These managers do not work alone. Duties are shared with other moderators or with the participants in the projects themselves. If moderators work on the Web, they spend time updating their home pages to ensure that the information is accessed on a regular and repeated basis. When they counted the hours online, moderators were spending more time than they had originally thought they were working. They were surprised to learn how m uch time they actually spend online, but noted that it is difficult to distinguish between personal time online and time spent moderating projects.
Moderators spend extensive time online with little formal evaluation or feedback.
They rely on their own evaluation or on feedback from the members of their projects more often than surveys or written evaluations. Other moderators indicate that they view increased participation as a measure of successful projects. Moderators enjoy the community that develops during a project. This enjoyment as well as a sense of responsibility propels them to provide as much technical support and training assistance as possible. Whether such support is defined in the role or not, the camaraderie that develops compels moderators to become vital assistants, especially to newcomers.