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Improving the Discusssion Board
Posted:
Jul 17, 2006 8:16 AM
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Recently, the Board has suffered from a variety of problems with multiple postings, unwanted SPAM, and other irritants in using the board. A small group of regular users have worked together to create a list of recommended improvements to the discussion board to solve some of the problems and to increase the functionality of the board. Below is the list of recommendations that have been presented to ASQ. A committee has been formed by ASQ management to review the list and respond with what changes can be made.
The list of recommendations are divided into two categories. The first category are mainly rules and policies changes that may not involve any expenditures by ASQ and the second category will probably involve software expenditures that may have to be included in the next ASQ budget. Anyone who is interested may comment on these recommendations or suggest other ideas for improvement. There is no guarantee that all of the recommendations will be implemented but ASQ is interested in working with the ASQ membership to make the board a useful benefit to us. If anyone would like more information, you can contact me through my email address in the member profile.
Bill Pflanz
Category 1
Recommendations for Changes in Policies and Procedures
for the ASQ Discussion Board
· Review the activity of the current list of Board forums and remove or consolidate inactive forums. Create and implement a policy for adding new forums based on reasonable demand and removal if demand is not met.
· Identify and appoint moderators for all forums with the appropriate authority to monitor and police their forum for appropriate posting activity.
o Create at least one super-moderator that has access to all Forums to correct problems that occur across multiple forums including removal of SPAM and multiple postings.
o Create job descriptions for the moderators of assigned responsibilities and the method for removing a moderator for non-performance of those activities.
o Create moderator term limits (e.g. two years) to allow opportunities for interested members to become one but allow a moderator to renew, if the person has been active, is willing to serve, and if there have not been a significant number of complaints about that person from Discussion Board users.
o Recognize the Discussion Board moderator as a volunteer position like Section/Division leaders and assign Certification RU’s to it.
· Publicize Discussion board topics participation as a vital ASQ member benefit in brochures, pamphlets, ASQ Wire periodically. Encourage member leaders to publicize the benefit of the board for their membership in their section and division communications.
· Evaluate the value of assigning RU for discussion board participation to encourage its use across the membership.
· Review and update the current procedures and policies for using the board including FAQ’s in order to address current problems with multiple postings by users, posting in the wrong forum, various board etiquette rules and having a prominent link to Discussion Board Rules.
· Require all Discussion Board users do a registration with e-mail address and password prior to being allowed to post (even on the "public" boards). The email address would allow a moderator to e-mail the person directly if there were multiple posts or issues with their content.
· Identify a key management contact for the moderators for problems and issues that need resolved. Make the Discussion Board be part of the responsibilities of Member Leader Communications, Membership and Community Growth and Development and/or Section Affairs which represents most ASQ members and our benefits.
· Assign resources from Web Offering to periodically convene moderators through conference calls to discuss improvements, issues, actions.
· Create an Ask the President forum to show the commitment of ASQ Senior officer through responses from the President or designate.
Category 2
Recommendations for New Software Development to
Improve or Replace the Current Board Platform
· Review available software for discussion boards (e.g. V-Bulletin) to identify state-of-the-art software that is user friendly and has the capability of meeting the current demands for monitoring and using the board including:
o Improve good search facility to avoid repetitive posts.
o Features to reduce multiple posts.
· Review of Elsmar Cove and other discussion board systems to determine state of the art features and functionality including seeking advice from ASQ members who have experience with developing and using discussion boards.
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