Just curious. Do you click on every thread in your forum? Or do you just click on threads that you think might stir up some controversy?
Or do you just randomly click on whatever?
Personally, I (and I think most moderators) rely mostly on reports from posters to detect problems within threads. I certainly don’t read every thread in GQ. I do read the thread titles, and check those that seem like they might be problematical or out of place. Otherwise I mainly read threads I am interested in myself.
Occasionally my attention is attracted when what seems like a simple or innocuous question keeps getting bumped long after it would seem it should have been answered. This often means a quarrel or hijack is underway.
I have been lurking around here for about two years and I have always gotten this feeling that moderation was a reaction to reports.
For the most part, it’s what Colibri said – I rely on reported posts (esp. when I’m working or otherwise busy, and don’t have a tab open at the Dope); check out threads that seem as though they could cause problems, based on the topic; occasionally see a thread I’ve never seen before with a slew of posts, which usually means a zombie just got bumped; and otherwise am mostly reading the stuff that’s of interest to me.
But, yeah, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – we rely very heavily on people reporting posts: you guys help keep this place spamfree and reasonably civil.
In moderation, at a moderate pace.
I’ve got it setup so that I get an email each time a new thread is opened in ATMB or The Pit. I read most of those. I tried it with General Questions, but the volume of new threads was higher and I found the emails weren’t helpful. Other than that, I do pretty much what **Colibri **does.
Most of the forums are much too busy for us to read all the threads. I read the ones I’m interested in as a poster and if I think a thread topic looks like it might be trouble, I’ll check it out. But mostly I rely on the thread reports.
Damn. I was imagining one of those Adrian Veidt-style media rooms with a hundred monitors, each following a different thread, where a red right hand was poised, ready to strike at the “ban” button.
Next upgrade.
Do you all wear your jackboots while you’re at your computers, or are they just for formal meetings?
I don’t know about the others, but I wear my full Moderator’s Uniform whenever I’m at my computer. I’m especially fond of the pickelhaube.
I get an automated email every time a new thread is created in GQ. If it looks suspicious (e.g., spammy or trolly [as opposed to trolleys, which I like]), I check it out more closely. I also follow up on reports by all of you fine folks–you usually catch things much faster than I can.
I tend to read threads in GQ that look like I can help to answer them or that interest me, but I can’t read them all. There’s just too much. If something looks like it’ll be contentious, I’ll scan it and see if it’s under control.
Sometimes if a problem crops up in a thread, I’ll check similar current threads to make sure the problem is localized. For example, if a cat thread is turning into a trainwreck, I’ll look at any other active cat threads. Or if PosterA and PosterB are duking it out in one thread, I’ll see what other threads they’re participating in to make sure none of those are getting derailed.
Outside of my forum, I mostly quick scan the new posts and see if anything looks interesting, just as I did before becoming a moderator.
ATMB is a special case. I read at least the beginning of each thread there, but I usually stand back and let an admin or Ed handle responses.
We also have some “behind the scenes” moderator tools that help track & catch spammers, and I try to check those regularly.
I dress as seen in my profile pic.
Oh, wait. You can’t see my boots in that picture. They’re actually hobnailed jackboots. It’s the latest thing.
Somehow I always pictured you all more like this - which may be the only existing picture of a moderator on the far right of anything. 
I have significantly less facial hair than that. 
Agreed; reports are important but I also try to read threads I feel have the potential to get cantankerous. But it’s impossible to read everything, even the threads I’m personally interested in. There’s just not enough hours in the day!
There are enough hours, though, to wear fashionable jackboots. (Warning: photo of my actual legs and boots.) 
Would it be against any of the rules to add a “woohoo” or “hubba-hubba”? 
When you get to be my age, they’re deeply appreciated.
When dealing with spammers, I prefer to don the garb of Huitzilopochtli, the Southern Hummingbird, Aztec god of war and blood sacrifice. (That’s me on the upper right, and a spammer on the upper left.)
Okay, Colibri, you win.
Consider yourself appreciated in return.