It does require a sort of obsession to run this many groups. They need constant work and attention in order keep them moving and growing. This administrative work must be done without sacrificing the quality of the groups.

What happens when a group is slow?

There are always groups that are slower. Sometimes they are ignored until a subscriber posts an issue, and sometimes they require a bit of pushing. Sometimes the moderator facilitates the discussion by encouraging the subscribers to deal with an issue of importance - or by creating such an issue.

Running a group means knowing about and understanding other similar groups on the Internet, and keeping in touch with their list owners. In many cases, Jewish Groups works in cooperation with other groups.

Each group seems to establish its owner as a focus (but not necessarily as the expert) in that field. Subscribers keep informing the moderator about latest latest developments in the field. Many are never posted ("I just wanted you to know..."). It's a wonderful feeling to remain on top of the Internet's nerve center in these Jewish fields.

What is the day to day life of a moderator like?

It's unlikely that there is a typical day.

In some other groups, subscribers contribute without moderation. In those cases, the group owner does not have to tune in all of the time.

In this series, all of our public groups are moderated. Every message is reviewed before it is posted - even the moderator's own messages.

Although this is quite an enjoyable task, it does take up a tremendous amount of time. It is certainly necessary to go online a number of times each day. Thus, a tremendous amount of time is spent each day on these groups.

In the past, some subscribers used to argue angrily that no moderator has the right to stop the free flow of information on Shabbat. That has quieted down in recent years. In return, these groups receive full attention on Fridays and on Saturday nights, so that the continuity is maintained.