Moderation, anyone interested?

[Mod 2]

Hello,

With a bunch of new projects coming up in the real world, I am finding less and less time to devote to the moderation of the board. I am noticing more and more that it is not being done as diligently and efficiently as in the past.

The approval of Fred Zed will obviously be required for anyone to become moderator, but I think being 2 Mods instead of just one can only be beneficial to the board.

While you need to remember this is a thankless and voluntary "job", please send me or Fred your candidatures if you think you can contribute to the hobbying community by moderating this board.

Regards,

M2

 

[eastender]

Tribunal

Hello,

With a bunch of new projects coming up in the real world, I am finding less and less time to devote to the moderation of the board. I am noticing more and more that it is not being done as diligently and efficiently as in the past.

The approval of Fred Zed will obviously be required for anyone to become moderator, but I think being 2 Mods instead of just one can only be beneficial to the board.

While you need to remember this is a thankless and voluntary "job", please send me or Fred your candidatures if you think you can contribute to the hobbying community by moderating this board.

Regards,

M2

Working for free - that changes our perspective of the job.Positive reflection on your credibility that you were able to critically review your efforts.

Do not know enough about the workload, technical requirements or growth curve to be able to comment on the number of mods required.

Perhaps a tribunal for important issues - random selection of 3 from 10
Merb volunteers could be beneficial.

 

[kneelongreen]

I never agreed with any moderation of the board. Let the board go freestyle and let all the shit flow. That's my opinion.

 

[Board Stiff]

I nominate myself for MOD 5

 

[wilko26]

I never agreed with any moderation of the board. Let the board go freestyle and let all the shit flow. That's my opinion.

We need mod because:

1-) too many shill post....
2-) Sometime conversation are going so ridiculous...
3-) Some new member post in the wrong forums
4-) Some new member spam the board...
5-) The list goes on....

I offer my nomination to be a mod too but there's some older members who could be a good job!

Wilko

 

[HonestAbe]

Nomination considerations.



EB would be good for the job as well despite venting some frustration recently that caused him a short suspension. I believe he has said he is not interested however. Care to reconsider EB?

 

[Salmacis]

He also posts more on average than anyone of us so he is usually around which is a must for a MOD.

The number of posts someone has is not always an indicator of how much time is spent on the boards. There are a number of members who do a lot of reading without a lot of posting.

 

[Reppy]

How often must you logon to the site?

 

[kneelongreen]

Pay me and I'll do it. I'll save my charity work for the United Way and UNICEF. The site is making money, the SPs are making money and the agencies and the drivers and the web designers etc... You get what you pay for in the commercial world. You want to do it for free, then go ahead.Another reason why this is a thankless job.

 

[Mod 2]

As I have been asked in PMs by a few members, let me clarify some of my views regarding the responsibilities of the moderators:

- Read the board on a regular basis (at least daily).
- Read each and every thread in the forum(s) you moderates.
- Act upon factual information, not on suspicions (unless you make it clear in your communications)
- Be objective. No favoritism toward anyone, for any reason.
- Use common sense when the board's rules don't apply.
- Be ready to back your actions with proof, or at least be able to explain them if challenged about the underlying reasons.
- Respond to ALL PMs in a timely manner.
- USE COMMON SENSE.

Also, being a senior poster helps, but the key in being a good moderator is to have a good head on your shoulders, and not being afraid to do the right thing. MERB is not a "country club", it's a community service. As such, my view is that all posts should remain polite, respectful, interesting to read, truthful, and free of shills or useless comments as much as possible.

M2

 

[J. Peterman]

suggestions.

More than one moderator would make things easier and better, but I can make a suggestion to make this site a little better than it already is.
What if you appoint several "monitors" and give them the power to place labels on the post that may be Shills, double posters, spammers, and useless and rediculous threads. This way the members can easily avoid useless information that we may not be interested in. The moderators can make a final decision to eliminate the thread.

 

[eastender]

Mod Qualifications

The more I read and think about this thread the more convinced I become that the job is too big for one person and would result in an overload and a
regular turnover.

Specifically the growing use of French - a positive,requires that the mod(s)
have the ability to understand and be able to communicate accordingly.

Furthermore,I see the service providers playing a greater role on the board
and they should be represented in the moderation process.

Finally,if the mod(s) post(s) on the board or participate in activities then there has to be a "recuse" option - the ability to withdraw from a decision because of a real or perceived conflict of interest.

 

[Mod 2]

A big Welcome to Mod 5

Thanks to everyone who PM'd me or Fred to offer their help. There has been more offers than I originally expected. That's a good thing as it demonstrates a definite interest to keep this board healthy.

I am happy to welcome Mod5 in the moderation team. He has been given his MERB password and assignment today, and will start getting used to the job soon.

Other mod(s) may also appointed to the job in the very near future. We'll keep you posted.

M2

 

[Best Lover]

I also am curious as to MOD 5's previous handle to quickly get to know him better.

But after I think about it maybe it's best if we don't know so we don't prejudge him as the new moderator.

I think if I were a new Mod I would like to be anonymous and just do my job with no judgements.

Just a thought, although I am still curious.

 

[eastender]

Who is Mod5?

Moderators in any political debate are clearly identified and their backgrounds acknowledged.Likewise arbitrators,judges etc.

The issue is very simple - is it of benefit to the community to have someone act as a moderator in a thread where he/she has already posted? If the moderator remains anonymous then in the aforementionned situation the direction of the thread may be influenced.Similarly if someone is debating an issue in a thread then basic courtesy requires disclosure and the knowledge that one of the other parties is a Mod.Furthermore,in the aforementionned it may become necessary that the Mod voluntarily or at the request of concerned parties recuse themselves.

On MERB we all have identities that mask our real identities.Additional protection for moderators that amounts to special powers to direct and influence discussions is not necessary and must be opposed.

 

[HonestAbe]

New Mod's identity

I understand if he wants to remain anonymous but it would be nice if we could be given a hint as to whether or not EB has taken the job so we all wouldn't feel so badly about his apparent disappearance. Just MHO. Perhaps a defense of the Yankees' would suffice?

 

[MG_mtl]

Merb Mod Policy

The Merb Mod policy has always been that the identity of all Mods is not to be disclosed... so go ahead and ask all you want, they won't talk. But we can sure play the guessing game all we want

 

[Mod 2]

The Merb Mod policy has always been that the identity of all Mods is not to be disclosed... so go ahead and ask all you want, they won't talk. But we can sure play the guessing game all we want

In fact, I think you should all stop guessing . FYI, EagerBeaver has never been interested in moderating any board, and you should therefore rule him out right away. And please don't suggest this and that member and try to figure him out by elimination, I won't comment on any other member.

Why you are all so interested to know who the Mods are is beyond me. As long as we do our job correctly, that's all you should all be concerned about in my opinion. If you are unhappy with how the board is moderated, by all means, speak out. Otherwise, please let us do our job as efficiently as possible.

By the way, constructive criticism and suggestions are always welcome. Another Mod is probably going to join the team very soon (as soon as Fred approves him), and the team work is going to be very beneficial to MERB, not only in term of efficiency but it will also reassure everyone about the objectivity of all moderation actions.

M2

 

[Mod 2]

Spiky,

You posted a "joke" once. We removed it and PM'd you. The first thing we see is that you posted it again.

You are suspended for 1 day for not listening to our directives, and that's not a joke

M2

 

[Bruce34]

Early intervention

I guess it's in our nature to want to know who's who. But I guess much like the court system, you are once a lawyer then a judge. Of course, we all wonder what side the lawyer was and what type of lawyer one was. Once you know the lawyer's history you can guess his/her tendencies and act accordingly.
That said, I agree with easteander with a francophone MOD.
There is a lot of noise on the board at times and it is much about nothing. Spams and shill posts occur so often that it's a full time job to filter the good and the bad.
The board looks calmer now. I guess the posts are caught early and merged/cleaned? And warnings sent immediately?