Do you pay your moderators?

[Dioxin]

Ok, a nice question arised the last couple of weeks and we would like to now what the vbulletin community think about paying the moderator team?

We think that the moderator job is not money driven. Passion should be the first criterion that counts. How do you motivate your team? Is money the right way?

What do other people think about this?

[Gladius]

Depends entirely on your board. You can only expect and/or demand so much from people you're not paying. Most message boards generating considerable income would likely benefit from a team of professional, paid moderators. But you'd need to study each board individually to see what its needs are.

[NegativeSmoke]

Sometimes I consider doing it....but I don't have the means of income to do so...:(

[Floris]

My sites run volunteer moderators, and once a year we will review the costs vs ad income and budget a potential bonus for long term moderators. (I am talking about MY sites, nothing to do with vbulletin.com, etc).

But yes, I also hire moderators. Some tasks should be done right, quick, and I don't think it's fair to let a volunteer moderator spend hours on certain things - and not being able to shout at them for 'slacking'.

It's rare. Mostly because I do not run big commercial sites and don't have the resources for dedicated paid staff.

[MRGTB]

I think if your running a site that's making a good income from ads, which leaves you with a good profit after server costs are taken out etc.

It's only fair your staff should have a slice of the cake as well. It just doesn't seem right to me, that as site owner you taken all the profit, while your staff get nothing and continue working for free.

Of course, I'm talking about large sites that make very good incomes from ads.

[Floris]

To be honest, I disagree.. Yes, I agree with you, but I disagree that it's fair they get a slice. They know beforehand when they sign up if they get paid or not, and they know what kind of site it is. Don't expect to be a volunteer position moderator on a site that's clearly there to make money, to get money. Then don't sign up for a volunteer position and properly apply for a job position. That said, I think the board owners should realize it's thanks to those paying members, and volunteer staff that their site remains clean and active. A compliment in the form of a gift is in place.

[MRGTB]

well yeah, I know what you mean. And to be honest I agree also. A lot depends on the kind of money your sites making for you.

Of course as site owner, you want to be the first to be making a good earner from it if possible before anybody else.

[Floris]

I think when you have millions of threads and have commercial things going on such as a shop, products, services, events, interviews, big stuff .. with serious advertisers, a network of sites, and what not .. that you have to hire a regular administrator, hire a tech guy, a graphic designer, have a dedicated community manager and what not.

And below them .. the paid staff .. you have the moderators who work on the community - volunteer basis (or not).

[eJM]

I wish my forum made enough so I could pay the staff. My job as the owner, administrator and coder/designer is a big one though. If the advertising income reaches a point that I consider it provides me with a minimal income for the service I provide, I would like to figure an equitable dispersement to the rest of staff. This would include providing increases to my own income as well.

Currently I am making less than minimum wage - far less. It may be a very long time before paid staff ever happens. I'm pretty sure I'll be dead by then (I do have a terminal lung disease) and then the staff will have to figure out where they can get an administrator on the cheap because none of them know beans about running a forum or a website.

Jim

[JakeS]

Where is the option for "I don't have any moderators"?

Anywho. I don't have any. so no I don't.

[aish725]

Being a moderator is a passion.. Usually it is by someone who is interested to be one or a form of volunteer work. But if it is such a bigger forum with lots of work to do then I guess a pay is worthwhile.

< fake "spam" signature removed : do that again and you're banned for spamming >

[WurkAnimal]

My forum also runs a volunteer moderator system, although at Christmas and birthdays, I will send them a package with some goodies. :)

[vBaBB]

I am a volunteer moderator on a certain forum that is very popular, but I doubt if they make much money.
All the moderators get this privilege after a while and they are happy to continue to do so without payment, not even during Christmas.
I have recently setup my own forum in an entirely different area, and if it gets too busy, then I am sure that I will be more generous to my moderators as I don't expect people to work for nothing.
So I will come back to this poll again within a year and add my honest input. :)

[water5]

looks like we are in the majority. should be a fourth option: to you accept bribes from ppl desiring to be moderators? ;)

[water5]

My forum also runs a volunteer moderator system, although at Christmas and birthdays, I will send them a package with some goodies. :)

That is nice, something I never thot of. TY for mentioning it.

[RichM]

No we don't. But we give them free premium membership. (Paid subscriptions)

[G3MM4]

I'm setting up a new board which will rely on volunteer moderators once the community grows large enough.

[Freezerator]

I don't pay moderators, simpel reason not enough income. I do have a annual meeting with all crew, and then we do something fun and go out to dinner, paid by the forums.

[Leon_Armageddon]

Actually I don't get it. Isn't moderating what everyone crave for? I mean they will be more than willing to be one without expectign anything in return.

[G3MM4]

Many people crave it because it's an ego-trip. Which is another good reason why you should be selective about who moderates.

[Leon_Armageddon]

Yeah just so they can have bragging rights and all.
Moderators shouldn't be paid.
Rofl.

[MRGTB]

Actually I don't get it. Isn't moderating what everyone crave for? I mean they will be more than willing to be one without expectign anything in return.

If a site owner is making money from his site, and expects you to help moderate it for free. No I don't agree!

My view is one off. Why should anybody do the job for free, while the site owner rakes money in from ads etc. Your putting just as much time into the site as him/her who owns it. So you should be rewarded also to a certain extent, if the site makes money "well above the server running cost". Otherwise, why should you waste your hard earned time helping out, when you could be doing other things like working a real job earning money?

This vote poll was always going to be one sided, because most people here are site owners, who don't want to part with a penny - LOL

[G3MM4]

Do it out of the goodness of your heart and because you're passionate about the forums.

I wouldn't take on a moderator who was only in it for the money. Even if I do make money from my site - that most likely would be for server costs etc.

Anyone who only does something for the money is not likely to do the best that they can. "Oh that'll do," or "The bare minimum work just for the cash - it's just a job." I see this everywhere, not just online.

Anyone who does something because they enjoy it (not as an ego-trip, mind!) and because they are passionate about the forums' main topic, and about the community, are more likely to do a far better job. They put more effort in, take more care, etc. I speak from personal experience - and it's human nature.

[MRGTB]

In that case then, why don't you "out of the goodness" of YOUR HEART give all the money you make from ads above your server cost. Too your moderators for helping out as a thank-you?

[G3MM4]

Who says I wouldn't? ;)

[MRGTB]

I'm not aiming this at you, but what annoys me at times is so many forum owners are just in it "for themselves" only. And expect a FREE RIDE from others helping them to make money, by keeping their forums clean and attractive to join (moderating it).

Then at the end of the day, they get nothing for it. It also annoys me too, when admin use the lame excuse of the money made goes to server costs, when in fact they are making money well above it that they benifit from only.

Thing is, if you ran a company. Would you get employee's to help you for free? No, and this is really no different in that sense. Your running a forum as a buisness if your using ads to make money - hobby or no hobby.

[G3MM4]

I agree with some of that - there are board owners out there who operate like that, just in it for themselves.

But personally, any money I would make from my forums strictly go towards the cost of maintaining the forums/website, advertising and for keeping it online. None of it would go into my pocket.

It's not just server costs. Once a website gets big and popular enough, it's often necessary to migrate to a VPS or dedicated server, which costs a lot more than a shared or reseller account.

So, costs that probably needs to be considered:

a) Server hire;
b) Cost of board software;
c) Cost of hiring coders if necessary (for the web design or for programming a specific feature/function or for programming a custom product/plugin that isn't found on vB.org);
d) Cost of advertising the website elsewhere;

Personally, that's the sort of thing I am having to consider for my upcoming website which will have vBulletin running as well as WordPress.

Am I in it for myself? No. The main topic of the website is spirituality, and it's non-profit. So when I need to take on moderators, they'll be working voluntarily. Of course, from time to time when there's spare cash available after costs, I'll sort something out to thank them for their hard work and dedication. But I certainly wouldn't be paying them on a regular basis like a wage.

Not everyone is in it for themselves, and not everyone is in a position to pay their moderators a regular wage.

[Leon_Armageddon]

Sorry but your view is completely biased. You are saying that all site owners seem to be selfish and greedy. Well it's not true, I know of a site admin who can be making a lot of money from her adsense but no what did she do?!

She actually invest all the money from what she has earned from her site to get dedicated hosting or give away as prizes for referral contests or posting contests. Recently, she even set up a mod for all members where they can set up their adsense account.

[MRGTB]

You don't have to pay them a wage as such. There are other ways you can give your moderators incentives. Like offering your moderators one ad placement on your forum to display their own ads - that rotates the ads added to it for example. That would cover all your mods with one ads placement used for them. To give them a chance to make some money also directly paid to them via there own adsense account. Meaning you don't even have to get involved in paying them the money, because it's all done via adsense for them. So the question of trust is not even involved also.

That could also be fun, because you mods could be comparing who's made the most money so far with the banner rotation in place for them. There is no excuse why any site admin could not do that for example for their mods to give them something back.

[schwab2clarkson]

I never pay my moderators as they are all volunteer to do the job.

[Deriel]

If my forum starts to make big money for any reason I'll talk to all my actual non-paid Moderators to establish some professional goals. And, off course, pay them accordingly to theirs accomplishments.

If your forum is not monetized, only getting money to maintain servers, domains and upgrades, do not pay. If you're getting real money, pay them and demand from them like any other kind of professional.

My 2 cents :)

[Mary303]

My forum has never paid mods. They do get lifetime free premium membership and free advertising during their mod service (most don't use the advertising.) They get a bene every now and again, a year-end award they can claim as a product or a donation to a favorite charity. It's not worth so much but they appreciate it.

They get a lot of appreciation and respect, which they seem to care more about than other rewards. All serve out of a passion for the hobby and the community.

I know from other life experience that dealing with volunteers is completely different from dealing with paid staff. Expectations must be appropriate. And it is to be expected that volunteers will turn over faster. It is easier for other life activities and burnout to distract volunteers. And there have to be enough mods in the right time zones to cover for mods that are less active for whatever reason.

One challenge at my site is how to gently suggest to a mod that as they have not performed their mod duties for a long time perhaps it is time to bow out of the mod forum and enjoy their lifetime premium membership as a regular member. With great thanks and appreciation. Some do this on their own, but not all. Any suggestions on easing mods out with good feelings all around are appreciated. :)