Not knowing much about “chat sites”, computers, servers, hosts or what not i have to ask…Whats the poop with you guys. Where do you work, home or office. I would imagine being a monitor of a site like this you can do this from your home. How’s the pay? Do each of you take a thread to monitor or how do you divy up the monitoring. Can one make a living doing this or is this just “for fun”.
Thought i would ask. I usderstand if you are not supposed to “answer threads” and are just supposed to keep everybody in line.
Good one. They do it for the respect and admiration of the members. And for the chance to be called a Nazi.
Well, Arnold Winkelreid, board administrator, once expressed his views on renumeration.
When we log on, we check out our forum. Threads are not assigned to a particular moderator.
We don’t get paid in actual money. We get a coffee mug. Oh yeah, and a calendar once a year; sometimes we have to remind Ed to send the calendar (not that I’m complaining).
Since your questions apply to the whole board, I’ll move this to ATMB.
Off to ATMB.
DrMatrix - GQ Moderator
Yeah, and I’m learning other things too. If you have been around these boards a while, you are familiar with the poster Q.E.D. Seems that said poster was the guest answerer on yesterdays daily Cecil question. Under his name was noted that he was a Straight Dope Staff member. Hmmm, no wonder he has such fast access to just about any question that comes along.
It should be noted that being a SD Staff Member has nothing to with board moderation, nor does it give one any special features or abilities on the boards. I’m just quick.
The word “Staff” is used loosely for two different groups, and sometimes gets confused.
(1) There’s the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, of which Q.E.D. is now a distinguished member. Called “Staff”, these are the people who write Staff Reports and occasionally help Cecil with research (like allowing ourselves to be bit by mosquitos, running through the halls with ducks, etc.) We also have some Guest Contributors, from time to time, like Antiquarian.
(2) There’s the Moderator Gang, also called “Staff”, and these are the folks who moderate the boards.
The two groups do have some overlap – some Moderators who also write Staff Reports. And there are lots of people who write Staff Reports (like Ken or Karen or Doug) who are not Moderators – indeed, some of them rarely participate in the boards. And there are some Moderators, like Lynn or Cajun Man, who never write Staff Reports (although we always hope.)
I have TOO written a few staff reports. One on how crayons work, one on pinworms (scratch, scratch) and one which combined two questions, whether horses are really sent to the glue factory and whether horseflesh is consumed by humans. So there.
Oh, and Bryan Ekers, your sig is WAY too long. It should be no longer than four lines, tops.
That why I never use it, except when it’s part of the joke I’m trying to make. Out of nearly 6000 posts, I’ve used my sig maybe ten times.
However, on reflection, it occurs to me that even a rare act of rule-breaking is still breaking the rules, and since I don’t want whiners complaining “But you let Bryan get away with it” if they happen to spot my rare transgressions and wonder why their 2000-word autobiographical sig line got cut, so I’ll trim it.
Where do you work, home or office.
Both. Since all we need is an Internet connection and some boots, we can do it from anywhere really.
I would imagine being a monitor of a site like this you can do this from your home.
I do it primarily from home. At work I don’t surf the boards much, but I do monitor my emails. If there’s any “Report this post to a moderator” that requires immediate action, I do that bit from work and leave the rest for when I get home.
How’s the pay?
Best in the business. Only, they pay in kind. I wouldn’t trade it for money, though. I’ve even negotiated with Cecil to pay me a mug and a signed book. So I already get paid double the usual salary.
The people of the Straight Dope make this a wonderful place to be in. Over the years, the SDMB has given me access to the greatest and wittiest minds on the planet. Also, some of the nicest. Being a mod allows me the opportunity to pay back in some small way to the community that has given me so much.
Do each of you take a thread to monitor or how do you divy up the monitoring.
We walk the aisles. If we see anything untoward, we act on it. It’s usually the first to get to it that acts on it.
Can one make a living doing this or is this just “for fun”.
It doesn’t pay cash, so if you’re looking at it from a “work from home” perspective it really won’t help.
Thought i would ask. I usderstand if you are not supposed to “answer threads” and are just supposed to keep everybody in line.
We are allowed to answer threads. And question them 
My blushes and apologies, Lynn. They say memory is the third thing to go.
And a hat or other moderatorial object, of course (watch, clogs, etc.). Unless, of course, you’re going the efficiency route, and just announce “Moderator jack-boots on”.
I always heard it was second. 
I always thought that was a joke…
Hides face in shame
stares in horror
C K Dexter Haven stole my joke!!!
bursts into sobs and runs out of thread
Given that there’s only 2-4 mods per thread and Mods seem to respond quickly, does that mean each Mod work 8 hour shifts? And how do they manage it without getting smacked by their boss for excess Internet usage? And why don’t they get a free T-shirt too?
Sorry, I have this image of a manically cackling Mod hovering over threads with their big pointy Banning SticksTM.
The work never ends. We never rest.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
Sleep is for sissies.
Part of the quick response is thanks to our fine, upstanding members. At any given time, even if there is not actually a moderator on the board, there’s usually at least one at e-mail. And if those fine upstanding members report a problematic post, said moderator can usually spare a couple of minutes from whatever unimportant stuff they’re doing (like, say, earning money) to take care of it.
So if you see a problem, report it. The mods really are grateful.