This sort of thing is hard to judge but I’d guess that having a moderator who seems enthusiastic, approachable and friendly makes a huge difference.
I think Aaron Gertler might have made the forum a much less intimidating place to contribute to the discussion than it would have been without his comments and posts (and also that this sort of thing compounds over time). Many of his additions seemed to nudge the forum culture in a more open, more curious, more patient and more welcoming direction (I have read the forum regularly for years and I noticed the change in tone—which seemed in no small part to the huge number of generally encouraging, patient and kind posts/comments by Aaron—changing how much I impulsively wanted to engage).
Thanks Sophia! I really appreciate you sharing this – it’s helpful for us to get a sense of which aspects of our work are motivating to people – and I agree that Aaron is great!
This sort of thing is hard to judge but I’d guess that having a moderator who seems enthusiastic, approachable and friendly makes a huge difference.
I think Aaron Gertler might have made the forum a much less intimidating place to contribute to the discussion than it would have been without his comments and posts (and also that this sort of thing compounds over time). Many of his additions seemed to nudge the forum culture in a more open, more curious, more patient and more welcoming direction (I have read the forum regularly for years and I noticed the change in tone—which seemed in no small part to the huge number of generally encouraging, patient and kind posts/comments by Aaron—changing how much I impulsively wanted to engage).
Thanks Sophia! I really appreciate you sharing this – it’s helpful for us to get a sense of which aspects of our work are motivating to people – and I agree that Aaron is great!