venessa paech: self-moderation

Self-moderationIt’s up to you

@venessapaech@realestate_au@swarmconf

04/12/2023

There is no free speech

A group is its own worst enemy ~ Clay Shirky

All speech has cost & consequence

"The likelihood that any un-moderated group will

eventually get into a flame-war about whether or not to have a moderator approaches one as

time increases.”

~ Geoff Cohen

The Communitree Experiment in California

Why groups are a volatile organism

Never mind the trolls…

• Status jockeying• Dominant voices• Personality clashes• Fights & fallouts• Rumour mongering• Politics• Outcasts & exiles• Changing purpose/goals

The group is self-aware of these risks – primed to self-moderate

04/12/2023

Give them something to defend…

Defence should be a SHARED value

Lifecycle

Self-moderation isn’t drive-by

Self-moderation isn’t drive-by

How to help people help themselves

Onboarding handrails How to get started What do ideal members & outcomes look like? What rights are there? What won’t be tolerated? Guidelines Community constitution (purpose + culture + history)Collaborate & consult to ensure governance reflects collective vs. individual(but not design by committee)

Give them ways Commercial in Confidence

• Mechanisms to report the bad stuff (buttons, flags, email triggers)

• Mechanisms to hero the good stuff (thumbs up, votes, ratings that influence content order & surfacing,

• Accommodate anonymity ( aka ‘bully box’)• Single actions helps build precedents• Collective action helps guard against reprisals• Look out for abuses of power, status jockeying, bullying via

reportage

Professional Moderation

Self-moderation

Automation

How deep should members go?

Calling out spammers, trolls & sock puppets Keeping discussion on track Keeping egos in check Basic bad behaviour no-nos (language, name calling)

Defamation Copyright Stalking/harassment Serious bullying (including mobbing) Grooming Suicide threats

Keep tabs on moderation motivation

04/12/2023

Self-moderation without a scaffold + supportis not always healthy…

“Selfish” moderation conflates individual needs with group needs

Balance: harder than it looks

skillpracticeresilience

…inevitable soreness

•Moderation systems and strategies should accommodate social and cultural realities as well as legal regimes, to improve the odds of self-moderation (respect, don’t patronise from on high)

•Moderation creates culture and supports community purpose, as well as mitigating risk

•Work to set up conditions conducive to self-moderation – give them something to defend (not “rules”). Give them stakes – a horse in the race

•Offer practical mechanisms for self-moderation (that respect the need for public anonymity)

•As community progresses through lifecycle it can & should be leaned on for moderation support (but not relied on)

Key takeaways

@venessapaech@realestate_au@swarmconf#communitymanagersrule

Thanks for your time & attention

Any questions?

(Remember, team effort)