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| Thread: Wanted: Impersonal Mods |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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CraigHack
Known Hero
Have fantasies, will travel...
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posted November 22, 2002 07:29 PM |
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Wanted: Impersonal Mods
It seems to me that lots of the problems we have had can be attributed to the heavy involvement of some of the Mods.
What I mean is...
Mods are selected from a group of people who are very active in the HC community. Usually popular folks who post a LOT and seem to have a head on their shoulders. This is all good. THEY SHOULD BE MODS!
But.... They bring with them their past also. They have been very active, made friends, enemies and have a personality.
I just wish they could wear two hats. Keep posting as an average citizen and have as much fun as they always have and when it's time to work as a Mod, put on the other hat, and sign in with a different name.
I would like to see Mods that are impersonal, fair, and do the job without emotional involvement. Judgements made by Mods would be much less arguable I think. Often we find ourselves arguing with the person we know rather than an official board member.
It would be fine with me if you all used the same pic and the same name, (except for Val of course). We dont want to know the Mods personally I dont think.
Anyway, Just my humble opinion.
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The Gods have brought us together... I can't imagine why.
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Kittenangel
Supreme Hero
Lee's wifey
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posted November 22, 2002 08:10 PM |
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Craig I can assure you I am not biased to anyone, I will give my friend a -QP just as fast as I would someone i dislike. When i took my mod position I knew I had to be fair and this is something I am used to, when running a tournament like I do you learn not to be biased.
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Never wear anything that panics
the cat.
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CraigHack
Known Hero
Have fantasies, will travel...
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posted November 23, 2002 03:23 AM |
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Hmmmm...
I guess I didnt express myself well enough.
I just meant that I would rather have Kitten Angel in a thread as Kitten Angel, free to be a lively member of the crowd.
And when duty calls, Kitten Angel can step in as a robot like generic "Moderator" and handle it. (Whatever it is).
I was not talking about the old QP thing or favoritism or any of that.
Matter of fact, it was taken so differently than I meant it... you can just delete this thread and I can go back to dreaming 
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The Gods have brought us together... I can't imagine why.
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Djive
Honorable
Supreme Hero
Zapper of Toads
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posted November 23, 2002 12:07 PM |
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A separate handle/user for the Moderator tasks?
Yes, I've been thinking along the same lines. When posting as Djive I don't really want to be seen as a Moderator. I want to be the member Djive. (Apart from those posts where the Moderator hat is on.)
However, introducing this is not all that easy as it may appear.
There is a problem with sharing the same user. The user would then have Mod Access to all Forums (even the ones you don't moderate).
If you wonder why, posting is the little part of the Mod job. The main part is cleaning up and the Mod Tools currently require you to be a Moderator in the forum you clean up in and it's probably a good idea to keep it that way. (But for instance rating of threads and QPs are global.) So if you give the generic moderator mod access, then that mod access will be global to all forums.
Another problem is sending IMs to this "general" user... You wouldn't know if you talked to the right Moderator. And what would happen to IMs if several users are logged in with this Mod User?
Having two different users for each moderator could be an answer. Members would need to count on that the moderator would be logged in as amember most of the time, with the result that the mod user will spend less time on-line.
If each Mod has two user names, then there would need to be an obvious connection between the two names.
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"A brilliant light can either illuminate or blind. How will you know which until you open your eyes?"
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CraigHack
Known Hero
Have fantasies, will travel...
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posted November 23, 2002 06:58 PM |
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Quote:
A separate handle/user for the Moderator tasks?
Yes, I've been thinking along the same lines. When posting as Djive I don't really want to be seen as a Moderator. I want to be the member Djive. (Apart from those posts where the Moderator hat is on.)
Exactly.
Thank you!
I see that the implementation would be somewhat difficult.
But wouldnt it be cool to be just Djive sometimes?
So many of the Mods I have seen come and go are/were great HC personalities. I dont think they understood that things will never be the same again. The change must take some of the fun out of being here.
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The Gods have brought us together... I can't imagine why.
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KittenAngel
Supreme Hero
Lee's wifey
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posted November 23, 2002 08:52 PM |
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I agree with you guys there, I have already created another user name a while back so I think I will start using it to post Non mod things.
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Never wear anything that panics
the cat.
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Romana
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Thx :D
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posted November 23, 2002 09:14 PM |
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how about mod's anonymous?
LOL
Just remove the Moderator sign from the avatar and voila..no-one knows
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Hexa
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted November 23, 2002 09:17 PM |
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Well I don't agree!@
But u already knew that huh Djive?
We have had this dicussion before.
I don't see it as a burden to post normal post while being a mod. It has been argumented before (by u Djive) that it may confuse people when a mod makes a joke or pulls a pratical joke once in a while.
I even posted a question in a thread to find out if more people thought that way. U know the answer to that one.
Why should we need a different HC name for mods?
Aren't we all just people that like to share ideas, talk, discuss, joke, toss or whatever here?
Ofcourse mods have more obligations and functions then non-mods. So why not make ourself more "human" and keep on participating in everyday HC as members and not make the mods a high elite bunch of people that are stoic.
Just a little piece of my mind!@
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If you want to realize your dreams >>> you have to wake up!@
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Celfious
Promising
Legendary Hero
From earth
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posted November 23, 2002 09:21 PM |
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anonymous/secret aliasis are good ways at looking at this. The only thing is everyone would be like "who are the mods", and the anonymous mods would be thinking "I hope they dont know."
*sigh*
I dunno anything I dont see though.:
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What are you up to
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Nidhgrin
Honorable
Famous Hero
baking cookies from stardust
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posted November 23, 2002 10:22 PM |
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Good to see there are others like me  I have created a second username a while back too but haven't posted a lot with it. Perhaps I will some day in the future... if I find it necessary. I also believe this is the best solution right now.
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Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
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posted November 23, 2002 11:09 PM |
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I think that if you want to speak your mind just mention that you are putting your modsword away or just stating your opinion as a member, making it clear that your personal favours will not affect your mod decision. Two usernames are confusing.
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You can wait for others to do it, but if they don't know how, you'll wait forever.
Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
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Aculias
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Pretty Boy Angel Sacraficer
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posted November 23, 2002 11:11 PM |
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I also dont agree too.
It's almost like you have to be two dif people just to have fun & it should not be like that.
If i was a mod I would never change my name & would still be myself regardless.
The fear of what others think is what gets us to change our names.
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Dreaming of a Better World
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Nidhgrin
Honorable
Famous Hero
baking cookies from stardust
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posted November 23, 2002 11:20 PM |
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I see your point. I created the user 'just in case' anyway. If I ever feel the need to say something that doesn't work well as a mod, I'll put the sword aside for that post. But most of the time I use IM for personal things, I don't think you will see me put that mod sword aside very often.
Edit: I've just checked and the member is still in the DB. If I remove its posts, then what's the time it takes before it gets deleted from the DB?
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Djive
Honorable
Supreme Hero
Zapper of Toads
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posted November 24, 2002 12:19 AM |
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@Hexa
Moderators can pull jokes or make practical jokes but should do it in threads where this behaviour would be expected.
Moderators should NEVER use any of the Mod Tools to have fun, because using the Mod Tools implies that the moderator is acting as a Moderator and NOT as a member.
Therefore in my opinion, you can never apply and then remove a penalty and say you are acting as a normal member, because normal members can't do that.
"I even posted a question in a thread to find out if more people thought that way. U know the answer to that one."
Well, you got one other answer and this was against the person which you made the joke against, so it mattered to the person you answered. Everyone else were not all that involved in the issue so why answer and perhaps make the mod edgy towards you? So I didn't expect you to get more than this. I would have been surprised if you did.
"Why should we need a different HC name for mods?"
You don't necssarily need a new user name. It would be an easier solution if mods were clearer towards members when they are acting as a moderator and when they are not.
Members will have difficulties to distinguish what is moderating and what is not moderating from the moderator's side. If the mod jokes around giving/removing penalties and replies with jokes to serious questions... Then where is the limit for joking around? How does the member know that you are serious when you want to be serious?
Is a negative response a warning or something else? If you have a different opinion will you get penalized if you stand by your view?
It's not for the Moderator's convenience we have this suggestion. It is for outward clearness to the members.
"Ofcourse mods have more obligations and functions then non-mods. So why not make ourself more "human" and keep on participating in everyday HC as members and not make the mods a high elite bunch of people that are stoic."
I agree to the extent that the Moderator should be posting as a normal member (the normal human) most of the time.
In fact it should be unusual for a moderator to post more than 1 post per day when consciously addressing the Forum as a moderator. (And the best is if the moderator can go on for weeks without posting this way.)
However, for the small percentage which you post as a mod it should be obvious that the Moderator hat is on.
@Val: This is the method that has been used, or rather the method used is that you take on the Mod hat (when required), not that you take it off.
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"A brilliant light can either illuminate or blind. How will you know which until you open your eyes?"
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NightShiver
Hired Hero
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posted November 24, 2002 01:45 AM |
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huh Multiple identities.........lol
well here is my take on it in principle i am with Hexa on this one as it shouldnt really matter if your a mod or not and there can be advantages in showing a range of personality rather than trying to limit MOD's to a certain TYPE and afterall we are ppl we have good days and bad.
However in saying that i must admit to having a few user names on my site as to post as NightShiver brings certain constraints rarely do i use the other accounts.
lol i aint givin up my Glowworm account for nuthin
Mods should be who they are if they come with a percieved bias then thats fine that is why awards QPs etc should be a joint decision based on certain criteria. Policy assists to prevent bias
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RMS
Responsible
Legendary Hero
-ing yummy foods
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posted November 24, 2002 02:39 AM |
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I know what we should do! Let's make a thread and all post on there. We can all post our passwords and then at a set time we will all choose another person's account and log into it. Then we can change the password and then we are a new person :-)
We don't have to say who we are, but just go ahead so that noone else can take it after you already changed the password. The trick to it is just to take one account. Won't that be fun?
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This space for rent.
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dEth8
Promising
Known Hero
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posted November 24, 2002 10:20 AM |
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Craig, I think your idea was very sound and made good sense Craig. Issues of trust would most likely complicate things if all mods used one main account for doing mod work. Thus, things will continue as they always have I would think.
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Nidhgrin
Honorable
Famous Hero
baking cookies from stardust
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posted November 24, 2002 02:52 PM |
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- I realize that a second account, even if there's no obvious link to the moderator account, is not the best option. It's not really honest and could indeed be interpreted as secretive.
- To an extent I think a moderator should be allowed to make jokes and have fun. Moderator tools should not be used for fun, that works very confusing and potentially causes trouble. Never however when joking, a moderator should lose his/her responsability and role-model function out of sight.
- The mod-hat off/mod hat on trick is in my opinion confusing as well. Members will have to start checking out if the mod is being serious or joking for each post that could be interpreted in multiple ways. I personally think that's not really honest as well. We are who we are, it's not like we drop a hat and be someone else all of a sudden.
All moderators are different, I think it's important to let our personality radiate through a bit, always keeping our responsible function in mind though. We're humans, not machines.
I'll just proceed the way I was doing. Always acting in the same way, treating all members alike. Throwing in a little joke once in a while but never going overboard. Not using my second account, talking with people through IM if I have to say something that doesn't belong on the boards. I don't care if people will think I'm boring, I'm just trying to do my job well here. And those I IM regularly know better than that. Peace!
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NightShiver
Hired Hero
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posted November 25, 2002 03:53 AM |
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lol i got the perfect solution theres this great little bot script out there now if i can just get it to award QPs or remove them. Then where away no more Mods required total automation a single giant ever present robotic mod overseeing all our problems....
nah i like the schitzophrenia of the organic model
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NightShiver
Hired Hero
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posted November 25, 2002 05:53 AM |
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yes thats fine about the "Mod Hat" except i think it has to be in a different colour or somthing to signify so we know cos like what happens if they just truckin along writing anything then decide to go MOD so it would look like this i guess "MOD HAT" comment comment comment "END MOD HAT" otherwise a single "MOD HAT" statement might get lost in a general not "MOD HAT" post
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