Share Your Story Room - Effective Moderation
A number of fellow group mods and I have noticed a recurring problem in SYS. Mainly the issue is that there is a group of regular users who come into the room just to chat and are not making space for newcomers to share and find support. There are also blurred lines with listeners seeking support in that room, as well as a couple mods who chat with the members to the detriment of moderating the room.
I think we as moderators, especially those of us who are often in SYS, need to come up with a system of moderating the room that creates more structure there. That may be more strict rules about what is and is not appropriate for the room, and more consistentenforcement of those rules.
I'd like to come up with a good system so that we can keep that room functioning well, as I know it has become a source of great support for some users.
I think you brought up a really big concern so thank you for that!!! I agree with you on this issue, and maybe a general suggestion would be to havenoni presencespop up in the chatroom (besides the ones that already do)designed specifically for moderators and perhaps members participating as well, reminding them of the rules they need to follow!
Such asreminding people to be careful of usingcaps lock, offensive language, orspeaking inforeign languages and spamming! For moderators, adding some tips from the group support moderator guide would be helpeful!!
Maybe this has already been implemented but I thought I'd say it anyways.:)
I wonder if we can create specific rules for the different rooms? The Waiting Room, the SYS room, etc.
I 150% agree that the rule about Listeners listening in the chatrooms needs to be enforced. I have experienced quite a few listeners who did not realize this was an expectation, but also a few listeners who took offense to this rule. I've seen moderators not enforce this rule, and I would like to see it more enforced.
I definitely think that moderators need to be on their toes in that room, noticing those who want to share and focusing on whoever is sharing at the moment. Where it gets tricky is the same place it gets tricky in Depression Support - People come in in all different states of distress and start sharing immediately, and others, being empathetic, caring people, respond. That makes things confusing, and that's where the negative feelings start to set in - do you let more than one person share and risk some people feeling alienated, or do you ask the second person in distress to wait their turn and also risk some people feeling alienated?
You know how we have the notepad function on our dashboard now? If there could be a notepad in the chatroom that only moderators and/or Listeners could see, that might help. It would help moderators keep track of who needs to share next and bring more organization to the room.
I also feel that many members do not like the idea of the new "Loneliness" chatroom, even though that was designed (I suspect, but am not sure) with the SYS "regulars" in mind. It attracts a different crowd and I would love to brainstorm about another solution, if anyone is interested.
Otherwise, I fear that the most appropriate action would have to be strong moderation. It helps to have moderators that the members know and trust and get along with, as they seem to have a better feel for how the room works and they have a better connection with the members.
I like the idea of having listeners help with the support side of the chat room. I think that's the intent, but it's maybe not explained well? That leaves the moderators to make sure that rules are followed and focus is kept, without having to do the double duty of moderating as well as providing support. I have also often experienced the conundrum of asking people to wait their turn, or having multiple people share at once. Either way people are bound to feel left behind, and I'm not sure which is the most productive approach. I kind of wish we had a traffic light type system in the room. Red = someone is sharing right now and Green = the room is open for someone new to share. This would have to be controlled by moderators, so it's not ideal, but I find myself wishing there was a better way to inform people of the status of the room without having to say it everytime and interrupt the flow of the chat.
Good points. Does anyone know what the intended use of the "Loneliness" group support room is?
