Dealing With Troublesome Members

Written by: Paul Omer

Note to Followers: I would first like to give out a personal message. Recently I have been very busy with various things in my life, mostly pertaining to running and managing several forums at the moment. More work and opportunities have come my way, so having time to sit down and type up an article for The Forumist isn't as common as it used to be. Keep in mind however, that I still plan on keeping this place going for as long as possible. I see that I now have 8 Followers. Thanks so much for the support, and the good word I've received else where.

Something pretty much every forum has, are members who for some reason other than simply wanting to tick you off, constantly break the rules. This can be a very irritating thing and can cause uneasiness for Administrators, especially for forums that are just getting started, and that don't have a solid member base to support them. Who would want to ban one of the five most active members on your forum? No one, obviously, but you know it has to be done, and so you need to know where to draw the line, and how.

Using a simple process.
Most Staff will simply use their discretion, and in most cases this is probably the best way to handle it. Certain infractions may be greater than others, and there's also the member's attitude to consider. Though it can be hard to tell sometimes, a new member may say or do something that is not allowed, but because of the fact that they are new, they simply didn't know. Jumping to the extreme and banning them right away is rarely the best solution. The infraction would need to be major, and obviously deliberate. The way I always generally handled it, was to give each user three strikes. If they broke the rules, I would warn them, and after about 60 days I would lift the warning. Anyone who breaks the rules three times in 60 days is probably not a member you're going to want to contend with right on out. This of course still allows however for a more serious punishment if indeed the infraction was serious. Members who reached the third strike would get a two week ban. If they received three strikes in 60 days again, I would up to a month. After that, ban hammer time.



Trolololololo!
Oh yes, there are PLENTY of these guys around. Members who come on for the sole purpose of making you wish you hadn't got out of bed that morning. Don't let them get to you! You getting all mad and flustered is exactly what they want, so don't play their game. Some trolls are obvious, which makes them easy. You can quickly identify them as a troll, and ban their pathetic selves immediately. Others however, tend to rely more on finesse. They'll push the envelope constantly, but because they're never actually breaking the rules, you can't get on to them, or so that's what they think. Truth is, you are the Administrator, you get to decide. If you notice a member who is consistently pushing the envelope, just because they aren't technically breaking a rule, don't hesitate to confront them about it. Such members are simply a disturbance to the rest of your community, and one rotten apple can ruin a bushel full of good ones.

Being strict doesn't mean being rude or overly harsh. It means you firmly stand by your rules and principles for whatever the reason. Members who are turned off by this aren't worth having, so for you young forums, don't be afraid to get rid of them. You'll be way better off in the long run.