Forum Moderation

[NCAgent]

Perhaps there is a way to make it where certain threads HAVE to be read before you can post on the forum?

I think a thread for people new to P&C and people new to L&H, and a thread for starting an agency and/or a thread for thinking about being your own agent would be good to have. There is a great one for these already on the health discussion that is a little older but still FANTASTIC to read. If we do these for the other subjects and make it so people can't post until they read these, it would allow for more educated posts rather than a bunch of spam and first posters asking the same question and never showing up here again.

Just a thought

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I think you're all missing a rather large point. A lot of people also come here for the interaction. They don't want to spend their day reading older posts. The want real-time current answers. This is the nature of a forum. Otherwise it's called a "book."

 

[NCAgent]

I agree. But some things just don't change very frequently. I don't need 5 different editions of math books that teach me addition. You don't need 40 different posts that are all within 1-2 years talking about how to get appointments.

Sometimes you have to read things to get to a point with having reasonable interaction. I'd like to see a book that has as much information as this forum, if so I'd definitely buy it! We've all spent a few hours here reading up on things. I've even made a post about preneed and FE that acknowledged some older posts by Newby but wanted to make sure things are relevant. My issue is with people not making any effort to find something out themselves before asking questions. We are insurance agents with professional licenses that handle people's finances and assets. We should be able to look something up.

I just did it for a client the other day that is a police officer. I typed in "life insurance, police" and then did a search. It revealed a discussion that I used as part of my research for the client. It's easy, and it prevented me from spending 1-2 hours constantly hitting refresh waiting for a response.

 

[Sam]

with regard to the original point made, the primary point of adding new moderators is to help improve the tone of the forum. Dave and I are on the same page here. There are plenty of forums where the moderation has a very heavy hand and delete things at will and you can be banned for questioning management. We have never been that way, we always allow criticism to stay up. However, as Dave says, we are going to make a stronger effort to moderate for tone, and consistent negativity will just get posts deleted.

There is still plenty of room for interaction.

With regard to people starting new threads, I disagree with a lot of you. Often it is better for a new member to start a new thread than to just search and consume the old content. Sure, people should search and read, but in many cases, there will be new fresh eyes on the issue and they will have some new answers.

There are very few questions that are asked here which have an objective clear right answer to which you can say asked and answered, search for it.

In most cases, there are new perspectives, changing rules, and different people with new points of view responding.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

No but it's the wrong analogy. That math teacher is going to teach class after class after class. The teacher doesn't say "listen, I've been going over the exact same stuff for 5 years now. It's all in the book - later."
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with regard to the original point made, the primary point of adding new moderators is to help improve the tone of the forum. Dave and I are on the same page here. There are plenty of forums where the moderation has a very heavy hand and delete things at will and you can be banned for questioning management. We have never been that way, we always allow criticism to stay up. However, as Dave says, we are going to make a stronger effort to moderate for tone, and consistent negativity will just get posts deleted.

There is still plenty of room for interaction.

With regard to people starting new threads, I disagree with a lot of you. Often it is better for a new member to start a new thread than to just search and consume the old content. Sure, people should search and read, but in many cases, there will be new fresh eyes on the issue and they will have some new answers.

There are very few questions that are asked here which have an objective clear right answer to which you can say asked and answered, search for it.

In most cases, there are new perspectives, changing rules, and different people with new points of view responding.

Also on that note, a forum search on any given topic might result in a new member reading a 3 month, 8 month or 2 year old thread with irrelevant information.

Regarding stricter moderation, you'll piss off about 5 people here and gain about 1,000 new members.

 

[NCAgent]

No but it's the wrong analogy. That math teacher is going to teach class after class after class. The teacher doesn't say "listen, I've been going over the exact same stuff for 5 years now. It's all in the book - later."
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Also on that note, a forum search on any given topic might result in a new member reading a 3 month, 8 month or 2 year old thread with irrelevant information.

That is where some practical, albeit non-calculable common sense comes in. You start with the newer stuff and if you think it isn't relevant anymore, then ask again. 3 months old is probably relevant, as is a year. 2 years, maybe. As for a teacher in college, yeah you are expected to read things first and then ask questions in class. If you ask an obvious question the teacher is going to answer it once or twice. If you keep asking and the topic has been discussed, and in your book, and easily accessible, the teacher will be annoyed. So I think the analogy applies.

I like people posting, I do. But some things are so new that they are still relevant. If I answer E&O questions and P&C cluster questions 2-3 times a week or a few times a month, do you really think it's going to change that much? If someone is looking to go out and be an agent, do you think the overall thought-process of going out and getting carriers and finding leads has changed much? The details might change, which is fine. In fact, this isn't to say you might not have specific questions. If someone asks a specific question, that is more understandable. If someone says "How does the system for Progressive compare to Safeco in terms of ease-of-use for a new agent" that is different than "how do I get appointments as a new agent?" I'm sorry if I keep going back to the same topic here but as a P&C guy I see it a lot.

I redid an older topic about FE and preneed that was a little bit older. Those things change, carrier appetites change, and things like that. Those questions might change as time goes on. But the FUNDAMENTALS are that- FUNDAMENTALS. They don't change, which is why they are fundamental. Something might come and rock the world of insurance for new agents but I'm sure it will be all over the threads first and then doing a simple search will easily find that.

Maybe it's because I'm a science student and I'm used to researching before asking. Maybe it's my personality in general. Maybe I just have higher standards for my peers. But I expect clients not to research before asking me because it is my job and my profession. Others should at least look and try to figure it out first for new things. If you have a methodology to bring up , or the right product for clients, go for it. There are so many moving variables that aren't cut-and-dry. I saw one where a person wanted an opinion on using WL in a way with med supps, which was great. I liked it and never thought about it. I won't use it myself but it seemed interesting to get feedback on. A person asking what kind of carrier appetite for a market is good, too, because those change with the wind sometimes. I don't expect people to know and make 100% right choices on when to post and when not to. But if those old threads aren't useful anymore, then save space and delete threads older than a certain age.

 

[GoCubsGo]

For those have a problem with the same question being asked time again do you think telling them to use the search features accomplishes anything? The next new member will not have read that response but all us existing members will come back to the thread to see what the new post was only to find we wasted our time. Why not just past the thread by if you feel it's an old topic you don't want to participate in? Why the compelling need to play moderator and tell another member what to do? Save yourself the aggravation and just move on. Roll your eyes while you do it and make yourself feel better. ha

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

There is theory and reality. Reply with "search the forum" comes across as snarky and drives other potential members away.

 

[NCAgent]

That I can understand if you say it that way. Saying it like that (and I have been guilty of it though I regret doing it now) is meant to sound like tough love but it sounds snarky like you say.

The goal isn't to scare away potential people. But at the same time we want the current people to stay and get the impression that this is a professional forum with intelligent conversations. If all the people currently here stop posting and you have new people posting the same things over and over again, then eventually new people will stop coming as well and then carriers still aren't recommending this forum to people. I think having a good place to let people see things all in order will help out a lot. We don't need to be pricks, and I'm not putting all the blame on new people here. I think that people are starting to be programmed to not answer when people need help, or respond saying "do a damn forum search on this, noob" because it doesn't matter, since they will see it again.

It's 2 issues, not just one. I just think putting stuff in order to help people get the answer before even asking it is easier than telling people they need to change their personality when things bother them- that one could be harder.

Also, to note, everything I have said here I am guilty of doing as well, on both sides. This doesn't exempt me but I wanted to make sure people knew that. However, I am now doing searches and being informed here after I started taking control of my career. People mentioned to do searches and whatnot and I have been doing so, and it has helped me out a lot to do so.

 

[xrac]

There is theory and reality. Reply with "search the forum" comes across as snarky and drives other potential members away.

I do not think that is snarky and if it drives away potential members so be it. They may not be worth having. You have threads on almost every topic and it seems that some new participants are TOO LAZY to look for themselves. If I come on here and ask where to buy E&O when that subject has been discussed a dozen times I think that I am just lazy and want everything placed right in front of me. If my telling them to search causes them to drop out they are not going to make it in this business.