I've found on my own experience that most of the time, addressing them as a user and being a voice of reason works before swinging in the mod powers.
I can't propose that, of course, because that's hardly what you're looking for, but...well, I guess I can't think of anything else, then.
"My life is my own" | If you want to contact me privately, please ask first on the forum.I think the intimidation of modhats is because of the look. I have no problem with flagging official posts in some way.
Fresh-eyed movie blog@ Kyler: I dunno, I never thought of yellow as an especially attention-grabbing colour. Would that be distinct on all displays from all angles?
@ Juan: No, I get what you're saying and it sounds fair enough, I'm just not sure if it would hold true in all possible circumstances.
By which I mean, sometimes it might be necessary to simply go "Oi, stop doing that".
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffAnd there's nothing wrong with that. All I'm saying is that you don't need to make your posts look different, in my honest opinion.
"My life is my own" | If you want to contact me privately, please ask first on the forum.In that case, we probably would need some other way of indicating to newbies that we were moderators.
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffAgain, I think it helps to differentiate the "official" posts, especially ones that result in threads being locked and whatnot. I'm all for making them look like confrontational, though. I still think changing the colors to something other than reddish would help a lot.
Reaction Image RepositoryAt this stage, I think we're simply at an ideological stalemate and there's no point in continuing this discussion from here.
So, whatever works for you and wish you good luck with that.
edited 7th Jan '12 5:50:00 PM by juancarlos
"My life is my own" | If you want to contact me privately, please ask first on the forum.For me, I prefer the mod hats themselves. Honestly, if the mod hat is on, we're meant to take it as them asserting their authority. If it's not, then they're simply conversing like normal.
I agree with a color change though. Perhaps a lighter pink? I don't think the Badge is noticeable enough either, so I wouldn't bother with that, imo.
Quest 64 threadAnd I actually don't know about the display angle thing. Hadn't thought of that.
Anyway, on other forums, I've seen moderators use a different color of text, instead. Or some way of making the text (rather than the background) look different from normal. Not sure about this myself, but it may be another option to consider.
This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...Troper 1 and Troper 2, I am appalled. What on Earth gave you the impression that it would be acceptable to bring a Hatzegopteryx in here? Even if we pretend that there's the slightest possibility that you didn't know the rule against exotic pets, you don't let it out in the Forum Games section. It has eaten four newbies already! This is seriously, seriously unacceptable, and you are both suspended from the forum until further notice.
As for the rest of you, I can't say I'm surprised that Yack Fest turned out to be a front for a drug cartel, but that doesn't mean I'm not extremely disappointed in all of you, and especially you, Juan.
Like that?
edited 7th Jan '12 6:12:39 PM by BobbyG
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffRather like that, yes.
Of course, it also comes with a "no impersonating a mod" rule, which would mean that posting like that (differently formatted text) when you're not a mod is a bannable offense.
edited 7th Jan '12 6:12:04 PM by KylerThatch
This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...Perhaps the formatting or font of the mod text could be made to look somewhat different.
I'm not convinced this would solve the problem of people finding the text intimidating, though.
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffJust make the color markup mod-only, problem solved. It's purely luxus on the forums and distracting anyway.
*In before half of Yack Fest throwing fits*
Programming and surgery have a lot of things in common: Don't start removing colons until you know what you're doing.@ Loid: When they're neither, but matter-of-fact statements informed by policy, or conversely, suggestions that aren't made in any official capacity?
I see your point, but I'd rather we didn't, all the same; I think the colour markup is fun, and the removal of features like that which give tropers a certain level of freedom in how they choose to express themselves beyond the words themselves feels like a backwards step to me.
I deny everything!
edited 7th Jan '12 6:27:01 PM by BobbyG
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffYou were my second in command! How could you rat me out like so!
edited 7th Jan '12 6:24:19 PM by juancarlos
"My life is my own" | If you want to contact me privately, please ask first on the forum.My two cents:
I, too, like the mod hats as an idea; it helps make it very clear when the mods need to be heeded as an authority voice and when they are simply participating in the everyday work of the wiki.
I also agree that a color change (I would support a pale blue, green, or purple) would probably help the posts seems less threatening. Red—which is what the current color comes off as, even if it's technically pink—is often considered an intimidating, aggressive color,* which makes the posts seem more threatening than they are in themselves, or than they need to be.
The alt-text-format version could possibly work, but I like the elegance of changing the post background.
@Lock & @Bobby: Wouldn't it be easier to simply keep the current colors and also a color tag that can specifically be used only by mods? "[[mod:text]]" or something... No need to actually remove anything.
Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?@Bobby: That text color against a white background
is not easy on the eyes. I prefer the usual Mod hat icons. Although I'm not sure how either would help if the person reading was colorblind...

I like the mod-hat mode. Helps me sort out which posts have a more casual tone that I can read as just a post from any other troper. In a way, it helps me reinforce the idea that those with moderator positions are just people, too, they just have an extra job to fill. That they're not always posting as someone waving a big stick in their hands.
If that makes sense.
That said, the red-tinted posts can be kind of intimidating. Perhaps a bit too intimidating. I liked it when Madrugada just surrounded her posts with a "<Mod Hat ON>" tag, and nothing more. It was sufficient for me (though I can only speak for myself).
Maybe yellow would work better? Yellow grabs attention without adding too much force behind it, I'd think. Especially if it's going to be the color of an entire post's background.
edited 7th Jan '12 5:39:23 PM by KylerThatch
This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...