Wiki and Forum Policy - General Discussion

Makes sense, but it's still the right move. Especially as they don't really care about following the rules or respecting a legit reminder. You also went out of your way to help provide context, which is nice and friendly.

I looked at them, and you didn't do anything wrong, honestly. They should not have been hostile towards you.

It's a less serious discussion, but the rules apply nonetheless. There's going to be cases where certain rules are given exceptions. This is not one of those cases.

A hollar doesn’t inherently get a post thumped, often the mod response will just be to tell people to knock it off. In extended arguments in OTC with multiple people out of line I’ll often hollar my own post as a way to get the mods know there’s a problem.

Plus people use hollers to get crowners hooked which would be really inconvenient if hollers automatically got posts thumped.

And a lot of hollers don't get responded to at all. I rarely see my hollers responded to with a thump of all things. It happens, but not that often.

Most moderation takes place through Private messages,just because they didn't thump the post doesn't mean they've not seen it

I didn't say that, just that I don't always get a response.

How does one become a moderator on this site?

With great difficulty.

I kid, but if you're interested, you can always PM one, explaining why you think you would be a good addition to the team, and they'll discuss it internally. I don't think there's much of a formal process for it.

I always thought it was a "we will approach you" sort of deal.

Maybe there should be some sort of article about this...

There is no official or formal process. When we decide that we want to add a new moderator, we will convene and look for users who have a number of traits.

• They should have been here for a while and made substantial contributions. There are no hard numbers but two or more years and several thousand edits/posts are certainly desirable.
• They should have a regular presence, preferably daily. They don't disappear for long periods of time.
• They should not have significant disciplinary issues or concerns (thumps, notifiers, suspensions). A few problems isn't a big deal, but major or consistent problems are a disqualifier.
• They should have a general attitude that matches our goals for the site. This doesn't mean they have to agree with us on everything, but they should be someone who we think will help us go in the direction we want.
• We need to be able to trust them with moderator tools such as editing locked articles, reverting articles, suspending users, managing the new account queue, etc.

However, the most important factor, the thing that dominates everything else, is that they should express an interest in performing the detail work that helps the wiki run smoothly. This can include shepherding TRS or IP topics, maintaining quality control in Trope Launch Pad, answering questions in Ask The Tropers, performing cleanups (wick checks, renames, moves), helping to determine wiki policies, and so on. They need to be familiar with several of these tasks and willing to perform them.

When we find someone like that, one of us takes on the task of approaching and interviewing them privately. If they are not willing (many people have other commitments or don't feel comfortable with that kind of responsibility) we move on. If we feel that a decision requires public feedback, we may open a forum thread to get a feel for how people think about the individual. Once all that is done, we take a final consensus and then ask the admins to set them up with all the tools.

Edited by Fighteer on Apr 3rd 2021 at 11:35:48 AM

I mean, I've seen the curiosity expressed in both ATT and now here multiple times, so an article wouldn't go unappreciated. Any reason why Administrivia.How Moderators Are Selected shouldn't be a thing?

Huh, so it doesn't have anything to do with ingesting the blood of Cthulhu every night? I've been doing it wrong...

That said, wouldn't moderator applications also work for this kind of thing? I've been on a few sites which only promote users to mods if they have submitted an application with qualifications they need to fill out first. That way, the staff can determine if they're right for the duty.

That's how I became an admin on another wiki. There was an "admin waiting list", I met the qualifications, and asked to be added, not expecting anything to happen. Then like two weeks later I was spontaneously promoted.

We've also taken applications from time to time, but generally we publicly solicit them; we don't just accept random ones thrown at us out of the blue. Frankly it makes us a little suspicious. Why is this person whom we don't really know that well suddenly interested in being a mod?

Fair enough. My wiki was a lot smaller and everyone knew each other really well. With a wiki like this, it's gotta be harder.

Yeah, I think a former application process for modding might work better as it would be easier to weed out good candidates and you wouldn't have to ask people who turn out to not be able to mod/don't have time to mod. But then again, the current might system of recruiting might work better for a place as big as this one. A page on the process would be really helpful as mentioned above.

Edited by MacronNotes on Apr 3rd 2021 at 12:31:44 PM

In all honesty, the thought of somehow becoming a mod has crossed my own mind from time to time - just sorta like an "I wonder if I'd enjoy it" kinda thing - but even if we were all somehow desperate enough to have me as a mod I don't think I'd be quite ready to handle the responsibility properly.

Though knowing that other wikis tend to have a different process from ours for selecting mods, I ask again - any reason why an Administrivia page explaining our own process wouldn't be a good idea?

Edited by STARCRUSHER99 on Apr 3rd 2021 at 12:08:56 PM

> "In all honesty, the thought of somehow becoming a mod has crossed my own mind from time to time - just sorta like an "I wonder if I'd enjoy it" kinda thing - but even if we were all somehow desperate enough to have me as a mod I don't think I'd be quite ready to handle the responsibility properly."

I understand your thoughts, because I used to think that way too. Becoming a mod has crossed my mind on some occasions, and given my past history of moderating a discord server before (I was admin, but still the same thing), it wouldn't be an unfamiliar realm to me in the slightest. However, realistically, I don't see myself becoming a mod on the site, because I have a few thumps under my belt, a few instances of melodrama I've started on the forums in the past, as well as the Gay TLP Incident which became my first suspension. I think that's enough to shoot down my chances.

Even if by some miracle I do get asked to become a moderator by the site staff themselves, I would still decline the offer anyway, because I enjoy the freedom of being a regular user who can prioritize any duty that suits my interests. I know I expressed becoming a mod a short while ago, but that was out of necessity in the wake of Nombretomado's absence more than any desire to become one, and since Crazysamaritan took the role, it's no longer on my priority list.

However, if you ask me who would make good mods, they would be none other than Warjay and Macron Notes. Both of these tropers I see as very reliable in their duties, so I think they will fit in very well.

Edited by DivineFlame100 on Apr 3rd 2021 at 9:45:09 AM

I've thought about being a mod, but I have other obligations and I lack the technical know-how that I assume is partly required for the job. I would prefer that "engineer" position that's been tossed around, though.

Wasn't there an application thread for 5P a long while ago? Maybe something like that would suffice for future mod scouting activities? Maybe make a reality show out of it, "TV Tropes' Next Top Moderator."

Hey, thanks!

I've said this a few times before, but even though I think I might have the qualifications for being a mod, I don't think I could handle the stress. Heck, just having to spend an extra 20 minutes to close my store down tonight was getting me all worked up, and I was getting paid for it! I'm just not good under pressure and I'm not good at making the hard decisions, especially if I don't have another authority to defer to.

I've thought of being a mod as well, though I think I'd buckle under the pressure of all the responsibilities. What I wouldn't give to be able to hook crowners or tell anxious/impatient people in the suspension thread to chill, though.

I know I used to want to be a mod, even when I didn't have too much experience on this site... But these days, not really. I think my main issue is the disagreement with goals on the site (as I do think we put quality and morality too far ahead of overall growth), and I'm not a TRS/IP guy (partly because I realised that once the admins have enough cash to host and code image galleries, there'll really be no point in the latter), and I'm just too bad at communication. Ultimately, I'd rather aim for a high-standing position elsewhere. I do agree that WJ and MN would probably deserve the position (even if the former's not interested, her choice).

Edited by Piterpicher on Apr 4th 2021 at 11:18:43 AM

I could never, in a hundred million years, be a mod. Not only am I too new here with too few edits, I am already under a lot of stress in my real life, which would make the numerous responsibilities of a mod far too challenging for me. Kudos to those who actually are mods for being able to do it.

If I were to appoint a mod, I would have to give it to either Warjay or Mightymewtron. They are both respectful, natural-born leaders who help around the wiki every single day.