TM Board Moderators

[Bill]

What Is A Moderator? What does a Moderator do? Why do we need one?

In the years since the TM Owners’ Forum was created, owners and owners-to-be have exchanged lots of ideas and an immense amount of information. The original small forum was successful way beyond any expectations, but that success led to a certain amount of disorganization. To remedy this situation, the overall structure of the Board – the list of Forums and sub-forums within the Board – was revised, to make the topics more specific and less overlapped. This in turn should make it clearer just where each new thread should be posted, and where information on specific topics can be found. This will keep down the number of duplicated threads and misplaced threads. And that in turn keeps the board very responsive, as well as making it easier to search through past information.

To do the initial re-organization of topics, and later to oversee the day-to-day operation of the board, the position called Moderator was created. The Moderator is a major participant in the Board, someone who logs on nearly every day, and ensures that the board is meeting its goals.

What does the Moderator do? First, the Moderator is an organizer. In the early days of the Forum, there was not always a “right” place for a thread. Under the new and clearer organization, it should be apparent where a new thread should be started, and a Moderator can move the thread to a better location if needed – a place where others can more easily find the thread, as well as related information that was posted earlier. As part of organizing, the Moderator is also particularly knowledgeable about TMs, and helpful in many TM topics.

The Moderator also serves as a kind of “corporate memory” for the board. When the answer to a question is scattered amongst a gazillion threads, the Moderator is the one who can pull the gist of all previous discussions together into one cogent, concise answer.

Is a Moderator a cop? Not especially. Unlike many on-line forums, the Trail Manor forum has almost never needed a cop. Almost without exception, the members of this forum have been well-mannered and polite. They are interested in discussing and enhancing the enjoyment of our Trail Manors, exchanging information about Trail Manors, and educating potential new owners.

That being said, it is always possible that a spammer or malcontent could intrude. This board is family oriented, and such abuse must be stopped immediately. If a cop is needed, a Moderator does have the ability to pull posts or lock threads. However, all such actions will ultimately be approved by the Administrator. A Moderator does NOT have the ability to cancel a membership.

On this board, the concept of a Moderator is new, and we’ll be fine tuning it as we go along. We may need to add topics, or close some. We may need to add Moderators. It is hoped that the board’s Sponsors will help improve the process. In the end, the intent is to create a more streamlined, easier to use board, and to continue this board’s position as the premier site for all things Trail Manor.