# Advice for mods? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398 "2003-03-01T16:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398/1 "2003-03-01T16:08:46Z")
Since 1994, I’ve been running [**Cyburbia**](http://www.cyburbia.org), an urban planning-related Web site. The busiest part of the site is the vBulletin-based [url=“[http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/](http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/)”]forums\*\*; not as busy as the SDMB, but there’s still about 300 posts a day. There are several users who have volunteered their time to help moderate the boards. Because the board doesn’t attract an extremely wide audience – mainly professional urban/town planners, students, and city aficionados, there aren’t too many problems with trolling, sockpuppets, and the like. Still, though, the mods aren’t as experienced as those here; they don’t have to pour through thousands of posts, and they might be relatively new to the bulletin board scene. Is there any wisdom the SDMB mods can offer that I could relay to the folks on my board? Are there any Web sites that offer general advice to bulletin board moderators? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398/2 "2003-03-01T16:11:51Z")
The forums - [http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/](http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/) . Preview, damnit! ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398/3 "2003-03-01T19:21:28Z")
I’ve often thought the the Straight Dope crew ought to collaborate on a book on how to run and moderate a message board. Perhaps they could call it “Moderating For Dopes.” Seriously though, I am unaware of a larger, better run message board anywhere. They really should put the experience and wisdom they’ve acquired in some permanent form. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398/4 "2003-03-01T20:06:27Z")
We have a rigorous training program, that involves six weeks of reboot camp. Naw, the main thing is in the selection process. You pick the right people – people who care, who are sensible and dedicated, who aren’t overly sensitive themselves but are sensitive to others, and who know when to “shoot first and ask questions later” and when to discuss first… and the rest comes naturally. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398/5 "2003-03-01T22:01:59Z")
Buy jackboots! KIDDING!!! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-for-mods/158398/6 "2003-03-02T00:13:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Naw, the main thing is in the selection process. You pick the right people – people who care, who are sensible and dedicated, who aren’t overly sensitive themselves but are sensitive to others, and who know when to “shoot first and ask questions later” and when to discuss first… and the rest comes naturally. All well and good to describe the original crop of Mods. But how about addressing the weenies you have on here now!😃 😃 😃 [sub]_Ouch! Ow!_ Quit with that cattle prod, will ‘ya? I was just having a bit o’ fun.[/sub]