[Moparmike]

I have a desire to become a mod, here or anywhere, and I was wondering what it usually takes to become one, besides hosting my own forum.

This should not be misconstrued to mean that I think anyone is slacking, but simply that I desire to help.

And to sieze control. Of the world. Starting here. Tee hee. :scrutiny: :scrutiny: :scrutiny:


What? Why are you looking at me like that? A little megolomania isnt sucha bad thing...every thing in moderation;)

[No4Mk1]

preferably small unmarked bills.....:evil:

Seriously, I can't speak for this place, since clearly I'm not a moderator here, but I can tell you my experience elsewhere.....

First, be a regular contributing member of the community. Looks like you have that underway....

Second, make sure your contributions are valuable and actually improve the place. In other words, be a nice guy (or gal), don't flame folks, and just generally be helpful.

Frankly, if you have done those two then it is just a matter of time before you are invited to moderate. Now if you are comfortable with the owners and moderators of a board you may after a while wish to express an interest in becoming a moderator in a PM or e-mail directly to them. Trust me, if you are doing #1 and #2 effectively they will likely welcome the help.

That's how it works over in my little corner of the world, but this place is a good bit bigger so I'm sure that small unmarked bills also play into it somwhere.... ;)

[Pheonix]

I was wondering the same thing. I may not post a lot but I do read the threads for several hours per day.

[Mal H]

I would say that No4Mk1's answer was pretty much on the nose. That is except for the "small unmarked bills" comment because large bills work just as well. :)

Another factor to add is the attrition rate of the current set of moderators which is very low. Usually moderators aren't added just for the sake of adding a new name to the group. There has to be a need and a vacancy in one of the forums.

[Mike Irwin]

"be a nice guy (or gal), don't flame folks..."

Damn. I'm out. :)


Been there, done it, on other boards.

It's not by any stretch of the imagination all that it's cracked up to be.

I found it to be very... limiting... and resigned my moderatorship.

[C.R.Sam]

"Limiting"
Understatement.:D

Sam...I was kidnaped by a crazy Russian and forced to work for primers, used ones.

[Moparmike]

Yeah, I generally try to be tactful and nice. Sometimes though, I just cant help but unsheath the Perilous Whiffle Bat of Logic™ and beat someone senseless with it, or the Cacaphony of Common Sense Super Soaker™ and liberaly hose them down with it. Just one of my failings....:D Unfortunately, more of my comments are questions rather than answers, aside from the odd Monty Python reference.:)

Small unmarked bills. Hmm. I am sure my mom would love to send her credit card bills out for everyone to pay. Let me go ask...;)

[Ironbarr]

Well, if you're put together like Mr. or Miss America have talent, tact, fortitude, time AND great eyeballs (along with small or large bills), you, too, might become a model.

Oh, Mod as in Moderator... Okay, with Oleg's nod, you can probably lose the "America" build, keeping the rest at peak performance.

:evil: :what: :)

-Andy

[Jason Demond]

You could ask to help out on www.gun-talk.com . I gave up being a Moderator over there, because I just didn't have the time. They added a few new guys after I stepped down, maybe they could use a few more. You never know.:)

[Hkmp5sd]

Being a Mod is a lot harder than many people think. In addition to the obvious requirement of being very knowledgeable in that particular area, you wind up getting a fair amount of grief from some of the members. Some folks get PO'd whenever a Mod locks their thread or sends them a PM to inform them their conduct is improper.

It's also like being a parent requiring you to be a disciplinarian and do what is necessary to straighten that out member or kick them off the board. It is not a pleasant feeling (well, sometimes it is) having to ban someone.

You must stay on top of the threads in your area. That includes reading the really boring threads you have absolutely no interest in and the ones that spend days beating a dead horse.

The Mods are really the unsung heroes of the THR.

BTW, in addition to cash, they will accept PayPal and electronic transfers into the appropriate accounts. :)

[Alan Fud]

When I first started moderating (on another board), I was given some very sound advise from Dennis (who was an admin over at TFL) and it went like this ... The Role of a Moderator

A good moderator not only keeps order in his/her forum but also sparks interest with his/her own posts & comments making sure members feel welcome.

There are two conditions to a rule:
- It must be needed.
- It must be enforceable.

Then the rule must be enforced consistently. If the need for exceptions occurs ( and they will ), evaluate both the exception and the rule to see if either or both are valid.

Remember the mission of your unit takes precedence over your personal desires. Sometimes you will need to bite your tongue and remain silent when controversial issues arise because a moderator's comments carry a lot of weight behind them. While you have a right to speak your mind, you also have a higher obligation not to unfairly move a topic in one direction or the other as a result of your moderator status.

Finally, you must be thick skinned and have a sense of humor when dealing with the members. ... I can't think of any better advise and Dennis was one of the best.

PS: Where is Dennis?

[C.R.Sam]

PS: Where is Dennis? Amongst other things, Dennis is copy editor of S.W.A.T magazine.

Sam

[Wildalaska]

Im a mod on a Board (with almost 7,000 memebers from all over the world) and trust me, it can be tough...and it inhibits your posting too....

[gun-fucious]

i thought you just needed a nehru jacket, some dark shades and a vespa

:D

[BluesBear]

Mike,

You need small unmarked bills....













and
























SHRUBBERY

:evil:

[Moparmike]

Wait, dont I need two, for a path? Nice laurels and all?:D





Anyone have "Eric the Shrubber"'s telephone number?:evil:












I even have the questions answered:

1. Moparmike
2. To become a moderator...
3. Blue.

:D :D :D :neener:

[gun-fucious]

http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/paulfitz/spanish/tt11.jpg
prod him with the soft cushion!