So do we have any current or former online community moderators reading this? Share your stories with the community in the comments. Being a moderator is a thankless job but so crucial to keeping the overall online community from becoming toxic.
I 'spose I should add something of pith....
I am probably the longest serving [lasting] Moderator on Stardock's forums, starting way back in 2001. It feels like it was a decade ago.....
Originally they [the Forums] were overseen by Brad, Angie and [even] poor old Pat [T-Man] was dragged away from 'real' work and had a hand in it.
Somewhere along the line I managed to get a handle on what was/is involved and made it out of the shallow end and into the deep.
The number one issue was/is that in reality nothing's ever really personal, it's just silly people trying to push the boundaries of whatever rules are in place to maintain decorum.
If the Forums/Community are left to their own devices [self moderation] there will always be someone, sooner or later who will be bent on ruining it for others.
When overseeing what goes on with community interactions an 'iron fist' will ALWAYS be regarded as a 'HAM fist', so typically less is more.
Somewhere in these 12 years the prevalence of 'disruptive influence' has dropped off to a genuine minimum, either because of the people who were removed, or because those who were not were aware of those who were, and why.
These days more effort is directed at spammers and spam removal [can't help but think there are simply more spammers]....
Yes, it's a thankless job, mostly because the only people who really notice the Moderation are those who hit the radar and were removed/censured/warned.
I do still remember a few years ago when a pair of individuals were being such a pain [not heeding subtle suggestions to toe the line] that Brad noticed and with one fell swoop pulled their plugs. [ok, mixed metaphore but so be it]. He was thanked by one and all, none more so than by yours truly....