Whether or not to restrict staff from being staff on other forums.

[Cedric]

A topic that has been debated among webmasters - whether or not to restrict staff from being staff on other forums. Some webmasters believe that their staff should focus solely on their own forum, while others are more relaxed about their staff's involvement in other communities.

So, what do you think? Should staff members be allowed to participate in other forums, or should they be restricted to only working on their own forum? Some argue that being a staff member on multiple forums could lead to conflicts of interest, or that staff members might not be fully committed to their own forum if they're spending time on other communities.

On the other hand, there are those who believe that allowing staff members to participate in other forums can actually be beneficial. For example, staff members can bring back new ideas and strategies to their own forum, and can also build relationships with other webmasters in the community.

Personally, I believe that it's important to strike a balance between allowing staff members to participate in other forums and ensuring that they remain committed to their own community. If a staff member wants to be involved in other forums, it's important to have open and honest communication about their time commitments and make sure that their work on their own forum isn't compromised.

What about you? Have you ever restricted your staff from being staff on other forums? What was your experience like? Or, do you allow your staff members to participate in other communities? How do you balance their involvement with their commitment to your own forum?

 

[Aaron]

I don't mind but I do have a topic usually in the staff forums on the forums I own where staff post where they are staff already.

 

[an0nym0us]

As a member, he can participate anywhere, it is his right, but as a staff member, it is impossible to be in some forums because conflicts inevitably arise.

 

[Arantor]

I think I'd like to know where people are staffing elsewhere, mostly because I'd like to know about any potential conflicts of interest; if I had staff that staffed on a competing site, I'd definitely want to know about that so I could assess whether that person was capable of handling things properly.

The reason why is because I've seen it happen that people instigate situations (or, improperly handle them) so as they can divert people to their other site. I know not all moderators would do this, so I'd like to know if it's a realistic risk. Ideally I'd know ahead of time before making them staff but that's not always knowable.

 

[Sarah]

We have staff on ours that own their own forums and we help staff on that one also. I don't think a forum owner has the right to tell another staff member they are not allowed to staff elsewhere. Sometimes it is good to spread out and take advantage of helping out on other niche genre forums.

 

[Cory]

I generally don't mind my staff being staff on other forums. As long as they aren't leaking information or sharing personal information with the boards they staff at, I don't really see much of a problem with it.

 

[Strawberry]

It really depends on each individual. It's important to find out where they are staff already as there may be an issue with conflict, especially if the forum is of the same niche. You should also check that they can handle being staff on multiple locations and if they can commit enough time to your forum.

 

[Shortie]

I would say it depends on the individual who owns the forum as to whether they would want staff on their forum or also have duties as moderators or even admins on other forums. Whilst many people have the time to dedicate to more than one forum as a staff member, it's not always ideal for some forum owners if they want the full dedication to their forum.

One thing I am against though is when someone is denied a staff spot on a forum because they are staff on a forum where they have an issue with the owner or admin there. It's a shame that many people who just want to help and offer their expertise to help a forum get denied because of something they have no control over.

 

[Henrywrites]

We have staff on ours that own their own forums and we help staff on that one also. I don't think a forum owner has the right to tell another staff member they are not allowed to staff elsewhere. Sometimes it is good to spread out and take advantage of helping out on other niche genre forums.

As long as their activities on the other forums doesn't impede what they do on my forum, I don't even want to care. They should stay active on my forum and do their jobs perfectly.

 

[Kale]

I don't think a forum owner has the right to tell another staff member they are not allowed to staff elsewhere.

Agreed with you on this. I feel it is not my place to tell people not to be mods or staff on a forum of my niche/genre. I see no reason to be that strict.

As long as they aren't leaking information or sharing personal information with the boards they staff at, I don't really see much of a problem with it.

This though yeah for sure. If they leak info and such to another forum or person, they're gone from staff and possibly banned depending

 

[Tracy]

Prohibit me from participating on another forum (even a competitor site) and I'll simply say "Ciao".
Just because I may be on staff somewhere doesn't preclude my participation at another competitive site.... in fact, for some that may actually be a DRAW to come to the site I'm staff on.
Now, if I'm elsewhere "spilling the goods"... then it's time for me to be booted.
But for normal everyday participation, sorry.... competition is good.... and seeing a competitor actively (and helpfully) participating on another site can draw users to you... how do you think I found here?

 

[Cedric]

Prohibit me from participating on another forum (even a competitor site) and I'll simply say "Ciao".
Just because I may be on staff somewhere doesn't preclude my participation at another competitive site.... in fact, for some that may actually be a DRAW to come to the site I'm staff on.
Now, if I'm elsewhere "spilling the goods"... then it's time for me to be booted.
But for normal everyday participation, sorry.... competition is good.... and seeing a competitor actively (and helpfully) participating on another site can draw users to you... how do you think I found here?

Yeah, I agree. Blocking competition does not work, in fact on the contrary, it will lead people more to that what’s blocked. Reversed psychology that is.

 

[Uncrowned]

As long as a staff member can fulfill your requirements and objectives for them, then there is no reason to restrict what they can/can't do off of your site. The same with how most jobs work since as long as you are doing your job to the requirements set, most employers have zero care about what you do or work while not on the job.

There are also some perks to letting them be staff elsewhere as it allows them to be hyperactive in forums and keep up their passion, along with learning from those other sites and being able to offer more experience and problem-solving skills for your site.

The advantages of not allowing them to be staff elsewhere are basically none and it is also impractical to even enforce the rule for most users if they want to just hide it.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I would never restrict other staff from being staff on other communities similar to mine. As long as there isn't a conflict of interest going on, such as leaking stuff out of the staff forum. If they were leaking information out of my own staff forum, I would most likely send them a private message and discuss the best action to take before outright demoting them.

 

[StormyWays13]

I think like many of the other replies have stated, I wouldn't mind one of my staff members being staff on another site as long as they fulfill their duties and do not share information between the two sites. As long as they are active and doing their job I don't think it would be a problem.

 

[Mamberroi Jr]

In particular, it would not be good for a Team Member to form or be part of another team because it can bring conflicts in the time spent on each site will not concentrate the ideas based on each one. Every webmaster may or may not accept it, but from my point of view I would not allow it.

 

[Nomad]

I am a staff on a lot of forums and based on my personal experience, I do not think it should be a problem for forum owners. That's because most of the forums have staff as volunteers or pay very little, therefore, they should not be too demanding and restrict staff from becoming staff on other forums. However, on the flip side there is also something called conflict of interest, and you see also look into consequences.