Business History Books » Business Consultant » [seeking} opinions on moderated newsgroups
[seeking} opinions on moderated newsgroups
Question:
Some time ago there were two marketing newsgroups – one moderated, the other one a free for all. This particular group has gone up and down over the years through various learning curves and has now stabilized to where it is of value to those of us who teach and preach and those of us who read, question and learn. I’d recommend you study this newsgroup and copy what you can to make your own newsgroup as effective. Invariably unmoderated groups end up as massive bulletin boards and require too much time to sort through what is of value.
Response:
>I would really appreciate hearing some comments from regular participants of >this NG as to what they think of moderation… Good or Bad?
There are some subjects which generate a lot of posts but are boring and go around in circles. These subjects can bulk up and devalue a newsgroup. Examples are MLM and Spam. Also sometimes a couple of posters get into one to one bickering of little interest to anyone else. A moderator reduces both instances. It’s the old question "is yelling "fire" in a crowded cinema freedom of speech". I once had a good post rejected on the grounds that it would encourage response on a banned topic. This is fair as it protects the newsgroup. >[Mod: Good AND bad, folks. I'll look to do something about the "bad".]
OK bad, I was invited to join an exclusive computer related mailing list, the invitation has "lapsed" because I displayed ignorance of the political situation in Cyprus in a private email! John John Block Creative, marketing aware work which Freelance Copywriter talks rather than blandly bores, actively promotes your product, International and aims to be the best Welcomes Dollar and Sterling, in your market sector. First Virtual. http://www.copywriter.co.uk
Response:
>[ Mod: Welcome, Tom. 25% on-topic, 75% off-topic.]
Wow. I thought it would be the opposite. I guess a lot of those are "auto-posted" to the group by ignorant Spammers who don’t know what a moderated group is. — McWebber Reserve Your Domain Name | http://mcwebber.com/ Newsgroup postings are not an invitation for mail – Post publicly to reply Under no circumstances will I ever purchase anything offered to me as the result of an unsolicited e-mail message [Mod: Many don't bother to "look", which gets their account terminated <g>] .
Response:
It depends on the basic subjects of the group whether it would impede the free flow of ideas. It certainly doesn’t allow for "instant" replies. The most important element is the moderator. If the group doesn’t have faith in the moderator, it’s worthless. In a business group like this, I think, <kiss up> thanks to our moderator</kiss up> this group remains fairly Spam/scam free. [Mod: 5 brownie points.] Also, in this case, IMO, the moderator has been around a while and can spot a scam. Sometimes things get by him, but his comments can be invaluable in pointing out some things and editing out what is usually just an attempt at plugging a service, disguised as a post. — McWebber Reserve Your Domain Name | http://mcwebber.com/ Newsgroup postings are not an invitation for mail – Post publicly to reply Under no circumstances will I ever purchase anything offered to me as the result of an unsolicited e-mail message >I would appreciate the opinions of the participants of this group on the >moderation process. Is it really a set of handcuffs as some people think… or >is it a good and necessary thing?
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Response:
I agree with the other posters, I like having a moderator. This group is clean from unwanted advertisement-only posts. I think most people start the "heated" discussions because of the censorship fear. The reality is a NG that stays on topic and, as already stated, more productive. That’s my 2-cents worth, anyhow. 
Elizabeth — Helping small businesses create successful online marketing campaigns. http://www.ldyhawk.com/marketingconsultant/ 1-2-3’s of Internet Marketing http://window.to/webmarketing
Response:
Your question is a good one. That seems to be common on our moderated newsgroup. Our moderated, who apparently kicks some serious butt, prevents the newsgroup participants from wasting time with items that are not of interest. The value of a moderator can be seen in the difference between this newgroup and any similar-but-unmoderated examples. The unmoderated marketing newsgroups get 600 posts a day from pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing gimics. This group is almost completely productive. People are particpative, helpful, and friendly. I’m not sure what percentage of messages the moderator has to eliminate, but having one makes for a much nicer environment. (thanks Mr. Moderator). — Tom Nardone, President of Isdera Corp. dba Shopinprivate.com Condoms, Rogaine, HIV Tests, Preparation-H, and other embarrassing products in a discreet, private, and secure shopping environment. http://www.shopinprivate.com [ Mod: Welcome, Tom. 25% on-topic, 75% off-topic.]
Response:
Hi all, I’m a participant of an unmoderated newsgroup which is currently going through the discussion phase of changing the NG to a moderated group. As you might expect the discussion is rather heated. I would appreciate the opinions of the participants of this group on the moderation process. Is it really a set of handcuffs as some people think… or is it a good and necessary thing? The newsgroup which is discussing moderation receives approx. 2,000-3,000 posts a month involving many diverse topics. I am pro moderation because it is just too cumbersome to sort through all the ambiguous posts in a NG with so much traffic. I would really appreciate hearing some comments from regular participants of this NG as to what they think of moderation… Good or Bad? TIA Mark [Mod: Good AND bad, folks. I'll look to do something about the "bad".]