Chapter 11: Moderator Influence

Your community will be reflective of you.

And this goes for your mods as well.

I've spoke of different factors that can weigh on you pulling in or pushing away a viewerbase.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have mods who make a viewer feel uncomfortable and afraid to speak? Just like if you have a bad attitude yourself, no decent minded viewer is going to want to come back.

And yet sadly, there are mods out there who let their elevated chat privileges go to their head, which isn't always the fault of the streamer and thus at times, the mod simply gets a sense of entitlement,

A way I've seen this happen is with new streamers granted the title of moderator to a viewer who came in the chat and just asked for it.

Due to the streamer honestly not understanding what a mod was and/or the viewer telling them they needed mods because they were new? It's forgivable that a fresh channel could possibly be deceived.

The damage that the new 'mod' could do however is a different story.

Like I said before with some partners, you also have some viewers who care more about the perks of being a mod while casting aside the actual responsibilities of it, which can make an actually friendly streamer look toxic depending on how that mod acts.

Just as you wouldn't want to give a stranger the keys to your home because they 'claim' to be a good dog sitter, you don't want to give a random viewer dominion over a lot of the very same moderation functions that you as the channel owner possess. The only thing worse is giving anyone that isn't you your stream key.

So if you've just started out and someone came into your chat saying 'I've modded for x many channels' or something else to possibly rope you into elevating them to a mod? This is why you shouldn't.

Firstly, they could grief your viewers with you not having any idea what is going on.

Let's say you've just started out streaming, modded some random individual, and you don't understand why messages in your chat are disappearing/crossed out or why a originally chatty viewer suddenly stopped talking mid conversation and left. It's because someone who you gave mod privileges to is timing out and banning your viewers.

And its pretty hard to apologize to someone for the actions of a corrupt mod when you A. Don't know what happened right away to apologize, and B. They can't reply to you.

This is countered to an extent by a function Twitch added some time ago where one can appeal a ban. While it's sadly given trolls a chance to continue the very behavior that got them banned? It can of course help a viewer banned by what I call a 'rogue mod' reach out to the streamer.

Another example is when a mod lets a personal issue with someone in the chat bring an abuse of their power.

So for anyone reading this who may want to be a mod for someone's channel? Whether you like an individual or not? You have to be professional.

As someone who has been a mod for a few other channels, yes there were times where someone showed up that I had a personal issue with, and they tried to chat with me as if we were still friends if we had ever been friends period.

So I whispered them privately saying that I would call things down the middle with them like anyone else, so they didn't have to worry about having to tread lightly with me and I would have their back if someone harassed them, but otherwise I'd appreciate if they respected that I didn't want to converse with them.

Going about it that way was due to the fact that I didn't want them getting the wrong idea that we were still cool while saying I would be fair with them. It was my way of keeping down awkwardness while still doing my job as the streamer trusted me to do it.

I'm not one to pretend to like someone who's lost my respect, but I also have respect for a streamer I'm modding because if I use my mod status to attack someone just for talking all because I have a beef with them? I don't deserve to be a mod.

These examples aside, sadly some streamers simply allow their mods to treat their viewers whatever way they want.

Some influence mod toxicity based on their own actions, while others influence it based on allowing their mods to show such actions without repercussions, namely out of bias towards the mod and not wanting to put a wedge in their friendship.

Nonetheless, its on not just the mod, but primarily the streamer in both cases.

To me, a good example of a mod is something that plays off my suburban neighborhood metaphor several chapters back.

It's someone who lays the law down when needed but otherwise acts like a viewer on your channel like everyone else.

One who jokes, connects, and simply has fun in the chat alongside those there who aren't mods to such a degree that if not for a different color to their name or a badge stating they are a mod? You wouldn't even be able to tell them apart unless you goofed and they gave whatever punishment was required for the broken rule.

Thus the viewer feels more comfortable and not like they might be walking on eggshells.

My mods are people who reflected my channel's goal of being supportive of others who needed someone to talk to before I modded them.

Me nor any of my mods are licensed psychiatrists or anything, but I modded each of them because they had empathy and kindness towards some of my viewers who had come in and really needed a shoulder.

However, If your mods are too strict on enforcing rules in the stream and/or are overall simply rude to the viewers like the examples above? It pushes well mannered viewers away and invites toxic viewers.

A streamer is supposed to interact with a chat, which is impossible of course if people are afraid to speak, or simply be around at all.

So if you have selected people as mods and they act such a way? Its time to either have a talk with them, or revoke their mod privileges outright.

And in regards to how to select a good mod? Firstly and obviously as I stated prior, you don't want to grant mod privileges to someone just because they asked, especially if they have only been in your channel a few times. I had a viewer one time come into my chat and say 'I wish I could mod for you' and then push on it by saying 'I've never been modded by anyone before'. This was their first time ever being on my channel.

First off, if they say they've never been modded before, they're also saying they have no experience in modding.

Secondly, being a moderator in a channel isn't just a badge of honor and if someone is begging to be a mod for you instead of you being the one to come to them first about being a moderator? Then they more than likely don't need to be one.

This is also the case for those who are one of several on a channel who try to make it a competition on who's the best moderator (such as saying the other mods are too slow) compared to focusing on teamwork.

A true quality of a mod is that they care more about what they can do for your channel than what the status can do for them. Close friends you know irl as well as family are some of the best candidates for a mod you can find.

And if you've got several regulars? Look to the ones who seem around most often and most active in chat with a good showing of friendliness and welcoming behavior towards other viewers.

Ask how they would feel about being a mod because you never know when something in your chat may require the attention of one, and a regular who is around a lot is showing qualities of an active and alert moderator without even knowing it themselves possibly. A mod that isn't around obviously can't do their job of course.

Overall, a mod is supposed to police the channel, but not to a point where they make the viewers feel like prisoners who will be punished if they so much as make a joke (in good taste) and no one thought it was funny.

Its one thing for a viewer to cross a line, but a mod should never see that line as crossed the moment a viewer enters the channel with the exception of if it's a viewer who has been toxic prior and your mod is aware of who they are.

It's your job as a streamer to make the viewer feel at home, but its also your mod's job to make them feel protected.

Otherwise they're acting exactly the same if not worse than the trolls they are supposed to be fending off, and if the streamer allows it? They're no better either.