Moderators

Moderators help me in keeping the forum an orderly, safe and pleasant place to be. You know who is a moderator because their user title clearly says 'Moderator' and they also have the user posted image

badge (which will say 'Moderator' above it.) Moderators appear RED on our online user list and do not have any blue 'pips' like normal members, although some groups such as super members and award winners also do not have pips.

The moderators make sure that the board guidelines are followed as well as doing a variety of other jobs; which normal members don't realise. Myself and the mods can communicate with each other every day in our private forums and we are a good group of proffesional's

.

Mods can warn users, ban users, delete posts, edit posts, change avatars, change offensive signatures, close topics, pin topics, move topics. They can do just about everything really, although there are some things that they cant do which are reserved for admin such as changing usernames, turning the board offline, changing the skin and adding new forums/categories.

The moderators we have at the moment (in alphabetical order) are:

Oldbillplod - (serving since 25th August 2006) --> Click HERE to contact this moderator <--

Orinoco - (serving since 29th August 2005) --> Click HERE to contact this moderator <--

Sarge - (serving since 27th August 2005) --> Click HERE to contact this moderator <--

Any issues you may have regarding action a moderator has taken should be sent either by PM or E-Mail to me via my username (Commissioner) I will of course deal with your issue in confidence should you specifically request this.

How do I become a moderator?

Well we don't officially have applications and closed recruitment periods. Basically, if I feel we need a new or additional moderator then I will offer the position to the person myself and the rest of the existing moderating team think is most suitable. Typically in the past they have been users who have demonstrated good knowledge of policing and law enforcement and users who have stuck to our guidelines and not been banned or had too many warnings. Firstly, when recruiting new moderators I look into our Super member group as these are the users who are most trusted and who have shown their support the most for the forum.

Do not ask to become a moderator. THE ANSWER WILL BE NO!

An interesting article I found elsewhere about Moderatorship which I thought I'd put in this topic for the sake of it, worth a read, I suppose ...

QUOTE

Becoming a moderator is relatively easy, depending on what type of forum you are interested in and what your background can add to that forum. Being an effective moderator is a bit trickier. Anyone can become a moderator on the internet, after all there are more than enough forums to choose from. But once you are chosen, how do you proceed? Do you suddenly become a maniac with a delete button showing your personal distaste for members you may not care for? It’s not a power play, if that’s what you are looking for, your position will not be available to you very long.

So what is a moderator’s main purpose? Your main purpose is to support the forum you are associated with and quietly enforce the rules without turning into the Internet Police. Understand that whatever actions you take; be it deleting a post, or editing out unacceptable language, someone, somewhere is not going to like it. After all, do you like being censored?

Being consistent is the key to a good moderator. Learning to place your own likes and dislikes in the deep freeze while you are on the board, will help you find the flames easier. You may not like a certain member, but guess what? That member probably doesn’t like you either. Engaging in a power play, singling out this certain member will eventually demean you in the eyes of the others on the team and on the boards. Your job is to keep the forums running smooth and even though you aren’t getting paid for your time, you need to show up for work on a regular basis, otherwise others will have to pick up your slack, creating more work for them.

Being a moderator is a thankless job. You even give up your membership to a certain extent, once that decision is made to come on board with the Admin team. It doesn’t matter if you are the most popular member on the planet; once you cross over to that Mod Forum the other members place you on a different level than before when you were one of “them.” It’s sad, but that is just how it works out.

Your age will factor in as well, depending on which forum you are associated with. Most forum webmasters want their moderators to act maturely and use common sense, courtesy and diplomacy, which is not easy to do in some cases. Especially when that poster who makes you groan inwardly posts another inane thread about how “Tofu matters!”

Each forum comes with two separate rules of conduct, one for members, and one for moderators. You want to be sure you can follow these rules and that you are interested enough, or have enough knowledge behind you to want to try.

On the board where I have moderated on for several years our rules are simple:
1. Be a team player
2. Be fair-minded
3. Be diplomatic
4. Don’t let personal issues get in the way of moderating
5. Show up when you can for the job

Until recently, we had other rules such as, the ability to keep a thread active and interesting. But as the board grew in membership, and more threads had to be read (or at least skimmed) the decision was reached to nominate a non-mod team of people. Their duties would be to take over some of the basic moderator’s duties, including a Mentor Team to welcome new members, Community Leaders who can introduce fun new topics, and Specialists in the field of cat care that would be able to provide coherent and practical knowledge to threads requesting immediate help. Since this team has been implemented they have provided great assistance, allowing the moderators to keep their focus on other issues, such as troll patrol, handling complaints, moving posts, deleting unacceptable content. The team also provides more experienced eyes on the board to report posts headed for trouble. Also within the moderator team are Forum Admins. These are selected people that can do various tasks behind the scenes allowing the whole system to flow better.

Effective mods can sense where a thread is headed. When going in to read your forum, try and keep in mind where this particular thread might be headed. On our board, we have hot topics that we keep an eye on at all times- declawing, spaying and neutering, irresponsible backyard breeding are some of the hot-*test*-('") topics that can easily go into flames. We also try very hard to make our presence known in a thread headed for trouble without coming out in public and chastising the members who are involved. If the thread erupts, we will lock it down and close the subject, but it will usually resurface time and time again.

There is a three warnings system on the board. Once the third warning has been issued, the member will be subject to the judgment. This would be decided by all the Mod Team, not just one and could either be a temporary suspension of board privileges, putting the member on moderated posts only, or an out-right banning. Immediate bans are placed in effect for spamming, posting of unacceptable photos or attacking a member with no provocation.

The ability to understand others point of view, without placing your own in prime importance is part of being an effective moderator. Understanding that by being a mod, does not mean that every post you personally disagree with can be wiped off cyber-space is essential. Many times there have been threads that started out disagreeable and turned into effective tools of learning with people coming out the other side shaking hands and becoming friends.

Once you join a moderating team, it’s a good idea to ask questions. Take a quick look at the Moderators forum, going back a year or two and read the posts to learn how the team reacts, feels and responds. Make sure that you will be able to hold confidences because anything discussed behind the scenes should stay there. Also be sure and read the rules of the boards and familiarize yourself with them. If there is a moderator who has been on the board for quite awhile, contact that moderator and ask her for guidance.

Do I possess all the qualities I speak of above? No, I do not. These are characteristics that I have observed within the team I am fortunate enough to work with today. These qualities are what I strive for, and I have my own personal weaknesses and strengths among them. Part of what keeps me a strong moderator is the area of knowledge I am able to share with everyone. I have been told I am a good moderator. I strive to become more effective.