Minutes of the Forum Moderator training session

[Deleted User]

Many thanks to those members who offered suggestions for the recent meeting of moderators. I haven't indicated where those suggestions occur but you will recognise them as you read through. If any comments haven't been addressed please let me know – some ideas will need to be carried through to the next re-write of the forum which, I believe, will take place next year.

Recruiting new Moderators
We need to advertise this online and indicate what the job involves, how long it takes etc. The training has been simplified as has the first part of the manual

Order of forums
This doesn't make sense, especially in the light of changes needed to the Say Hello Forum, logically the first forum our new members will post to.
Proposed new order

Say Hello
Living With Arthritis
Benefits and working matters
Young People
My child has arthritis
Chat to our Helpline Team
Chit-chat

Changes to the Say Hello forum
Remove sticky from the initial post so each new member begins a new thread
We should have a sticky simply asking new members to introduce themselves. We need to tell new members that their first 2 posts will automatically go into moderation and to advise them to visit the forum information area for useful links and information – this thread to be locked

Moderators will welcome each new member

Changes to the Forum information area
Each of the 3 forums, Getting started, News and requests for help and tech support and feedback need updating as the information is no longer up to date.

Swearing ban
This was confirmed. Re the software: this has been changed so that is denies submission if a spam or swear word is present. You will see
'This message was flagged as spam and has been denied.’
Then the user should review their post for banned words.
Words which slip through the net will be picked up by the moderators with a simple message to say what has been done.

Links
Links from newspapers; health sites; to overseas sites and to you tube are all allowed unless the poster receives financial or other gain from them

Website links in profiles: essentially these are fine as long as they're not spam sites or the poster receives financial or other gain from them

Company names on the forums: are fine as long as the person talking about them is not making money from a promotion - see Forum Rules #2
http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/GetInvo ... orum-rules

[Deleted User]

Planning to start on the alterations this week

Take care
Mod YEH

stickywicket

Thank you, Mods for keeping us in the loop over this

The new order of forums makes much more sense and the other things do seem like improvements – apart from:

Am I right in understanding that, if a post contains a word deemed offensive, the entire post will be lost? If so, how can a poster 'review their post'?

[Deleted User]

Your post is never posted, you get the message and your post is below so it should be easy to amend.

Have a little try to see how it goes :P I just did with a word beginning with b and ending er

Take care
Mod YEH

stickywicket

:? So, when you write "You will see 'This message was flagged as spam and has been denied.’" do you mean the poster will see that in a PM?


Hi,
No pm at all, you will see your post in its unposted state, above that you will see the message in a different colour.

Take care
Mod YEH

dreamdaisy

Thank you, Mod YEH, for the update. The order of the boards makes sense but I daresay posts will still crop up on the wrong forums, human error will always be a factor but this might help to reduce it. DD