Although the participant might think of the discussion group mainly in terms of the message content or the quality and the number of messages that arrive in their mailbox, the moderator of the group is involved in a wide variety of roles and tasks that assure the smooth operation and success of the discussion. Subscribers are continually joining or leaving, asking questions, writing about problems and offering their thoughts and observations about the management or functioning of the group. Most messages all call upon the moderator to respond or act them in some fashion. Organization involves creating and maintaining of a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for the members. This might involve designing and updating various procedures, the writing of helpful, welcoming documents for new subscribers, or the creation of useful member etiquette guidelines.
Operations involves the maintaining of the day to day functioning of the flow of messages.
Development involves working with different individuals and groups of members to make the group more effective and successful as it grows in size. I subscribe to several discussion groups related to Internet information resources and their management, and receive several electronic publications and information services. There are usually 60-100 messages each day on this account. I correspond from here with co-moderator, Mike Eisenberg, since we seldom meet or talk in person. I take care of any correspondence with my co-moderator and advisory groups and committees.