Being a Mod 201 - The PM is your bestest best friend
An unscheduled update to the BaM series - I started my “Oh why did I do this to myself” campaign against our resident trolls and flame posters (we have a “Flame Wars board” which has turned into “Troll-spam-biggotry Wars” and I’m trying to drag it up without any bans or revolts - it’s harder but in the long run, much more rewarding. Anyhoo, I’m going through about 30-40 PMs sent and an equal number received in a 2 hour shift right now…It’s phun…
Anyhoo, inspired the PM is your friend BaM, so here it is:
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OK, I’m not technically on shift today but I am
working on procrastination and dealing with my new “friends” in the
flame wars. So while I wait for a couple PMs to come in, I thought I’d
write about them.
Being a Mod 201 - The PM is your bestest best friend
Nobody likes being called out in
public. It puts them on the defensive immediately and they shut down
and oppose themselves to you as fast and as hard as they can. We all
know this, we all have seen it.
The PM however is quick, quiet and surprisingly effective.
People’s public and private attitudes are two very different things. I
can have great chats with people who declare their hatred for me in
public in rather colourful ways simply by PMing them with a friendly attitude.
Coming back to that “being human“
thing, if you are human in a PM, people will generally be human back.
If you are “mod-stick” to them, then they will be “up-the-ass” back at
you.
Most mod work should be negotiations
behind the scenes, it works wonders, it keeps people from hating you
and you get to know some pretty interesting people and will have some
laughs at how different people can be in public and private. (Right now
I’m sending about 30-40 a day…and I’m only supposed to be working 2
hours a day. There is a lot of back and forth.)
Be careful though. Private Message does not mean private. Expect anything (but rarely everything) to be posted with rather creative edits attached to it.
So - Avoid backing people into a corner by dealing with them in
private. People will be much more friendly if you treat them as equals
in private and with a friendly attitude. Avoid saying anything that can
be mis-construed, twisted or otherwise posted embarrassingly on the
forum - or don’t and let us all laugh at you 
Have a good weekend guys.
Twill