Review- Managing Online Forums

Interesting to see advice being formalised. I have run and am thinking about starting other online forums. I found content moderation to be very heavy going and largely a thankless firefighting task. That was probably due to the nature of discussions, but keeping viewpoints sensible, constructive and on the right side of defamation and libel legislation seemed to be the core activities. I would say figuring out how you will scale the moderation processes is important in case you have an overnight success.

Thanks so much, Chris, for the review. I really appreciate you taking the time and I am very happy that you liked it so much.

I will definitely make a note as far as your thoughts on the organization of the book, in case there is another edition. I'd welcome any thoughts you have on that, as far as what we could do better, as well.

Thanks again, Chris.

Patrick

I bought a copy for my husband last month when he started talking about wanting to start a niche community. I read it first to make sure it would address the information he needed (light on the tech and high on the actual management logistics) and found it to be perfectly suited for that type of reader. It touches on platforms, coding, etc. but clearly states that it's purpose isn't to walk you through the technical side. On the flip side, the information would definitely be useful for a coder setting up a site when it comes to referencing what add-ons to include, not to mention how to be an active manager and not just "the techie that keeps the site up".

Thanks for this review, Chris. This resource comes at a great time as my team and I are considering the inclusion of a forum as a part of a new program. I'm looking forward to checking out this resource.

@Stupid Blogger - that's a great way to sum it up. And frankly, the tech parts will change quickly, so it's better that it covers the management, eh?

@Chris: Not only will the tech change, but this approach stays out of the X is better than Y debate, which isn't appropriate for the target readership anyways. Nine times out of ten, the owner of this book is getting a solution installed for them and is going to go with the recommendation of their developer. As a side note, I do think some of the take-aways are useful when it comes to comment moderation on an active blog, especially for someone using a hybrid such as Disqus.

I'm surprised there someone wrote a book on this though I don't know why...administering a discussion forum is very difficult to do well. It is hard to find the right balance of freedom and control. You over-regulate comments and people just leave but without any controls, trolls can kill a community overnight. I've been on discussion forums for 10 years and know a number of moderators who might find this useful.

@Liz - Great to hear. When I reviewed it, I just kept realizing that Patrick isn't just writing a book, he's capturing a lot of very specific expertise. I like what he came up with.

@Stupid Blogger (weird calling you that) -- I agree on your point about the take-aways. Disqus is such a strange creature, eh? Watching it add value to FriendFeed lately.

I'm happy to read all of the comments. :)

Thanks, T.C. Coleman!

Mr. Nimmons,

I agree with you - content moderation is vital. A good, strong staff and infrastructure is vital to the success of a community. This makes up a very important and sizable part of the book.

Stupid Blogger,

I really appreciate your comments and that you purchased the book. What you describe is EXACTLY what I was going for. Word for word, even! :)

I didn't want to get into specific technologies too much because I wanted it to be a true management and people book and I wanted it to maintain a sense of timelessness. If I had written about specific software, it would have already been outdated. Software changes easily and quickly, but good management philosophies don't change as easily. I also wanted it to be applicable to any community software, not just one or two. While I highlight vBulletin and phpBB, I attempted to do so in a way that wouldn't turn off users of Invision, bbPress, Vanilla and all of the other good options out there. It's not the software (as long as you use one of the many solid options); it's the people behind the community. :)

Also, I appreciate your comment regarding comment moderation application. Though the book has "forums" in the title, I really feel it is a guide to managing social interactions online with applicability to many/most types of online communities, like blogs, groups, chat rooms and even aspects of social networking sites.

Thanks, Liz. I definitely agree with you. It's a challenge and it's a constant balance.

Thanks again, Chris. :)

And thanks for all of the interest, everyone.

Patrick

@Chris: Call me SB if you'd prefer; the name is all part of a master plan ;) As for Disqus, I'm actually really enjoying their hybrid approach. Checking Disqus comments in FFSpy have led me to some great posts.

@Patrick: Here's hoping there's a request for a second edition, because I think the book would really benefit from a section on blog comment moderation. Given your interest in the dual applications, I'm surprised you didn't mention Elgg (elgg.org) as a platform: it's an open source social networking/forum/blog hybrid. It has a great ability to display posts and responses as either blog/comment or forum thread view simply by changing a profile preference.

Thanks for that, SB. :) I have to be honest: I'd never heard of Elgg before your message! I'll take a look.

For me, there isn't a big difference between moderating the two: it all comes down to having guidelines and making sure that they are evenly and fairly enforced. :)

Thanks again,

Patrick

Perfect timing, Chris- ordering it today :)

Thanks!

Thanks a lot, Ms. Hatch.

Does it come in an audio form? Paper just doesnt work for me these days.

Hello Lady O Trout,

Thanks for the question. Unfortunately, no. But, that might be a possibility, depending on how well the book does.

Thanks again,

Patrick

Save your money and read my new series I am currently publishing for free. I am an Internet Troll and can tell you more about the do's and don't's of forum moderation than anybody. In fact, I have already forgotten more than most people will ever know about this subject.

You can read "Building the Democratically Organized Community" by clicking on my name which links directly to the URL.

Try it. If you aren't completely happy, I'll refund your money!

The problem I see with this book is that 6, 12 months from now most of the information will be outdated. New software comes out, new internet lingo, new problems. Seems like a waste of money to me. Just spend time on various online forums and you can learn all this yourself. I say this as a 10 year veteran of online community management. I've read books before, they don't have much application in the real world. Sorry.

Hi Mr. Casey,

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate your perspective.

What you said, regarding software, would definitely be true, if software was something that I had focused on with this book. But, for the very reason you give, I purposely kept talk, regarding specific software, to a minimum. This is a management book, with management strategies and philosophies that have been used in the real world.

These things do not change as easily. New problems will come up, but for the most part, they are related to old problems, in some way. A good, solid management understanding, which is what I attempted to provide, will properly equip you to deal with new problems, as they arise.

I agree with you, that you can pick up these things through experience. Not through casual watching, but primarily through years of trial by fire, direct management. After all, that's how I gained my knowledge! :) The book contains my community management knowledge, having done so for eight years or so. But, the book can save you time and give you a high level understanding of community management, right from the very start.

This book is all about real world application and, if you ever have the opportunity to take a look at it, I'd welcome your thoughts.

Thanks again for commenting on the book.

Patrick

Hello

I need full kit of solar energy complect for my home, Where I can look at thechnical specifications and examples? We search on internet and not find this. :( Please if you have some instruction please post.

Here's hoping there's a request for a second edition, because I think the book would really benefit from a section on blog comment moderation. Given your interest in the dual applications, I'm surprised you didn't mention Elgg (elgg.org) as a platform: it's an open source social networking/forum/blog hybrid. It has a great ability to display posts and responses as either blog/comment or forum thread view simply by changing a profile preference.

Does it come in an audio form? Paper just doesnt work for me these days.

I am starting a forum and needed something to talk me through start to finish. If that is what you want this is not the book for you. I guess I should have read more about what it was about before ordering. It seems to be geared more to the person that knows how to operate a forum but wishes to do so more efficiently.