# Potentially stupid suggestion about board moderation. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 10, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993 "2003-06-10T23:59:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/1 "2003-06-10T23:59:23Z")
We all know that **Lynn** is in the hospital. From looking at the front page, it appears that her (very temporary, I hope) absence has left a rather large hole in Mod/Admin coverage for the boards. Some of you guys are covering two fora each, and this is an extremely active board. Have you guys considered making a few long-standing, level-headed members “temporary moderators,” who could shoulder some of the load for the time being? I can think of four or five people off the top of my head who are good, solid citizens who probably wouldn’t mind moderating on a part-time basis until things get back to normal. Say, three part-timers just to fill the gap. Then they could just drop back to regular member status when **Lynn** comes back. This is a stupid idea, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/2 "2003-06-11T00:17:25Z")
I don’t think it’s such a bad idea. Heck, I’m here so much, I vote for me. 😃 What do you mean you can’t vote for yourself? Pfft! ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/3 "2003-06-11T00:22:18Z")
How do you know they haven’t made some “clandestine Mods” to operate in secret? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/4 "2003-06-11T00:32:03Z")
I guess we don’t. It’s possible for them to create a new “Member” user category and give it mod privs. But I wouldn’t see the point. As soon as they did anything that was mod stuff, everyone would know who they were, unless it was hidden, like removing a thread. ---
**Author:** ![skyzoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@skyzoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skyzoo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/5 "2003-06-11T03:36:34Z")
Well…I think it’s a _GREAT_ idea! We all could use some moderation, and I think it’s a very _thoughtful_ consideration. No one could replace **Lynn** for real, still, - a substitute can help, and who better than an experienced poster? Just my little thoughts on something important… _Good Thread!_ ---
**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:** [June 11, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/6 "2003-06-11T04:33:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*How do you know they haven’t made some “clandestine Mods” to operate in secret? \*\* Yes, how would one know? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/7 "2003-06-11T04:52:42Z")
If you want to suggest some candidates for moderatorship e-mail the names to one of our staff. ---
**Author:** ![skyzoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@skyzoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skyzoo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/8 "2003-06-11T04:53:00Z")
:eek: clandestine Mods??? tell me more… I _wonder_ if that e-mail moderator sub was from one of you few! OG :smack: I need to think things out again. hmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/9 "2003-06-11T11:41:52Z")
Ahem. We in the cabal refer to them as “stealth mods.” Or that’s what we’d call them if they actually existed, which they may or may not. We’re not gonna tell. Neener, neener. [sub]Feeding paranoia can be fun![/sub] ---
**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:** [June 11, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/10 "2003-06-11T11:53:01Z")
Oh, boy! Paranoia pie! I think we have people who think they’re stealth mods… is that the same thing? 😉 ---
**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:** [June 11, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/11 "2003-06-11T12:32:51Z")
If I’m ever made a stealth Mod, you can tell by the sweeping bans that will suddenly depopulate the Board, increasing available bandwidth and Board speed by 4972%. I think I can pare it down to about…300 Members or so by lunch. Now, where’s that SQL script… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/12 "2003-06-11T12:45:03Z")
I have a suspicion that Kid Czarcasm is a stealth mod. Just a guess, don’t know where I’d get it from. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/13 "2003-06-11T13:52:58Z")
Speaking of Lynn (and sorry for the temporary hijack) – is there any way to communicate just how BAD the situation is? The longer we wait for more info (been 5 days now), the more worried we all become that it’s deathly serious. ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/14 "2003-06-11T13:55:45Z")
Read the “Lynn Bodoni’s in the hospital thread again”, she updates us on page 4 or 5. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/15 "2003-06-11T15:44:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aslan2 \* > I have a suspicion that Kid Czarcasm is a stealth mod. Just a guess, don’t know where I’d get it from. Just FYI: You’re on double secret probation. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/16 "2003-06-12T20:15:33Z")
Actually [page 6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3536819&perpage=50&pagenumber=6#post3536819), for anyone looking for it. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/17 "2003-06-12T20:32:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aslan2 \* > \*\*I have a suspicion that Kid Czarcasm is a stealth mod. Just a guess, don’t know where I’d get it from. > 😉 \*\* [slight hijack]Where is that cutie pah-tootie? He’s been mighty quiet for the past few weeks. Then again, if your suspicion about **Kid Czarcasm** being a stealth mod is correct, that would explain it. 😃 [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/18 "2003-06-13T01:08:26Z")
I feel like a jerk, because I knew I would be away from my e-mail for a while when I posted the OP. Are fresh nominations really neccesary? I recall from a previous thread that you guys occasionally invite posters to become moderators, and some of them turn you down. I thought that there might be a few who turned down previous invitations, but might take up the job if it was presented as a temporary, part-time thing. I’ll admit that the OP wasn’t any kind of pargon of clarity, but that’s what I was shooting for. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/19 "2003-06-13T13:14:57Z")
Now seriously, we do not have “part-time moderators.” Unless you count the legion of wonderful people who alert us to bad behavior through the email notification process. The job of work they do for us is incredibly helpful, as we cannot be here 24/7. We do appreciate the thought, but we need more of a commitment than that from our staffers. And if you want to apply to be a real full-time moderator, you can request an application from yours truly. That’s [TubaDiva@aol.com](mailto:TubaDiva@aol.com). your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993/20 "2003-06-13T13:33:30Z")
But notice Tuba Diva didn’t say they don’t have STEALTH moderators. Which must mean … they HAVE them! And that they’re EVERYWHERE! Probalby not just on this board, but all over the Web! This might well explain why people refuse to take my posts seriously on any board I post to. It’s those stealth moderators, being … stealthy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potentially-stupid-suggestion-about-board-moderation/180993.md?page=2)