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    So You Want to Be a Moderator...

    One question that crops up regularly on Gateworld (beyond stuff about the 9th chevron, the non-dissolved status of the iris and why MS left for S6) is How can I become a moderator??

    The short answer is: you can't.

    This is DARREN'S board. DARREN makes the rules and unless and until HE is convinced that Gateworld needs more moderators, it isn't going to happen. No matter how much begging and pleading you do, no matter how much you run around the forum trying to order people around and tattling to the real mods about every minor infraction, the only thing you're going to accomplish is pissing off a LOT of people. That isn't a good attitude for a regular poster, never mind a Moderator.

    Being a moderator is NOT all fun and games, it's a job, just like any other. It consumes a lot of your time, fills your in-box with every reported post, forces you to intercede in fights (and sometimes those fights involve friends of yours and/or issues important to you) and can create just as many enemies as friends. And you don't even get paid for it, unless you include the magic beans.

    Being a Mod is a big responsibility and it is not to be entered into lightly. Or on a whim. Or because you want to lord it over others. Or because you're too damn impatient with the other mods and want to be able to play god on the forum all by yourself and delete/merge at will. That is NOT what being a mod is about and if you can't take the role seriously, you have no business trying to be one.

    When Darren does decide more mods are needed (and this happens even less than once in a blue moon) what qualities does he look for?

    * Maturity- spoiled brats need not apply
    * Longevity- someone who's been around the forum for a while (no newbies) and knows how the forum works... and how it doesn't
    * Temperament- Mods have to be friendly and open-minded and they have to be able to put any personal issues aside to deal with a problem.
    * Maturity- this bears repeating; high-maintenance fans prone to hystrionics make bad moderators
    * Intelligence- You don't have to be MENSA level, but it helps if you know how to communicate effectively and if you're able to see both the bigger picture AND the smaller picture. Mods should also have enough active brain cells to know that they are NOT the center of the universe and that they do NOT know everything. That's Darren's job.
    * Respect- The best mods are those who already have a good rapport with other fans, who are able to get along with a wide variety of people, and who are respected (or at least not reviled) by the community-at-large.
    * Responsibility- Mods have to set themselves to a higher standard, they have to understand that everything they do reflects not only on them but on all of Gateworld, and they have to be big enough to 'fess up to their own actions.
    * Maturity- has that part sunk in yet?

    I'm sure there are more criteria, but that's a good start and covers the more basic needs.

    All that being said, the mods do have fun and they can, at times, be even sillier than the average bear poster- they're a great subsect of Gateworld and they help make this place one of the best places to be. Gateworld may have its share of issues and problems, but in general it's managed better than a lot of places out there on the web and that is thanks in no small part to the moderating staff and their ability to do the job right.

    Personally, I can't see why anyone would want to be a mod. You have to be friendly and polite at all times, you have to deal with every whiney little pisser who thinks that their problem is the biggest issue in the whole world, you have to put up with all the anger and hatred from folks you've modded- WITHOUT replying in kind and you have to merge, shuffle, delete and mambo posts/threads all the time. You can't mod people just because you think they're a jerk, you can't delete threads because you think they're stupid, and you can't change things around just because you're bored and it amuses you.

    Mods may have fun, but it seems far too much like work for my tastes and I wouldn't be able to be myself if I were a mod, so what's the point?

    You can't be a mod just because you want to be one or because you think you're perfect for the job. Moderators are NOT self-selected and just because you think you're the bee's knees doesn't mean you are. In fact, the more you harrass Darren & company about being a mod, the less likely it is that you'll ever be one.

    Mods aren't chosen because they want it, they're chosen because they are the best people for the job and that usually (if not always) means Joe Poster, flouncing around the forum in blissful ignorance, never giving a thought to mod-dom until they get that PM asking if they want to join the club. From what I recall, most of the current mods said they were surprised to receive such a PM and wondered what kind of drugs Darren was on that he should be asking them such a question.

    Anyway, I'm sure the mods will all swoop in to mock this thread and mislead you all about blackmail schemes, sporks, magic beans and other trade secrets of mod-dom, but since I am an absolute innocent about such things, I'll leave it up to them to explain the dark side (or is it the lighter side?) to you all.

    #2
    Originally posted by ShadowMaat
    From what I recall, most of the current mods said they were surprised to receive such a PM and wondered what kind of drugs Darren was on that he should be asking them such a question.
    Haha. That's good!

    Best Stargate quote:
    Sheppard: (yells to McKay) Canadian football is a joke! Celine Dion is overrated! Zelenka is smarter than you are!
    Green is your friend.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by ShadowMaat
      Anyway, I'm sure the mods will all swoop in to mock this thread and mislead you all about blackmail schemes, sporks, magic beans and other trade secrets of mod-dom, but since I am an absolute innocent about such things, I'll leave it up to them to explain the dark side (or is it the lighter side?) to you all.
      Awwww Now Shadow...would we come in and Mock such a wonderful tribute to Us??

      Wait...before you answer that ........................... I still have those pictures of you in Vancouver


      Ya know I can't think of a thing to add to this, seriously.... good run-down of what we do

      now if I could just get this song from Kid Rock to stop playing in my head....you know that one?? *I wanna be be a Cowboy Baby.........*
      Life is short, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And live out loud with no regrets..

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by TameFarrar
        Awwww Now Shadow...would we come in and Mock such a wonderful tribute to Us?? Wait...before you answer that ........................... I still have those pictures of you in Vancouver

        Best Stargate quote:
        Sheppard: (yells to McKay) Canadian football is a joke! Celine Dion is overrated! Zelenka is smarter than you are!
        Green is your friend.

        Comment


          #5
          Here's a question: has any poster refused Darren's offer? There got to be some, right?

          Comment


            #6
            No thanks Shadow. I thinks I've seen the bosses job and I don't want it.

            Comment


              #7
              I don't want to be a mod but I do want mod rights

              With great power comes great responsibility
              pfft, I just want the power!
              Jedi_Master_Bra'tac, previously known as wako!


              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by wako!
                I don't want to be a mod but I do want mod rights

                With great power comes great responsibility
                pfft, I just want the power!
                I'd just like to see what being a mod for a day would be like. Okay 2 days. It would give me a feel for the responsibilities that all the GW mods go through on a daily basis.

                Best Stargate quote:
                Sheppard: (yells to McKay) Canadian football is a joke! Celine Dion is overrated! Zelenka is smarter than you are!
                Green is your friend.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I dont nkow if i would actually want to be a mod, i think i meet alot of the things on that list but i think having more things to do on Gw would only make my addiction to this black hole of fandom even worse
                  Plus i have enough things to do as it is...oh no wait i am bored alot of the time ...darren should create a GW race of mini-mods:
                  That have some of the littler powers, like poll creation, renaming thier own thread's, and having more control over thier control panel ( like removing huge image's of emus!)... a reward for sticking around, lets face it you get to 1800 post and dont get anything after that...i think once you hit 5000 or 4000 posts you pretty much auto-qualify for some kind of power boost beyond the avaters and mail box.
                  sigpic
                  You are the fifth race, your role is clear, if there is any hope in preserving the future it lies with you and your people ~ 8years for those words
                  Stargate : Genesis |
                  Original Starship DesignThread
                  Sanctuary for all | http://virtualfleet.vze.com/
                  11000! green me




                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by freyr's mother
                    I'd just like to see what being a mod for a day would be like. Okay 2 days. It would give me a feel for the responsibilities that all the GW mods go through on a daily basis.
                    Imagine being one of eight teachers in charge of a kindergarten class with over 20,000 kids in it.

                    You have the Troublemakers who go around knocking over lego towers, letting the class hamster loose, pouring juice on the other kids and drawing on the walls.

                    You have the Tattlers who clamor for your attention about every minor infraction real or imagined going on, even (or especially) the ones they aren't involved in but feel compelled to report anyway. Tommy's knocking down a lego tower. Paul called Alex a bad name. Virginia is drawing a green Santa Claus instead of a red one. Bill is singing loudly and off key. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!

                    You have the Drama Queens (of either gender) who believe the whole world is out to get them (Bill, for instance, is intentionally singing off key because e knows it's their favorite song). They want you to step in and make all the other kids play nice with them and treat them the way they feel they deserve to be treated.

                    You have the Snobs who think they're better than everyone, that they don't have to play by the rules, and that you're being a stupid twit by interfering with THEIR fun.

                    You have the Wannabes who are a bit like the Tattlers and a bit like the Snobs. They think they know your job better than you do and will order you around, tell you what to do, tell you what you're doing wrong and expect to be obeyed implicitly because, of course, they're the experts.

                    You have the N00bs who feel compelled to run around the room, trying all the buttons and knobs, playing with all the toys (and leaving them scattered everywhere), butting into every conversation and generally too consumed with the novelty of everything to bother listening to anyone or caring what others think. Not all N00bs are new kids, either, some of them have been in the classroom for a good long time, they just refuse to learn.

                    You have the Clowns who don't do anything wrong, per se, but are acting silly and outrageous and making a lot of noise. They're often reported by the Tattlers and Wannabes for the high crime of being themselves.

                    You have the Regulars who are just there to have fun, playing quietly in their corners, listening to the teachers, making friends and generally behaving themselves.

                    Take all these factions, add in every clique you can imagine, stir in a mixture of rivalry, intolerance and spite, and leave it to simmer.

                    Now: make them all get along with each other. Make them play by the rules. Keep them all happy. And when all else fails, call in the principal to mediate.

                    And yes, I'm leaving David out of the mix because the Cheese stands alone.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by ShadowMaat
                      This is DARREN'S board. DARREN makes the rules and unless and until HE is convinced that Gateworld needs more moderators, it isn't going to happen. No matter how much begging and pleading you do, no matter how much you run around the forum trying to order people around and tattling to the real mods about every minor infraction, the only thing you're going to accomplish is pissing off a LOT of people.
                      ah the memories, man do I regret that now.
                      sigpic

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by immhotep
                        i think once you hit 5000 or 4000 posts you pretty much auto-qualify for some kind of power boost beyond the avaters and mail box.
                        That right there would be a negative mark in my book: the attitude that someone deserves a bonus for sticking around. Or the attitude that bonuses in general are necessary/important. Bonuses are just that: a bonus, and you get them because Darren is a nice guy, not because you deserve something.

                        Numbers are a bad, bad way to judge worth in anyone. There are some people here with less than 1000 posts who are absolutely brilliant people with wonderful insights, witty humor, and great personalities who make fantastic additions to the forum in general and who could probably handle mod-dom.

                        There are also some people with over 3000 posts who have wasted the entire experience by vomiting forth absolutely NOTHING of value and doing so at every opportunity solely (or mostly) so they can achieve selfish goals such as getting an avatar or reaching a specific user level. They're a detriment to the board, they give other people bad ideas and they tend to stir up irritation and antipathy wherever they go because all they care about are numbers and goals instead of conversations, friendships and having a good time.

                        I am very grateful that Darren does NOT run things strictly by the numbers or this board would be an absolute cesspit of stupidity. It's bad enough that people spam their way to the "goals" of new avatars or fancy titles, can you imagine how much worse it would be if they knew they'd get mod powers at a certain level? It makes my skin crawl...

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Actually i do agree with you that there are people who do things such as spam just for the numbers but geuine people who stick around because they are valid, contributing members to the SG community should be rewarded in some way.
                          Im not saying we deserve anything or that it is our right for anything that darren provides but on the other hand people who genuinely should have a reason to have this minor powers, or who are not totally wanting mod-dom but are worthy of, not neccisarly a reward for sticking around but as simply an additional tool.
                          If darrens aim is to provide the best forum possible, which for the most part i cannot complain about, then personally i think a need for certain degrees of flexibility when it comes to the forum's ability as you gain experience, not just Rep, or post count but actual experience of being a GW member.
                          For example, a thread is named wrongly from a typo, your a member whos been on here 2 years, have got 5000 posts, you know its a mistake but still have to ask the mods to do something about it. In the meantime a noob reports the thread for being in the wrong section or it spoiler ridden because of some typo. This is just annoying, and at some point the ability to manage simple issues like that should be given out to peolple outside the chosen ones.
                          Just an idea Mini-modding. Some of the power, none of the crap, conditional.
                          sigpic
                          You are the fifth race, your role is clear, if there is any hope in preserving the future it lies with you and your people ~ 8years for those words
                          Stargate : Genesis |
                          Original Starship DesignThread
                          Sanctuary for all | http://virtualfleet.vze.com/
                          11000! green me




                          Comment


                            #14
                            being a mod means you have to babysit. no thanks.





                            sally
                            sally

                            sigpic

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Wanting to be a mod so that you can change all the things around here that annoy you personally automatically disqualifies you for the job. Think about it. If you won't play by the rules as a regular member, why would you ever be given the task of teaching others how to do things correctly? I'm just saying.

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