i'll share some of the things i've been working on behind the scenes.
I was added on as a moderator on this forum because of my reputation from cruzetalk.com. Over on cruzetalk, i took over the administrator role when all of the moderators had abandoned the forum. I nominated three moderators that were genuine gearheads. We set up a gearhead badge for those who demonstrated exemplary technical knowledge of automotive mechanics and a general engineering mindset, and our own hidden section where technical issues could be discussed. Having participated in forums prior to that where misinformation was rampant, i was determined to prevent that from happening there. I was very successful, and our forum was regularly commended for how genuinely helpful and informative it was.
Once you identify and recognize subject matter experts, it becomes a bit easier for other members to weed through the misinformation. The problem is identifying subject matter experts when you're not one. I'm fortunate enough to have a wide array of technical knowledge and an engineering background, so i can generally smell bs from a mile away, but i have moments that i'm not proud of as well. Only a fool thinks he has nothing left to learn.
Online discussion boards, and the internet for that matter, has given everyone an equal voice. I like to say there is an overwhelming amount of information, but very little real wisdom. As many will discover, we may be equal in the eyes of god and the law, but we don't have equal levels of knowledge, equal experiences, or equal thought processes. Combine that with people that have hidden agendas, and the generally ignorant public has a difficult time weeding through the misinformation to determine what's really true. People often settle for perceived credibility, which doesn't always yield better results.
I know a lot about a lot of things and have some good insight due to my engineering background, but even if i had the free time, i wouldn't be in any position to review and approve posts to ensure their technical accuracy. I've found that the best approach is to create an atmosphere that admires and recognizes the contribution of technical knowledge, while being very confrontational and persistent when misinformation is presented. That's a responsibility that falls on the entire community, not just the moderators. Initiatives like the gearhead badge we used on cruzetalk were beneficial as we had a hidden section where we could come to an agreement on controversial technical topics and could guide the forum as a team toward technical accuracy. Perhaps we can start with something like that.
If you want this to be an informative and genuinely helpful community, you (and i refer to everyone here), need to do your part in contributing to discussions in an informative and helpful manner, appreciating, recognizing, and encouraging subject matter experts, and sparing no time in addressing any misinformation presented. I'll do my best to ensure the forum runs smoothly, but it's not just about the moderators; the forum is only as good as the community of members.
:crying:
