Sometimes flame wars break out on a forum suddenly and for what seems like no reason, even over little petty disagreements. How can you contain a flame war when even more level headed veteran forum members start getting involved with the name calling/insults etc so the forum is not divided? What steps should you take to contain the situation?
How do you contain a flame war?
- Thread starter Beverly
- Start date
That's a rather tough situation. I have never experienced it while running my own forum. I guess it is relative since each moderator has their own style. For me I will at least listen to the story of both sides and checking history, discuss it with fellow staff members, and come up with the decision. If needed both party will receive penalties, hoping to be more fair. Very technical, sorry.
I wonder if disabling their ability to post temporarily to stop them from fighting will help, though, haha.
I wonder if disabling their ability to post temporarily to stop them from fighting will help, though, haha.
What I've done in the past when it comes to flamewars is once the first insults get thrown, I'll either:
1- send that topic to the trash.
2- split the topic and move the offending posts to the trash.
(depending on the nature of the thread and how likely I feel a flamewar is going to spring up again. So if it's a topic about religion and one user simply can't contain themselves and gets far too pushy and insulting then I'll more likely remove the whole topic to keep them from responding in it.)
Members who posted insults get a PM reminding them of the forum rules and not to insult other members.
If they can't or won't listen then and go right back to trying to continue that topic? I'll send them a PM telling them they're on mod queue until further notice.
Then I'll review their posts before anyone can actually see them. So if they think they're going to be allowed keep causing problems? They have another thing coming.
And supposing they keep posting problem messages while on mod queue... I'd just ban them. Since if they're on mod queue and they're still posting problem messages knowing that staff of that site have to read them? It'd be pretty clear to me that they're not worth the effort to keep around anymore.
And generally it's worked pretty well. I don't recall ever needing to ban anyone from a single flamewar. In my experience very few people get to the mod queue part, most times they've cooled off enough to behave properly once the warning PM gets sent out.
Any time I have had to ban someone (because of flamewars) it's always been because they cooled off from that one but then would turn around and get involved in another, different, one very shortly after.
1- send that topic to the trash.
2- split the topic and move the offending posts to the trash.
(depending on the nature of the thread and how likely I feel a flamewar is going to spring up again. So if it's a topic about religion and one user simply can't contain themselves and gets far too pushy and insulting then I'll more likely remove the whole topic to keep them from responding in it.)
Members who posted insults get a PM reminding them of the forum rules and not to insult other members.
If they can't or won't listen then and go right back to trying to continue that topic? I'll send them a PM telling them they're on mod queue until further notice.
Then I'll review their posts before anyone can actually see them. So if they think they're going to be allowed keep causing problems? They have another thing coming.
And supposing they keep posting problem messages while on mod queue... I'd just ban them. Since if they're on mod queue and they're still posting problem messages knowing that staff of that site have to read them? It'd be pretty clear to me that they're not worth the effort to keep around anymore.
And generally it's worked pretty well. I don't recall ever needing to ban anyone from a single flamewar. In my experience very few people get to the mod queue part, most times they've cooled off enough to behave properly once the warning PM gets sent out.
Any time I have had to ban someone (because of flamewars) it's always been because they cooled off from that one but then would turn around and get involved in another, different, one very shortly after.
On a political forum (with people from all kinds of political viewpoint) it can obviously be a constant issue, and I think the real key to it is to have good rules that are evenly and fairly enforced, with a system of PMs/warnings/infractions that are firm and clear but fair, and primarily aimed at encouraging members not to do such things rather than punishing them when they do. Clear and understandable rules to follow, and clear processes for moderation when people don't (but that do allow people to lose their cool on a single occasion without getting immediately banned).
Getting to the problem early, before it can escalate, is obviously the main thing on a single thread, along with properly assessing the context to determine the root of the problem (as well as having a clear policy that the rule violations of one do not excuse subsequent rule violations from others, and each member is responsible for their own posts). I would remove anything that violates the rules, while if possible keeping the sensible discussion coherent - I would only delete a thread as a last resort, because there were so many violations that it couldn't be saved (the danger otherwise is that people will attempt to get threads they don't like shut down by winding others up and prompting rule violations - if that happens, the trolls win!). On-thread public warnings can also be a useful approach when things start to get a little heated, as can thread bans (if you have the facility), and if necessary temp bans of a day or two to give people time to cool off.
It is possible to allow people to say what they want (even if others don't like their opinion), while having rules to govern how they say it (in a manner that is civil, and does not appear designed just to deliberately wind other people up). Its also possibly to moderate with a 'light touch' and not be on people's cases all the time for minor and petty things (people will just leave if that is how forum staff act). If a serious flame war explodes, though, you have to get in there and deal with it firmly. You can't ignore it and hope it goes away - you have to show the members that you are prepared to act when you need to, otherwise the rules will just get ignored (and good members will leave, because they get fed up of the behaviour of others).
You will get criticised and shouted at by someone for whatever action you take, of course - goes with the territory, unfortunately, and you need to have a thick skin sometimes!
Getting to the problem early, before it can escalate, is obviously the main thing on a single thread, along with properly assessing the context to determine the root of the problem (as well as having a clear policy that the rule violations of one do not excuse subsequent rule violations from others, and each member is responsible for their own posts). I would remove anything that violates the rules, while if possible keeping the sensible discussion coherent - I would only delete a thread as a last resort, because there were so many violations that it couldn't be saved (the danger otherwise is that people will attempt to get threads they don't like shut down by winding others up and prompting rule violations - if that happens, the trolls win!). On-thread public warnings can also be a useful approach when things start to get a little heated, as can thread bans (if you have the facility), and if necessary temp bans of a day or two to give people time to cool off.
It is possible to allow people to say what they want (even if others don't like their opinion), while having rules to govern how they say it (in a manner that is civil, and does not appear designed just to deliberately wind other people up). Its also possibly to moderate with a 'light touch' and not be on people's cases all the time for minor and petty things (people will just leave if that is how forum staff act). If a serious flame war explodes, though, you have to get in there and deal with it firmly. You can't ignore it and hope it goes away - you have to show the members that you are prepared to act when you need to, otherwise the rules will just get ignored (and good members will leave, because they get fed up of the behaviour of others).
You will get criticised and shouted at by someone for whatever action you take, of course - goes with the territory, unfortunately, and you need to have a thick skin sometimes!
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