Thought the moderators could use a reminder of why they're here and what they're supposed to do to foster the community.


This is moreso for the berto/chank type - they need to define their expectations for the mods.
http://www.theadminzone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202


The rest are for active moderators:
http://www.jiggmin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249



http://www.morewriting.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=133

Can we get an "Off-topic" section then?

I think you misunderstood my post. I don't think there is an issue with where users are making posts, but with how the moderators are handling things.

Well I have seen mods and members complain or comment that a thread has gone off topic when in reality it has just "evolved". Some threads exhaust their potential in the first few posts and thus need a bit of creativity and randomness to spark them back to life. Some may look down on this, when in fact they should embrace it.

benm, dont beat around the bush, name names. Bring up examples.

If you have a problem just say it

Example:
Today berto deleted my post because I was pretending to be him editing my post so that people would think he actually mods a lot instead of just sitting around complaining about us complaining that he mods a lot.

sounds like a good reason to delete a post

I think it should just be emphasized that most of the things that are said, if not all, are in jest. I know that ppl get to be douche bags on the internetz, and i think this is a little lesson for the new posters. I remember when i started posting, i thought that everyone on here was a total jackass. But once i started posting a bit, i figured that they weren't all a bunch of jackass with internet connections and an avatar to hide behind. Just give it time it'll improve.

In terms of what the moderators do, i think they do alright. i mean, there are some topics that veer off topic for a bit, but i think that's to be expected, especially here. In terms of keeping the peace, they could probably do better, but they can't be babysitters for the new posters.

Actually I am often an ass in real life as well. Especially to my friends.

same here, it filters out the socially insecure

Okay, I'm pulling administrative rank at this point.

I understand that there aren't clearly defined rules here and I plan on having that fixed just as soon as I get time.
I understand that mods don't always attach names to edits.
I understand that you might deem an edit unnecessary.

But please understand that when you see "MOD EDIT:", you usually have no clue what was there before it and so you're automatically assuming we edit something for sheer pleasure because you've perhaps been slighted in the past. I can't tell you how many times we've edited topics due to illegal nature or editing emails/phone numbers for our users best interest. But when we edit for emails/numbers, we usually send an email to all users involved providing them the information that was edited. So please understand that although we have made mistakes in the past, we typically edit with good reason.

We have two active moderators currently: LB and blitzdfkhsdkfjs. I rely on them and have since the beginning of the year when all of you thought _I_ was too difficult. I take their opinion over yours simply because of issues that have flared up in the past. What is a company that doesn't trust its employees? Maybe this wouldn't happen if the issues were brought up in a more respectful way. But instead, people such as da_spork, benm, and cmptrnrd16 have to publicly flame us and go on about things simply to pick fights. If you want to prove a point, do it in private. I never once saw any of you harass people in public this summer at work even though you wanted to. I'd like to think you'd respect this forum enough to not publicly flame us because you were slighted in the past.

I think it is fair to say that myself or Chankster have taken action whenever we were asked in a respectable manner. I was being told I was a douche bag, so I removed myself as a moderator and appointed blitzvergnugen in my place. benm has brought things to my attention that I have taken care of and I plan to do so as well with this whole 'rules for posting and modding' issue.

But don't expect me to bend over to you when you are a complete asshole that does not bring it to our attention in a respectful manner. Throwing "MOD EDIT:"s in your own post to turn a crowd against a mod is the last thing that will earn you respect. Making polls because of the situations you described cmptrnrd16 is the last thing that will get you respect. How are those for examples?

Do you kids have the time to put all sorts of effort in this as well as other things in your normal lives? If so, please, let us know and we'll work out you taking over this site and the projects that come along with it. You can also find a new home for it as well that won't change every school year and will stay up through summer.

My point is this: send myself or Chankster a message in an email or IM (thank you for finally doing this earlier benm). I don't browse any other forums. We don't scout the internet for new forum managing techniques. We have more important things to do and other issues on this site to work on. If you want something done, bring it up to us (NOT IN IRC) in another form of communication that we won't have to sort through.

We take the time to maintain this for you. Yes, it is a volunteer job and it does come with a little flaming. We understand that, but don't expect us to sit there and take it when you clearly do it out of spite.

All I ask is that you are a little more empathetic to our situation as well and that you trust that we will act on something if you bring it up to us in the correct manner.

MOD EDIT: proof'd -berto.

Proof!

I respect that position, I really do, but also realize that it is not only the moderators working that creates a respectable community, but also many active users that come here because they enjoy it. I haven't experienced the mod edits, but I have experienced blatant bitchiness that makes me not want to come here and post (see: stray MinerLAN thread). That situation could have been resolved with SO much more tact and kindness, not "don't fucking post this here." Little things you can do to not piss people off.

Oh, and LOL 2000 posts.

USER EDIT: By the way, if you don't want to run the site:



Then don't. If you do, then don't bitch about it. I'm not going to fall at your feet because you run Seek42. Christ.

Was the post edited?
Was the topic moved?
Did I ban him?
Did I do anything aside from assert an opinion/suggestion?

Had that come from a user, you wouldn't be saying anything. All I am MOSTLY on these forums nowadays is a user.

Would have said exactly the same thing, dude. But then again, others may have put it more tactfully, so I don't know. I don't care that you pointed out that a new thread was being made, it was the way you did it.