Animation Source Forums

Whats deleting your account several times have to do with being a mod? And like i said its not just you so many others have done what you did.

i agree, i mean i hate it when people that claim to be on here for a long time but thay realy havn't! Urgh that annoys me in so many ways! XD

That's my guess too. The new ones on here might say, "Pick me to be a mod!" Yes, I used to be new on this site, and I always wanted or wished to be one, but you don't see myself running off and telling the webmaster or other members to make me a mod. A mod has a lot of responsibality, and has so many things on their hands. Also, a mod has to connect with a member with out their power. As I meant in power, I meant only with out showing that their power is better or higher than others, and to treat every one equally. Now, looking back, I don't want to be a mod. I rather be a member who wants to make articles, fanficts, and help the "newbies" from getting banned on this site.

It is pretty ridiculous, especially since people behave as if how long you've been here is the only thing that matters. It's CHARACTER, people. That's what matters.

How 'old' (site-wise) and how 'old' (agewise) is not what makes anyone a moderator. It's the capability of doing one's job right, assisting the members, maintaining the site, and maintaining a nice environment for the members of the site. Of course, experience always matters a great deal; however there is always an exception to this rule: some members who have visited the site for a few months might have more experience than some who have visited it for twice as many.

When a new moderator is necessary, the moderators discuss it and decide. Currently, there are plenty of moderators. You can see this on the 'Staff' page on the main site.

There are two major things such members who constantly ask about being moderators miss out on...

1. Asking to be a moderator (because you've 'been here so long' and must whine about it) first of all disproves the presence of moderator qualities;

and, most importantly

2. Being a moderator is work. It takes time, patience, and skill; parading around telling people you are one is not part of the responsibility.

... both points hardly prove a worthy candidate, and such people will eventually be removed from the staff, or leave by themselves (assuming they somehow got in), for lack of contribution to the community.

It is definitely disheartening when members rant about such things around the site ("not being moderators", "why", and "so and so"), and perhaps one day they will realize what it looks like from the sidelines.

I know. I really hate this. Your not "I know this place well." after a week.

It's all about patience and what's the moderaters decide for.

Carbon smoke,you're only half-right,it's about patience.and what Steet,or Togo decides.

JC, you seem to be generalizing moderators (you mention how there are a few responsible mods, keyword being "few") as people who think their position automatically puts them on the top of the site, that they are above other members, can't handle criticizm (I will not argue that - I have seen that myself), that every moderator (note my first paranthesis) uses the excuse that they have lives too, etc. etc.

I'd like to make a few statements on some of the points in your post.

And yet, there are still several members of the moderator community who are on staff, and not meeting the responsibilities of their particular duties and positions.


This is where we need the members to be alert because we can't often tell when moderators are doing their jobs or not. Personally, I haven't seen any mods not doing their jobs, perhaps apart from the Fan News editors, but they are not part of the moderation staff. Not all the moderators have access to the moderator shoutbox (Lone_wolf Fanwriter is one) so it is not easy for us to check mod activity (though Mod logs actually suggests that all moderators are doing their jobs). I notice how this generalization has occurred from a select few (namely Fan News editors) not doing their jobs, Questions Mods (questions go right on the site without moderators looking through them so it's not their fault you members have gotten this impression) and Articles moderators (this being because stupid articles appear all the time - but it is limited how many good articles there can be on a website that limits its content to Balto/TLK-related items. Others will be crappy.)


It is also definitely disheartening whenever the more vocal of moderators (not implying you specifically, Cat) whine about the inequities of life and the way they are criticized whenever that happens. How they try and turn the tables back upon their detractors by decrying the right of members to hold the staff of the site accountable for their duties and responsibilities. How they seem to have conveniently forgotten that accepting the responsibility of a staff position does NOT mean:

a. I come on whenever it's convenient for me, and whenever I feel motivated;

b. I am above reproach by the community;

c. Whenever criticism is raised, I have every right to use "I have a life too" as an excuse for my (or other mods') sporadic activity or total INactivity.

It's amazing to me that the moderators who are the most vocal about this are the ones who either catch wind of criticism, and can't DEAL with it (or feel they are above it), or who are the very worst OF the mods (those who abuse their authority and mistreat members in direct or even indirect violation of the site rules and/or simple good form and logic).

Your point here is valid, but you are also shooting yourself in the foot at point A. Moderators work for free; this means they have every right to prioritize other things over BaltoSource moderation - they are in fact allowed to come online when they are motivated or it's convenient. Simply because we are not getting paid for our work. We are sacrificing our own free time to moderate BS.
Most of us come online every day out of pure routine, however.

Speaking of point B: Yes, I agree. Some moderators (note: -some-) have that attitude and it has to be subdued.

C. Yes, moderators use that excuse, it's overused, in fact, but they are entirely entitled to it. See my comments on point A. We work for free, so we have the right to prioritize other things over BS. If we completely abandon our part on the website, we get demodded. If it becomes too much for us, moderators leaves a message in our mod forum that they will be taking a vacation - but they fail to add it to the topic on these forums dedicated to the exact same thing, thus leaving the members unaware of this. This could cause a potential misunderstanding between member and mod.



I don't disagree with most of your post, Cat, but you should know better than to assert certain things about moderator selection and responsibility when you know as well as any of us that there are still moderators on this site who have not met the responsibilities and expectations of their positions for a long time. Why are they not demodded? Because they are popular? Influential? They have made good projects or contributions in the past (or have some which remain unfinished and in limbo)? Are friends with the senior staffers or the webmaster? Or friends of friends? Yes...those are ALL actual and legitimate reasons. For anyone to deny those facts would be just plain stupid, and quite counterproductive to this site.

How do you know? Moderators work in the shadows - it is our job to maintain the atmosphere by not actively interfering with the website where it's not necessary. This may make it seem like we are not doing our jobs, but we really are. Moderation is supposed to work with as little interferrence with the other members as overly possible - you will never see "Membername, you have been warned for 'offense'." in the Shoutbox, do you? Warnings are sent over PM's. Fan content related materials is also taken through PM's with whom it might concern. We rarely do anything public. That doesn't mean we are not working.
Demodding happens when someone fails to do their job, resigns, or are inactive too long (a few months ago, the staff was changed, removing many inactive mods). And demodding happens despite the moderator's 'social status' on the website, a friend or relative of the admin, etc. Social status does not influence moderation (it's not supposed to and whenever it happens, other moderators deal with it privately - which will mean members are likely to never be informed about it.

Yes, indeed, I do know better than to assert (a more correct term would be 'assume') things I do not have psychic power over, and that's why I did not do so. I stated the expectations and formulae that moderators should have in mind when they become moderators, and after that.


Precisely. Moderation constantly takes place, and there really is no necessity for moderators parading around noting what they have done here and there. This maintains the correct atmosphere. Issues are taken care of in an organized manner through PMs.

Also, like Wolflux said, moderators are demodded when someone fails to do their job, resigns, or is inactive too long. This happens whether these moderators have a 'high social status', are friends, and what not. One will always have the pitying buddy in any situation, but there are enough moderators to pull this bias out (and therefore a diversely sufficient amount of perspectives). Moderators come and go, either by themselves or they are demodded. This, once again, like other issues, doesn't happen out on loudspeakers in the public, so unless one checks the staff page regularly one might simply never notice at all.

I've been meaning to comment on this topic for a long time. So, instead of repeating Wolflux and Catadventure's words, translating them into my own, I'm only gonna say that I agree with them on everything they have said.

JC, it is true that everyone here is entitled to their opinion. So, I'm gonna give mine. I agree with Wolflux on everything he has said. Really, may I ask, is there any real point to this topic? People who have been on this site a long time do not complain about not being mods and even if they do it ruins their chances of ever becoming one.