Ask the Moderators

[Qasim]

Another forum I visit has many more mods, and a mod assigned to every thread that's current. Since GW has grown so large, has there been any backroom talk of adding more mods? It might make keeping the peace easier.

I wouldnt go there if I was you everytime someone mentions new mods they go on the defensive

[greytop]

I am almost afraid to bring this up, based on the past few pages of posts, but, I really would like to know ...

Are new Avatars of the new cast members going to be added? I'd like to have a Mitchell one, but there isn't one available. You can see by my post count that I am a very long way from creating my own. I, personally, don't think Mitchell should be "reward" Avatar, considering he is a regular cast member.

Any insight would be great! Thanks!

I know there is one of Mitchell, so you might need to get a high post count before you get him. I couldn't tell you about any of the new cast member because I wasn't paying attention at the time.

Hope this helps, sgatelvr.

[blingaway]

I wouldnt go there if I was you everytime someone mentions new mods they go on the defensive

What is it, eight? mods riding herd on 11,000 cats? In practical terms it's certainly less than 11,000, but still must be mentally exhausting for so few to do so much.

[Qasim]

What is it, eight? mods riding herd on 11,000 cats? In practical terms it's certainly less than 11,000, but still must be mentally exhausting for so few to do so much.

Thats what I said but I said it when there was a lot less members

Who are the moderators?
Darren - The forum's founder, GateWorld's owner and managing editor
GateGipsy - Forum manager, small brown flightless bird, and gadget geek
Major Clanger - U.K. dominatrix and spoon wielder (with boots on)
Feli - the long fingernailed skipping one
Shipperahoy - Major Clanger-in-training
MadeleineW
Skydiver
David - GateWorld's assistant editor

Some of them are hardly here so really its less than 8

[Purpleyin]

Might sound odd and not sure if it's possible but... is there any way to have an rss feed for updates to subscribed threads?

[Qasim]

http://forum.gateworld.net/external.php?type=RSS for the forum

and

http://www.gateworld.net/news/rss_gateworld.xml for the main site

But this is just a news feed rather than for specific threads

[GateGipsy]

I am almost afraid to bring this up, based on the past few pages of posts, but, I really would like to know ...

Are new Avatars of the new cast members going to be added? I'd like to have a Mitchell one, but there isn't one available. You can see by my post count that I am a very long way from creating my own. I, personally, don't think Mitchell should be "reward" Avatar, considering he is a regular cast member.

Any insight would be great! Thanks!

David looks after the avatars, or at least he did. I guess it depends on how much time he has at the moment. I'll put your question to him.

[Purpleyin]

http://forum.gateworld.net/external.php?type=RSS for the forum

and

http://www.gateworld.net/news/rss_gateworld.xml for the main site

But this is just a news feed rather than for specific threads

I already knew about the first but thanks for the second; still it would be very useful if it was possible to have your own thread updates, except I suppose having to be logged in would pose a problem... unless the url was unique and only the user was given it. Still, that'd be alot of strain on the server, right?

[Qasim]

I already knew about the first but thanks for the second; still it would be very useful if it was possible to have your own thread updates, except I suppose having to be logged in would pose a problem... unless the url was unique and only the user was given it. Still, that'd be alot of strain on the server, right?

Lets just say the code would be very complicated

[Skydiver]

Is this a fictional example or is Ted a real poster?

fictional i hope....why you know someone

[Skydiver]

adding more mods is something that's up to darren. If he feels we need more, he'll start discussions.

I do know that some other boards have a ton of mods...of course i also know other boards that have like 20 mods, and only 5 of which post regularly. And i also know other boards that have so very many mods that they seem to outnumber the posters.

every board is different. Rightnow, things seem to be working for us but that's not to say that adding more mods will never happen

[Qasim]

adding more mods is something that's up to darren. If he feels we need more, he'll start discussions.

I do know that some other boards have a ton of mods...of course i also know other boards that have like 20 mods, and only 5 of which post regularly. And i also know other boards that have so very many mods that they seem to outnumber the posters.

every board is different. Rightnow, things seem to be working for us but that's not to say that adding more mods will never happen

So who came up with the standard answer?

[Major Tyler]

Whoa! Okay...why is everyone picking on the mods? Seriously. It seems like a like of people are making a sport of sniping at and berating the mods rather than voicing any actual concerns or grievances. I know some people have a natural propensity to snap at perceived "authority figures" or like to poke the tiger with a stick to to see when it'll bite, but this is getting out of hand.

All the mods do here beyond what we do is enforce the rules we all agreed upon when we registered...other than that they are just normal people. If you don't like the rules of the forum, petition that the rules be changed to the person that can change them (Darren), don't abuse the ones who enforce it. When you make over-blown comments or smart-ass remarks you're attacking a person, not the abstraction that is the rules you object to. The mods are not imposing anything on you, you imposed it on yourself when you agreed to the Terms of Service.

Oh, and if you think I'm a "suck-up" I really don't care. I've been an RA for three years (and an RA supervisor now) so I know something of being in the enforcement position whilst having no control over the rules, and I know full-well the personal attacks and abuse that comes with it.

[Shipperahoy]

It's the standard answer because it is THE answer. We didn't huddle up together and try to figure out some sort of generic answer to give everybody. It IS up to Darren whether or not he wants to add more mods and at the moment he IS happy with what he's got. There are some concerns with having a larger number of mods, one being miscommunication which happens with just 8 of us so it would most likely be a problem with additional mods. The forum is getting larger and larger and I'm sure there will be a point when Darren decides we need more help that time just isn't right this second.

[TechnoWraith]

It's the standard answer because it is THE answer. We didn't huddle up together and try to figure out some sort of generic answer to give everybody. It IS up to Darren whether or not he wants to add more mods and at the moment he IS happy with what he's got. There are some concerns with having a larger number of mods, one being miscommunication which happens with just 8 of us so it would most likely be a problem with additional mods. The forum is getting larger and larger and I'm sure there will be a point when Darren decides we need more help that time just isn't right this second.

I can personally vouch for what Shipperahoy.

I mod at a forum that's roughly half the size of this forum, but has 10 mods (including myself). Miscommunications are common, and it frustrates posters when one mod says something is ok, and then another mod says it's not ok. All because both mods failed to communicate effectively. Believe it or not, we actually have a system in place where the mods are modded by an "overseer" who's task is to make sure all mods are aware of important issues as well as decisions being made, or decisions/situations that are in need of attention. There comes a point where too many Mods are just too many. When it gets to that point, the forum overall starts heading south real quick. If the mods can't come to conclusions, it not only frustrates posters, but angers, them too.