- Joined
- Oct 8, 2002
- Messages
- 29,156
- Reaction score
- 9,498
- Points
- 113
So it is looking like I could use some help in moderating the Circus. It is a little like herding cats. I am having to spend more and more of any free time I have trying to keep up. If the board continues to pick up in activity, it will definitely be needed.
Tradionally, moderators here, and we had all said it from time to time, are just members with a few extra buttons. The board belongs to the members, not dictated by the admins and moderators.
One of the requirements to be an effective moderator is to actually be moderate in action and emotion. You can't be quick to anger and just looking to take the easy way out. You should be a voice of reason and not one that throws gasoline on a fire. The banning of users is a last resort and you need to be an effective communicator and have plenty of availability to be on the board and caught up on all threads.
So I think what I mostly need help with, and there is no rush yet, is just the managing of threads. Moving posts out of threads to new ones, to old ones, and helping to steer conversations to be on topic. Culling posts that get to personal and moving posts to the asylum. Thread reply bans for users who just can't let it go in a particular thread.
Dissenting views are always welcome but as we have all seen, they sometimes can go too far. I am not looking to implement any kind of strict strike system to ban people like was tried in the past.
Patswin is currently moderating the political forum, and I'd like to add one more left leaning of center there as well. Currently, my thoughts are to keep moderation of the Circus and the PF separate to help avoid bleed over.
Traditionally, there has not been a lot of unilateral action in moderation decisions. Oh, little things are done often enough, but not major decisions. As such, with our move here, I also recognize I could use a check on my decisions regarding user action (or inaction).
But moderators also need to recognize the sometimes unfortunate mob mentality that happens where someone with a minority opinion is perhaps ganged up on unfairly.
Anyway, this is long. No time table on this, just looking for options now.
So you can nominate another user, volunteer yourself, or if someone else has nominated you, please also reply if you would or would not want to serve. It's not easy and I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to do it.
Loosely, I'll be considering the aforementioned additional PF moderator (which has far more strict rules than the Circus) and 1 or 2 to help with the Circus. If you volunteer or are nominated and accept, please specify for which you would want.
This is Not a voting thread. Volunteers, nominations, accepts and declines only please. Again, no judgment for declines. It is work and can be thankless.
No political comments please.
And no debates on actions or inactions on current or past users please.
Thank you all for the best members any board could have. And if you end up being a consideration but are not selected, please don't take it personally. There are so many great members to choose from, but it will be nice to know you are willing for the future, even if it is not in this round.
Tradionally, moderators here, and we had all said it from time to time, are just members with a few extra buttons. The board belongs to the members, not dictated by the admins and moderators.
One of the requirements to be an effective moderator is to actually be moderate in action and emotion. You can't be quick to anger and just looking to take the easy way out. You should be a voice of reason and not one that throws gasoline on a fire. The banning of users is a last resort and you need to be an effective communicator and have plenty of availability to be on the board and caught up on all threads.
So I think what I mostly need help with, and there is no rush yet, is just the managing of threads. Moving posts out of threads to new ones, to old ones, and helping to steer conversations to be on topic. Culling posts that get to personal and moving posts to the asylum. Thread reply bans for users who just can't let it go in a particular thread.
Dissenting views are always welcome but as we have all seen, they sometimes can go too far. I am not looking to implement any kind of strict strike system to ban people like was tried in the past.
Patswin is currently moderating the political forum, and I'd like to add one more left leaning of center there as well. Currently, my thoughts are to keep moderation of the Circus and the PF separate to help avoid bleed over.
Traditionally, there has not been a lot of unilateral action in moderation decisions. Oh, little things are done often enough, but not major decisions. As such, with our move here, I also recognize I could use a check on my decisions regarding user action (or inaction).
But moderators also need to recognize the sometimes unfortunate mob mentality that happens where someone with a minority opinion is perhaps ganged up on unfairly.
Anyway, this is long. No time table on this, just looking for options now.
So you can nominate another user, volunteer yourself, or if someone else has nominated you, please also reply if you would or would not want to serve. It's not easy and I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to do it.
Loosely, I'll be considering the aforementioned additional PF moderator (which has far more strict rules than the Circus) and 1 or 2 to help with the Circus. If you volunteer or are nominated and accept, please specify for which you would want.
This is Not a voting thread. Volunteers, nominations, accepts and declines only please. Again, no judgment for declines. It is work and can be thankless.
No political comments please.
And no debates on actions or inactions on current or past users please.
Thank you all for the best members any board could have. And if you end up being a consideration but are not selected, please don't take it personally. There are so many great members to choose from, but it will be nice to know you are willing for the future, even if it is not in this round.
