Yay for growth! Our humble little goat group has taken off and as a result, we need more moderators to help keep things running smoothly. If the idea of working with a volunteer team to guide and help a growing membership appeals to you, keep reading to learn more.
About The Holistic Goat
The Holistic Goat is a goat group dedicated to empowering goat owners and combatting fear with information. It began originally in 2017 as a safe place where people of all walks of life and goat management backgrounds could come together and discuss all ways of raising goats without fear of criticism or attack. Through the years, that has continued to be the main focus and it is a cause I am personally passionately committed to. In a world where “social media is just cutthroat, there’s nothing to do about it,” I am determined that THG is the exception, illuminating the way for others to discover we can come together in peace and courtesy while exploring wildly varying–and sometimes opposing–ways of raising goats. Peaceful discourse helps us all grow and learn.
The Moderator Position
So what will you do as a moderator in this Facebook group? The moderation team is here for one purpose: to serve as guides to help facilitate the free exchange of ideas. We don’t hold that any one way of doing things is the right way. We try not to take sides or have outspoken opinions one way or another in the context of our moderation duties. Instead, we help others feel safe and free to share their thoughts, adding our own when appropriate but always holding that the titles by our names give us no more authority or expertise than anyone else.
This doesn’t mean that you don’t have your own opinions, but that they are not the focus of your duties as a moderator. I am emphatically passionate about the way *I* do things, but you largely don’t see that side of me because my beliefs don’t matter in this group. What matters is that everyone is free to engage in discussion, to learn new ways and explore new ideas, without any fear of attack, passive aggressive responses or negative criticism. (Catch me in the Circle community, on the other hand, and you’ll see Megan uncensored. 😆)
I want to underscore the critical importance of being able to do this volunteer position without getting emotionally involved. It is not our role to have or police opinions. We are simply here to determine, “Is this discussion safe for everyone involved?” If you cannot leave your own beliefs at the figurative door, this role will not work for you.
Key Duties
As a moderator, you can expect to do the following tasks on a regular basis:
- visit the Facebook group and actively browse for new posts
- monitor comments to ensure the main rule of Do No Harm is strictly followed
- reply to comments when guidance is necessary, keeping in mind your role as a guide to the free exchange of ideas
- discuss with the Admin team through FB messages
- respond to reported comments, usually by discussing with the team unless the answer is straightforward
- remove comments and members who break the rules of the group, also after discussion with the team
Requirements
I am much more interested in finding someone whose personality and values align with the team than I am in any other factor. These are some key traits an ideal moderator will possess:
- ability to keep a cool head and respond outside of emotions
- ability to judge fairly and assess each situation independently
- ability to articulate thoughts and communicate clearly and with correct grammar/spelling, both with members and with the Admin team
- a love for helping people
- ability to be open minded and understand that our own experience is not universal and everyone has their own unique path to walk
Why such stringent requirements for a volunteer team? Because we have worked so hard to earn member comments such as:
- “This is the best moderated group on Facebook.”
- “This group is the only reason I’m still on Facebook.”
- “I come here first for any goat questions because I know it’s safe.”
- Etc.
The group has remained strong through its tremendous growth. If it cannot remain strong through its new evolution, it would be better to archive it and leave it as the informative, safe space it currently is.
If you get a thrill of excitement reading this, I’d love to hear from you. Please fill out this form.