How should mods be recruited?

Black Sheep

I just want to say this has been an interesting thread to read, a bit of an insight into how the platform and mods operate.

I did wonder about to what extent a mod would be expected or allowed to continue as an active participant in a forum. I suppose I wondered would they have to be more "above the fray" / seen to be a neutral party at all times, which would tend to suggest a lighter degree of participation. But I can see the logic mentioned about preferring to keep mods who were active posters before continuing to do what they did that led to them being selected in the first place.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399605#Comment_118399605

No. Mod rules are in the forum opening post. If mods breach that report them. Some threads can be very popular, should a non paid mod remove themselves from contributing their views?

Why would they sacrifice this (ironically called for by some of those bemoaning lack of free speech) in a volunteer position?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399626#Comment_118399626

you haven't responded to the question I asked. can you not see that a conflict of interest might arise?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399632#Comment_118399632

No, because if they transgress they can be reported.

It's more important to have an involved mod. Again, volunteer, thankless job, active contributor. My view is to not restrict them for taking on said thankless job.

Beasty

To be clear when I was a mod I sanctioned other mods and indeed CMods

I have recommended removal of mods when I was a Cmod due to their behaviour and have initiated the removal of mods as an Admin for the same reason

Yes it's rare because we take into account disciplinary records when appointing mods. And yes there are thousands of posters across this site without a blemish to their name. Less so those with say 10k+ posts. I would estimate them in their hundreds still

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399632#Comment_118399632

Of course it can and that is why it is better practice not to. However that is not always possible.

Beasty

I would add that there are niche forums that survive precisely because of their mods and the way they interact with the user base

I am a mod of CA which regularly throws up issues as well as the Coronavirus forums. I personally think continuity in modding massively helps consistency in such forums.

Equally I'm mod of Oulwans 'n' Oulfellas which is never a bother. I post in Photography where there is an enthusiastic mod who actively encourages participation

There's a lot more to this site than AH, CA, Coronavirus, Soccer and Politics. Any sitewide issues/rules have to accommodate the whole site and not just a small number of popular forums

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399752#Comment_118399752

it seems that not all posters think it is so obvious.

Pawwed Rig

I would point out that the mods are chosen on the basis that they have a good head on them and a bit of cop on so even if a mod was modding the thread he/she was involved in I would expect to see no issues however the optics are not good and everyone can have a raggy day where they act out of character. Personally I do not tend to get overly invested or upset by threads anymore and when involved in the discussion would probably let more go than I would if I wasn't involved. When someone gets personal with me it amuses me more than upsets me as they have already lost the argument at that point.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399659#Comment_118399659

It's not so much of they transgress, but that their modding is biased towards their views.

I have been victim to some serious personal abuse on threads but when reported, the mod happens to have the same views as those posting abuse, and therefore do not take action.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399901#Comment_118399901

I've had that one before where it is clear the mods are not going to apply the rules or intervene. You get the impression that they are enjoying the personal attack because it's the kicking they want to give, or because the attacker is a mod or preferred poster.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118398944#Comment_118398944

Totally agreed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399901#Comment_118399901

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118400055#Comment_118400055

Mods are human. I've had rare issues with mod moderation personally down through the years, but I still use boards.ie. I've also been a mod of a niche forum, most of the stickies still there are under the name I then used from the time I was a mod. I gave up partially because of the 'and you're a mod' taunts in other forums. It's like a target on your back.

You're applying employment level expectations of mods. Can you not see that? You'd like them to sit there, waiting to respond to your report button, and little else. Is this realistic in your opinion?

You can escalate to a Cmod if you don't like a mod ruling.

Personally I think boards.ie is great value for money, and long may it continue.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118399605#Comment_118399605

This is absolutely true , but then if voluntary mods are restricted in use of the site, they would have to moderate the areas that they have no personal interest in.

Take my example. I am extremely interested in talk radio but have zero interest in sport. I moderated radio for some time, as I was busy following those threads in any case. Had I been asked to moderate Sport, I would likely have been more neutral by pure instinct/human nature. But I would have been bored silly looking through those threads to keep an eye on them, although I could of course have dealt with reported posts in that forum on the old Boards. Of course, it would have eaten into the time of my enjoyment of the radio threads. It certainly is an idea worth considering. In voluntary roles, though the mods still need to find some degree of satisfaction/interest in the role.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118400428#Comment_118400428

I don't think expecting mods to know and apply the rules is "employment level expectations". When a mod says he can post what he likes as long as it's his opinion, and no mod intervenes to correct him or the opinion, that's just bad modding all round.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118398944#Comment_118398944

Mods do not mod themselves. They are modded by cmods and admins and can be (and have been) carded, warned, banned and demodded.

I would agree that the appointments should be for a maximum duration (of say 12 months) as often mods lose interest and stop posting without informing the cmod however the reality is that even appointing 1 mod takes time. Trying to rotate 50 or 60 (in my categories) would be a massive undertaking that I wouldn't be able to commit the time for.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118400534#Comment_118400534

I agree, the mods should know the rules as basics. If they don't Cmods can be contacted.

But, thats not what was being discussed, what was, I believe, was mods commenting on threads. Which I believe is a basic right for all.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118400588#Comment_118400588

I was going to be specific and mention cmod and admin as well but I thought I was being all inclusive in not being specific. Obviously I thought wrong.

Even admin get burnt out. In all the years I'm here I've never seen admins being reprimanded.

I appreciate the work involved in appointments, hence a change in how it's done. This is the first open discussion I've seen in all my time. Perhaps people putting their names forward and being seriously considered is a solution

Speaking of absentee mods. The renewable energy forum needs a mod who will at least respond to a pm. Wouldn't even know who the cmod is to bring it up with so here's as good a place as any.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118401075#Comment_118401075

Renewable energies is under discussion as we speak. Have a couple of potential mods but we can't do anything until the office reopens

Pawwed Rig

Seth Brundle

In all the years I'm here I've never seen admins being reprimanded.

Have you ever seen an admin post something that warranted them being reprimanded?

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118401322#Comment_118401322

Do you really want me to answer that one? 🙄

Are you saying Pawed is incorrect in his comment?

Pawwed Rig

I don't think Seth has said anything that contradicts what I said ??

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118400428#Comment_118400428

I expect mods to act on reports, not to side with posters they happen to agree with in certain subjects.

I have no issue with mods having opinions, but when it comes to actual mod actions, I would expect them to act with the guidelines.

amandstu

If a mod wants to (or feels they should) moderate in a thread they are participating in,they just need to bite their lip and make it clear that they are not going to do that)

They should just report it if necessary and a "neighbouring" mod can intervene)

No matter how good and unbiased the mod is it cannot come across that way.

So there have to be enough active mods for that to happen

Members too need to report what they see as bad posts.This does some of the mods' work for them and might set a good tone ,nipping bad posting behaviour in the bud.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118402825#Comment_118402825

Must they side with you necessarily ?

It's hard to be objective without looking at the individual posts, but that's beyond the scope of this thread. But, again, they need to be referred to the Cmod.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118403239#Comment_118403239

No of course not, but siding with other posters who are clearly breaking the rules because they agree with them on some threads, isn't right.

MrMusician18

This is an interesting discussion on how the forum operates tbf. It's clear that the old way of appointing moderators is no longer fit for purpose since we've seen a single mod added in the last six months but an awful lot more walk away. Perhaps a more transparent way is needed now

Just along the lines of how the forums operate: Just exactly how are charters meant to be updated. What is the procedure?

Seen a lot more posters ruin threads than mods

Maybe we should look at how we recruit the former tbh

Quantum Erasure