vForums Support :: General :: General :: Discussion: Forum Staff - View Topic
 |  |
| Graham
Support Administrator
![[Avatar]](http://uploads.virtualforums.co.uk/forums/pokemon/vforums-qr1.png)
Posts: 1,642
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: Sussex, UK
Age: 39
Joined:
Additional Groups:
Support Team
pmwww | | Discussion: Forum Staff (17th Jun 08 at 9:31am UTC) | | Hopefully we'll be able to get some discussion going on and liven up the board a wee bit 
When getting staff for your forum, how do you go about it? Are you one of those who'll advertise for staff everywhere, or promote the first x number of people to join your board? What characteristics do you look for when finding someone to be on the staff team? How do you deal with people that continually ask for a staff position/more powers?
What about the decision making progress - if you're the sole admin but have other moderators/staff is it a democratic process or do you take all the responsibility?
Everyone has their own way of doing things so this'll be interesting to see
| |
| vanillaorchids
Guest | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (17th Jun 08 at 11:37pm UTC) | | On the first forum that I created (and still have today) I am the only staff member on there. OK ... I guess that's technically a lie to a certain extent. My sister is also an admin but only for rare cases when I might not be around and something needs done. Otherwise, she doesn't even go to my forum.
But anyway, I once promoted someone to moderator because the person was a long standing member (who I actually met in person once) but also because she offered to help when I mentioned that I was really busy and could use some help on the forum. The only problem was, she didn't do anything. Not that there was a lot to do but what she could have handled, she didn't and in fact, she didn't login much either so I removed her from staff after about a month.
If I were to mod someone it would be someone who is active, polite, helpful. And I'm not entirely against someone asking to be a mod but again, they would have to have been a member for awhile. I would not make someone a moderator who just joined my forum unless I was well aware of the type of person they were.
When adding new staff, if I already have some staff, I would discuss the decision with them, to get their input.
Also, to answer another one of your questions, I'm not sure if I would advertise that I was looking for a moderator. I guess it would depend on the situation. | |
| ashkir
Full Member
![[Avatar]](http://uploads.virtualforums.co.uk/forums/support/W9M-tej.gif)
Posts: 1,159
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: Cali!
Age: 36
Joined:
pmskypemsnyahoo | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (17th Jun 08 at 11:40pm UTC) | | | It's quite simple really for me. Can I trust you? I promote people just cause, if I feel I can trust them. But, as we say in the [[wiki]] world, gradual trust. Small bits of power at a time so the risk is small each time. When I get another administrator with me or more, we generally vote. Sometimes we let the members vote. | |
| rosebud
Junior Member
Posts: 73
Status: Offline
Joined:
pm | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (18th Jun 08 at 2:12am UTC) | | I've tried getting friends to be on the staff team. They agreed, but they don't do anything. I've had to demote them because of that.
I've decided that I want to give the position to someone who is active and has been a member there for a while.
If I don't know the member well I give them a long interview. I ask them questions like "what's your view on favoritism? What's favoritism to you?" I can tell who knows what they're doing and who doesn't based on their answers. I have done that before. | |
| RuhRoe
Full Member
Posts: 218
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Joined:
pmxfire | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (18th Jun 08 at 2:19am UTC) | | | The best part of the forum for me is gettinig an active forum and finding decent staff. I have never got father then 50 people but it's all good fun. I use to get staff up to my friends. Now I have realized that most my friends suck and never get on my forums... From now on I am starting to pick staff off of how much they be polite and have good decent posts. If I think I can trust them I start them out with the job of moderator of a board. If they are really good and trustworthy then I promote then to more boards or a higher ranked moderator. I barely ever anymore just promote someone to administrator out of no where. | |
| Nick
Very Senior Member
![[Avatar]](http://uploads.vforums.co.uk/forums/support/f_5e7b1402b305d883af97446b2fedc6c2_1-eog.jpeg)
Posts: 3,012
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: vForums
Age: 35
Joined:
pmwww | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (18th Jun 08 at 2:42am UTC) | | | Sometimes people ask me and sometimes I say no, and sometimes when a member is actually promoting the forum, advertising our forum to get more members for us. Currently on my Forbidden Reunion I have one Second Admin, 2 Global Mods, and 1 Mod, all my staff are busy atm, but they do check in from time to time, and we usually talk on YIM, but my forum is slow so I told them they dont have to be on much, just try to stay active, and post in our Rp's once in awhile, and they do. But I got really good staff members. | |
| leangreen76
New Member
![[Avatar]](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peter.stoneham/forumstuff/avatars/TT/Grimlock.gif)
Me Grimlock..
Posts: 32
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: UK
Age: 49
Joined:
pmwww | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (18th Jun 08 at 9:49am UTC) | | It's quite simple, I choose people that I know will serve the board well, know I can trust already and have been with the forum a very long time. This way there's no need for long length interviews because I know my members. I do go into length explaining what it would entail, but, to be able to pick good staff - you need to know your members.
At my main Transformers forum if new members ask about being staff, members who have only been there for 2 - 3 years will vouch how hard it is to be staff or that they won't be picked. | |
Website - Message Board - Facebook also on Google+ & twitter (@totaltfs)
Other sites: www.welovetomine.co.uk My Minecraft adventures. |
| ajay
Guest | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (20th Jun 08 at 2:21pm UTC) | | Well it depends if i can trust them and they are active on other forums and they do good yes then i make them staff.  | |
| tricky.cb
Senior Member
![[Avatar]](http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q301/crazybluepb/redyay.gif)
Posts: 666
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: My Laptop
Age: 31
Joined:
pmwwwmsngtalk | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (20th Jun 08 at 8:08pm UTC) | | I haven't had my own forum in awhile, but I know how exactly I would do it.
It would first of all depend on the state of the forum. Already open, quite active, etc. Or it was in the beta stages, and not opened.
If it was already opened, I'd look at the members of the forum, see who is active with quality posts. I'd pick a person that at least makes an attempt at correct grammar most of the time, and fits the roll I'm looking for.
If it was in the beta stages, I'd take a look at my msn list. I'd find someone I've known for a bit, I know I can trust, and I know they will do their best to help. | |
|
| Fel!x
Full Member
[AVATAR]
Posts: 171
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: Sydney
Age: 31
Joined:
pmmsn | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (28th Jun 08 at 12:26am UTC) | | When it comes to staff I usually think about who is trustworthy, hard working and always friendly and helpful. With that in mind I'll look around the boards to see if there is anyone who is helping out of the goodness of their heart, because they are helpful.
Those people usually go through a probation period as a moderator and if they continue as they did and don't act differently just because they are staff I'll promote them. It all depends on the situation of course. :] | |
|
| Marc
vChat Developer
I <3 Rossy
Posts: 3,388
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: Ontario, Canada
Age: 32
Joined:
Additional Groups:
Coding Team
pmwww | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (28th Jun 08 at 1:09am UTC) | | For me, staff situations depend on the time.
If I'm just starting the forum, for example, I'll get a few friends or people that I can trust to do the job well and generate activity.
However, if the forum is established, I'll first look to see if another staff member is needed anywhere. If so, I'll look to those who are not only helpful and active, but also those who are posting only because they truly want to help; not to get more powers, or to be popular or anything like that.
It may sound a little strange, but I've seen it happen quite a few times, especially on larger forums; where someone is posting because they want more power, or want to be known by everyone. Unfortunately the admins are usually oblivious to it, as they're too busy running their forum and dealing with other things. | |
rroll.to— Shorten a link, rickroll your friends. |
| Michael
Moderator
![[Avatar]](http://av.wservices.co.uk/av.png)
Recoding the future
Posts: 4,043
Status: Offline
Gender: Male
Location: UK
Joined:
Additional Groups:
Coding Team
pmvForum | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (29th Jun 08 at 2:30am UTC) | | I find it hard to get staff - I tend to run a forum on my own - this can have detrimental consequences I know, BUT it means that everything is done the way that I like to have it done. It's not about being a 'power freak', it's just when someone else does something, they may do something differently, it's added 'stress' I feel.
However, if I have to choose staff - I would choose active, sensible, mature people - and people I think will perform well. | |
| Sven
Full Member
Posts: 215
Status: Offline
Joined:
pm | | Re: Discussion: Forum Staff (30th Jun 08 at 12:47pm UTC) | | Going off what Wrighty said, when you develop a forum, you tend to have an ultimatum decision and plan for your forum. The way you want it to run and stuff, the problem with promoting staff is they hardly conform and because they become staff, they can argue with you - that's kindda half the reason you promoted them isnt it?
When running mD I had a fairly simple process of hiring new staff members. All the old staff from there will tell you that sometimes that was ignored and usually happened when I was really in the rush cause something big was happening at the time or because I knew my staff members would have no quarrel with the person promoted.
When promoting my staff members, I look to see who is responsible - follows the rules but doesn't play God Mod (modding when not a mod). Look for someone who is quality through and through, and depending on the position I would look for attributes that suit that position. For instance, if I was looking for a designer to help out with the critical section of a design forum, I would not hire Wrighty to do that job as I think Wrighty opens PS maybe once every 4 months or so.. Regardless if someone who applied had 3 times the many posts as the person who was a decent designer, I'd still higher the designer as they had more qualifications.
However, when hiring staff like that, you tend to be vary wary of them. If a hardcore designer comes in with only 50 posts and applies with some works that blow you out of the water, you want to hire them - however, the problem with the majority of designers is they have their opinions of themselves jammed so far up their asses they can hardly sit at the computer!
When selecting staff you have to know what attributes are good to the area of what they are to be modding. You don't put someone who codes as a designer and a designer as a coder. You don't put an ignoramus that enforces rules by humiliation as the general mod. It just doesn't work and thats a big trap that a lot of newer admins fall into. They give it to the most active, regardless.
I find that I have a unique way with my staff. When it comes to modding, or gmodding for that matter, I tell my moderator exactly what he/she needs to do to maintain their position. I'll use an example of general mod as that's easiest.
So, I've hired a new general mod after a grueling 3 week interviewing and narrowing down process. It's a new mod, first time modding on a forum. He is 26 years old and possesses a fulltime job as well as a wife and 1 relative young child. You think to yourself "shit! He's not going to have much time!". You hire him on how he spends his time effectively on your forum. If this guy is brilliant when he's actually online, keep him ffs - just cause he has a life, doesn't mean you should fire him. If he thinks about what needs doing, observe what is the general trends of the forum he is absolutely brilliant.
Now, to get back to what I was saying. This general mod, meets the criteria and while being a little shaky on new feet, displays no apparent problems. I give him total power basically. I hire mods so that I don't have to look at the board AGAIN - ever. If I hire a mod to look after the Fun N Games board, I never want to look into the board again. I run my mods to take work off my back, not to add work to mine. So, I tell this brand new mod - "take control."
Most of the time, mods don't really understand what I mean by this. I allow the mod to make his own set of rules, run the section that he is in charge of, the way he wants. If he allows swearing, then he allows it, however, if the design mod disagrees then the members can't swear on the design mod's boards, etc. If the mod feels that a debating board is required, I'll make one for him and let him set it up and run it. He is doing the hard work, not me. He is looking at the members and reading them, not me. He is organising that section of the forum, not me. I don't WANT to do that bit, that's why I hire him. he ENJOYS doing it, that's what I want him to do and he does it.
Brilliant moderator.
I never advertise my staff team. If I am hiring, I look around my current members and see who of them I know (this comes with a big forum). We had over 300 active members at mD at one point and when I was selecting a new general mod, I called up 6 names. They were the names I had recognised myself in the general area. That's the way it should be, if a member is nice, caring, social and active, law obeying, etc. A good admin will notice them and when it comes to selection time, they will be able to regurgitate that name. Sunjo threw names at me of people I didn't know, and so did Wrighty. They all recognised different people.
Then the interviewing process takes place. I send a PM to them all, with a questionairre in it. They answer it and give it back to me. I knock out 50%
then do it again
and again
and again....
.
and again.
etc, etc and so forth until I'm left with one standing. However, if it becomes desperate, then I will advertise on my own forum - for active long standing members. Members that have been there since basically the beginning if you like
I prefer to run my forum's staff on trust and honest. I select them through peer recognition. I position myself in the eyes of a member, I don't hold myself above them at all. | |
|
| |
 |  |
|
