Would you like to be a moderator at segue.com.tw? Pls read

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1

I regret not posting this message sooner. Inviting you to a become a moderator means little if I don’t explain a bit about what moderating at segue.com.tw is about.

Please have a look and post questions below. If I don’t answer fast enough, try my e-mail: gus@segue.com.tw

WHAT SEGUE IS ALL ABOUT:

segue.com.tw is a website about helping us help each other. Thus, it seeks to be inclusive. As a resource used by all sorts of people, it encourages open-minded, creative discussion.

Now, it is also a website that seeks to reflect the international community in Taiwan. This is a diverse and changing group – so expect diversity and change on the management of the website as well.

Do these high-falutin’ goals preclude negative posts, heckling, slams, and mockery? No, they do not. Generally speaking, such posts (though hurtful) are valid forms of expression. But there is a limit – and this limit is determined and enforced by the forum moderators.

QUALIFICATION QUARTET:

  1. To be a moderator you have to use the website. Although you can receive e-mail alerts to keep you up-to-date, if you don’t check in on a regularly basis, why should you moderate discussions? So, easy access to the Internet required. Also, please check in occassionally at the Segue Insider Forum – when you are a moderator, you’ll know where to find it.

  2. You have to be patient. You will see some infurating posts – some directed at you. You will see ignorant posts, irrational posts and posts written specifically to bait you. And you’ll certainly “fall for it” sometimes (I have). Being patient with yourself and your forum visitors is important.

  3. You ought to be open-minded. The community that reads segue.com.tw is broad, and the people at the team@segue form a diverse group. You are not expected to believe everything that is read and said – but don’t make things uncomfortable for one another.

  4. You should be “about Taiwan” somehow. This seems obvious, but given that moderators no longer have to live here to be involved, it bears stating.

8 EXPECTATIONS:

  1. I’ll try not to do much management

First, a confession: I don’t expect to be doing much administration. Mostly because I don’t believe this is necessary. If you are moderating a forum, then you must have come with some good references or strong impressions that vouch for your good sense and responsibility (usually from another moderator).

  1. Consensus Reviews

When there are disagreements, let’s aim for a consensus decision. If reaching a consensus takes too much time, I’ll cut to the chase with an “Executive Decision” – hopefully one that a majority on the team will find reasonable.

  1. I’m not in this for the money

I have no intentions to make money (profits) on this project. I have some revenue generating ideas to help cover costs – but not to “turn this into a business”. In fact, I’m looking for ways and people that will help bring down the investments in time and money (the former being heavy and the latter being light).

  1. Do as you wish – just don’t embarass the team@segue

You are free to promote yourself, your causes, and your businesses. However, if an argument is put forward that something you say, do or are affiliated with is somehow “uncool”, I’ll look to talk about it with you, and seek some mutual conclusion.

  1. Be nice to your co-moderators

You will most likely have a co-moderator or two in your forum(s). Please work out among yourselves how to divide the workload, and how you overcome disagreement. Please do not think you must agree with each other to work with each other. That said, you will probably find moderating a forum less of a chore if you do like, respect and get-to-know one another.

  1. Forum Archives

The Forum Archives are meant to help both you and your forum readers. I ask that you continuously build your archive – but only at your convenience. Up-to-date archives will most certainly cut down repeat postings – I find this to be a compelling incentive. The Forum Archives use blogging software called “GreyMatter” and login is accessible on the hidden Moderator link on the upper right corner of every page.

  1. Segue Business Cards and e-mail addresses

You will be given segue.com.tw business cards and an e-mail address. I offer to pay for the first two boxes, and ask that you cover the cost for any future printing. All the graphics and fonts will be made available to you.

  1. About the website policies

Finally, the policies that are on this website came with the software package. Please treat them as guidelines. If you choose to allow violations to exist in your forums, please be aware that any reasonable complaints will be brought to your attention, and may be subject to a consensus review.

Here is a link the Moderating Mind Map I once made – this will be updated. Please feel free to ask me questions about it: oriented.org/forums/omod.mmp

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If these haven’t driven you away, please do this:

  1. Pick a forum. Remember: you will be receiving e-mail messages from that forum (and from the Seg Insiders Forum, too). If you are not interested in a forum’s topic, then moderating that forum is probably not a good idea.

  2. Contact the current moderators first – post in their forums, use the Private message function of this website, or e-mail them on their nifty @segue.com.tw e-mail address

In your message, focus on two themes: (1) introduce yourself and (2) present why you are well-suited to moderate (ex. a moderator nominated you, you have time, you have special expertise/interest)

Although you are NOT applying for a (paying) job, you will be “working” with someone. Well, sort of – you may never actually meet each other, but I think you know what I mean.

  1. Contact me at gus@segue.com.tw – if you and the current moderators see eye-to-eye, then I’m happy to accomodate you. I’ll probably want to speak to you over the phone or meet you in person (more likely the former). It’s no big deal, but I’d like to connect with you in the real world in some fashion. I’ll also talk to the moderators you’ll be joining and maybe ask others in the team@segue to help me peruse your latest postings.

How often are Meetings?

OK, another little confession – I don’t like to call meetings for two reasons: (1) this is an online gig… so let’s meet online as much as possible (I’m talking about the Seg Insiders forum) (2) Most of the stuff we decide on isn’t so terribly urgent or serious that we have to re-arrange our schedules to see one another.

Now, there are those ORIENTED Happy Hours – I understand that some moderators make it a point to go there, so if there’s a quorum present at one, we could “take things outside” and duke it out.

In short, don’t worry about us meeting too often… I don’t.

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I almost forgot: is there a limit to the number of moderators?

This is a question best answered by a forum’s current moderators. Personally, I’d like there to be TWO (2)moderators per forum. If there are more than 2, things will probably get complicated fast – so allowing a 3rd depends a lot on the first two.

Most folks I know in Taiwan are pretty busy people – it’s a busy kind of town. So even if one is happy and interested to “be involved” via segue, one may not moderate as much as others in the forum like.

If this is made known to me (in other words, I am alerted that a moderator seems inattentive), I’ll seek you out and ask for a solution. If no one is complaining, you’ll probably just see me in the Insider forum.