Staying on top of ever-evolving social trends is a daily challenge for Moderators and Community Managers. Fresh news topics and relevant references can crop up quickly and need to be assessed and understood just as quickly, often requiring some adaptation. Another constantly evolving aspect of moderation essential to stay abreast of is the use of specific words and phrases, and the coining of new ones - in other words, slang.

We’ve all been there – passing by some kids on the street when they drop a phrase that leaves us scratching our heads and wondering, “What does that even mean?” I’ve found myself referring to the Urban Dictionary more than once to figure out if something is offensive or not. Terms and street slang can be regional, racial, or dictated by age-group. Regardless, we regularly see a variety of new terms popping up in online communities and, as a result, we’re constantly updating our guidelines and learning as a team about the latest and greatest new slang terms.

This natural and constant evolution of our language is part of what makes the human element such an important part of online moderation. Programmed “dirty word filters” can’t keep up with slang and street terminology the way humans can. New terms need to be looked at in context to know if they’re being used in a way that’s inappropriate. And new terms can disappear from the language stream just as quickly as they appeared. Sometimes phrases crop up that are unique to subject areas such as politics, gaming, sports, etc. After the rise of Sarah Palin and the political Tea Party, we had to adjust our handling of the term “teabagger”, which historically had a sexual interpretation but suddenly was used everywhere in the context of politics. Another example is the rise of the word “thug”, on sports sites in particular, the meaning of which took on a new street edge as a derogatory term for African-Americans.

Keeping up with the changing nuances of language is a challenge, so make sure that those who manage your community are attuned to these changes. Bookmark that Urban Dictionary and brace yourself for some new vocabulary!