Question for the Moderators

[Serene Grace]

I guess my modding is what you'll consider normal. I was actually away from PC for about a week to see my grandmother. When I got back, I relaxed for a while and then booted up my laptop to see what I had missed online. When I had got on PC and I got a PM titled "and I have a feeling the 2010 will be special for me." I was really curious to find out why the member of staff PM'd me because I hadn't spoke to him in a while so I clicked it.

Once I read the first line, I got a good idea of what it was and I got really excited. After reading the rest of the PM, I replied quoting that I would love to do the job and, within an hour, I was modded. It was a great feeling that I don't think I'll forget in a while.

 

[NarutoActor]

Do y'all moderators know the other fellow moderators personally? psss that's the only way to become a mod, although people will say I am wrong, you know I am right. :) (connections are key)

well in some areas of the forum there is a "mod mold" Most of the mods all agree in a pacific way of doing things, and they share common beliefs.

 

[Hiidoran]

Do y'all moderators know the other fellow moderators personally? psss that's the only way to become a mod, although people will say I am wrong, you know I am right. :) (connections are key)

Oh, come now. I've known a good many moderators over the years who had almost no connections to the other staff members prior to being modded. If anything, being friends with other staff members just gives you the opportunity to show 'em that you're qualified... they just notice you a bit more, because they're your friends. That's all.

Like Nick, I was surprised with a staff position. I'd just come home from hanging out with some buddies, and I opened up MSN, like always. Almost immediately I was invited to a conversation with some friends of mine who began to spin a wonderful tale of how the hstaff had proof I had participated in an act of hacking here... and only after some coercion did they show me the alleged proof. I was linked to a post I had made earlier that day, where I noticed my name had become bold and blue. It was all a clever ruse to distract me during my promotion. :|

If you know me though, you'd know that I've been welcoming for a couple years now... and I've been interested in a position on the PC staff for a good bit of it. Still, it was a pretty big surprise. It's also pretty interesting to wake up, get on PC and have work to do every day. :'D But hey, can't say I don't enjoy it.

 

[bobandbill]

Do y'all moderators know the other fellow moderators personally? psss that's the only way to become a mod, although people will say I am wrong, you know I am right. :) (connections are key)

well in some areas of the forum there is a "mod mold" Most of the mods all agree in a pacific way of doing things, and they share common beliefs.

As Lawrence said you are actually wrong, and I know you are not right. =P When I was modded here, I knew one person from the staff somewhat, and they weren't a higher up so there was no 'connections' there or anything with the decision. Same with me on sppf - I didn't know anybody. I was rather surprised to be asked to be modded after all. XD Pretty sure people don't get modded just because they're friends of the staff - they have to be seen as responsible and all that jazz.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Okay, so I'm the only idiot who doesn't get paid here? Okay, I want my money by tonight or I'll start hard-deleting threads! I'm serious!
Sadly, and despite what all the jokers up there said, we don't get paid. We do this out of the boredom goodness of our hearts.

And I was modded in the board I was most active at, Other Trivia, even if I had always wanted to get modded in GBA/C Pokémon Games XD So it depends a lot on which forums need a mod, and the opinion of the Higher Staff.

When I got modded it was a big wtf moment, because Anthony La started a convo with me pretending to be talking about giving me another position on his hack (I was testing his game by then), but then slipped a mention about Rom-Hacking instead of his game, making me think of PC and spoiling the surprise, since I knew they'd be looking for a OT mod by then XD

My smodding was even worse- an admin hinted that they were looking for smods in the staff boards, and a couple of days later, I'm suddenly added to a convo with three admins and a smod, and I was "Gee, I wonder". Specially since that was the first time I have ever been in a staff-only convo XD So yeah.

So every SMod was at some point a normal mod? You can't just go from being a normal member to SMod?

 

[Astinus]

Do y'all moderators know the other fellow moderators personally? psss that's the only way to become a mod, although people will say I am wrong, you know I am right. :) (connections are key)

But you're wrong. I'm another one of those "didn't know anyone" person when I was a regular member. The only person I knew was the former moderator of the Pokemon half of Fanfiction & Writing (way way back when it was just known as "Pokemon Fanfiction"), who would be Careful With That Axe, Pichu!

I wasn't surprised when I was modded though. I had a dream about it happening, so I had a strong feeling something was going to happen. So when CWTA,P! asked me to hop on MSN, I was more excited than surprised when he told me.

You can't just go from being a normal member to SMod?

afaik, no. I've personally never seen it happen, but maybe someone with more knowledge has.

Most of the mods all agree in a pacific way of doing things, and they share common beliefs.

Well, I guess you could say that the staff does agree on doing what's best for the forum, so we do share that common belief.

(This post reads weird to me.)

 

[Klippy]

I knew tons of the staff when I was first modded. They all got me in a chat and claimed I was part of some conspiracy against PC with a guy that had just gotten banned and I wasn't really sure if it was real, since Fallen Nocturne wouldn't say anything to me, so I started to get paranoid and they kept linking me to the same post over and over and I guess I was too distracted to notice my name was bold and blue. XD;

And I'd say I pretty much browse the forum from whenever I get home until whenever I go to bed. I don't do it continuously, but I'll refresh often and stuff. :>

Aaaand...I know a ton of the staff personally. I think there's only a few I have never spoken to and quite a few are close friends to me now.

 

[Bay]

So every SMod was at some point a normal mod? You can't just go from being a normal member to SMod?

I'm sure you have to be a mod first before going to SMod because SMod has more responsibilities when dealing with the forums than the mods. Going from normal member to S-Mod is like from an intern promoted to regional manager all of a sudden without going up the ladder--you're filled with tasks you're unprepared to do. Also, like Astinus mentioned, never seen this done before either.

 

[Ivysaur]

As far as I know, Lightning and Arcanine have the record by staying just a week on the mod rank before getting smodded, but that was when PC was born so nowadays it wouldn't happen. As Bay said, you can't take all the smod responsibilities out of the blue- and we wouldn't promote anybody without proving they can be a good staff member first.

 

[Captain Hobo.]

So how long does it take a mod now a days to become a smod?

 

[Timbjerr]

So how long does it take a mod now a days to become a smod?

Depends, Arcanine Andy spent only a week at the Moderator level before moving up whereas I was at the Moderator level for over a year before moving up when I was on the staff. The best explanation I can offer is that it's a mix between how active and well-known you are and how good you are doing as a moderator.

If it's any contribution to the OP's question, way back when I was modded (autumn, 2003), Kwesi and Steve actually interviewed people that were nominated for modship over AIM, and that's how I got in. I hear that they stopped doing that a while back though...supposedly from too many people recommending too many of their close friends. XD

...and yes, despite how close the staff is, they're human and prone to bitterly disliking eachother. There was...one instance back when I was on the staff that nearly tore all of us apart. >_>