WHen you choose your staff members, do you hire them off other websites or use your own membebase? Do you have applications for them to fill out? Do you do training or anything like that? Do you choose them based on how much they know about their area of discussion or do you choose them based on their moderating and public relations abilities?

I use my own members. Yes, sometimes I have an application uploaded for them to fill out with details about themselves. I don't really need to train them because vBulletin is easy enough to use. Yes, I choose them based on how well they know the area...

I usually make a little announcement on my site, and [hopefully] get a few applications, of which my current staff and I pick the best one. I only recruit regulars to my site, as if you're gonna be staff on my site then you need to be on my site. I try to pick the most well behaved, mature, and active people as staff members.

Well, I only run one forum and initially just choose my friends who are dance teachers. So it was ideal.

I think that my first port of call would be my existing members. Professional Moderators are cool, but I would choose a person with a real interest in a particular forum area of interest over a person that just knows how to bash trolls.

I am also not a fan of staff forms. It is good in that you get a wide range of people applying, plus it keeps people who would like to be moderators quiet as they get the chance to apply. But it also means you have to sift through a mass of requests from people who you would never let anywhere near your moderation tools. I prefer to approach an individual who is a regular contributor to the forum, and most importantly who gives solid contributions, not just jokes and yeah that's.

I pay monkeys to sit at a computer and hit the keyboard with my site loaded in Internet Explorer. It's bound to be fun, and you never know what will happen. If I can't afford monkeys, I pick some friends to help me. Most people can't even tell the difference.

Well, it depends on how far your site is along. If you are starting a new site, then I would get a few moderators from other sites I am a good member at. Then hopefully they could bring more people to the site, and help out etc.

If its a long term site, then I would just wait until I see someone that I think is fit for the job, then I would ask them. Elsewise, you just get loads of peopel asking "can I be a moderator", when they will probably be useless, and just want the status without the work.

Mark