A suggestion regarding moderator assignation, and such

[Dngrsone]

Trying to make a little constructive criticism here, if I come off too harsh, my sincerest apologies, that is not my intent.

You have 12 moderators here, all but two have at least visited the site within the past week, near as I can tell, which is great. Those two have been here within that last three weeks, that isn't bad. Nearly all of them are among the top 30 posters. That means to me that your mods are heavily involved in the forums-- definately a good thing.

You have 20 forums, and yet only thirteen have a mod assigned. There is no means of contacting one of the two active Administrators, and the Report Bad Post interface says: "Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts."

Okay... then who do we tell, and how do we contact them when a post needs to be moved?

With less than 14,000 members, I suppose this could be considered a smallish board, but it is active, with at least one post made either yesterday or today in each of the forums.

My point is, I feel that the Post Reporting dialog needs to change a tad to reflect that sometimes we (then members) need to request a little maintenance and/or there is a means for contacting a moderator for the forum in question. I see no reason why the Admins should be solely responsible for pruning, moving, closing, deleting, or performing any of the other routine maintanence items that I've forgotten off the top of my head, threads in the seven forums that have no mods assigned. You guys are busy enough maintaining the stuff that we then members don't see.

If the forums in question are low-traffic, so be it, one or two of the existing mods will be more than happy to police those areas in addition to their current duties, I'm sure.

Thank you for listening.

 

[dragon2309]

<POINTLESS RANT>

I have to agree with you, but to put it quite simply, the current admins and mods (with exceptions of course) dont quite think us lowly members could match up to their moderating standards.

Ive applied a few times to be a mod without even an acknowledgement reply back.... OK, so im not the greatest poster, and i do post a hell of a lot of crap, but to fill the spots that DngrSone pointed out, you lot should be crawling on the floor for us to be moderators.

I thought the whole idea of a forum was to be a community, thats not very friendly if you dont even reply to applications. I'd like to see how long this place lasted if even the top 15 posters (admins excluded) just left and never came back....??

This isnt directed at anyone, infact some of the mods i talk to a bit and get along with fine *cough*JAN*cough*..... Oh and why im here ranting and raving, i cant see a point ion [TAB], doesnt post for weeks on end, hardly is ever here and hes and ADMIN.... what the hell.

Ah well, thats life i suppose....

</POINTLESS RANT>

 

[Ku-sama]

touchy subject, shouldnt temp admins but i do see the point, with only 13 mod/admins and only like... 8 posting regular, doesnt hold up very well with alot of the spam and rule breaking on this forum... this is my most visited site, i couldent live without it, but there seems to be a drop in the amount of actual "Computer Related" topics... this is a great support site, but i think there needs to be a few people recognized, Geoff for one, im very sure theres others, just too tired to think about them right now..

 

[Dngrsone]

As a general rule, in my experience, admins usually work for whoever owns the site and servers... I don't begrudge [TAB] if he/she hasn't time to surf the forums, but on the same token, I can't reasonably expect to get any response if I sent a PM that way requesting assistance.

I am of the mindset that the existing mods and admins will decide a) when they need another mod and in what area(s), and b) who that mod should be. They then ask said individual if they are interested in moderating the forums.

As a general rule, those that ask to be a mod are the ones that shouldn't be. Those who are fully qualified to be moderator that ask, for the most part, are not exhibiting the patience a moderator should have. Of course, that is my personal opinion, take from it what you will.

 

[jesbax]

i may not be a admin or mod but they do the best they can do most of them work or go to college and have to earn money to keep this site going and keep it free for everyone that uses it. some of us don't have the luguary of spending a lot of time on a pc. i'm on a computer most of the day becuase i own a busness. it is hard to find time just to come to this site. where most of you that have posted to this thread are under the age of 20 and still in school and don't know much about what goes on outside of computers. everone need to do ther part to help others out and not complain about other members. if i insalted any one im sorry but im also stating the truth.

 

[LaptopExtreme]

I've glanced at different areas every now and then, but I've only encountered a mod/admin about a couple of times in certain threads. I also see that they seem to congregate in certain areas too (desktop, video cards, overclocking) and leave other areas untouched. Well I could be wrong, but that's just what I've noticed. I understand that one doesnt have to post to keep an eye on things. I, myself, haven't seen a problem with this forum though.

I've seen other forums with really inexperienced mods, maybe little kids with very bad judgement of things. I've seen some forums with more mods than active viewers. It's like anyone can be a mod in that one. I'd also say it's very hard to designate who would be a good mod and who would be a bad one. And I don't blame anyone for lack of, or not being able to choose someone. If they think they've got it covered, then it should be fine. Even if they didnt post anything that day, who says that they didn't come in and check on things? There should also be more than just the number of posts to make you a good mod.

 

[Ku-sama]

well, i feel kinda insulted, basically you said that us "Computerforumians" dont go outside much, thats definiatly stereotyping, i have two jobs, a girlfriend, im in a band, many friends and the such.... computers are my life, i work on them at my frist job and have personal pleasure tweaking my own... whats your favorite hobby that you do all of the time Jesbax?

 

[Verve]

I am of the mindset that the existing mods and admins will decide a) when they need another mod and in what area(s), and b) who that mod should be. They then ask said individual if they are interested in moderating the forums.

As a general rule, those that ask to be a mod are the ones that shouldn't be. Those who are fully qualified to be moderator that ask, for the most part, are not exhibiting the patience a moderator should have. Of course, that is my personal opinion, take from it what you will.

I agree. Plus, applying for moderator is probably only causing trouble for admins, because I think just about every member thinks they would make a good mod. Then, when they don't get a reply (for whatever reason), they start complaining. Of course, a lot of applications are legitimate, I'm not trying to downgrade anyone. But, I think the philosophy behind it needs to be changed. It would be better off if the mods were invited.

 

[dragon2309]

where most of you that have posted to this thread are under the age of 20 and still in school and don't know much about what goes on outside of computers.

WTF, speak for yourself.... thats stereotyping on the higest level, do you actualyl picture everyone apart from yourself as a little geek boy with buck teeth who sits in a sweaty room playing WoW....... Broaden your mind a bit....

 

[LaptopExtreme]

... It would be better off if the mods were invited.

I agree. I've never heard of applications for being a mod before. I've only seen requests from admin/mod to someone if they wanted to be a mod or not.

 

[Geoff]

Stop the bickering! At this rate your going to get this thread closed.

I agree with what Dragon said, if someone applies for moderator, they should at least hear back from an admin saying why they didnt get it. In my opinion, if someone applies for mod and doesnt get a response, they may tend to think that they never recieved their app, and apply again. So a simply "unforntunetly you were not accepted as a mod, please continue to work hard and make this forum enjoyable. Apply back soon", or something of that nature.

I also think that they should have a special type of membership between a normal member and a moderator, someone who can close threads due to SPAM and posting in the "parts for sale" with less than 100 posts.

 

[dragon2309]

I also think that they should have a special type of membership between a normal member and a moderator, someone who can close threads due to SPAM and posting in the "parts for sale" with less than 100 posts.

But still theres the problem of nominating people to this special position, or does everybody get it....

 

[Dngrsone]

Stop the bickering! At this rate your going to get this thread closed.

I agree with what Dragon said, if someone applies for moderator, they should at least hear back from an admin saying why they didnt get it. In my opinion, if someone applies for mod and doesnt get a response, they may tend to think that they never recieved their app, and apply again. So a simply "unforntunetly you were not accepted as a mod, please continue to work hard and make this forum enjoyable. Apply back soon", or something of that nature.

I also think that they should have a special type of membership between a normal member and a moderator, someone who can close threads due to SPAM and posting in the "parts for sale" with less than 100 posts.

I don't know... moderators are at a pretty good level between normal members and admins... I don't really see much call for a new level under that... if they can't be trusted full moderatorship, then why trust them with any power at all?

 

[computerhakk]

wow. I agree with everyone. Makes everyone happy

over the course of being here, i never came a long a thread like this. very interesting. its usually, i can't apply for mod! wtf? why? then it gets closed.
i can see this thread going on, and maybe a mod acknowledging the concerns of the members, but i might not be able to see the fact that it may be implemented.

Well, say what you must, do as you please, think what you want to think, criticize what you feel of this post by me, but let me express what i think. This is not in any way, shape, or form trying to insult anyone or any moderator, or any guests. But im sure you will probably let me know about it and i will probably disregard it dont care.

title of being a moderator.
Well, as fas as I see it, i do see the use in have moderators in every section of the individually sectioned off threads here a huge benefit to all the members and everyone else that visits. Each moderator having the ability to close, move, censor, etc... to certain posts that are found unsuitable and what we know as "spam." This will result in a better and organized forum for everyone currently active, and everyone currently seeking a solution.

For me, I see it as ok, I am a moderator, i have special privelages over other users here and therfore, i feel superior. That may be why everyone on the top... lets say percentage of posters want to become mods. Sure, some truly and instinctively want to be a moderator to help organize the forum, some dont.

Yes, it would be nice to have an invite from the mod's or owner of the forum to see if you are willing to devote your time into this forum to keep it clean. But I myself doesn't see that happening because like previously stated, it seems like most are devoted to a particular section, may it be that that is their section or the moderator of the other sections never have the time to get on to review every post. So it wil be highly unlikely for a moderator, when trying to accept you go over every post to see if you meet all the requirements. And if they decided to accept a certain user, will you be actively participating? or eventually get tired of all the pointless posts and then go into hiding? is this why moderators do not actively participate? of course not, we all have our reasons...

Now, I myself feel that the moderators should be more active because I myself rarely see their participation, with exceptions. Now be as it may, this may be because different things. That's knowledgeable, and thats fine. What seems to grind the gears of some users are the fact of the "SPAM" posts that have been reappearing and appearing, but yet you keep commenting on it, instead of just letting it die. Well, if the mods are usually active, they can catch a couple of these and close it, but hey, they have lives, we have lives. No one is going to catch all of it, and do you think you will be able to catch all of it if you became a mod?

Now, that section of applying for mod has been down, and I think it is still down, i have never checked. But is there a reason for this? server issue? problems? or just too many applications being submitted?

There are reasons why we have moderators, and I think for the time being, they, and all the users have been doing a great job. closing idiotic threads, not posting in "spam" threads so it will die. Yes, I see pointless threads every now and then, but they are usually active. Thats a good thing i guess. It gives everyone the time to get a good laugh in when your posting like 50 entries a day. And thats why we have an "off-topic" section also, for off topic things, excluding spams.

Oh, and i believe the phrase as "quality over quantity" applies here as its not how much you post, but what you post. with exceptions to the FS section and maybe another one.

They have a life, you have a life, I have a life. Why do you want to be a moderator so much? And when you do, will you make a difference? or will another member post another rant like this regarding your position as a moderator?

I myself, dont feel that more moderators will equal more productiveness of cleanliness in the forum. Although, having enough to fulfill all the sections would be great. I can really care less of the spam and pointless posts because it doesn't strike any interest in me. Leave it be, and im happy.

 

[Dngrsone]

Great post, computerhakk. I think that many members who have not moderated before don't understand how much dedication a good mod needs to have. Nor is it always evident how active a mod is in a forum, especially if said mod has opportunity to delete spam as soon as it happens, though there are always ones to get through and sit open for some amount of time... as you said, they can't always be there.

I feel that Mods should post on occasion, though, to make their presence felt, even if that results in a little trollish behaviour. Knowing the mod is around and active is preferrable to feeling that the mods just don't care.

 

[suprasteve]

I think I'm going to apply to be moderator of the Off-Topic section, I think that one is in need of the most upkeep

 

[ian]

For the record, I have mentioned this several times before, [tab] is not an administrator here in the normal sense. On occasion when I take leave he does take over from my duties by checking on the forum for me. He also assists with behind the scenes tech stuff for all of my sites. He is a different kind of administrator.
With regards to the moderator applications, the previous application page was not compatible with a vbulletin upgrade and needs to be redone.
I will probably just post a message for moderator applications whereby members can send a pm to myself, and specify the format that the application should take. The pm can chose to have an acknowledgement that the pm has been read.
I would like to think of a moderator application as more of a registration of interest which goes onto a list of people interested in becoming a moderator. As moderators are required, people are then invited. Personally I find it awkward to tell people that their application was unsuccessful. I apolgize for not resonding to each application.
All of the current moderators here do a great job in my opinion. Keeping a forum afloat is not easy, each forum has their own individual style.
From my perspective, I do acknowledge that some of the high posters, regardless of what forum category they post in, do contribute a lot to keeping this forum active.
No community is perfect, I am sure there are things that can be done better.
I do listen to suggestions, for instance, the ones about bigger pm boxes and larger file upload limits, etc. Those things will no doubt happen when the site moves to a higher powered dedicated server, however there are no time frames for when that might happen, that may be a year away from now.
I have also been busy on other sites within the network which has taken my attention slightly away from this site. I have readjusted my strategy and plan on devoting more time to this site until it reaches my target level of traffic and has the features that I have planned fully implemented.

 

[34erd]

I think I want to add that though many people want to be mods, some want to do it for the honor and pride rather then what a mod actualy is. Most people who want to apply once they have 201 posts neither have the ability to nor will they actively moderate the forums like a mod should.

Personaly I dont want to go around editing posts and keeping the forum clean and such. The honor of being a mod is nice, but I dont want to actualy be a mod and hold responsability. Not that I would make it in lol.

Basicly what I'm trying to say is, before you apply for a mod, think if you really want to do the job or if you just want to be called a "mod".

 

[DCIScouts]

I think I want to add that though many people want to be mods, some want to do it for the honor and pride rather then what a mod actualy is. Most people who want to apply once they have 201 posts neither have the ability to nor will they actively moderate the forums like a mod should.

Personaly I dont want to go around editing posts and keeping the forum clean and such. The honor of being a mod is nice, but I dont want to actualy be a mod and hold responsability. Not that I would make it in lol.

Basicly what I'm trying to say is, before you apply for a mod, think if you really want to do the job or if you just want to be called a "mod".

Very good point, 34erd, that basically sums up what I think of the Moderator title/position/power...

However, I'd also like to point out that this was a thread originally created to provide feedback on how to improve the site as a whole. If I may make a humble suggestion to keep this thread going on in that spirit, and not allow it to disentegrate into bickering over who gets to be higher on the food chain of the forum.

 

[Dngrsone]

Very good point, 34erd, that basically sums up what I think of the Moderator title/position/power...

However, I'd also like to point out that this was a thread originally created to provide feedback on how to improve the site as a whole. If I may make a humble suggestion to keep this thread going on in that spirit, and not allow it to disentegrate into bickering over who gets to be higher on the food chain of the forum.

Thanks, dciscouts. I was hoping ian would address my suggestion (I'm a feedback kind of guy).