Stap isi

24 March 2009

How do you deal with nutters?

You can’t avoid them. At some point – probably about 10 minutes after you open a forum or blog – they’re going to make themselves known. And they don’t stop.

The main cost of nutters is time. They send you and your colleagues on wild goose chases. But nutters – even being nutters – will have something to contribute. How do you draw out or corral constructive input?

Here are some suggestions on dealing with nutters from my friends (some of them community managers, others nutters):

1. give them a damned good listening to;
2. ignore them; or
3. out-nutter them.

If you’re a parent, you know the parent thing:

1. reward the constructive;
2. ignore the provocative; and
3. enforce the rules when they are broken.

If you’re a parent, you also know that’s easier said than done!

Giving it time is another strategy. You hope that the group becomes self-moderating. Reputation systems can be helpful, but ultimately your community needs enough contributions across the scale so that the extremes are seen to be so.

Good levels of participation and an active, enagaged community are probably the best bet against nutters. And there’s a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow.

— b3rn   comments, community, moderation   Mar 24, 11:50 PM   #

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