Site Management Picking moderator for brand new forum

[The Raven]

You managed to open your forum, all is ready to go, which means ready to find new members who will stay on your forum and not leave. You see, taking in consideration the forum is new, you don't actually need moderators because you can handle it all by yourself for quite some time. However, forum owners decide to take a moderator or two right away because they want to keep some members active. They really don't need it.

Is this a good thing? Is that a good way to keep new members?

 

[Empire]

Why pick when you just end up doing it yourself Most of the time it's just a single person more so than a team of people. Not very often that a team of friends comes together to build a place like the old days but if you are after a person to help then it can be hard if you do not know anyone.

 

[Debashis]

I believe having moderators in the early stages of a new forum can be really beneficial as they can help maintain an active and engaged community while the admin/owner is busy managing the forum. By ensuring that there is constant interaction and addressing any issues promptly, moderators can help retain new members and foster a positive environment. Now, there might always be admins who have all the time in the world to manage the forum as well as engage with the community. For them, moderators won't be required until the user base gets big enough to make it difficult to effectively and efficiently handle it alone.

 

[Kennysplash]

Forum moderators is necessary whether you are just starting out or you have been in it for years. There is a kind of respect you have when members see that you are not doing it all by yourself.

 

[Darth Cognus]

I tend to believe staff are best picked after you've seen their temperament and willingness to persist. Thus unless there is an immediate need I would rather see this question addressed later. I don't believe in using staff positions as an activity incentive, I've seen it not work too often on top of getting to people's heads. I'd rather focus on a community growing by merit of the people engaging as people. And I'm not sure I want to encourage people who are too impatient to wait a few hours for the admin to wake up or become available, it's incredibly rare for an inquiry to be that urgent.

If it's a community where you don't have a lot of time, and your candidates have a really strong showing out of the gate, you might have cause. Bonus if you've seen them perform elsewhere, and your community is more sensitive to people not stopping in if it's dead a few hours (minecraft servers come to mind with this, random I know). It doesn't hurt to have a few more eyes than required to be sure things can be handled.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I don't think new forums need extra staff unless it's a webmaster or promotional forum that offers posting services or other services to site owners. Once your forum is well established and you get enough activity to need a moderator, it's best to offer the position to everyone on your forum by means of a thread or pm and then having potential staff members fill out a application and then hiring the best person to do the job.

 

[Reverie]

I like getting at least one moderator at the beginning. Why host all the problems on your plate when you could have some support? Running a community requires you to build a family or a group type vibe. Having people you work with who also support your vision is just one step towards that.

I would be selective though and only hire someone if I know them fairly well. I wouldn't hire just anyone who joins at the beginning.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I would be selective though and only hire someone if I know them fairly well. I wouldn't hire just anyone who joins at the beginning.

Agreed unless you're been good friends for a while and they're trustworthy and not the power-hungry kind.

I don't think new forums need extra staff unless it's a webmaster or promotional forum that offers posting services or other services to site owners. Once your forum is well established and you get enough activity to need a moderator, it's best to offer the position to everyone on your forum by means of a thread or pm and then having potential staff members fill out a application and then hiring the best person to do the job.

I agree to a point because if it's only you and your staff posting it kinda makes it look like you're having to make ppl staff to generate activity.

Forum moderators is necessary whether you are just starting out or you have been in it for years. There is a kind of respect you have when members see that you are not doing it all by yourself.

I agree with this too as I gain the perception that the site owner is a team player rather than a dictator. Balance is key I guess. Don't make all your active members staff lol