Board Guide Role Description

Former_MSE_Forum_Manager · 18 October 2005 at 4:08PM

:: BOARD GUIDE ROLE DESCRIPTION ::

This section expands on what the Board Guides have been asked to do. Please read this in conjunction with The Rules before posting.

:: SUMMARISED JOB DESCRIPTION

Keep threads on topic (including moving non-MoneySaving related discussions to Discussion Time/MoneySaversArms)
Point site users to relevant main site articles
Sticky threads considered good MoneySaving to the top of the board
Merge/link together duplicate threads
Help newbies find their way around
Delete spam and report the poster to [email="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/email]
Lock/delete contentious threads if no member of the Forum Team is available and report to [email="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/email]

:: How do you become a Board Guide?

Board Guides were chosen from the many regulars that use particular boards and who wanted to give something back to the site.

While we currently have sufficient Board Guides, now and then we post on the This Site board asking for volunteers. Generally the person picked would be someone that has used that particular board a lot and already understands how it works. An enthusiasm for keeping that board running smoothly and helping newbies find the information they need quickly and easily is the key.

:: What a Board Guide is

The aim is to help newbies, making sure there aren't lots of different posts on the same thing and guiding people in the right direction. That means where someone says “I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find the information” posting links to the relevant articles/sections on the main site or pointing them to the links at the top of discussion boards.

Where topics have been posted more than once they have been asked to merge/link to each of them where appropriate to help forum users find the information they need.

When moving a thread if it would cause confusion Board Guides are asked to leave a re-direct. Re-directs should be left on the board for 7 days after the thread is moved. Threads should be moved if they’re obviously disturbing the flow of the board and/or are not likely to get a big response where they are.

Where a thread has become contentious Board Guides have been asked to either report or lock and report it so a member of the Forum Team can see it and take appropriate action.

:: What a Board Guide isn't

Board Guides are not moderators. They don’t deal with contentious/illegal issues - that's the Forum Team’s job.

:: Do Board Guides need to be experts?

No. On some boards a specialist knowledge is very useful, but for many just being interested in the subject is enough.

:: Do Board Guides need to be techies?

No, although a willingness to play with the technology helps.

:: How much time?

Board Guiding is a role for very regular users on and looking around the forum most days. Of course, that doesn’t mean Board Guides should worry if they think they can’t get on for a couple of days or they’re going on holiday. Everyone here has a life in the real world.

:: Board Guides have been asked to keep this in their signatures:

Hi. Martin has asked me to tell you I'm the Board Guide on the X (and Y) board(s). I'm a volunteer to help the board(s) run smoothly, and I can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to [email="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/email] (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.

Board Guide Role Description

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