A Beginner To Moderation — How and Where Do I Start?

Before you jump into moderation and start moderating communities, there are a few things you need to know.

By: Roonie#1255

Before you jump into moderation and start moderating communities, there are a few things you need to know.

As a moderator you have to be thick skinned, and you should be able to take things head-on.

You should be able to stay calm in the most tense/pressurizing situations, and keep in mind as a Moderator you will be exposed to things that include but is not limited to: NSFW, gore, toxicity, sensitive topics and a lot more.

With that being said, where do I start and how?

Image from Discord Blogs

As a moderator I'd say starting off from a small server to start your moderation journey is a great idea (as that's what I did and it taught me a lot).

But to find the perfect server you want to moderate, is by picking a community you're *passionate *or interested about or a community you're active in!

Moderating a community that you know and like very well, and you know the ins and outs of the specific community, is a great starting point for new-to-moderation moderators. Do keep in mind that while moderating a super large community is cool and all, if you're not passionate or interested about the community, you really shouldn't moderate it.

Once you start moderating a community, here are a few things to remember:

1. You as a moderator set an example on the community

So make sure you're professional whilst moderating and that you're a good role model to the members, as they look up to you.

2. The rules apply to everyone, regardless of who they are

Or what position they have in the server. You as a moderator should be the person that follows all the rules, just because you're a staff member does NOT mean you don't need to follow them.

If you're toxic, the members will think its okay to be toxic and the entire community ends up being toxic. If you break the rules, the members will think its okay to break the rules, so its important you set a good example.

3. Do not be biased

You cannot be biased to members just because they are your friend, or they are very active in your community.

The rules and the punishments/actions taken should apply the same to everyone and no one gets a special treatment in the community (that includes you as a moderator).

4. If you're going to take a break from moderation

(Which is completely fine to do, if you feel burnt out or if you have your reasons), please let your higher positioned staff members know.

If you're going to take a break for a day, I don't think you should really let anyone know, just take a break, chill and relax :D

In the past I have seen moderators just vanish for weeks without letting anyone know about anything (I'm sure they have their reasons), but just letting your higher positioned staff members know you're taking a break off is much more professional and responsible.

Also, check out Discord Moderator Academy, it provides amazing resource to moderators that want to start their moderation journey and to those that want to expand their moderation knowledge.

That's basically everything from me, if you want to know more about any specific moderation topics, feel free to hit me up on Discord @ LAZΞR#9999!