If you're a mod one day...

[Starry Windy]

For regular members, if you become a moderator some day, whether it is on PC, the battle server, or in any other forum, what will you do? Will you give them the notice that you must follow the rules, be strict, or will you going lenient to new members? What things you like the most, is it closing threads? Giving emblems? And which image you want to convey if you're getting promoted?

And for mods and ex-mods, what was your experience when you're a mod, how you got modded? And you can answer the questions above with mod's perspective.

 

[Honest]

I always wanted to give the image that I was simply another member, except sort of like a leader. And I definitely wanted to be laid back. You guys should tell me if I succeeded in doing that :P

 

[Puddle]

I've been a moderator on a lot of different forums/online games. And if you were a mod for one day, you'd probably do nothing. A good mod doesn't moderate 24/7 and act like they are higher than everyone else. They participate as a member of the community and then act when needed.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

I would moderate the forums like a hawk, searching for newbish mistakes from new members like making already-existing threads to tell them to be more careful next time and follow the rules.

 

[Ho-Oh]

I liked locking threads, I liked disabling signatures, I liked making stickies, I liked helping new users, and I hated giving emblems but for some reason I kept doing it. I was strict and leniant at once, iirc! c: Server-wise it's ez I love everything (on main and on our one). As for on any other forum, on Smogon I mod the place for new users where I obv can't be strict, and the place for writing articles, so I can be a little stricter there!

Dunno I think that's all? I can say Smogon right???? I can't remember PC's forum rules sort of :c

 

[Outlier]

I think we can all agree that If I were a mod this forum would be a better place.

Introvert for mod 2014.

 

[Poki]

My first success at becoming a mod was in an Akatsuki fan club when I was 7 (the club lasted like 3 years before all the original members started losing interest) Oh, and one of my jobs was to take down rival clubs. :D And I'm a mod on a HP fan page on FB right now, if that counts.

I don't believe that I'll leave an impact in just one day, if I become a mod on here, though.

Now make me a mod forevur pls. <3

 

[Sirfetch’d]

I was a moderator here for a little while and I've been modding the battle server for over a year now and it's quite enjoyable! When I was on staff here the best part was helping users who didn't know where to post things and ofc I enjoyed giving out my ego emblem. Also having access to the behind the scenes info was great ;) Modding the server is a bit different because it requires more hands on attention due to spammers but overall it's a bit less stressful.

 

[Sheep]

I got modded in August 2012 by Went leaving hints to me through MSN. At first I thought he was just giving me info on potential changes in the welcoming section since I was active there but the next day he finally asked me about being a moderator and I was ecstatic!

I don't consider myself any different from members, though, and never will. Most of the time I forget I even have a rank. xD;; This is just a Pokemon forum, after all, and I'm here to have a good time and chat with everyone that enjoys Pokemon as much as I do. :)

 

[LoudSilence]

I've been a moderator before and I never really understood the fixation; you're basically a glorified janitor (all due respect to current mods don't kill me ples).

A moderator shouldn't act like a normal member, they are a normal member that just happens to have a job to do. I wouldn't even use the word "promotion" because it suggests some ascension to a higher status when it isn't...I mean, people see "prestige" where I only see "responsibility".

I don't mean that as a bad thing, by the way. It feels good to help out a community you love. But someone who wants to be a moderator because they consider it a "celebrity status" within the realm of a website is most likely ill-suited for the role.

 

[Hikamaru]

I was a mod months ago on a Pokemon forum which sadly died of inactivity, but I didn't even do a lot of mod work to begin with, other than just closing a thread. However, if I were to mod a forum like PC I'd probably be one of the more lenient mods. I wouldn't infract rule-breakers right off the bat, my system would basically start with informing the rule-breaking member what they did wrong and tell them not to do it again. Then if they offend again I go to the yellow card, and finally red card for the serious offenders.

I'd close/move threads, hand out emblems, make announcements when needed, make stickies, help the members out but on top of all of that I'd just involve myself just like a regular member but with some form of responsibility, like what Sheep stated. Besides, it's interacting with others that makes this forum fun and I want it to stay that way.

 

[Spinosaurus]

I remember when I was a mod I got this weird respect from regular members.

I'd like to have that again. And the bold blue name. Don't miss anything else, I didn't really get to ban anyone and it felt like a boring job if anything.

I'm serious.

I wouldn't infract rule-breakers right off the bat,

I did that way too often. To be honest, what's wrong with it? That's what you're supposed to do, and it worked.

 

[Treecko]

I always wanted to give the image that I was simply another member, except sort of like a leader. And I definitely wanted to be laid back. You guys should tell me if I succeeded in doing that :P

I think you're doing a good job at that so far. Keep it up. :)

I've always wanted to try being a mod on a forum , either on PC or some where else. I think it could be a good experience in leadership for me and would help me learn how to handle good responsibilities. I know it could happen eventually and if I ever do get modded somewhere, I'd only be strict if I need too. If a person is just getting on everyone's nerves by constantly breaking rules, I'll banned them. Most of the time though, they'll just get a warning. If it's a really serious issue I'll give them a red or yellow flag, an infraction or a ban.

I'd love helping new users alot. I like the feeling I get welcoming new users and showing them around a forum and I get if they need assistance on where to post certain thread or what's okay to post on a forum. I'd love giving emblems too , it always seems like a fun way to tell people they've accomplished something.

 

[★Dark Soul Umbreon★]

I would most likely troll the forums and ban everyone.


JK why would I do that? I would act like a normal member that minimods, except I'm actually moderating :P

 

[Meganium]

I was a moderator back in 2011 here on PC. I modded The Welcome Lounge until August 2012, and honestly it was the best experience I ever had! On the day I got promoted, I was just IMing [supporter]quilzel[/supporter] about random things. Then I went to twitter to tweet something. Drew (or Leo Baskerville or whatever his name is on PC now lmao) replied to me telling me that I really should get on PC RIGHT NOW. So I did, and I got a PM from him asking me if I wanted to mod TWL and I was liek OH MY GOD YES YES YES. I fainted for a little bit before responding. haha.

It was totally unexpected and I was just shaking so much looking at my name in bold.

What I really liked about being a mod is that you're always reliable towards the memberbase. You're just simply another member. It's not all about being popular or infracting people for fun (because kiddies, infracting/giving away warnings are NO fun at all, saying this from experience). I wasn't even popular back then, and I didn't care xD. I LOVED making emblems. That was like...my most favorite thing to do as a mod. Giving them away was also fun too. As a TWL mod, being lenient is the #1 priority, because TWL mods are supposed to be nice to new members, be loose over them breaking rules and such.

I'd go back and be a mod again. It'd be nice to relive that experience. But then, you know...life always comes first. And for those of you aspiring to be a mod, you have to think about your priorities first and foremost before you take that offer one day ;)

 

[Tsutarja]

I probably have the most simple story to tell about getting promoted. The day I was promoted, I had just gotten off an hour-long Skype call with a real-life friend I hadn't seen in ages. I go to check PC, and there was a PM in my inbox. The little pop-up notification didn't seem to appear either, so it was more of a surprise. I had thought it was just a PM from someone I had welcomed to PC that was wanting to chat with me, but no, it was a PM from Nick (Ace), when he was still an s-mod here. In the PM, it was written to me that I was selected to be the moderator of T&I and asked if I wanted to accept or decline the position. It literally took me a good few minutes to decide, but after really thinking about it, I made my decision. After I sent my reply, I was awaiting to be blue and I felt so excited. It was also on the same day that I got my tablet, which made my entire day feel better overall.

Overall, I love being a mod. It's been nearly half of a year now since I've been a moderator and I really enjoy the experience. I feel that I've brought some much-needed activity to T&I, and I launched a successful thread in T&I, the DCC over there. Rarely have I had to lock threads or discipline members, or even ban a member, and these are three things I dislike doing the most. It's not a pleasant feeling at all when one has to pursue disciplinary actions on a member at all, even though some may think we enjoy doing it. Trust me, no one on staff here enjoys handing out infractions or banning users.

 

[Crunch Punch]

I really, really like emblems even though I don't have many so if I was a mod I'd probably make a lot of things involving giving away emblems.

 

[New Eden]

I was actually a co-admin on a small board before(I guess more than a mod but still something.) Unless the rules were explicitly broken I would merely give informal warnings, but that wasn't often. Chances are I'd probably do the same and maybe a little more (welcoming, answering any and all questions, etc.)

 

[Kanzler]

Most of my "work" as moderator in my section involves creating discussion. This can involve creating new threads, contributing to current ones, and even taking opposing positions if a thread happens to be one-sided. The discussions aren't mine to have anymore though, D&D is a place for the community to hold serious discussions so I'm still trying to figure out how to involve myself without involving myself if you know what I mean - having a hand to affect D&D for the better without making it my personal playground. I really believe in people having serious discussions: to me, it's a big part of what makes the world go round and I'll continue to endeavor towards that end.

As for my ideals of what moderators should be in general, Dipu hit the spot. It's a leadership position, and I see it in the framework of promoting the fundamental purpose of the forum: a place where people have fun. Other than that I don't have any fixed principles - every other idea and action is a tool that works towards this basic ideal. I'm pretty happy thinking this way, I feel that this mindset gives me a lot of flexibility when it comes to approaching and solving problems.

I think a moderator's duty can be summarized at its core as conflict resolution. Whether it be resolving conflict between member and member or member and forum, moderators are the only people in that position with the authority to judge. The best way to resolve conflicts - as well as preventing them from even occurring in the first place - is through increasing communication. Communication leads to trust and trust helps to reduce and resolve conflict. I enjoy doing what it takes to promote a fun place through boosting trust and communication. I don't really think of it in greater detail, I'm more of a big picture kind of person.

Being a mod has allowed me to actualize these ideals to a greater extent than I could as a member, so it's been a great experience by that measure. Other than that, I'm not very different from any other member. I don't believe in giving out official warnings or infractions unless it's absolutely necessary as it can be potentially stigmatizing - I do all of my mod business behind closed doors. It might not be transparent, but it's personal and it gets the job done.

When I got modded, a certain admin basically told me to check my profile. My name was blue and that was that.

 

[Nihilego]

I feel like I've become less lenient over time. Previously I'd let... almost anything slide with a stern PM at most unless someone was causing a real problem while now I don't tend to think twice about warning people for stuff, haha. Don't get me wrong, I'm not super tight; I won't go around infracting people for posting a thread in the wrong place once or twice or double posting, but for things like disrespect / trolling (anything that they couldn't have been confused about, basically) I tend to hold back far less than I used to with the infraction button.

I suppose that it's maybe because I used to mod a section fiery by nature (what's now known as Debates & Discussions, for reference) that I used to be very lenient; I couldn't just go around infracting anyone who said something remotely out of line. But these days when it's the entire community I'm looking at I feel like there's no excuse for people to be rude to others in, say, sections like X&Y or PGen. I certainly don't go out of my way to infract people but I won't hesitate to do so if something uncalled-for comes up. I feel like it's really obvious when something you've said is offensive and, unless it's in the nature of the discussion, there's no real excuse for it. I'll say though that I'm far lighter on spam than disrespect and trolling because I feel like spam's not really hurting anyone. If it's particularly persistent or bad though then I'll act on it as usual.

My favourite thing in my position is probably picking new mods and super mods. I always find it really exciting to know that we've got someone bright and new coming into the team, and it's great to see them along with the rest of the staff get excited for them too! On the face of things though, i.e. what goes on outside of the staff forum, although I don't do it much at all I quite like handing out emblems. I feel like it makes people happy - certain people in this thread have definitely said so - and that's quite a nice thing to do, I guess. I'm pretty indifferent to mod actions like closing threads, making stickies, etc. since they don't really mean anything other than "yay I have buttons to press".

As for how I was promoted, the first time was via a MSN multiconvo and the second through a Skype multiconvo. Both times I was completely oblivious to what was going on until Morkula (both times, iirc) actually switched my usergroup around so it's always been a surprise for me, haha. While they're very much a textbook way of doing things I feel like the craziness and confusion that you get in a multiconvo is the most fun way of doing things. It's really nice seeing the person's initial reaction (usually either keymashing or "...") too!