How to become a Mod

Quazzie

If you see a forum that doesn't have regular mods. i.e they are very traffic forums that nearly run themselves, is it possible to apply to become a mod, or do you have to be selected?

I won't name any particular forums in case any mods think I am singling them out but you know what I mean. Some of the regional forums are very low traffic and its rare to see any mod interference/involvement.

How does the mod selection/allocation process work?

CHD

Be a lickarse who never trolls basically.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Quazzie

CHD wrote: »

Be a lickarse who never trolls basically.

Rules me out so!

Varkov

You have to be a certain kind of person to want to be a mod on boards.

javaboy

You have to kill another mod.


Serious answer: Historically you don't ask to be made a mod. It's don't call us, we'll call you. Asking to be made mod was usually the best way of not becoming one.

I think that may be changing now as the site is becoming more professional and consistent. If there's a forum that looks like it's undermoderated and you are a decent contributing level headed poster in that forum with a reasonably clean ban/infraction history, I wouldn't say there's any harm in PMing the relevant category mod or even a mod of the forum to ask if they need an extra hand.

^Just my own opinions. I may be talking through my arse.

stovelid

Always try and be the first to say Did you report it/Did you PM the mod in a feedback thread.

When a feedback furore erupts about a particular forum and you realise that you have never, ever posted in there: redouble your efforts to post as much as possible in the feedback thread.

Kiera

You used to have to do the AMP test but now that he's no longer with us i think e-head is how you get it now.....

Quazzie

Kiera wrote: »

You used to have to do the AMP test but now that he's no longer with us i think e-head is how you get it now.....

Your E-Head mustn't be too great if you are only a HMOD

Rabies

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

If you see a forum that doesn't have regular mods. i.e they are very traffic forums that nearly run themselves, is it possible to apply to become a mod, or do you have to be selected?

I won't name any particular forums in case any mods think I am singling them out but you know what I mean. Some of the regional forums are very low traffic and its rare to see any mod interference/involvement.

You can be active in a forum with out being active.

Quazzie

Rabies wrote: »

You can be active in a forum with out being active.

I know but in one particular forum I spotted spam that was posted a few days ago and it was there today with no infraction or no action taken. This seemed to encourage another poster to also post their own spam which has now resulted in two threads that should've been taken care of/deleted.

P.S I reported both.

stovelid

Rabies wrote: »

You can be active in a forum with out being active.

Confucius?

Kiera

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Your E-Head mustn't be too great if you are only a HMOD

Seems to be that bit better than yours

Quazzie

Kiera wrote: »

Seems to be that bit better than yours

touché

Cabaal

CHD wrote: »

Be a lickarse who never trolls basically.

Not true, I've trolled from time to time and I got banned from After Hours for bloody ages...

Cabaal

stovelid wrote: »

Confucius?

Basically you can be a mod of a forum without posting in the forum, you only need to keep an eye on things and act when needed.

Quazzie

I have to agree with this. I probably shouldn't say this where Javaboy can read it but in terms of AH I have gotten quiet a few infractions, and thats because I use that forum for fun and nought else. In almost every other forum I always try to contribute as much as possible.

Latchy

Common sense and objectivity are imo what's most required to be a Mod .

Being a mod allows you to say and elaborate that bit more than the average poster on some but not all subjects / topics .

In Moderation of course.;)

stovelid

Cabaal wrote: »

Basically you can be a mod of a forum without posting in the forum, you only need to keep an eye on things and act when needed.

Ouch. My lame joke deflated.

/crawls off.

Nevyn

Varkov wrote: »

You have to be a certain kind of person to want to be a mod on boards.

And You have to be a certain kind of person to be a feedback forum mod hater.

To answer your question Quazzie2002 new mods are appointed as there is a need for them by the admins, they are generally posters proposed by some of the other mods ( of which there are over 400 ).

Mods are only mods in the forum that they mod else were they are posters and if they troll
they get banned like anyone else.

6th

18 posts and I havent been mentioned yet? I blame the recession!

Cabaal

6th we don't want you to be a mod anymore, we want you to be an Admin!
6th for Admin!

hullaballoo

CHD wrote: »

Be a lickarse who never trolls basically.

Pff.

The greatest trick I've ever pulled was convincing the site I'm not a troll.

Rabies

stovelid wrote: »

Ouch. My lame joke deflated.

/crawls off.

Its ok.
I've got a box of fortune cookies to get through.


Some forums need guidance, others need steering, the rest need duct tape.

Different forums require different actions ans mods of a different temperate. Although an active mod is still required.

Mods do take holidays or lose net access, but usually we let the relevant people know for how long. Other mods drop of the radar and tell no one they're going. Those mods need to be culled and replacements found.

Quazzie

How is a mod found for a new forum?

javaboy

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

How is a mod found for a new forum?

Often the person who proposed the forum is made mod. That's not a hard and fast rule though.

Nevyn

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

How is a mod found for a new forum?

After a new forum is created the admins will look for suggestions for someone to mod it. Usually forums will have at least two mods and a mix of an established mod and a new mod is often tried.

Nevyn

javaboy wrote: »

Often the person who proposed the forum is made mod. That's not a hard and fast rule though.

Actually there has been a rule which is the EXACT opposite in place for quite
some time to stop people proposing forums in order to be made a mod.

Quazzie

Thaedydal wrote: »

To answer your question Quazzie2002 new mods are appointed as there is a need for them by the admins, they are generally posters proposed by some of the other mods ( of which there are over 400 ).

Does that mean there is no way for someone to put their name forward as a possible mod of a forum even though they know they could do a better job.


Just to add I am only talking about some low traffic forums and not any biggies or ones that require being an expert in the field

Nevyn

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Does that mean there is no way for someone to put their name forward as a possible mod of a forum even though they know they could do a better job.

If a person is a good contributor and has been a part of the community there and has been reporting post then that rarely goes unnoticed and has often been the reason why their name get nominated.

Posters get asked to be a mod rather then put them selves forward.

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Just to add I am only talking about some low traffic forums and not any biggies or ones that require being an expert in the field

If you have an interest in those forums then post in them, report posts pm the mods and cat mod if you think something needs doing.

Just because a mod doesn't appear to you to have taken an mod action recently in a forum that doesn't' mean they haven't.

Dades

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Does that mean there is no way for someone to put their name forward as a possible mod of a forum even though they know they could do a better job.

Never say never, but I would suggest not doing it publicly...

That's like talking about Fight Club.

seamus

I'm not going to pull any punches here: It's a meritocracy. This is the God's honest truth because there seems to be some mysticism about the whole thing.

When the need for a new mod arises, generally we rely on the outgoing moderator and/or their co-mods to come up with a list of possible replacements. Often the suggestions will be existing moderators but just as often they will be active posters that the moderator(s) has noticed to be a good solid poster on that forum with a level head.

Yes we do tend towards giving it to an existing mod, purely because they're known quantities, but we're not specifically loath to give it to non-mods. In fact loads of brand shiny new mods have been appointed recently.

Where a new forum has been created, we'll often appoint an existing moderator with an interest in that area and/or often a non-mod who has shown a significant interest in getting the forum set up.

Yes, your past conduct on the site may count against you. Known muppets are unlikely to be made into moderators. A number of "reformed" muppets have become moderators.

No, it's not perfect. Mistakes have been made and rectified.

We don't fill out a "Moderator Suitability Form", the moderators in question just use their judgement to say "Yay" or "Nay".

Sparky

Ya have to drink lots of toilet duck.

smashey

How to become a Mod ?

That's like soooooooo last century.

Becoming an SMod is where it's all at these days. :pac:

dr.bollocko

It was cornbb's fault I was made mod as far as I remember.
Plus AH is probably the only forum I regularly post in.
Feels good tho.

turgon

I suppose that time I told that poster that he was "dope" under a thread I started to titled promote "rational discussion" rules me out from ever becoming a politics mod

It was a year ago though, Ive changed...

aidan_walsh

Now that amp is gone, do we need a new test?

Latchy

Perhaps it's time for a cull . Maybe a Coup d'état even ?

cornbb

Think about it OP: if you were stepping down as a mod and wanted to hand the reins over to someone who would take good care of the forum you have carefully tended, what sort of person would you look for?

seamus answered this perfectly, but in a nutshell, the job often goes to a consistent contributer who appears to be level-headed and stays out of trouble. Existing mods often get picked when moderaters are needed but fresh blood is often brought in too. The admins have the last word in deciding who gets the job but in the vast majority of cases they go along with the nomination of other moderators.

Officially, proposing a forum means that you don't get to moderate it but past experience would indicate that this is not the case in practice

Dudess

Varkov wrote: »

You have to be a certain kind of person to want to be a mod on boards.

Usually someone who's jealous and bitter they're not a mod (yep, there are people ACTUALLY jealous and bitter about not being mods). People who are asked to moderate tend not to bitch non stop about what kunts mods are, hence making them less likely to have wanted to be moderators in the first place - but they accept with a bit of encouragement.

6th

Varkov

Dudess wrote: »

Usually someone who's jealous and bitter they're not a mod (yep, there are people ACTUALLY jealous and bitter about not being mods). People who are asked to moderate tend not to bitch non stop about what kunts mods are, hence making them less likely to have wanted to be moderators in the first place - but they accept with a bit of encouragement.

You aren't really a mod though.

Dudess

I am when people want to have a go at mods...

tbh

Long Term Illness: I proposed the forum
Radio: Existing mods invited me cause I was reporting loads of posts
Boardscasts: When we started podcasting, Vexorg gave us the forum and just made all of us mods
Thunderdome: was modless for ages, but during discussion of the 'dome, I said I'd help out if they needed a mod and they called my bluff
Men's Health: Existing mod was stepping down, I said I'd help out if needed as it's quite similar to LTI.

As a matter of fact, I think that a mod can post less in their own forum, rather than more, than a non-mod of the forum. It doesn't really happen a lot to me, but sometimes you'd be in an interesting exchange with someone, and you have to step off because you're a mod, and you don't want to be seen to be abusing your position. It's can be quite difficult, especially when you have to infract/warn/ban posters you like and respect, be they mod or non-mod. And, again this doesn't happen too often to me (because of the forums I mod, not cause I'm super-nice), it's poxy when you get a snotty comment or PM, and it's difficult not to question yourself or take it personally. Difficult, but not impossible

Bubs101

For non mods you have to be an the outstanding candidate from the forum. For mods you just say, ah Mythology, how bad could it be in a certain thread and hey presto

AlmightyCushion

Kiera wrote: »

You used to have to do the AMP test but now that he's no longer with us i think e-head is how you get it now.....

It musn't be that hard to become a mod if this one managed it.

Kiera

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It musn't be that hard to become a mod if this one managed it.

Meow!

Nevyn

There is a difference between being a Hmod and a mod.

dr.bollocko

Thaedydal wrote: »

There is a difference between being a Hmod and a mod.

You forgot the :pac: attack

Hehehe.

Beruthiel

seamus wrote: »

I'm not going to pull any punches here: It's a meritocracy. This is the God's honest truth because there seems to be some mysticism about the whole thing.

When the need for a new mod arises, generally we rely on the outgoing moderator and/or their co-mods to come up with a list of possible replacements. Often the suggestions will be existing moderators but just as often they will be active posters that the moderator(s) has noticed to be a good solid poster on that forum with a level head.

Yes we do tend towards giving it to an existing mod, purely because they're known quantities, but we're not specifically loath to give it to non-mods. In fact loads of brand shiny new mods have been appointed recently.

Where a new forum has been created, we'll often appoint an existing moderator with an interest in that area and/or often a non-mod who has shown a significant interest in getting the forum set up.

Yes, your past conduct on the site may count against you. Known muppets are unlikely to be made into moderators. A number of "reformed" muppets have become moderators.

No, it's not perfect. Mistakes have been made and rectified.

We don't fill out a "Moderator Suitability Form", the moderators in question just use their judgement to say "Yay" or "Nay".

It most certainly can be done the way seamus says above.
Or
You can send me a case of fine wines (red only please, must be aged in oak for at least a year) and I'll make it happen.

Tom Dunne

Beruthiel wrote: »

It most certainly can be done the way seamus says above.
Or
Two bottles of Blue Nun and 20 Major and I'll make it happen.

FYP.