Private Messages

[pasag]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but anyways.

Just wanted to ask the management of this site a few questions about PMs. Any answers would be much appreciated.

- Do they get abused alot?
- Are they difficult to moderate?
- Does it make communicating moderation decisions with members easier?
- If a person got a warning through PMs, since it is off forum, could it be perceived as the persons behaviour is being ignored or even condoned by the management team and that that behaviour is acceptable for others?
- Do they create more problems then they solve?
- Is there any advantage of having them only for members with a certain post count or time since join up date?
- Are they susceptible to spam and forum poachings?

Anyways, any answers from mods here or people with moderation experience would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[manee]

Not much experience as a moderator but I can field these.

- Do they get abused alot?

Occasionally, advertising spam and spam for other threads are posted in PMs.

- Are they difficult to moderate?

They are not pre-moderated and usually a word stops people from abusing the PM system. A ban is rarely necessary.

- Does it make communicating moderation decisions with members easier?

In some cases, it does. In other cases, it does slightly. In my experience, though, the issue is always resolved via a few PMs, whether in a positive or negative way.

- If a person got a warning through PMs, since it is off forum, could it be perceived as the persons behaviour is being ignored or even condoned by the management team and that that behaviour is acceptable for others?

No, there is a common understanding of what is and what isn't acceptable by 90% of the members, most just get lost in the heat of the moment when posting inappropriate of rule breaking material.

- Do they create more problems then they solve?

No

- Is there any advantage of having them only for members with a certain post count or time since join up date?

Pms are rarely used by new members accept maybe about one or two a year who use it immediately to advertise their site.

- Are they susceptible to spam and forum poachings?

A bit. Members usually use it to advertise their thread here rather than other forums, notice the Forum for the Web section.

Anyways, any answers from mods here or people with moderation experience would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

No problem.

 

[nightprowler10]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but anyways.

Just wanted to ask the management of this site a few questions about PMs. Any answers would be much appreciated.

1. Do they get abused alot?
2. Are they difficult to moderate?
3. Does it make communicating moderation decisions with members easier?
4. If a person got a warning through PMs, since it is off forum, could it be perceived as the persons behaviour is being ignored or even condoned by the management team and that that behaviour is acceptable for others?
5. Do they create more problems then they solve?
6. Is there any advantage of having them only for members with a certain post count or time since join up date?
7. Are they susceptible to spam and forum poachings?

Anyways, any answers from mods here or people with moderation experience would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

1. There's always some abuse that comes with every feature a site has to offer, so yes. But its minimal.

2. Not at all. Principally, you would only really ever moderate PMs if there were to be a complaint, as respect for posters' privacy comes in to play.

3. Yes, much easier and ruffles a lot less feathers than, say, warning members on the forum for everyone to see.

4. Not in my experience, no. Though that question is a bit too vague for me to answer fully.

5. Again, a bit vague. As I said earlier every site feature will have drawbacks to it as members will abuse it, but you learn to deal with it on the go.

6. Its beneficial to avoid spam from accounts that are made purely for advertising.

7. We don't really have a problem with member "poaching" as we welcome posters to advertise their sites of the Forum For The Web section. And of course there's always spam to some extent, and members will usually report such incidents as it is as annoying to them as it is for us.

This is obviously just based on my experience with them on PC, yours might be different while implementing PMs on your site, whichever that may be.

 

[icyman]

Do they get abused a lot?
Rarely.

Are they difficult to moderate?
If you recieve spam or any other stupid things via this,you can approach the staff.

Does it make communicating moderation decisions with members easier?
Personally yes.
An effective way of communicating certain things in private.

If a person got a warning through PMs, since it is off forum, could it be perceived as the persons behaviour is being ignored or even condoned by the management team and that that behaviour is acceptable for others?Depends upon the matter for which you get warned.
Yes,maybe you can think of it as your behaviour is improper.I have had Mods PM me about my signature size.

Do they create more problems then they solve ?Well again,if you intend to take a fight to a member via PM,it will create more probs.
In other cases,it is an effective way of contacting certain members.

Is there any advantage of having them only for members with a certain post count or time since join up date?
No,on the contrary it is availbale to everyone.
Some people are more comfortable PM'ing others whereas some discuss openly.
Many memebrs also invite you to their threads-stories,etc thru PM's.


Are they susceptible to spam and forum poachings?
Yes,you do get ads for other forums.But it ultimately depepnds upon whether or not you wish to join it.

 

[barmyarmy]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but anyways.

Just wanted to ask the management of this site a few questions about PMs. Any answers would be much appreciated.

- Do they get abused alot?

They have been in the past but now we have a stable member base who aren't about to leave because of one advertising PM we have no problems.

- Are they difficult to moderate?

Not at all, no. I very rarely have to check the PM logs.

- Does it make communicating moderation decisions with members easier?

Definitely, combined with usernotes.

- If a person got a warning through PMs, since it is off forum, could it be perceived as the persons behaviour is being ignored or even condoned by the management team and that that behaviour is acceptable for others?

No. We believe strongly that the way to help members improve is to reprimand privately rather than embarrasing them in public. Staff know a members 'history' but most member won't have much idea of each others' records.
Just because people don't see something being dealt with it doesn't mean it isn't dealt with.

- Do they create more problems then they solve?

Absolutely not but you have to remember they are part of range of measures we use to run the forum (mod previews, sig/avatar bans, PM bans, improved post reporting system, multiple account detector).

- Is there any advantage of having them only for members with a certain post count or time since join up date?

Currently they can't be used straight away by people who register but we're keen not to make it too long a period or high a postcount. It's set at about 3 posts and 5 days.

- Are they susceptible to spam and forum poachings?

Yes but we don't feel all that threatened by the type of forums with 2/3 members that advertise and members forward the PMs to us anyway so we can ban the people who sent them.

 

[pasag]

Thanks for the responses guys and

This is obviously just based on my experience with them on PC, yours might be different while implementing PMs on your site, whichever that may be.

 

[pasag]

Lol at barmyarmy, didn't realise that at first glance.

 

[The Spin]

I have one question for you: Why all the questions?

 

[pasag]

I have one question for you: Why all the questions?

Research.