Regarding the suggestion of not just providing general guidelines but stepping in on particular occasions when those guidelines of civility and good behavior are not being met.
It ain't easy.
It's not just that the mods can't be everywhere. It's also, in my opinion, a question of how you can effectively react to members (whether male or female) who are acting out. Usually emotions are running high. If others (whether mods or other members of the community) react to them harshly, condemning their behavior, it frequently escalates the tension.
Quote:
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A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
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And when someone is acting out, they're likely to interpret any disagreement as harsh.
Harsh responses affect not only those who are the target of the condemndation but also others in the community, who think the responders stepped over the line as well or just don't like drama. I wince at the posts by the uncivil barbarians and also at the posts by some who would try to civilize the barbarians.
Of course, too soft/gentle an answer may be just brushed aside and ignored.
It is an uncommon skill to respond effectively in such situations. Hopefully that is one of the traits that discussion boards look at when selecting staff (although certainly not the only important trait). But there is no similar screening of members for that skill.
Although certainly there are many, including respondents in this thread.
It would be nice if we could encourage intervention by those members who have that skill and encourase other members to bite their tongues. I'm not sure if that's feasible either, though.
Civilization is hard work. Good luck.
