My days as a moderator...

I'm not new to moderating a community. I did that job for a few years, back when online communities just started to get on the map. I led a team of moderators on a forum dedicated to Buffy The Vampire Slayer when I was only 16 years old. I did it for about 4 years, when the show got cancelled and the community of 5000 members started to crumble.

But the show's cancellation was not the only reason for The 'Shelter's demise. The site had editorial staff, moderating staff, design staff etc. etc. I was part of all of these groups and led the moderators. Then the site's owners had a fight. And that was the beginning of the end. Members picked sides, a lot of them left and eventually there was no community left to run a site for.

So my point here is that it's not only important to keep your members happy, it's also important to keep your staff happy and to keep everyone on the same page. Make them feel appreciated and value their opinions. Moderators talk to your members, an unhappy moderator can ruin your community.

That is my advice to those who read this blog :-)