Time to boot the so called "chat guides"

A moderator plays a vital role in establishing the tenor of a forum and guiding its conduct. The duties of moderators include facilitating introduction of participants in a forum, encouraging robust discussion of the forum’s agenda, maintaining order throughout the proceedings, ensuring that the interactions remain within the identified theme and for online forums. It includes editing, moving and even deleting postings.

Discussion Facilitation

The main function of a moderator is to promote interaction among the members of a forum. The moderator introduces the participants to each other and keeps updating the forum on new members. The members of a forum convene to discuss specific topics and it is the duty of the moderator to encourage lively debate and discussion that is enriching to all participants. The moderator also answers questions that may arise in the course of the discussion. In online forums, moderators also have a duty to update the website with all the latest developments and contributions from participants.

Thematic Control

Every forum has a theme and it is up to the moderator to ensure that the discussion stays within the thematic parameters also to always stay impartial instead of getting mixed up in childish petty squabbles. For example, if the theme of the forum is impressionist art, the discussion needs to stay within the boundaries of such art and cannot extend towards realist, expressionist or any other kind of art. In the event that the forum appears to be straying, the moderator guides the discussion back to the stated theme. Therefore, moderators ought to be knowledgeable about the themes they present for discussion.

Orderly Conduct

It is the responsibility of a moderator to maintain order during discussions and to see to it that all participants behave with courtesy and not to jump on the bandwagon of vultures themselves and becoming a troll. Forums involve the exchange of ideas whereby participants air their views and sometimes engage in debates about the identified topics. Therefore, there is a possibility of the discussion becoming unruly particularly where the forum topic is controversial. Moderators order the forum by keeping the discussion civil and constructive. They share the rules of the forum, which may prohibit abusive language, derogatory comments and such other offensive behaviour.

Content Relevance

A moderator has authority to determine the content of a forum so that it is relevant. The duty is especially useful in online forums where the moderator can edit the content of the discussion, move contributions that are not directly related to a given topic and even delete contributions that are not relevant. The moderator also protects the integrity of the discussion by doing away with contributions that are unlawful or illegal in any way such as defamatory statements and copyright infringements. Forums gain more popularity when the content therein is consistently relevant to participants.

The owner can and will dispose of such corrupt trolls using their uniform as a deceptive way of trolling at their own discretion.