gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
Elsewhere I've mentioned that I am pretty much the only active moderator here. There are a couple of mods whose real-life priorities have left them with little time to enagage with HR.
I've been in touch with Nico from Audiofanzine and we think inducting a couple more moderators would be very useful, specially if they are from the other side of the world from Australia.
If anyone is interested, they are welcome to send me a message.
In response to some other issue, I posted the demands of being a mod. They follow:
In general:
* don't hold grudges
* don't conduct vendettas
* don't play favourites
* don't regard unruly members as "the enemy"
* don't be ruled by your emotions.
If you feel you must respond to a post (and in most cases, you don't need to; it's as pointless as telling a dog not to bark, and they stop in their own sweet time anyway), then:
* deal with the content, not the person. "This post is inappropriate" is better than "You are out of line".
* deal with the content, and not the emotion. "This post is inappropriate" is better than "Don't fly off the handle. You are out of line". However, you can acknowledge the emotion: "I know you are angry, but this post is inappropriate".
* do not be defensive. "I'm only doing my job" sounds pathetic, and they know that anyway.
* do not feel the need to justify your actions. If a post is inappropriate, the poster will be quite aware of it.
* do not fight fire with fire. That only makes more fire. Be as neutral as possible.
* do not be afraid to admit you were wrong: "Sorry, I assumed too much", "sorry, I made a mistake", or "sorry, I shouldn't have said that", are okay things to say. We won't always get things right.
As a mod, you lose the freedom that members have. Your conduct must be beyond reproach. If you engage in behaviour that, were you not a mod, you could be called to account on, it will inevitably come back at you, and you will damage your credibility. Once that's happened, it is a long slow climb to restore it.
Mods should be like referees at a sporting match; for the most part they should be invisible, letting the game flow around them, only intervening when absolutely necessary. And like referees, mods should be resilient. They can expect to be abused, and they should be able to take it. "Giving as good as one gets" is not appropriate behaviour for a mod.
Cast yourself in the role of a statesman, a diplomat, rather than an avenging angel. Treat people as if they were being honourable.and take them at their word. If they then aren't 'good', then they destroy their credibility, not yours.
I've been in touch with Nico from Audiofanzine and we think inducting a couple more moderators would be very useful, specially if they are from the other side of the world from Australia.
If anyone is interested, they are welcome to send me a message.
In response to some other issue, I posted the demands of being a mod. They follow:
In general:
* don't hold grudges
* don't conduct vendettas
* don't play favourites
* don't regard unruly members as "the enemy"
* don't be ruled by your emotions.
If you feel you must respond to a post (and in most cases, you don't need to; it's as pointless as telling a dog not to bark, and they stop in their own sweet time anyway), then:
* deal with the content, not the person. "This post is inappropriate" is better than "You are out of line".
* deal with the content, and not the emotion. "This post is inappropriate" is better than "Don't fly off the handle. You are out of line". However, you can acknowledge the emotion: "I know you are angry, but this post is inappropriate".
* do not be defensive. "I'm only doing my job" sounds pathetic, and they know that anyway.
* do not feel the need to justify your actions. If a post is inappropriate, the poster will be quite aware of it.
* do not fight fire with fire. That only makes more fire. Be as neutral as possible.
* do not be afraid to admit you were wrong: "Sorry, I assumed too much", "sorry, I made a mistake", or "sorry, I shouldn't have said that", are okay things to say. We won't always get things right.
As a mod, you lose the freedom that members have. Your conduct must be beyond reproach. If you engage in behaviour that, were you not a mod, you could be called to account on, it will inevitably come back at you, and you will damage your credibility. Once that's happened, it is a long slow climb to restore it.
Mods should be like referees at a sporting match; for the most part they should be invisible, letting the game flow around them, only intervening when absolutely necessary. And like referees, mods should be resilient. They can expect to be abused, and they should be able to take it. "Giving as good as one gets" is not appropriate behaviour for a mod.
Cast yourself in the role of a statesman, a diplomat, rather than an avenging angel. Treat people as if they were being honourable.and take them at their word. If they then aren't 'good', then they destroy their credibility, not yours.