Looking for site moderators

[Rob]

Linux.org is growing and we need to expand our moderation team. We're looking for active community members who:

• Have been helpful and respectful in discussions
• Understand forum rules and Linux basics
• Can dedicate some time each week to help moderate
• Are in different time zones (we need better coverage)

If you're interested or want to nominate someone, reply here or send me a PM.

Thanks!
Rob

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Have been helpful and respectful in discussions

Not sure if I'd qualify for this point, although may have been helpful I'm sometimes crude in my conversations.
Moderators are however supposed to be polite at all time, at least I think so.

Understand forum rules and Linux basics

And I'm often biased with distros which may upset people.

But I'd nominate @Brickwizard

 

[Condobloke]

• Have been helpful and respectful in discussions
• Understand forum rules and Linux basics
• Can dedicate some time each week to help moderate
• Are in different time zones (we need better coverage)

I would nominate a member who ticks every one of those boxes----- @osprey

I am taking a 'punt' with the third requirement (dedicating some time) I have no idea how his time is taken up....this may be a step too far for him.

In all other aspects, he more than qualifies.

 

[KGIII]

I'd like to see @Brickwizard become a mod, as that'd save me some time. The dude is a spam reporting machine.

I'd also like to see @f33dm3bits considered. He also covers a niche time zone, based on what I've observed. I'd strongly consider him as a candidate.

There are others that I'd absolutely agree with, if they're willing. They may not cover additional time zones. For example, there's @osprey -- a question answering guru who lives in a timezone already more or less covered by Wiz.

While we have 'grown', we actually have less activity than we had six months ago (according to the stats I can access). I'm not sure that we need many new mods, though I'll be happy to assist them, and it'll certainly save me at least some time. What we do need is some time zone tweaking. There's a bit of a gap when I come online, where people have gone quite a few hours without getting their post approvved. They seem to be mostly understanding, which is nice.

 

[osprey]

A warm thank you @Condobloke for your kind words. I appreciate your thought. I also appreciate the smooth running of the forum. I enjoy helping users of linux just as I was helped by others in years past. I have to decline your nomination for a number of reasons though. The main one is that I'd rather be just a subscriber than take on official responsibilities. I don't think I'm well suited to the "controlling" aspects of moderation, if that's not too strong a description associated with the role. I'm not confident that I could devote the time commitments to the role either. So, thanks again, but I'm happy in the bleachers .

 

[KGIII]

I'm happy in the bleachers

I had more or less concluded this, thus your specific conclusion in the 'if they're willing' category.

Many people aren't interested in moderating, and some of those who are interested aren't good at it.

 

[Brickwizard]

But I'd nominate @Brickwizard

I'd like to see @Brickwizard become a mod, as that'd save me some time.

First thanks to CA for his nomination
Thanks, to David [KGIII] for your support, I am quite happy doing what I can to help keep the forums running, I enjoy spam spotting [especially the more obscure ones] and occasionally warning fellow members when their post are near the mark, or newbies posting in other languages , If the management deem to formalise my input, [or expand it a little] I will be pleased to consider it, I don't however feel I could commit to a full Mod Job with my family commitments.

 

[KGIII]

I don't however feel I could commit to a full Mod Job with my family commitments.

You will not be expected to give more time than you can comfortably give. Your other priorities may be more important, and that's okay. You can simply give what time you can, while still enjoying your other obligations. It's also not too terribly taxing to spam clean a user.

 

[demonchild]

@Brickwizard

 

[KGIII]

Also, I presume @Brickwizard has little to no experience moderating, especially with XenForo.

Once you find the buttons (and know what they mean), it's relatively simple. If you have questions (and you will), I'll volunteer to help get you up to speed. We have some overlap in our time zones, as you're usually here when I sign in for the day.

There will be a bit of learning involved. It won't take long before you're confident. Just remember that 'spam clean' is difficult to undo, but don't be afraid to use it. If there's zero doubt, if there's actual evidence, then nuke them from orbit with the spam clean option.

If they've been here long enough, you can only ban them. Spam clean doesn't work on older users.

Also, we have some clever spammers. They'll hide links in nefarious ways, like quotting another person and inserting a link in the material they quoted. Spammers are not dumb, You'll recognize them quickly.

This is true for anyone else that might be willing to moderate. (It's safe to conclude that the nominee should have spent some time here helping already and that they should have a good conduct record.)

 

[Brickwizard]

and that they should have a good conduct record.)

ah a let out I have had my wrist slapped a few times.

 

[Condobloke]

I would like to nominate @f33dm3bits.

I do not know if this may clash badly with his work commitments.

 

[KGIII]

ah a let out I have had my wrist slapped a few times.

LOL You're fine. You fit the bill nicely, otherwise we'd not be so heavily nominating you.

I do not know if this may clash badly with his work commitments.

Indeed. I have even gone so far as to try to contact him via email to let him know this thread exists.

In many instances, it's a matter of logistics. How much time can people realistically give?

For me, I've managed to fit it within my schedule. There are times when I'm here less often, but I still have time to get the important things done in a timely manner. (That's processing the queues for spam and approvals.) Sometimes, I just don't have more time to give.

I've also been doing this longer than I expected to. That's not a complaint. I'm free to resign whenever I feel the need to do so. Right now, I have a fine balance that lets me continue. I have a number of hobbies and obligations that take me away from the 'net, but it's still working well enough.

 

[Brickwizard]

I presume @Brickwizard has little to no experience moderating, especially with XenForo.

not a lot

 

[MikeWalsh]

@Brickwizard :-

Whatever the outcome, Brian, know this:-

It doesn't matter a jot what the forum does, what the subject matter is about, or any of that stuff. First & foremost, you're a member.....with your own interests in whatever it was that led you to join in the first place.

Secondly - with regard to the "mod" stuff (and this from someone that moderates on at least two other fora), you don't see it as a "job", per se. You're given the abilities & powers to take care of much of the day-to-day nitty-gritty that keeps any forum tidy & functioning smoothly.....but only if and as when you've got some spare time to do so.

It's not like a 'normal' job, where you're contracted for certain regular daily hours and are expected to be "on duty" during that time period. It doesn't work like that at all. And as for the 'time zone' thing, people soon get to know that certain individuals tend to show up fairly regularly at certain times of the day. That's all THAT means.

As a regular community member you have your own interests, just as you've always had. Nobody would expect that to change...

(As for moi, 2 mod 'jobs' are quite enough. I definitely wouldn't consider a 3rd..! Not on top of looking after a 92-yr old as well...)


Mike.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Also, we have some clever spammers. They'll hide links in nefarious ways, like quotting another person and inserting a link in the material they quoted. Spammers are not dumb, You'll recognize them quickly.

Am I the only one to notice "hit and run" trolls?

They ask like a one liner question, providing zero information about the problem or their system and never come back to their thread, and in 90% of cases that's their first post.

Then everybody keeps replying to the thread for days despite the OP going MIA as soon as posting and not coming back.

 

[KGIII]

not a lot

That's my assumption. We have some plugins, so we're not entirely stock. You can (but don't need to) spin up a free (for like a week) test example. You don't really need to do that. What we do is mundane and easy, generally speaking. As a mod, you're not asked to do too much beyond the things you'd already be doing if you had the power to do so.

You're my 'strong candidate'. Of all the people, you were the first I suggested. If not you, and if also you, there's f33dm3. I think we have room for both of you to help cover that time zone properly.

 

[KGIII]

(As for moi, 2 mod 'jobs' are quite enough. I definitely wouldn't consider a 3rd..! Not on top of looking after a 92-yr old as well...)

To be frank, you were considered (by me). I took your previous comments to conclude that you had pressing time constraints elsewhre. That's not a bad thing. It just means that you're more focused on what's important to you. In reality, that's what you should be doing.

 

[KGIII]

Am I the only one to notice "hit and run" trolls?

I try to read things in their best light, but there's a term you might want to learn.

It's 'Brandolini's law'.

Basically, it's more effort to refute BS than it is to create BS. There are plenty of people who seem hellbent on leather to create BS. It's what they do. Their motivations may vary.

But, as a mod, I do everything I can to read things in their 'best light'. Rather than assume the worst, I try to assume the best. I keep on trying to read things with their best light until proven otherwise.

At the same time, I'm not infallible. I accept that and continue to work better, to make fewer mistakes than I made the day before. I think that's all I can do, really. I've made my share of mistakes along the way. I'll make mistakes in the future. It helps to be secure in yourself, to have a healthy ego. By that, I mean the capacity to understand you're wrong and to move on from it without adding additional wrongs.

 

[KGIII]

Also, we'll wait for Wizard to check in.

We'll further wait for Brickwizard to accept the position.

If those two things are met, I think we can move forward with that.

The same thing, to my mind, applies to f33dm3bits. Assuming they'll accept the position, I think we can safely move forward with that. However, I'll wait to hear from them and the other admins.

I think we're capable of deciding this.

I'd also welcome any complaints. If either of those two has been over the top in previous posts, you can/should share that. However, I've read a whole lot of posts.

Finally, I think it's safe to say that my views are now known.