I have a hard time calling myself an authority on anything, but having accumulated a couple dozen swords over the last few years I think I’ve earned the right to at least ramble a bit about Twitch moderation.
This post is for both streamers and mods, and I imagine most of it will sound fairly obvious, but I think certain points really deserve more consideration.
Pardon the meandering nature of this post. I had a hard time organizing my thoughts and ended up rearranging things a handful of times before I settled on this.
Also please note that I’m not talking about anyone in particular. I’ve had a great streak of awesome folks whom I’m happy to mod for and with, and whenever I feel like there’s something they could be doing better I make it a point to address them directly and in private, if necessary. Most of this stems from general observations, mostly within the vtuber scene on Twitch.
Moderation Is Not a Job 🔗
Streamers and moderators should fully internalize this. Mods are not paid, they have no obligations to the streamer, and they should not be expected to attend streams. I’ve seen moderators apologizing profusely for missing streams, and most streamers are understanding, but not always. Mods should not feel guilty about this, though I understand that the desire to be helpful can feel more like a duty.
It should be understood that people have lives (and often jobs) outside of Twitch, and even when they have free time mods might not have the energy or desire to focus on moderatorship. As a moderator if you’re not able to overcome this guilt then you should step away from moderating for your own mental health. Similarly, if as a streamer you notice these tendencies in any of your mods then you should offer to make them a VIP or something to give them a break.
I try to make sure the streamers I mod for understand that I’m happy to help whenever I’m around, but there are no guarantees. Even my oshis will go a stream or three without seeing me around sometimes.
The Streamer Is the Head Mod 🔗
Bad actors exist on Twitch, that’s just the unfortunate reality. Mods might be able to ban or timeout trolls, but likely not before the streamer sees it. That means they need to be able to stand up to the sort of people that hop around from stream to stream saying insulting/mean things. It sucks that you need to be thick-skinned to be a streamer, but that’s just how it is. You have to be adept at moderating your own community before you can count on anyone else to help out.
Similarly, the streamer should be the first in line to do shoutouts, !socials bot commands, etc. If a mod happens to get to it first then that’s great, but having mods doesn’t mean the streamer is no longer responsible for moderating their own streams.
Don’t be afraid to ban first and not bother asking questions later. If you suspect someone’s being a troll then chances are you’re right. Better to nip that in the bud right away. If by some chance you’re wrong there’s always the unban request feature. Be brutal, for every bad actor you ban you’ll get a dozen more engaged viewers in time.
It’s better to err on the side of caution, though. One bad apple can spoil the bunch, and for me personally when I see someone ruining the experience in chat then I just go elsewhere. It’s not my place to “backseat mod” in those cases, so all I can do is leave and hope they sort it out later.
The Moderator Archetypes 🔗
There are a few different categories of Twitch mod that I’ve noticed. They’re not mutually exclusive, and I’m sure the streamers I mod for would have different opinions about which categories I fall into for them.
- The Regular
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This is your bread-and-butter moderator. They show up to more than half of your streams, they’re active and engaged, and they’re representative of the type of person you’d like to see more of in your chat. If you ever feel like you need more mods, you should make a short list of people that fit into this category first. If nobody does then you’re going to have a difficult time, and you should strongly consider not picking anyone at this time. You can get lucky, but it’s also quite a risk.
- The Nomad
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You know you can trust them, but they’re not around much. If you have extra mod slots available and you don’t have a pressing need for more Regulars, a handful of Nomads can still lend a helping hand. Having them in your Discord’s mod chat can also give you more people to bounce ideas off of, or help out if you have questions.
- The Advisor
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Someone that’s been around the block a time or two, and knows how things work. I’ve never installed or used OBS, but I’ve helped diagnose more stream audio issues than I can count. I’ve figured out how most of the chat bot commands work well enough to add and edit things like counter commands, shoutouts, etc. A good Advisor can go a long way toward helping you get some basic stream resources set up.
How to Recruit Mods 🔗
The most important quality in a mod is how trustworthy they are. This can be difficult to judge, but if someone has been around your community long enough you should be able to get a decent enough read on them. If they happen to be active in other communities you’re in (such as other streamers) that can help a lot. I think half of my mod roles are because streamers will say “you mod for so-and-so, right?” and then throw a sword at me.
- 1. Make a List
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If you can’t think of anyone in your community whom you can trust, then stop right there. Having the wrong person as a moderator can derail attempts to build a community, especially if they’re overbearing or think that the rules no longer apply to them.
- 2. Start With Regulars
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If your community is small enough that you can’t think of any trustworthy regulars then you most likely don’t need any mods (except maybe an Advisor or two). Accept that you are both the streamer and the head moderator and polish your own moderation skills until a good candidate comes along to help out.
- 3. Don’t Use Mod Applications
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A contentious opinion, I’m sure, but hear me out.
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If you’re looking for more mods and you can’t think of anybody in your community you’d like to make a mod, then applications are going to either get you people outside of the community which is a big wild card, or you’ll be compromising on someone potentially unfit within your community.
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An “application” also makes the whole process feel like a job interview, which is absolutely the wrong impression (see above). It also implies a greater sense of privilege or authority than moderation deserves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to lend a hand as a moderator, but I’m also careful not to let that go to my head, so to speak. At the end of the day I’m watching the same streams as everyone else, just with a few buttons they don’t have access to.
- 4. Be On Your Guard
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Some people will see moderation as an opportunity to build a personal relationship with the streamer. Be cautious against Parasocial tendencies, and set firm boundaries. Even a moderator should not have your personal information, they’re not entitled to your personal attention, and you should not let them pressure you into anything that would make you uncomfortable (e.g. voice chats). If a moderator starts to exhibit this behavior warn them of your boundaries firmly, and do not be afraid to remove their moderator status or even ban them if necessary. Don’t worry, you’ll find more suitable replacements in time.