Community Report: What does it mean to be a moderator?

[Victor Sullivan]

What do you guys think? What does it mean to be a moderator? (And you don't have to be a moderator to answer that question.)

-Sully

CC Dispatch [Issue 73: 05-06-12] Hiphopopotamus VIII

Community Report: What It Means To Be A Moderator by Victor Sullivan and Viceroy63

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[Viceroy63]

I believe that this edition of the Newsletter stands out as one of those land mark editions that mark certain growth and awareness for the Newsletter family, all Moderators everywhere and the Conquer Club community in general.

Great work team!


Also, we got a chance really BIG TIME, to see just what "GOD" looks like.

God needs to cut back on all those hogies he's been stuffing down, and go on a diet.

[DoomYoshi]

Hmmm... I am surprised by the lack of response to this. Bumped for notice factor.

[squishyg]

Very interesting responses. I had a lot of good times as a moderator, but I honestly have to say that the worst part of moderating was (some of) the other moderators. There was no team on Team CC, just cliques and factions.

[Victor Sullivan]

Very interesting responses. I had a lot of good times as a moderator, but I honestly have to say that the worst part of moderating was (some of) the other moderators. There was no team on Team CC, just cliques and factions.

Hm, what makes you say that? And what were those good times?

-Sully

P.S. I added in a late response I got from macbone in my first post.

[squishyg]

Very interesting responses. I had a lot of good times as a moderator, but I honestly have to say that the worst part of moderating was (some of) the other moderators. There was no team on Team CC, just cliques and factions.

Hm, what makes you say that? And what were those good times?

Like I said in my newsletter interview, I really enjoyed interacting with our community on social media. Those users were making the extra effort to engage CC in their "real" lives and it was nice to get to know some of them away from the hubbub of the forums.

While being a discussions mod was arguably the harder and more thankless job, my trouble on Team CC actually started while wearing my Social Media hat with what I thought was a harmless request to some fellow mods to tone down the negativity (a job assignment given to me by a department head!). Within a few weeks I had CC "enemies" right on the very same team I was supposed to be enhancing. I got little to no help from higher ups in resolving the situation.

From that point forward I wasn't even allowed to evoke certain CC users' names without being accused of bias. Meanwhile, other moderators were wheeling and dealing behind the scenes to bring each other down. It was a mess. I sat in on a Team Leaders meeting and it was a huge joke. The contempt in the chat room was palpable.

The beginning of the end of my interest in volunteering was when I was in the hospital giving birth to my second child and Night Strike and InsomniaRed led a campaign to have me kicked off the team for some made up offense. I was grateful that SamuelC812 rose to my defense, but I was pretty disgusted that it was even necessary. Once my real life reached a certain degree of busy-ness, I could no longer justify the time spent helping the site.

Never once did a civilian CC user make me regret joining Team CC. The only angst I received was from fellow mods and admins. Kinda wish I didn't know how the sausage got made.

[greenoaks]

i've always believed a mod was someone CC thought could make a positive contribution to the site.

i can't be too far off the mark as clapper still hasn't requested i don the green of a suggestion mod.

[Victor Sullivan]

Very interesting responses. I had a lot of good times as a moderator, but I honestly have to say that the worst part of moderating was (some of) the other moderators. There was no team on Team CC, just cliques and factions.

Hm, what makes you say that? And what were those good times?

Like I said in my newsletter interview, I really enjoyed interacting with our community on social media. Those users were making the extra effort to engage CC in their "real" lives and it was nice to get to know some of them away from the hubbub of the forums.

While being a discussions mod was arguably the harder and more thankless job, my trouble on Team CC actually started while wearing my Social Media hat with what I thought was a harmless request to some fellow mods to tone down the negativity (a job assignment given to me by a department head!). Within a few weeks I had CC "enemies" right on the very same team I was supposed to be enhancing. I got little to no help from higher ups in resolving the situation.

From that point forward I wasn't even allowed to evoke certain CC users' names without being accused of bias. Meanwhile, other moderators were wheeling and dealing behind the scenes to bring each other down. It was a mess. I sat in on a Team Leaders meeting and it was a huge joke. The contempt in the chat room was palpable.

The beginning of the end of my interest in volunteering was when I was in the hospital giving birth to my second child and Night Strike and InsomniaRed led a campaign to have me kicked off the team for some made up offense. I was grateful that SamuelC812 rose to my defense, but I was pretty disgusted that it was even necessary. Once my real life reached a certain degree of busy-ness, I could no longer justify the time spent helping the site.

Never once did a civilian CC user make me regret joining Team CC. The only angst I received was from fellow mods and admins. Kinda wish I didn't know how the sausage got made.

Thanks for sharing, squishy. I can understand much of what you mentioned. I think what keeps me going is I like what I do, I think what I do is important, and there are fellow TeamCC-ers whose company I enjoy (trinicardinal, Evil Semp, rdsrds2120, TheForgivenOne, and Gilligan come to mind). At the same time, I definitely feel the silent judgement of many a moderator (even admins from time to time). Unfortunately, I can't go into my trials and tribulations, as I am almost certain it would be unwise...

i've always believed a mod was someone CC thought could make a positive contribution to the site.

i can't be too far off the mark as clapper still hasn't requested i don the green of a suggestion mod.

Have you PM'd her? I'm sure the Suggestions Team could use someone. It seems like they're always short moderators.

-Sully

[Dukasaur]

To me moderation=moderation. In other words, "to moderate" is inseperable from "to be moderate"; "the act of moderating" depends upon "the quality of being moderate." To avoid extremism at all times and to seek the middle road if there is one, even to create the middle road where one did not exist previously, that is moderation.

[DoomYoshi]

Being a mod is important, else we would have nobody to whack once a year.

[Ace Rimmer]

Very interesting responses. I had a lot of good times as a moderator, but I honestly have to say that the worst part of moderating was (some of) the other moderators. There was no team on Team CC, just cliques and factions.

Hm, what makes you say that? And what were those good times?

While being a discussions mod was arguably the harder and more thankless job, my trouble on Team CC actually started while wearing my Social Media hat with what I thought was a harmless request to some fellow mods to tone down the negativity (a job assignment given to me by a department head!). Within a few weeks I had CC "enemies" right on the very same team I was supposed to be enhancing. I got little to no help from higher ups in resolving the situation.

I'm pretty sure I've told you (squishyg) in the past, but I don't mind it if you use my name as the faceless mod that was the cause of your angst, since it's true.

[squishyg]

Very interesting responses. I had a lot of good times as a moderator, but I honestly have to say that the worst part of moderating was (some of) the other moderators. There was no team on Team CC, just cliques and factions.

Hm, what makes you say that? And what were those good times?

While being a discussions mod was arguably the harder and more thankless job, my trouble on Team CC actually started while wearing my Social Media hat with what I thought was a harmless request to some fellow mods to tone down the negativity (a job assignment given to me by a department head!). Within a few weeks I had CC "enemies" right on the very same team I was supposed to be enhancing. I got little to no help from higher ups in resolving the situation.

I'm pretty sure I've told you (squishyg) in the past, but I don't mind it if you use my name as the faceless mod that was the cause of your angst, since it's true.

It is true, but it wasn't just you. In fact, you were the least of my problems, just the first. And since then you and I have pretty much agreed to disagree on the original argument, we've exchanged pleasantries, and have avoided any further conflict, so I really didn't want to drag your name(s) through the mud.

So just to be clear, this is not about stirring up buried business between the two of us. I've stated that I saw your leave from Team CC as a failure in terms of volunteer management and I took no pleasure in seeing you go. We could have been friends once upon a time and at the very least we should have been allies.