Here's a question I am facing. As TalkWhatever grows I am beginning to feel the need for another set of hands to be a face for the forum. The real need is just in having another person to be able to represent the forum and reply to threads alongside me in a dedicated manner.

I have only had one problem member who I simply sent to Tachyville (I LOVE that feature!) for being a Ding Dong and so actual moderating skills might not be a key consideration at this point.

But with an eye toward continued growth of the forum what tact would other admins take? Do you value a committed poster over previous moderator experience?

I want to reward one of the more committed members and think she would make a great addition - probably someone that could learn through the process and certainly someone I would trust for putting a good face on things.

Curious to know how other folks have treated this balance when selecting their first Moderator for a forum.

__________________
Where's Waldo?, Book Club, Scavenger Hunt, Role Playing, Travel Guide, Photos, Videos and more.
TalkWhatever.com - Blogs, Social Groups and Forum

I have chosen dedication over experience. I can better grease them if they don't have any preconcieved notions of grandeur.

__________________
I went to Vegas, and all I got was this Blister. - true story!

Agreed. They can always learn as well. When I opened my forum, 4 out of the 5 hired had zero modding experience. I would really recommend a private staff section, if you already don't have one. There you can go over what to do in certain situations. Every forum is different, and treats situations differently.

__________________

- Check out our interviews with people in the design industry

I've also always chosen dedication over experience. Sure, an experienced moderator will have more knowledge of the moderation basics, but they won't necessarily have knowledge of you're forums topic. Also, dedicated members will continue to become more experienced as they moderate.

Chris

This was pretty much what I was leaning towards and have now done. I suspect I will be checking the staff management threads far more often now that I have someone aside from myself representing my forum.

__________________
Where's Waldo?, Book Club, Scavenger Hunt, Role Playing, Travel Guide, Photos, Videos and more.
TalkWhatever.com - Blogs, Social Groups and Forum