Online forums have are very popular nowadays due to the convenience that they offer. You can communicate with other forum members using any internet-enabled device. If you are the admin of the forum, you need to come up with smart ways of ensuring that debates are conducted properly. Here are some tips on how to moderate an online forum discussion.
Set the Rules
Despite the fact that most of the forums are not formal, they still need to rules and regulations. Set them and make sure that all the members understand them. This will help steer the debate or discussion in the right direction and avoid disagreements and use of vulgar language. The rules may vary depending on the type of discussion that you are having, so be as versatile as possible.
Avoid Interfering
As the admin, your main role should be to moderate what is been discussed. Hence, you should restrict yourself from taking full control of the forum unless when necessary. In simple terms, you should not break the flow of the debate, as this can deter some of the members from expressing their feelings openly.
Make it a Learning Environment
Probably one of the main reasons why most people joined the forum is to learn one or two things about a particular topic. So, make the follow a learning environment, not a platform of squaring out grudges and having unhealthy discussions.
Finally, encourage all the members to participate and give their insights.