Design for Community: The Art of Connecting Real People in Virtual Places

Chapter 6Moderation, Karma, and Flame Bait…How to Survive Your Own Users

Imagine your worst nightmare of a dinner party.

Let’s say you got invited by Ed from Middle Management, so you couldn’t say no. You know Ed. He’s the guy from across the hall who tells bad jokes constantly. Your ex-girlfriend is there, along with Billy Bratworst, the kid who beat you up in the sixth grade. The wine is vinegar, the music is horrible, and everyone is as fake as a bad toupee.

Now imagine that you had the freedom to do whatever you wanted. Let’s say some magic force came to you and said that, as of this moment, you could say or do anything, to anyone, and no one would be able to stop you. In fact, no one would even realize who you were. There would be no repercussions, ...