# Being a mod (or suckish, un-paid jobs) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875 "2002-08-28T02:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/1 "2002-08-28T02:35:08Z")
I am the mod in another forum (yeah, all the time I “waste” in the other forum explains my low post-count here). I’ve that even in the case of the ocassional disagreement, dopers seem to understand that they are doing this for free and that we owe them at least a little respect. Not the case (more in particular than in general) in the other forum in which I participate. A few hot-headed, chicken-nugget brained people are out to make me go postal. Today I posted something in the other forum that I thought I’d share with my other Internet community. * * * INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC INTERNET FORUMS MODERATORS Pi$$ing off people since 1823 ETHICAL COMMITTEE Report of unethical behavior/complaint form While participating on forum\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in the website _**, moderator \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (supply moderator’s forum handle, full name, POB, DOB, credit card number, forum password and social security number-or applicable document) committed the following violation (please describe in Latin the violation in which the moderator incurred):**_\_\_\_ How would you like us to process your report? - Shredded - Made into a paper airplane. - Used to substitute toilet paper (our preferred method) - Read by the staff (requires that you submit US$250.00 to cover processing fee) ## Thank you for your report, you will hear from us soon (ut ha!). ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/2 "2002-08-28T03:47:20Z")
IMO - Being a Mod only sucks for one reason - if you have to take abuse, and can’t defend yourself. If you’re complaining about the unpaid work, well, no one is forcing you to do it. But likewise - you shouldn’t be asked to do the job with your hands tied. Which is why ALL Moderators on my Board have the power to BAN any and all Members who might violate the Rules, or who might generally act like assholes. This is a policy that I hope the SDMB would consider for the future as well. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/3 "2002-08-28T03:59:53Z")
But the scooters with all the extra headlights added are so cool. What?! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/4 "2002-08-28T04:26:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **Anthracite** \* > If you’re complaining about the unpaid work, well, no one is forcing you to do it. If my post comes across as a complaint then I must have used the wrong words. It was meant more as a recognition of how good kids the dopers are (or maybe I don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes here). The admin. in my board always repeats “if you have a problem with how the forums are moderated you can ask for a full refund”. But sometimes I wish I could tell people how fooking idiots they are instead of the standard “please re-phrase your post or I’ll delete it”. And then, there are the whackos… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/5 "2002-08-28T04:52:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mighty\_Girl \* > \*\*If my post comes across as a complaint then I must have used the wrong words. It was meant more as a recognition of how good kids the dopers are (or maybe I don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes here). The admin. in my board always repeats “if you have a problem with how the forums are moderated you can ask for a full refund”. > > But sometimes I wish I could tell people how fooking idiots they are instead of the standard “please re-phrase your post or I’ll delete it”. And then, there are the whackos… :eek: \*\* I understand - I wasn’t really criticizing your post _per se_. I just know a lot of “Board Staff” at various Boards, and one thing seems to be true: 1. Many complain about the workload. 2. The ones that complain the least are the ones that have the power to make their workload lighter - by banning. It was just a side-point I was making. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/6 "2002-08-28T11:02:16Z")
There definitely should be a Worshipful Order of Message Board Moderators, and we should have a fancy coat of arms (Sable, a hat, on a field or and argent, a coffee mug, on a field gules) feel free to correct me on my woefully poor knowledge of heraldic terms) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/7 "2002-08-28T11:40:01Z")
…and a hat with pointy horns a la Flintstones’ Water Buffaloes. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/8 "2002-08-28T12:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\*Which is why ALL Moderators on my Board have the power to BAN any and all Members who might violate the Rules, or who might generally act like assholes. This is a policy that I hope the SDMB would consider for the future as well. \*\* Hmmm. I don’t think that’ll ever happen. Well, moderators here _can_ suspend posting privileges, but we only use that option of semi-banning in the most clear-cut cases - for example, a cross-posting Alex Chiu-type spammer that needs to be stopped _toute suite_. For the more elaborate cases (i.e. long time posters going bonkers, et cetera), we discuss amongst the team and form an opinion. Trust me, if I could ban anyone whom I _personally_ thought annoying enough, this place would probably be a lot more quiet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/9 "2002-08-28T12:13:29Z")
Or quieter, whichever you like best. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/10 "2002-08-28T13:28:41Z")
Gasp! He erred! Ban the **Coldfire** witch! ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/11 "2002-08-28T15:21:21Z")
I remember briefly modding for a certain MMORPG… I lasted 2 weeks and temp banned over 500 people. Do not fuck with a man who can moderate you’re ass. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/12 "2002-08-28T15:23:18Z")
You misspelled “your”, peasant. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/13 "2002-08-28T16:39:16Z")
Giving all of the moderators the ability to ban on the spot seems risky to me. I haven’t met any of them, but I’m presuming they’re human. 🙂 Because of that, they might go ahead and ban someone based on their own emotions - let’s say the poster was really reaming out the moderator, for example. No, I prefer that they talk things over amongst themselves, so that they can arrive at an intelligent decision collectively. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/14 "2002-08-28T17:39:13Z")
> [@](#): > > I haven’t met any of them, but I’m presuming they’re human. Bad assumption. Only Lynn and Uke are actually human. The rest of us have aspirations to become human one day though. Much like Pinocchio. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/15 "2002-08-28T17:41:11Z")
Yeah, but **Ike** is comparatively new as a moderator… so is he half-human? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/16 "2002-08-28T19:13:53Z")
HEY! I’ve been a moderator for…ummm…close to a YEAR now! **Cajun Man** and **MEBuckner** are MUCH newer than me! Otherwise, **Unc** is absolutely correct. While **Lynn** has the prehensile tail and I have cloven hooves, the _Chicago Reader_ medical practitioners have agreed to provisionally refer to us as members of the human race. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/17 "2002-08-28T19:36:54Z")
I’ll bet there’s something about those mugs that transforms you into such bastions of inhumanity. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/18 "2002-08-28T20:26:30Z")
Suggestion for the form: In addition to all the other information that the user must provide, perhaps s/he should state the mod’s political affiliation, maybe with check boxes: [ul][li]Nazi[/li][li]Commie[/li][li]Fascist[/li]Illuminati Secret Police, etc [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/19 "2002-08-28T21:31:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **Anthracite** \* > The ones that complain the least are the ones that have the power to make their workload lighter - by banning. I could ban people, but I am not talking about your regular run of the mill bannable(?) offense. I am talking about the childish, loud-mouthed, inmature posters that keep prodding and seeing how they make me, and the other mods go postal. Because at the end that’s the point: proving that the rules (no attacks, no swearing) can be broken, if after all the mods break it too. So it is really hard to refrain from telling them what you really think and keep a facade of civility. I am sure that every mod has had a moment of “you \*&@#(\*, keep your \*&@# mouth shut or else” and instead you nicely remind them of the rules. Not easy being a referee when all you want to do is punch the boxers. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875/20 "2002-08-28T21:48:46Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by **heresiarch** \* Suggestion for the form: In addition to all the other information that the user must provide, perhaps s/he should state the mod’s political affiliation, maybe with check boxes: [ul][li]Nazi[/li][li]Commie[/li][li]Fascist[/li][li]Illuminati Secret Police, etc [/ul] [/li][/QUOTE] You are forgetting: [ul][li]Biased[/li][li]Racist [/sup][sub]At least take some time to see my frigging picture in the gallery[/sub][/sup][/li][li]Gay/Lesbian[/li][li]Homophobic[/li][li]Homophobic Gay/Lesbian :rolleyes:[/li]Anti -\_\_\_\_\_ (insert your nationality here)[/ul] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-a-mod-or-suckish-un-paid-jobs/125875.md?page=2)