In other cases, lists allow volunteers to post as well, allowing volunteers to ask questions of each other and, in turn, further create a sense of community among volunteers. A successful list also takes more than participants. Facilitator , to keep the group focused, post items to generate useful discussions, remind participants of the ground rules or topics for discussion, and sometimes, step in to calm nerves when online discussions get out of control. Volunteers can fill all of these roles Just as with any task, match volunteers to roles based on their experience and interest. The list owner must make incentives obvious and valuable to increase and maintain volunteers' motivation to participate.
Some groups require all volunteers to subscribe to a list as part of their commitment.
In addition, some groups also emphasize a sense of responsibility in members to post as part of their service, to maintain a certain level of participation in lists. Make sure all participants understand the role of the facilitator or moderator Encourage participants NOT to dominate the list conversation. This may mean sending out a regular reminder, or it may mean communicating directly with a particular participant. Make archives of list discussions available via your Web site, and remind participants that their posts will be archived and reviewed by others Consider the security and confidentiality of participants. Realize that it will take time and some trial and error to make your list successful.