Content moderation isn’t something we could just rely on automation to accomplish. Despite the speed advantage that it can provide, there’s nothing safer than the conscious judgment of the human mind because of one thing: context.

Context is the mighty fine tool that helps human beings read between the lines. It’s what distinguishes an algorithm from a person—what a computer might find perfectly safe might be distasteful when people read it.

One recent example of this is The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast that became controversial among listeners for episodes that featured far-right guests. The podcast moved exclusively to Spotify in 2020 but Joe Rogan earned the ire of the platform’s users when he apparently spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

Spotify addressed the issue by publishing its content policies and provided additional links for further information on COVID-19 vaccines each time a podcast discusses the pandemic. Apart from this, the platform also removed several episodes of Rogan’s podcast for containing racial slurs.

Content moderation might seem like an easy job for anyone who could discern good from bad, but it’s more than that. Sifting through the inherent vileness of the Internet requires a sharp eye, a trained mind, and a tough stomach. It requires precise, level-headed analysis that can analyze context properly. Having these make content moderation a bit easier, without discrediting its difficulty.

Aside from these, content moderators should have these other traits to help them maintain a safe space for their platforms.

          

• Online Community Exposure and Experience

  

  Context is key. What might be inoffensive to one group of people might hurt another. Having experience in managing user-generated content from sprawling online communities—be it a forum, a Facebook group, a subreddit, or one’s own website—helps moderators in policing a platform’s content. It gives them an idea of how members interact with each other, which behaviors are normal, and which actions shouldn’t be tolerated.

  This especially helps in moderating niche communities. Some rules are uniquely a community’s and wouldn’t apply at all to other forums. Extensive knowledge about a specific community helps in developing better judgment and insight if one’s tasked to handle an account of similar nature.
            

          

• Multi-Platform Savviness

  
  
  Those who monitor content and social media must also be knowledgeable in the usage of various social media platforms. Most companies don’t stick to a single social media account. As much as possible, they need to get their word out. It’s ideal for them to know the way around each platform—which content works for one, which policies affect another.
            

          

• Linguistic Expertise

  
  
  Photos and videos aren’t the only submissions that undergo evaluation. Particularly in ecommerce and review sites, keeping client testimonials and comments accurate helps give better impressions to brands. This is why multilingual moderators are necessary in such diverse communities. They can check the quality of text in a particular language and understand colloquialisms, slang, and other nuances some people may miss out on.
            

Since most Internet-related actions are human interactions, they require human sensibilities. They need to be managed by real people with excellent judgment. Allow context to thrive. Let automation help smoothen the process and let the human touch take care of maintaining order and quality in your online community.

Brands wanting to improve their online reputation, they may overlook content moderation as their missing ingredient. And with ever-changing online trends, it’s a must to partner with a trusted industry expert that understands what effective content moderation can do for brands.

They don’t have to search far. Open Access BPO offers a great range of content moderation services from social media to image to multimedia moderation. Contact us today, we’re here to help.