What makes a good forum moderator?

United States
July 5, 2009 2:28pm CST
Some forum moderators are excellent at what they do. They keep forums running like clockwork and get involved at every opportunity. At the other end of the spectrum, you have forum mods that are just awful. They make you wonder how they got the job in the first place. What makes a good forum moderator in your eyes and how can a forum admin or owner avoid selecting the wrong people for the role?
1 person likes this
2 responses
artibg
@artibg (292)
• Bulgaria
5 Jul 09
I think that a good moderator is one who moderates the forum not because this is his job, but because he feels like doing it. Also, being a moderator means that you have to spend considerable time in this forum. Not just log in for 10 minutes a day and shout at the first person who dares to ask for help. Most new members ask questions which might sound silly for person who has been answering them thousand times, and that's why, the moderator must be patient and always ready to help. I guess you can't always find the best moderator possible, but a dedicated one should do the job.
1 person likes this
akuler
@akuler (3531)
• Malaysia
5 Jul 09
Hi kayelizabeth, For me, a good moderator is someone who always be there when helps needed. He/she maybe can't be there 24/7 but he/she must answer any question not more then 48 hours after posted. There is no point answering a question that posted a week or a month before. How to select a good moderator? I really don't have an idea about this. You can't judge people solely base on their appearance. Maybe they should look into someone they know can do the jobs. Happy mylotting and have a nice day.