what does the job of being a mod require you to do?

helping out.
being nice.
not starting fights.
not really sure, mods should voice their opinions since non of us are mods besides in here.

i think it should be, for people staff:

close and move topics.

warn members not following rules.

yeah, those are part of it as well.

yea, but i think those should be the only ones.

Yah, but i think there is much more to a mod then just closing and moving topics and warning members.
You need to have good judgement as a mod and also be helpful.
I mean when you close someone's topic you need to help them. Like sometimes they have a need for something or other, and if you just close it, then they are still stuck in the dark. As a mod you atleast need to pull up some similiar topics with answers, or pm them with extra help if they need it.
Mods are there to serve the community and make sure things don't get out of hand.
With that comes responsibility.
Mods also are entrusted with the entire community section, i think as a mod you should ATLEAST go into the forums you normally wouldn't go into, just to see if something needs to be moved or closed. If you normally don't go into anime or sports or something, just take 5 minutes to see if someone needs help, you know what i mean

oh sure, those are nice things for mods to do, but then again, any old member can do it.

i dont' think mods have mod powers so they can be the nice squad.

^Who ever said that? You dont have to be kiss ass nice to be mod. You say any old member can do it but just any old member cant become a mod. If that was the case, we'd give the job to anybody.

Yes, you can't be a troublemaker and someone who continuously has "beefs" with multiple members and be People staff. People staff is for those integrated with the Community with good People skills.

Anywho.
To get the gist of a Myspace/Xanga/LJ staffer:

QUOTE

Being a Myspace mod, I have to check the skin database (and if there's acceptances, I have to upload the images, check the code to make sure it's not jocked, resize screenshots if they're not the right size, etc., which can all be quite enough for one day depending on the number of acceptances), check if there is any scripts submitted to accept/reject, go through Myspace Help and see if there are any topics I can answer, close, move, etc., check through Myspace Showcase and do the same....and that's only the Myspace forums. I also have the Webmaster's Corner that I moderate. Plus, I'd also like some time to use Createblog for what I really love about it - the whole community. Not only the community forums, but just to interact. Then I have to check Backstage as well.

I can post on Design too, if you want, since I've been that as well as People.

I've been looking around, how do you BECOME a mod? I know it's not easy, do people suggest you or (as I've heard) you fill out an entry form?
<sorry for being so niave I just got back to the forums a week ago>

You apply and hope you get chosen.

I think.
1. Don’t start being a total bitch and start calling names.
2. Friendly most of the time
3. Be Patient
4. Reply all the time until they know you're playing stupid games w/ them.
5. Generous
6. Don’t show grudges against someone who’s different. In other words, be more tolerance to others.

At least, I saw someone who seems to be like that.

you cant at th emoment, you have to wait for an announcement... dont worry, you arent missing anything obvious

-- i agree that mods, as they are representing the members backstage in discussions about new forums, rules etc. do need to be involved with the community and talk to people to find out what is going on, and what the opinons are

if their job was solely to close/move/etc, then they shouldnt be called PEOPLE staff... something like 'tidying up staff' would be more appropriate

my point is you dont' need mod powers to be nice.

the only things a people staffer can do that i can't is move and close topics, and warn people.

the other stuff, being nice, etc. is all good and stuff, but you don't need mod powers to do that.

I almost completely agree with Justin. In my mind, a moderator's job is to maintain order on the boards. Being responsible and mature is an important quality, although it is more of a quality than "something the job entails" (which I think of as duties). Being nice and friendly and welcoming is good, too, but I don't think it's the job of the moderators to make sure every new member is welcomed. The job of a moderator is to keep things from getting out of hand, which generally entails moving/locking topics, warning members, and generally making sure rules and guidelines are followed.

Amen.

I think that people put mods on a pedastool that's a bit too high.



I feel there is a slight glitch though. If they're supposed to be representing the people, then why don't the people get to "elect" them? I mean, there was the thread saying who the people wanted as their mods and it was just there. Ugh, i'm making no sense.

Basically i'm saying is, why cant the people vote for who they want represented?

[I think I just got soo far off topic]

^Because if just people in the community voted on who they wanted on staff it would just turn out to become a popularity contest, and it's not fair to those who have not so many votes get only like 5 when they really deserve the position while osmeone with like 16 shouldn't get promoted since they probably showed no way they can contribute.

^ Yes..but we'd still be saying who we'd like to do the job.

So many other people deserve more than just being your "plain old member".

That was the point of that thread in the lounge, to say who you wanted..

We had one backstage for mods too. But, this is a topic for the hiring thread.

But really...being someone who interacts with the community is a mod duty. If you're a big bitch all the time, how are you supposed to represent the community in decisions? How are you going to expect people to listen to you when you set the rules? How are you going to expect people to look up to you and follow your example? I mean, you don't have to sugar-coat things and make everything seem peachy keen, but you can't be rude for no reason without provocation and you can't go around starting unnecessary fights. That is a requirement.

Of course you don't need mod powers to do that, but what do you think happens to the people who do? .... Generally, they get hired. You don't need mod powers to do a lot of things, but you have to do it to be a mod.

i propose two groups of mods.

one group wields the mod powers and it's more of the "bad cop". they're not really involved with many decisions- they're the deputys, officers, etc. they don't even need to be that active, as long as they don't abuse thier power.


the second group's job is to keep in touch with teh community, and is more of the "good cop". they would have no mod powers, but would be able to access backstage. they would make important decisions, like who to hire, and would help out newbies.

cus there are people who would do a really good job with the keeping order on the forum, but don't really connect with the members.

and there are people who would love to be able to help with discussions and decision making, but could care less about closing topics and such.

Well...that's what the feedback forum is for, is it not? Modding involves both jobs.

People still need a good attitude when closing/moving/whatnot. Members often PMed me back when I close a topic (well, when I was People Staff) with something along the lines of:

UHHHH BITCH Y DID U CLOSE MY TOPIC?!?!?!!??

Or something to that effect.
People need to be able to respond with tact and fairness.

did you have to call it "good cop, bad cop"? LOL.

Anyway, I think People staff is very capable of being both. If there are people who'd truly love to help with discussions for the sake of helping, the title of "staff" wouldn't/shouldn't improve their helpfulness, I think, so why should they get the job when another person is capable of both being nice and can lay down the rules when needed? I'm a little confused.

feedback forum is more for starting ideas, not making decisions on them...

the two groups of mods could form an upper and lower house, if wanted.

Edited last post.

i don't really see why the two should be linked...

it's asking mods to be the axe man and the PR rep at the same time...

Relate it to policemen.

They do the same, no? They have to keep the peoples' respect and still enforce the law. They know the people and interact with them, still punishing those who deserve it.

and i don't see why they must be separated. i understand where you're coming from. you're saying that it's more efficient to place a person who's good at socializing in the position to socialize, and a person who's good at laying down the rules should work on laying down the rules. but why do that when cB can have a person who has more merit, thus more deserving, because he/she is good at doing both at the same time?

in policemen, aren't there the beat cops, whose job is to walk around and know the place, and aren't there the swat cops, whose job is to do a specific, more dangerous, less nice job?



who says you can't have that person too?

don't have to completely seperate... you could have people in both groups.

but i think it'd be more efficent to have one person good at socializing, and one person good at the rules than one person good at both, simply because one person can only be online so much.

Well yea, there's the tough job guys, but I'm talking about your local cops. Your town doesn't have its own SWAT team, does it?

well, we have the cops we drive around in patrol cars and we only see when they pull us over, and then we have the cops to go to schools and talk and walk around the mall and help escort funerals...


some cops will, of course, do both. but there is some degree of seperation...

The cops that drive around in the cars are the cops that go to schools and do talks. They're the same people. They just separate when they do which.

And even when pulling someone over, they don't provocate the people into fighting, do they? No, they have to be respectful while still enforcing the law.

Of course you can, but rememeber that the number of staff is limited. why give the job to two people when one can happily fufill it? as for the problem of inactivity, a person of "merit" would be one who is dedicated enough to be on as much as he/she can.

why should the number of staff be limited, exactly?

would it really hurt tohave 50 mods?

But why would you have 50 when you don't need to? Why can't we just appoint people who do both? Why is it so necessary to separate?

*rubs imaginary beard*... Hmmmmmmmm. 50 mods...

you could reduce the number of cops in a city by forcing them all to work overtime...

look, i'm just trying to make the modding job a little less of a chore, as it seems like now, that way mods can enjoy cB a little more.

Usually people who actually dislike the job quit.

Those of us who stay don't really dislike it. There's just some aspects of things we don't like, but it's the same with any other thing. If we really didn't want to do it and it was a chore, we'd quit.

and some good people have quit over the times.

why have 12 people when you could have 24?

Why have 24 when you could have 12?

Hot damn this moves faaast.

because you're more likely to have someone online with 24.

Or you could just hire 12 people who vary with the times they're on.

but why bother?

Well let's see, it's 1 AM...

And I'm on.

We have people in school not on from 8-3 on weekdays, but then we have people in college who are on during the day.

We do have people who vary. Why have more just to cover EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of time? We don't need it. Everything gets covered, and if it doesn't, it's not cause of the times of the day that people are on.

why not have more?

what's it hurt, really?

i don't see that as hurting anything. if tehre are qualified candidates, why not?

1) What's it hurting not having more? Why does it have to change?
2) There aren't that many qualified cantidates, certainly not enough to double us all.
3) Did you read my earlier point about having to still be respectful/nice even when enforcing, with the PMs back and whatnot?

yea, i read that...

i'll take that into consideration... tommorrow. i have to go now. got stuff to do.

but i think anyone who meets the qualificationsn and is agreed would make a good mod should be modded.

cus really, inactive people staffers don't hurt anyone.

I mean, sure there will times when there arent as many mods online at certain times, but see there is thing called "having a life" and well not everyone can spend all their time on cB like its some alternative universe (something that has overstated many times). I see what you are saying by simplying stating that it would nice to have forums moderated all times but with the current staff we have now, the forums are well moderated and we dont have a zillion people on staff, it simply isnt neccessary and you cant seriously think that any like that would implicated. Because as part of the committee I will be the first to say I wont support it.

i don't see a problem with the number of mods we have now and their jobs...before the new mods were hired we were noticabley short handed due to step downs and the such but with a good 4 new people staffers a mod is on at almost all times.

i've never been to a large forum that had a really large amount of mods...i doubt we could pick THAT many trustworthy people and not have some sort of riot like when cb was hacked before, i really do

Yes, and the "moving/locking topics, warning members, making sure rules and guidelines are followed," That does take responsibility to do that job, no?


^exactly.

ah, and that whole "2 groups" of mods, thing. ah....don't you understand? you shouldn't have to have 2 groups, the mod should be both of those combined. and upper and lower house...man, i won't even start. and 50 mods? that's just way too many...too many cooks in the kitchen....there is no NEED for 50 mods. And usually we have enough mods on at the same time, i think this place is pretty well run.

lack of need is not a good reason.

what i see is an arbirary limit on the number of mods.

wouldn't it be better if you weren't shorthanded when a few mods step down?

what would it hurt to have 5 extra people staff?

i very often hear mods complain that they have lives and such and they can't be online all the time.

will more mods, it would provide a little leeway.

and as far as grouping mods, i can see how that might not work, but i can also see how it would work.