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How about letting the OP moderate their own threads?

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What if we considered giving the original posters (OPs) the ability to moderate their own threads? I know it sounds unconventional, but let's think it through together and discuss its potential pros and cons.

The idea behind this proposal is to grant more autonomy and responsibility to the OPs over the content they create. By letting them moderate their own threads, they can have greater control over the direction of the conversation, addressing potential conflicts, and maintaining the tone of the discussion.

One obvious advantage of this approach could be the reduction in moderation workload for the staff. As webmasters, we often find ourselves swamped with the task of keeping discussions civil and on-topic. Allowing OPs to self-moderate might ease this burden, freeing up more time for us to focus on other essential aspects of forum management.

Moreover, self-moderation could potentially create a stronger sense of community among our forum members. When users feel that they have a stake in maintaining a healthy and constructive environment, they might be more invested in keeping the discussions positive and informative.

On the flip side, some might worry that granting OPs the power to moderate their threads could lead to abuse or bias. There could be concerns that some OPs may suppress opposing viewpoints or stifle constructive criticism, creating an echo-chamber effect that discourages open dialogue.

Another potential issue to consider is whether all OPs would have the time, interest, or expertise to moderate effectively. This system could work well with responsible and active OPs, but less engaged OPs might neglect their threads, leading to disorder and unresolved conflicts.

What do you all think about letting OPs moderate their own threads? Would it promote a healthier discussion environment, or do the potential risks outweigh the benefits? How can we ensure fair and effective self-moderation if we decide to implement such a system?

I'm excited to hear your thoughts and opinions on this matter. :)
 
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I've considered it, but in my community, it may be more problematic than its worth. Since we run a PG community and if someone isn't removing unclean messages from their threads, it wouldn't make a difference in terms of moderator workload, it'd be back to normal.
 
As a whole I wouldn't think it's a good idea. At most I would allow the OP to lock the thread or delete it, but other moderation tools shouldn't be accessible for a normal member. Things can get out of hand quickly, the person can start deleting replies and if you've got a very active forum it can be difficult to try and keep up with all the posts that the OP is trying to remove.
 
As a whole I wouldn't think it's a good idea. At most I would allow the OP to lock the thread or delete it, but other moderation tools shouldn't be accessible for a normal member. Things can get out of hand quickly, the person can start deleting replies and if you've got a very active forum it can be difficult to try and keep up with all the posts that the OP is trying to remove.
I may allow my OP's to lock their threads, but not delete. Mods can 'soft delete (remove from view)' just in case the OP wants the thread restored in the future. If they delete their account, unless they have personal data in their posts, we anonymise their posts so it doesn't break the flow of threads.
 
This I do not believe is a good idea at all. As much as you could trust some of your members, not all members would be trustworthy and because of that, it would land these permissions getting into the wrong hands.

Things such as members coming back at a later date and changing what is said in the OP and also adding in words that could cause an issue for your site would be one reason why I would not allow this.
 
I wouldn't take the risk in all honesty, it only takes one moment of rage for an entire discussion to be wrecked! The only time I'd even consider giving *very limited* moderation access is in situations like an Ask Me Anything type thread etc. But even then I'd just ask them to report any posts they want editing/removing. It's really not worth the risk.
 
I think it would interesting to try out for a test run.

Like @Tracy said though, I think it would be inconsistent for some members. And of course, we wouldn't want to pressure any members into practicing good moderation tactics in case they didn't sign up for that!

But I could see it used for abuse too... Someone take actions against people they don't like and not against those they do
 

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