.

Treat them like adults… you get the picture.

John