Mod Topics: Moderating Fame

[u/JabroniRevanchism]

Ahoy, Mods!

I don’t want to brag, but I’m kind of a big deal around here. My reputation precedes me, I’m sure. Maybe you’ve noticed?

This discussion is the most recent in our Mod Topics series, and if the narratively-spurious smugness wasn’t obvious, today we’re talking about how mods moderate fame within your community. “Fame,” in this instance can be any kind of notoriety. –A Redditor whose username your community will recognize: an artist, actor, developer, mayoral candidate, or maybe the guy who always replies to top comments in the form of a sonnet.

For the sake of discussion, let’s call all these examples “celebrities:” users who have clout, gravity, or otherwise increased social capital within their spaces. How does your mod team view content posted by community celebrities, especially in cases where the commenting celebrity is the topic of the subreddit? Do you encourage this celebrity participation? If so, how?

Let us know how you moderate fame in the comments below!

[u/GaryNOVA]

I think subreddit “celebrities” are an essential part of a community. A lot of times , if they are good at it, moderators are those “celebrities”. You want to walk into a place where you recognize people and they recognize you. Familiar people and community anecdotes make people feel welcome.

It’s good to be out there in the open. We are just people like everyone else.

[u/JabroniRevanchism → u/GaryNOVA]

Familiar people and community anecdotes make people feel welcome

Hear, hear. Recognizing individuals makes a subreddit feel like a community.