What do you do when a veteran user gives you criticism that flips your whole moderation style?

I had a user who's been on my forum for 7 years tell me I was being too strict with locking threads about a local event in Austin. She said I was killing conversation by following the rules to the letter. I changed my approach to let some debates run longer if they stay civil, but now I'm worried I'm being too soft on actual rule breakers. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made you rethink your whole moderation system?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kai1d ago

Man, that's a tough spot to be in. I mean, how do you even tell the difference between a rule that needs to be bent for good conversation and a rule you're just giving up on? Like, what's the actual line you've been drawing since that feedback?

blair_lewis851h ago

Used to be a hardliner about never bending the rules, thought it was a slippery slope every time. Then a friend pointed out I was letting perfect be the enemy of good when I'd shut down a tangent that was actually leading somewhere interesting. Changed my mind when I realized the rule wasn't the point, keeping the conversation alive was. Now I just ask myself if breaking it would make the chat better or just make things easier for me. If it's the first, I bend it. If it's the second, I don't.