Comments on: Responding to a community revolt http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/ Community Building Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:04:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Martin Reed - Blog Author http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-17443 Martin Reed - Blog Author Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:53:10 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-17443 <strong>Tathar</strong> - Thanks for linking to your moderator guidelines; all communities that have moderators should be giving guidelines to their staff, and I applaud you for doing so. You're right when you suggest that by ensuring moderators know what is expected of them and know how to behave, you are reducing the risk of a community revolt. It is worth pointing out, though that not all revolts will be as a result of moderator actions. For example, you might decide to change a site feature or design which could have your members up in arms! Even if you do have patient and mature moderators, you still may find you have no choice but to ban a popular member. This may result in a community revolt. Having effective moderators will definitely reduce the likelihood of a community revolt, but it won't necessarily prevent them. Tathar – Thanks for linking to your moderator guidelines; all communities that have moderators should be giving guidelines to their staff, and I applaud you for doing so. You’re right when you suggest that by ensuring moderators know what is expected of them and know how to behave, you are reducing the risk of a community revolt. It is worth pointing out, though that not all revolts will be as a result of moderator actions. For example, you might decide to change a site feature or design which could have your members up in arms!

Even if you do have patient and mature moderators, you still may find you have no choice but to ban a popular member. This may result in a community revolt. Having effective moderators will definitely reduce the likelihood of a community revolt, but it won’t necessarily prevent them.

]]> By: Tathar http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-17437 Tathar Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:59:30 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-17437 Actually, if you ensure that all staff/moderators follow effective moderation at all times (and not take action if they're unsure it helps the community) then it's very unlikely you'll have this problem. The site I linked to has never had a major community revolt because all moderators and staff are effective mediators and never practice overzealous moderation. Link to the moderator guidelines: http://www.kongregate.com/pages/moderators Actually, if you ensure that all staff/moderators follow effective moderation at all times (and not take action if they’re unsure it helps the community) then it’s very unlikely you’ll have this problem. The site I linked to has never had a major community revolt because all moderators and staff are effective mediators and never practice overzealous moderation.

Link to the moderator guidelines: http://www.kongregate.com/pages/moderators

]]> By: What everyone ought to know about forums » Online Community Building http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-12901 What everyone ought to know about forums » Online Community Building Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:59:53 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-12901 [...] It sounds brutal, but it’s true. If your members have one opinion but you have another, your members are always destined to win. If you stick to your guns over an unpopular decision, you risk alienating the community and sending them elsewhere. The last thing you want is a community revolt.  [...]

]]> By: Martin Reed http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-644 Martin Reed Tue, 08 May 2007 22:00:02 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-644 Josh: Thanks for the comment, I am glad you enjoyed the article! I agree that sometimes the best way of addressing a revolt is to do nothing. Ray: It's great to hear that you are planning on starting a forum from scratch in June. I hope you take the time to dig around the 'Archives' and 'Top Posts' sections of this blog for some relevant articles that will be useful to you. Josh: Thanks for the comment, I am glad you enjoyed the article! I agree that sometimes the best way of addressing a revolt is to do nothing.

Ray: It’s great to hear that you are planning on starting a forum from scratch in June. I hope you take the time to dig around the ‘Archives’ and ‘Top Posts’ sections of this blog for some relevant articles that will be useful to you.

]]> By: Ray http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-631 Ray Tue, 08 May 2007 19:46:56 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-631 Some great advice here. I plan to start my first forum in June and I am quite worried about this sort of thing. Thanks. Some great advice here. I plan to start my first forum in June and I am quite worried about this sort of thing.

Thanks.

]]> By: Josh Buckley http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-627 Josh Buckley Tue, 08 May 2007 17:19:32 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-627 Great article, something i really can relate to. I've had some problems with my community in the past. I always find letting it die down the best way to go. Great article, something i really can relate to. I’ve had some problems with my community in the past. I always find letting it die down the best way to go.

]]> By: Martin Reed http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-625 Martin Reed Tue, 08 May 2007 15:31:33 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-625 Chicago - I think all community sites are vulnerable to user revolts! I find that the older the community or the more entrenched the members are, the bigger the revolt will be if one occurs! I will see what I can do about putting up a live example in the future. Biddy - Well that was a little overhanded, eh? Unfortunately it can be all too easy to lose your cool at the slightest sign of trouble. It is so important to be calm and take stock before reacting. Additionally there is nothing wrong in admitting you are wrong if on reflection you regret any changes you have made. Chasing people down to other forums just sounds ridiculous and I am sure that if this person were honest with themselves, they would be regretting their actions. As I mention in my article, I am a firm believer in light moderation as opposed to heavy-handedness. This makes a community far more pleasant and encourages interaction. Chicago – I think all community sites are vulnerable to user revolts! I find that the older the community or the more entrenched the members are, the bigger the revolt will be if one occurs! I will see what I can do about putting up a live example in the future.

Biddy – Well that was a little overhanded, eh? Unfortunately it can be all too easy to lose your cool at the slightest sign of trouble. It is so important to be calm and take stock before reacting. Additionally there is nothing wrong in admitting you are wrong if on reflection you regret any changes you have made.

Chasing people down to other forums just sounds ridiculous and I am sure that if this person were honest with themselves, they would be regretting their actions.

As I mention in my article, I am a firm believer in light moderation as opposed to heavy-handedness. This makes a community far more pleasant and encourages interaction.

]]> By: Biddy http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-622 Biddy Tue, 08 May 2007 14:43:31 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-622 Very interesting. I recently witnessed a rather nasty mess in a forum that my husband frequents. Members started criticising over-heavy moderation; anyone who criticised was blocked from the site - and then the owner of the site started following members to *other* forums, and blocking anyone who criticised his site in those forums too. Frankly, I think the guy does not have the right temperament to be running any kind of online community. Very interesting. I recently witnessed a rather nasty mess in a forum that my husband frequents. Members started criticising over-heavy moderation; anyone who criticised was blocked from the site – and then the owner of the site started following members to *other* forums, and blocking anyone who criticised his site in those forums too. Frankly, I think the guy does not have the right temperament to be running any kind of online community.

]]> By: Chicago 2016 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-619 Chicago 2016 Tue, 08 May 2007 14:25:36 +0000 http://www.communityspark.com/responding-to-a-community-revolt/#comment-619 I'm still new to the idea of building online communities. I'd love to read about an example of this. Are there types of sites more prone to online revolts? I’m still new to the idea of building online communities. I’d love to read about an example of this. Are there types of sites more prone to online revolts?

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