Moderation is Not Policing

The overculture of kyriarchy and oppression have left many of us with a very corrupted notion of how community is really supposed to work, and what the roles of certain community leaders really entail.

This manifests in particularly pointed ways in online spaces such as "social media."

It's telling how many people conceptualize the roles of "administrator" and "moderator" as basically "digital cop."

In this mindset, the goal of a moderator or other leader is to collect evidence of wrong-doing, mete out punishments, and occasionally brandish their power to "show" they are doing the job "well."

People who think of community this way often have serious objections to real moderation work.

Good moderation is about tending relationships, nurturing interactions and dynamics, and helping cultivate a local culture.

By nature, good moderation means getting to know people, keeping track of a lot of context others might miss, and maintaining a wide range of contacts and connections.

For real communities, this work is essential - such people are the glue that holds the group together.

But for those who conceive of social media as a lightly-policed free-for-all, all this paying attention and being involved seems like some kind of invasive overreach.

After all, most people don't invite the cops to movie night.

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Essay: Cultivating Community