When a post is very emotional on communities, that post tends to be more persuasive than posts that are less emotional. The author states that this is a flaw on communities. When a post is angrier, many community members tend to accept it as true and then they give it more likes which takes it to the leaderboard of posts in the community forum. Before long, this trend will catch on in the community as members realize that the angrier their posts are, the more engagement it creates among members. Very soon, the community becomes swamped with angry posts. The author advises community managers not to let these sort of posts to stand on the community board. One way to make this work is to have a rule that states that posting anything that is angry is against the professional code of conduct in the community. If a post is perceived as clearly inciting other members to be angry and somewhat not appropriate, the community manager can take the step of approaching the member about it and then removing the post. Members are allowed to be critical but inciting to anger should not be allowed to remain in the community. Another approach to resolving angry posts is to have members who tend to step in to resolve the issue with the member who is angry.
Key Takeaways:
- A problem with online communities is that emotional posts are interpreted as being persuasive, thus creating the incentive to post angrily.
- One way to deal with angry posts is to permit critical discussion, but have a rule or norm against flagrantly angry comments.
- An alternative tactic to combat angry discussions is to have forum members intercede in a friendly manner.
“It doesn’t take long for members to realise that the angrier they post, the more attention they get.”
Read more: https://www.feverbee.com/flagrant-anger/
