How to improve moderation.....

[#1]

Quote from: Steve

@christmas, Tell me a forum that does not have Its regulars? etc...

Hello Steve M,
If you have regular contributors to a forum which has relatively low use then there is a danger of a cosy almost closed group unitentionally being formed. Where there is a forum with a large number of users the regulars can't have dominate and shape the forum to their liking due to the vast number of contributions from individuals with a different standpoint.
As to this forum it's geared to customers of PlusNet, some contributions could be by customers who feel totally frustrated because what they regard as an issue hasn't been resolved, it's very easy for others to dismiss them as 'ranters & ravers' and 'disruptive'.
As an outsider it seems to me some people are allowed to troll, be unconstructive and thus disruptive because they are a member of what I regard as a clan of regulars.

[#2]

Quote from: CJ

I also noticed, within this thread, a post complaining about people's literacy skills - or lack of them. I wonder, should my husband post here, if he would be perceived as stupid because he's dyslexic and his grammar and spelling aren't always up to scratch?

It is not just on this thread. Criticism of members literacy skills is commonplace on this forum.

[#3]

@christmas
I like my contributors knowledgable on broadband, computers and the workings of Plusnet. I can put up with them being real people with attitudes 

[#4]

and it is only a few, very few who make remarks about grammar.
Me - last went to a secondary school 59 years ago, and we were never taught that, first time I found some of it was when I was trying to learn Italian in the 90's as I was working every summer for a month in the heel of Italy.
And I get fed up with pointed comments from one person in particular

[#5]

Quote from: Oddball

It is not just on this thread. Criticism of members literacy skills is commonplace on this forum.

I don't recall seeing many instances of such criticism, especially directed against individuals.
Can you post some links to examples of "Criticism of members literacy skills" ?
The last such statement I recall was this -

Quote from: Oddball

these mindless zombies that join Plusnet after seeing the adverts on CBB will then descend en mass to these forums and further offend our sensibilities with poor spelling and  even worse may even start a thread to extol the pleasures of Celebrity Big Brother.

which I appreciate in its intended context was a humourous summary of what had been said before AND is in no way directed against any specific member - but you never know how other people are going to react it they have not read the full thread.

[#6]

Quote from: Oddball

Criticism of members literacy skills is commonplace on this forum.

Every forum. 
And that's not all, by a VERY long way if you stray into the "big wide world".........

[#7]

I think the moderators on this forum do a difficult job very very well - thank you!
I also sometimes feel irritated by (sometimes repeated) moaning about a given issue, sometimes by new posters; this contrasts with posters who engage with the topic even if they have a different perspective.
But while I don't think it's a major cause of concern (and don't recognise the characterisation of this forum as totally dominated by this problem), I have felt at times that there is a clique of regular/long-term posters.  I've felt that there have been times when I've tried to start or participate in a discussion, but my contributions have been ignored whereas contributions have not been ignored from more regular and long-term posters.  
I think this is an "emergent" property of online forums (and so there isn't any blame to be placed), and this forum is not an extreme example of this.  But this emergent property is something that should be recognised and monitored, by the mods and the regular/long-term posters; and perhaps this thread is a useful "flagging-up" of this issue for ongoing consideration.
Even if people don't recognise that clique-like behaviour sometimes occurs on this forum, isn't it possible or even likely to happen in general on online forums?  So therefore isn't it worth looking out for it here, to make sure it doesn't happen (or at least keep it to a minimum)?
I hope you can detect my generally positive, conciliatory, friendly tone, as I offer some minor constructive criticism; and that my intention is to be helpful and encouraging in this post.

[#8]

To be honest this topic has strayed away from its original purpose  and as such as gone off topic. This isn't a general chit chat part of the forum. The majority agree the mods to a fantastic job, Perhaps one can sort this thread out?

[#9]

Quote from: snozboz

I've felt that there have been times when I've tried to start or participate in a discussion, but my contributions have been ignored whereas contributions have not been ignored from more regular and long-term posters.

I think that has happened to everyone at some stage, and is down to the luck of the draw as to whether anyone else is in the mood to respond, or whether anyone other than the original topic poster finds the subject interesting enough to engage with.

[#10]

Quote from: purleigh

Several points there - 1)  The number of Plusnet's customers has increased by a massive amount in the last year, and there have been several recent forum postings quoting the previously thought 200,000 - but were quickly corrected by staff to the latest 500,000 figure.     According to the forum stats - http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?action=stats - 17748 is not an insignificant number of forum members.

Someone else pointed out the number of contributions to this community site is pretty low compared to the number of PlusNet customers.
The 17748 figure may be impressive to you but but it's insignificant compared to the 500,000 subscribers (around 3.5%).
If you analyse the figures further you may see why I think the number of registered users of this forum is insignificant.
Currently the average daily sign up this forum is said to be 10 people a day, at that rate it would have taken roughly 5 years to achieve 17748 members. If as you stated there was 200,000 customers then the sign up rate was probably even lower and therefore it could have taken closer to 10 years to building up the current membership of this forum.
I suspect a high volume of those registering for the forum do so to raise a query regarding PlusNet or as indicated by the regulars 'rant & rave' about the service, therefore it's likely they put 1 or 2 messages up get the matter answered or resolved and go on their merry way, having no more to do with the forum.
In my own case, last year I came to the community site to query the unreasonable charge of £1.50 for paying by card, other than that I had no reason to visit the community site or its forums.
Therefore of the 17748 registered yesterday a large chunk may have registered some time ago, had a response, and never visited the community site or its forums again.
The actual number of what could be regarded as active accounts could be far low than the 17748 registered users, observing the activity on these forums compared to other forums I am involved with this is a very sleepy village.
If one individual can be regarded as disrupting the entire forum and become the subject of snide remarks by regulars then that indicates to me an extremely low usage of a forum and how easy it is for a clan of like minded people to unwittingly dominate a forum.
Throw into the mix the type of customers Plusnet is apparently attempting to attract through sponsorip then I can see a clash of cultures happening on this community site.

[#11]

Quote from: Oddball

It is not just on this thread. Criticism of members literacy skills is commonplace on this forum.

When criticism of someone's literacy is done to belittle and to dismiss or ignore their contribution, to me that is wrong.
dick:green Quote fixed.

[#12]

@christmas
I’m not completely sure that I’m following your thoughts on forum member numbers and can’t understand the point your making. I’m sure your figures are accurate and are in line with what I would probably have thought the numbers would be. You say yourself that ‘other than that I had no reason to visit the community site or its forums’. If asked I reckon I would have said that 95% of Plusnet (or any other firm’s for that matter) customers are not members of the forum; I’d also guess that 90% are completely unaware that the forum exists! I don’t think that this is as a result of overbearing moderators (I don’t for a second believe that to be the case anyway) or cliques but as a natural result of what Plusnet do. The great majority of customers use their broadband and/or phone without giving the supplier any thought whatsoever…..until they have issues which  (again) they get resolved without recourse to the forum; most people ignore things when they work well and phone up when they’re not.
For my part, this forum has been a godsend, almost immediate, knowledgeable advice and help, great chat, lots of laughs and even thought provoking. I have always felt welcome even when my opinions are directly opposed to other members in discussions

[#13]

Quote from: HPsauce

Quote from: Oddball Criticism of members literacy skills is commonplace on this forum. Every forum.

Not every forum.  

[#14]

Mad idea that might have some substance. We have a Chit Chat section so how about trialing an unmoderated section within it and see what happens. The say after a week let the moderators go through all posts within that section and highlight text that breaks the current forum rules. No deletions, other alterations, etc. After a week we would all have an idea of the difference moderation makes to this site.

[#15]

So we have a section where posters can slag off each other, trade insults, post sexually explicit material, include links to illegal material, etc. 
Not on these forums you won't