I Quit, Forever...see you next week.

We've probably all seen it--that member who for whatever reason, has had enough with a forum. They don't just call it quits--they scream it.

Then, before long, they come crawling on back. Usually within a few days to a few weeks. They may lurk for a while, seemingly unable to separate themselves from the community they supposedly grew to hate with a passion.

"I'm sorry," they say when they return. {Well, maybe.} "I was having a bad week...can you forgive me?"

So, some people have asked what one as an administrator should do about members like this? Chances are there won't just be one.

I believe prevention is the best cure. As an admin you should do your best to hear members' concerns out, help them with site issues, and generally let them know they aren't just an account number to you. Go the extra mile--they'll notice.

But will that be enough to magically prevent these sorts of dramas? No, of course not. So do you let them back?

I say it's a matter of how severe their quitting. I make sure to make things very clear that if someone has an issue on our site, that they either let staff know so we can help them, or they must hold their silence. Otherwise all they're doing is creating drama. If they left, but their leaving was not any kind of offencive against the community, I just let them return at their own pace if they do and welcome them back with open arms. Water under the bridge!

If they take it to the next level with a hateful rant against the site {or any member on it--I see no difference between the two in this regard} I ban them, forever or for a very, very long time--think years. This sort of thing is not just a "rant," it's an attack. I strongly recommend any admin do the same. Someone thoughtless enough to take their bad time out on a community that only tried to help them have a good time isn't welcome in my neck of the Web.

My recommendations for avoiding this stuff: First, hear members out when they have concerns. Make sure you and your staff are approachable and friendly so people don't feel scared to go to you guys for help. Second, handle their issues with concern and effort. If two members are fighting, see what you can do to smooth things out, and if it cannot be done, see if you can help them both settle into separate areas of your site so they can participate without interacting with each other.

And third, if someone attacks your site with a hate-filled "I quit and here's my 100 reasons why" thread, ban them. If they hate it that much, let them eat their words. Chances are, if their rant thread is the length of the average rant thread they won't be going hungry any time soon.