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Topic:
Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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Souderwan
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 11:52am
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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LOL! I hear you, Senny. That's ok. We can still be friends. 
Spiderfan posted:
TwiLekJedi posted:
Also, I always thought edits to be a lot more subtle than warnings and not screaming "I'm an authoritarian figure" as much. An edit concerns one person, a warning is yelling at everyone equally.
To me edits/warnings are the other way around. Maybe its the Orwell in me but edits feel Big Brother to me, and they feel far more invassive. Where as warnings (depending on their subtlety) tend to feel more like a gentle "Ahem, still here guys..." from the mods. However the big bold letters with the all caps style feels more like an angry parent screaming but I can deal with that better than edits.
Yeah. That's how I feel, too. I don't necessarily think that big, bold letters are necessary unless subtler attempts to get users' attention aren't working. Personally, I feel like a PM would be the ideal way to "take someone aside". Obviously, that's not the approach to use when there's an obvious TOS violation. Then again, it's all about judgment, no?
-----signature-----
"When we hurt each other we should write it down in the sand,
so the winds of forgiveness can make it go away for good. When
we help each other we should chisel it in stone, lest we never
forget the love of a friend." ~Godefroy
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ophelia
Registered:
Jun '02
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Date Posted:
2/24 1:09pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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If there's a discussion you're watching in real time, then yes, a well-timed, non-bolded nudge is the way to go if a thread starts turning sour. Actually, I think that's the highest-quality modding there is, other than quietly working off to the side to make sure problems don't develop in the first place.
And none of that shows up on the Admin log. 
The thing is, we don't always catch a discussion right before it blows. When we come in after the fact, there's not much to do but edit out all the flames, post HEY QUIT PUMMELING THE GUY NEXT TO YOU AND PAY ATTENTION warnings, or just lock and have done with it.
We don't have "everywhere, all the time mod coverage" (and I doubt people would want to be watched that much), so we're kind of forced to guess which threads to watch closely for signs of "going bad." You can refuse to guess and just give the place a general once-over instead, but you'll miss the moment when you could have stepped in and turned a shaky thread in a different direction. By contrast, if you make a mental note to follow a particular thread or two, your chances of heading off problems before they start increase with the accuracy of your predictions about trouble. A great way to mod if you're a good guesser. Not so hot if you're a lousy one.
I run about 50/50 in my guessing, which isn't so bad, considering that we generally have 20 or so active threads in a night. It's better than chance, anyway. However, please, if you're in a thread and you can tell it's nearing a flashpoint, PM one of us or all of us. Speaking personally, you can PM me even if you're "sure I already saw it." I might have clicked out of a thread the moment somebody else posted the flame of the century.
If the flamer is creative, I also could miss his or her real meaning. My policy is to leave stuff alone if I don't understand it, because how can I know it's bad if I don't even know what it is? I also can't possibly know every nuance of every JCC subculture and sub-subculture, much less stuff that comes off other sites, IM, PM, chat, or even JCC itself if it was a couple of years ago or more. So if you know that the weird little unrecognizable gif someone just posted actually means "User X you are a ******* **** *******," please let me know. If I'm posting in that thread and seem oblivious--it's probably because I'm oblivious. It's terribly uncool to admit that sometimes you don't get JCC insider references, but sometimes I don't.
The really elegant mod work--the stuff that enhances people's conversations instead of disrupting them--is dependent on showing up at the right time. So I'd really appreciate it if people could drop me a metaphorical dime if they see something ugly starting.
(Of course, if you want to give me a real dime, that's okay too.)
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Souderwan
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 1:54pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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I don't think anyone would want you to check every thread (see what I said about the whole mod = host thing) so yeah...you kind of need to be alerted to things.
That said, I do think it's important for mods to participate and actually interact with the users. You (global you) can't just post in 2 or 3 threads with what I call stand-alone posts, not post again until something blows up, and then call it good. It's best to just go about your business doing what you normally do on the boards. If you see something worthy of your attention, you address it. Otherwise, keep doing your thing. Trust the users to alert you to potential problems outside of your normal watering holes.
At least, that's how I see it.
-----signature-----
"When we hurt each other we should write it down in the sand,
so the winds of forgiveness can make it go away for good. When
we help each other we should chisel it in stone, lest we never
forget the love of a friend." ~Godefroy
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harpuah
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 2:03pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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I agree Brian, there seems to be a definite separation between mods and users... one that is more defined than in the past. While you are responsible for keeping things mellow, I believe you're also responsible for interacting and making people familiar and comfortable enough with you to be able to approach you with anything. Plus, I'm sure interacting with people and letting them get to know you, will make your experience here more enjoyable, no? I've seen a few people refer to modding as a "job". I don't think it has to be like that. You're all just dorks like the rest of us who found this site randomly one day.
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There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
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JediANGELA
Registered:
Sep '02
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Date Posted:
2/24 2:05pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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This may be just me, but I have seen a couple of threads that have gone downhill or gotten out of hand, and no mod was there. I personally pmed a mod, to tell them about it, and something was done, in a couple of instances the thread was locked.
Mods arent omnipresent (although sometimes I wish they were, lol), but I feel that it is the responsibility of every user on the JCC that if they see something going downhill or out of hand to report it to the mods.
Am I thinking way too much into this?
-----signature-----
Memories are gained, memories are lost But those that we retain are with us for an eternity. Once things are gone, theyre gone forever. Never let the memories fade. The final year-Yankee Stadium 1923-2008 
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harpuah
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 2:08pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
- Date Edited:
2/24 2:09pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
harpuah
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Angela, there's no need to apologize for your opinion... that's why you're here. You don't need to end every post with "well that's just my opinion" or "should I have said that?" or "I'm tired, so firgive my post" etc... speak up woman!
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There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
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Souderwan
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 2:40pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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I just want to say that I hate when people say "speak up, woman!" It's demeaning and disrespectful! 
On a serious note. Angela, that's exactly how the users should be. That said, users are more likely to do that with people they're comfortable with, so I think it's important for mods to be approachable. It's easy for me--I'm friendly with quite a few of the mods (plus, I'm not exactly a shrinking violet)--it might not be so easy for the new users.
-----signature-----
"When we hurt each other we should write it down in the sand,
so the winds of forgiveness can make it go away for good. When
we help each other we should chisel it in stone, lest we never
forget the love of a friend." ~Godefroy
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harpuah
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 2:55pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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Souderwan posted:
I just want to say that I hate when people say "speak up, woman!" It's demeaning and disrespectful!
So funny that I just said these exact words to you elsewhere.
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There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
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solojones
Registered:
Sep '00
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Date Posted:
2/24 3:04pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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I think users sometimes don't report things they should to mods because they aren't that familiar with them personally, that's true. I also think there's an overwhelmingly negative stigma in the JCC attached to being a 'mod helper' that dissuades people from wanting to say anything.
-sj loves kevin spacey
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6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation  Obi-Wan Kenobi and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Ghost Ship Executor All Hail Cliegg's Blue Leg!
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JediANGELA
Registered:
Sep '02
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Date Posted:
2/24 3:07pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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solojones posted:
I think users sometimes don't report things they should to mods because they aren't that familiar with them personally, that's true. I also think there's an overwhelmingly negative stigma in the JCC attached to being a 'mod helper' that dissuades people from wanting to say anything.
-sj loves kevin spacey
But if its done in pms (another thing that Ive noticed alot, mods modding by telling users to take it to pms), how would the general JCC ever know?
-----signature-----
Memories are gained, memories are lost But those that we retain are with us for an eternity. Once things are gone, theyre gone forever. Never let the memories fade. The final year-Yankee Stadium 1923-2008
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Souderwan
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 3:32pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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harpuah posted:
Souderwan posted:
I just want to say that I hate when people say "speak up, woman!" It's demeaning and disrespectful!
So funny that I just said these exact words to you elsewhere.
Angela, PMs are better, I think, for personal issues, because drama breaks out over the silliest things sometimes. Frankly, not everyone's threshold of pain is the same and a lot of people think that the internet is serious business. Personally, I hate drama so I'd rather that individual stuff be handled individually.
-----signature-----
"When we hurt each other we should write it down in the sand,
so the winds of forgiveness can make it go away for good. When
we help each other we should chisel it in stone, lest we never
forget the love of a friend." ~Godefroy
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ApolloSmileGirl
Registered:
Jun '04
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Date Posted:
2/24 5:59pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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Souderwan posted:
I just want to say that I hate when people say "speak up, woman!" It's demeaning and disrespectful!
On a serious note. Angela, that's exactly how the users should be. That said, users are more likely to do that with people they're comfortable with, so I think it's important for mods to be approachable. It's easy for me--I'm friendly with quite a few of the mods (plus, I'm not exactly a shrinking violet)--it might not be so easy for the new users.
Shut up, woman.
-----signature-----
Queen " Baadasssss Pixie" of the Knights of the Sarcasm Table At first when I see you cry....Yeah, it makes me smile Yeah, it makes me smile At worst I feel bad for a while, But then I just smile I go ahead and smile......  VIN
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Katya_Jade
Title:
Administrator Emeritus
Registered:
Jan '02
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Date Posted:
2/24 6:14pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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Souderwan posted:
I don't think anyone would want you to check every thread (see what I said about the whole mod = host thing) so yeah...you kind of need to be alerted to things.
Well, um, I kind of disagree. I'm not the end all be all of former mods to you're welcome to tell me to get the hell off the internet if you want. 
I think as mods, you're all responsible for knowing what's going on in your forum. You'll do that by checking threads and keeping each other up to date in your JCC mod forum. If you look back to the "old days" when we first set the thing up, you'll see a ton of threads in there about which JCC threads were "hot" and potentially drama mongers. We made sure to tell each other what we were doing so that all of us were on the same page.
I always checked every thread on the page. Yeah, some days, I didn't get to all of them depending on what was happening but I made sure to check in a few times every once and awhile in most threads just so people knew I was there. Hell, even the Hayden and Ewan fan clubs have had some racy stuff in there I had to edit. It's easy to let the well established ones go, but it's our responsibility to make sure we know what's going on.
In that way, the users know you're there and watching what's happening. Even a "wow that's a great picture of Hayden!" post lets them know that you're there which I found helpful when they had some minor drama going on.
I also checked the new users page consistently so that I could watch out for socks and the like. It's just a part of being aware of what's going on and what might happen to cause trouble on your forum.
The "host at the party" analogy still stands. It's your "house". You should know what's going on in every room at least a majority of the time or else you're going to get kids smoking doobies in your bathroom and using your bed for a romp.
-----signature-----
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:17
Igor, would you give me a hand with the bags?
Certainly, you take the blonde and I'll take the one in the turban.
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ApolloSmileGirl
Registered:
Jun '04
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Date Posted:
2/24 6:22pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
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Katie, when are you announcing your return to the MS? Just wondering.
-----signature-----
Queen " Baadasssss Pixie" of the Knights of the Sarcasm Table At first when I see you cry....Yeah, it makes me smile Yeah, it makes me smile At worst I feel bad for a while, But then I just smile I go ahead and smile...... VIN
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harpuah
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
2/24 6:23pm
Subject:
RE: Thoughts on your JCC moderating team...
- Date Edited:
2/24 7:20pm (4 edits total)
Edited By:
harpuah
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*smokes a doobie in Kate's bathroom*
PS.. this is why Kate is the best mod ever... and needs to return.
Example
I'm the biggest dork ever for going into my post history for that, yeah? 
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There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
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