APS is a busy site. I have long felt that 3 volunteer moderators was asking far too much of the individuals concerned. It is a significant shift in attitude on behalf of Admin to see them take that number to double figures. I consider this to be a very positive move. Whether past moderators are retained or retire in this process is effectively irrelevant.
So why do I feel this way? With numbers on the ground, early intervention becomes a much more likely occurrence. I think we are all aware of the value of stopping thing before they get started. It also means we can have greater faith that the mod button will be attended to in an appropriate time span. With the likelihood of one or more mods on at any given time, I feel more comfortable that notified issues will be promptly addressed. It may take some time but hopefully others will come to that same conclusion.
There are some inherent difficulties with moderator, as was just illustrated e.g. what is meant as a joke and what is not, sarcasm used between friendly individuals versus sarcasm used to be nasty and so on. Users can assist the Mods by being open and honest and following the advice they give, even if it does not sit well with you – it will be in the best interests of the forum. And that is the bottom line of any Moderators actions.
Whilst not directly related to the changes, there is a lot of ignorance of the site rules and the infraction process and use of tickets. Somehow this information need to be disseminated to all members, particularly those that are new. I will leave that one with you guys.
To those who have put their hand up, you have my respect that you have taken on the responsible task that you have. I hope your experiences are salutary rather than off-putting.
Cheers,
Blue
