Why become a moderator at boards.ie?

ConsiderThis

I'm curious to know why anyone would want to become a moderator at boards.ie? While I'm obviously grateful to those who have done so, I'm told it's an unpaid position and a pretty thankless task at that. For me, I imagine it would also interrupt the pleasure of boards.

Would any moderators care to comment why they decided to become a moderator?

GLaDOS

ConsiderThis wrote: »

I'm curious to know why anyone would want to become a moderator at boards.ie? While I'm obviously grateful to those who have done so, I'm told it's an unpaid position and a pretty thankless task at that. For me, I imagine it would also interrupt the pleasure of boards.

Would any moderators care to comment why they decided to become a moderator?

I imagine to help out the site that doesn't ask a lot in return

Random

I was asked by an existing moderator if I was interested in the job. At the time I saw a number of things I could do differently and a level of knowledge I could bring to the forum. That's why I took up the "job".

Didn't you hear about the coke and hookers?

Overheal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jt9txM_1T0

Agent Smith

i did it for the powertrip....




DRUNK WITH POWER!!!!!








(i do it to give something small back to the site)

Sarky

Because Beruthiel is hawt.

I wanted to help out.

5starpool

Because I wanted to see what went on in the mod forum.

dr.bollocko

Because I was asked to.

phantom_lord

5starpool wrote: »

Because I wanted to see what went on in the mod forum.

this. plus space for more private messages.

Pighead

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Because I was asked to.

If Pighead asked you to shine his shoes would you do so? Perhaps you should add some extra criteria to the file marked "reasons why I do stuff" lest people abuse your good nature.

dr.bollocko

Pighead wrote: »

If Pighead asked you to shine his shoes would you do so? Perhaps you should add some extra criteria to the file marked "reasons why I do stuff" lest people abuse your good nature.

If you want to abuse my good nature it costs 300 bucks an hour.

Cabaal

Coke & Hookers wtf,

Nah seriously I started off as a Mod of VoIP, I lobbied for the forum to be created and when it was created I offered to be a Mod and did alot of the stickys etc I found it interesting as I was trying out VoIP at the time and had my phone service using it.

Later I became Broadband forum, I have a big interest in this as well first off I have ADSL and second off I have experience dealing with fault and provisioning for ADSL so I try to help where I can.

Gardening, Windows and Heroes I also have a interest in and its more to just keep things in order.

Bubs101

Because nobody ****s with mods

Kinetic^

First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the wimmens!

Terry

AH: There was a thread looking for suggestion for new mods. A few people threw my name into the hat. I was flattered. Then I realised that I could have lots of fun, so I stuck around.

Giving up smoking: I'm a heavy smoker and I thought I could help others quit.
Then I got pissed off at seeing so many people do so well, while I was still smoking, that I jacked it in.

PW: Been a fan for most of my life.
I offered my services plenty of times, but was turned down.
Then I was asked to help out, so I accepted.

It's nice to give something back to a site that provides so much information and help.
The good folk inhabiting the tech forums have helped me on countless occasions. AH can be funny at times. I get some great info from the regulars in the PW forum.
The list goes on.
Earlier today I was looking up some info on HETAC courses and I didn't even have to ask a question. The answers were already there.

AH was difficult at times, but the good outweighed the bad, so I feel that my time there was time well spent.

Wibbs

People I respected asked me to chip in. That was a big deal for me. Then helping the flow of community and the users who make up that community.

Tar.Aldarion

Pretty certain it gets you laid.

Nevyn

ConsiderThis wrote: »

Would any moderators care to comment why they decided to become a moderator?

I got asked by Talliesin who had nagged DeVore into creating a paganism forum ( first of the religous forums on the site ) and given my input on that topic in a few places he asked me would I be interested, I was about 5ish months on the site back then and I said yes. It needed to have to mods or it wasn't going to get created.

That how it started.

The other forum which Tallie and I were responsible for was Sex & Sexuality the admins at the time said it could work and we argued that it could and ended up being made mods of it.

Why do I mod?

Cos seeing spam and people being a dick tends to do my head in.
I can still contribute to the site and help the communities in it grow and be a maven on certain topics with out being a mod, but as one I can help look after the forums and communites which are dearest to me.

Wibbs wrote: »

People I respected asked me to chip in. That was a big deal for me.

*snigger*

You got suckered, I managed to get a way for a while and you got drafted

Gaspode

To give something back for all the enjoyment I've got from this site.




(The power trips, coke, and hookers help too.)

pleasant Co.

I was lead to believe there would be punch...and pie

Terry

Mactard wrote: »

I was lead to believe there would be punch...and pie

Steve

Honest answer:
No power trip, no fake coke and hookers, I just like to help out and protect genuine people who come here looking to become part of the community. Sure, I get abuse for it but the odd time I get thanked for it and that's what makes it worthwhile for me.

6th

ConsiderThis wrote: »

I'm curious to know why anyone would want to become a moderator at boards.ie?

I got so much out of Boards for such a long time that I wanted to give something back. I was on all the time and seeing as 99% of modding is janitorial work I thought I could do it and do it well.

ConsiderThis wrote: »

While I'm obviously grateful to those who have done so, I'm told it's an unpaid position and a pretty thankless task at that.

Its not thankless anyone who say it is is lying. Theres times when it gets to much and fellow mods will general have your back and be supportive of whatever sh1t you're dealing with. If you do a good job and leave ego and agenda at the door the users of your forum will appreciate you. Theey wont say it all the time but every now and then, especial when its needed regular posters do or say something that make it all worth while. We do what we do for the most part to make the experience taht bit easier or more pleasurable for regular users, not to get a hi-5 from fellow mods.

ConsiderThis wrote: »

For me, I imagine it would also interrupt the pleasure of boards.

It does. It REALLY does. There is a pleasure you get from giving back but its can sour your experince when you feel you have to log in and spend more time taking flak and cleaning up than contributing.

Thats why I've decided to step back from modding. Anyone who knows me on here will know the running joke about me and moderation so they'll know its not an easy decission to give it up. I just feel that if I keep going I'll end up resenting the place and thats not what I want. As I said elsewhere, I'm gonna take it easy and see if I can get that spark back. I'm gonna court Boards for a while and see if I can fall in love with it again.

randylonghorn

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Pretty certain it gets you laid.

So why doesn't it seem to be working in your case?!

Tar.Aldarion

randylonghorn wrote: »

So why doesn't it seem to be working in your case?!

Exception to every rule and all that jazz, so had to resort to beautifulpeopledotcom. :pac:

Zaph

I wanted to be a mod so I could prove that it is actually possible to sleep your way to the top.


Actually to this day I'm still surprised I was ever asked to be a mod in the first place. However, once I was asked I had no hesitation in accepting as it was a chance to give something back to a site that had helped me stay sane through a long period of recovery after an accident. It kinda snowballed from there, but I like to think that my small contribution over the past couple of years has helped in part make Boards a more enjoyable place for a few people at least. That's where I derive my satisfaction and why I continue to do the job. Yes, there have been some right muppets I've had to deal with, but they're more than outweighed by the good people that I've interacted with both on and off this site who ensure that the task is definitely not thankless.

Nevyn

Zaph wrote: »

I wanted to be a mod so I could prove that it is actually possible to sleep your way to the top.


Actually to this day I'm still surprised I was ever asked to be a mod in the first place. However, once I was asked I had no hesitation in accepting as it was a chance to give something back to a site that had helped me stay sane through a long period of recovery after an accident. It kinda snowballed from there, but I like to think that my small contribution over the past couple of years has helped in part make Boards a more enjoyable place for a few people at least. That's where I derive my satisfaction and why I continue to do the job. Yes, there have been some right muppets I've had to deal with, but they're more than outweighed by the good people that I've interacted with both on and off this site who ensure that the task is definitely not thankless.

Same thing applies

Thaedydal wrote: »

*snigger*

You got suckered, I managed to get a way for a while and you got drafted

You got it worse then I or wibbs, while I was pleased the D15 forum was getting created I didn't want to mod it and I may have made a certain suggestion.

Doctor DooM

Knowing you're helping real life communities grow is a simple but real pleasure.


Thats all.

Wibbs

Zaph wrote: »

I wanted to be a mod so I could prove that it is actually possible to sleep your way to the top.

And I have the negatives* to prove it. Sweet. Forget about mod cliques folks, that's how ya work leverage.






* for our younger viewers, old tech can often be more permanent. I had tried sketches but he moved too much and other suggested a trip into the 19th century. That said I have a very tasty marionette script involving DeVore and Cloud. The carving on the floosies is particularly ornate.

Silverfish

Wibbs wrote: »

* . I had tried sketches but he moved too much .

Totally not what I've heard.

Wibbs

OK she moved too much and I'm a crap draughtsman. Either way the box brownie was more apposite.

Nevyn

Putting a brownie in someones 'box' is not really that wise, she could get thrush you know.

Steve

And I thought this was a 'family' site...

Zaph

Steve wrote: »

And I thought this was a 'family' site...

Rookie mistake. :cool:

Nevyn

minidazzler

Steve wrote: »

And I thought this was a 'family' site...

It is, that's why they didn't call it an Alabama Hot Pocket!

Tar.Aldarion

It's no Atomic Donkey Punch!

Steve

minidazzler wrote: »

It is, that's why they didn't call it an Alabama Hot Pocket!

Had to google that.. looks disgusting... :eek:

Jack The Ripper

Wibbs wrote: »

The carving on the floosies is particularly ornate.

What's this about carving floozies?

cHaTbOx

Because they are a masochists

minidazzler

Free Access to S&S.

that is one of my Main reasons for wanting to be one. It's so sekkrit that I have to be part of it and I don't have the money to subscribe!!!

Fajitas!

I moderated photography because it needed a moderator. I had a big interest in it, and had started organising outings for the forum. And enjoyed helping people. Seeing a community grow from it was great.

I moderated Waterford city & county because it needed an extra hand at the time. (And possibly a lighter touch at the time :pac: )

I moderated Adverts because I knew what the ins and outs of photographic gear were.

But tbh, I did it because I enjoyed the site itself. It had helped me plenty, and not just in the forums I moderated. Doing a bit of sh*t work was the least I could have done, and in fairness, we were always treated well. The odd trip through Ye Olde Feedbacke was good for a giggle too. I even got titled a 'Little Hitler'

Xavi6

So I would always have people on my side in Feedback.

--amadeus--

To be on the inside of the Mod conspiracy (is there any other reason?)

Actually I logged in one day and saw some extra buttons. Checked my PMs and the Mod of what was the then small Marathon & Triathlon forum had asked for me to be modded. First I knew about it was the PMs with directions to the coke and hookers! Ahhh the good old days (To be fair we had known each other for years and she knew I'd be ok with it).

I stick around because the A/R/T forum is 99.9% self policing, it's one of the biggest sources of online info for runners and triathletes in Ireland and it has helped hundreds (possibly thousands) of people get fit and improve at thier sport. It has a huge cross over into the "real world" through races and training sessions and I've met some great people and done some cool things because of it.

So zapping the occasional muppet isn't much to be asked in return.

Oryx

Its got kudos.

I was chuffed to be asked, and thought, why not? Lets see if I can do this with antagonising everyone. So far, Ive only antagonised a select few, so I suppose its ok.

I spend a hell of a lot of time here, some of it might as well be to the benefit of the forums. And theres nothing quite like removing spam and rubbish instead of just reporting it. Boards is my little home from home, its nice to help keep it clean and peaceful.

funk-you

Boards entertained me through 2 1/2 years of 5 night a week night shifts. Kept me in touch with what was happening in Ireland while living in London for a couple of years and still helps me out and entertains me nearly every day.

CuLt asked me to Mod after I made a forum request for Servers & Systems and I'm glad to help out any way I can. Tbh, this place is a great resource with some great people where the biggest rule is to be civil to eachother. Anything I can do to keep this place and that rule intact, I will. If we could get RL a bit more like Boards people would be a lot happier.

-Funk

The Hill Billy

For some - Modding is a community service.

For others - Modding is Community Service.

WindSock

ConsiderThis wrote: »

Would any moderators care to comment why they decided to become a moderator?

I became a mod through suggesting a forum. That forum got created and Vexorg (previous admin) asked if I would moderate it. I didn't expect to be aksed, I thought the more experienced would have been approached but I gave it a bash anyway. That forum was The Ladies Lounge. The beginning of that forum was a bit rocky but I don't regret helping to steer it toward what it is today.
I feel part responsible for increasing the number of wimmins on the internetz (boards)

Dave!

I wanted immunity from bannings

crocro

Oryx had the most believable reply.

Lots of people said they moderate to 'give something back'. Nobody does anything in life to give something back - even if they believe it themselves. Politicians always give a bs answer like this when asked why they are running for public office. 'In the national interest, at the request of my colleagues...' Not because I've always wanted to be a TD and have an office in the Dail and have people call me deputy.

The usual reason for doing something is because you like doing it. Keeping a forum tidy is probably its own reward for some - particularly if you enjoy reading the subject matter.

People are joking about power-tripping but there is a little bit of status from being a mod. There is no shame in doing something to help your self esteem, to feel a sense of belonging, of legitimacy, of importance. Having the respect of others is one level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Steve

crocro wrote: »

Lots of people said they moderate to 'give something back'. Nobody does anything in life to give something back - even if they believe it themselves. Politicians always give a bs answer like this when asked why they are running for public office. 'In the national interest, at the request of my colleagues...' Not because I've always wanted to be a TD and have an office in the Dail and have people call me deputy.

If they were to be honest, they'd say they do it for the loot.

The usual reason for doing something is because you like doing it. Keeping a forum tidy is probably its own reward for some - particularly if you enjoy reading the subject matter.

People are joking about power-tripping but there is a little bit of status from being a mod. There is no shame in doing something to help your self esteem, to feel a sense of belonging, of legitimacy, of importance. Having the respect of others is one level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Yes there's status and respect but it's well balanced out by the abusive PM's and complaints from disgruntled users