# Questions on SDMB mods **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 12, 2016, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995 "2016-04-12T11:58:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/21 "2016-04-13T01:41:09Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > all that negative spewage. (I just made that word up. I like it.) You’re a [wee bit late.](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spewage) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/22 "2016-04-13T02:19:39Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > If any of Pit mods are reading: what’s it like? **Miller** is the only Pit mod. And he seems to _like_ it.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/23 "2016-04-13T02:50:46Z")
Yeah, no one mod can ban a poster unless it’s a spammer, verified sock, or obvious troll. There is almost always a discussion where most mods weigh in with their opinion before banning or suspensions happen. There are the rare times that a poster may be having a meltdown or going off the rails and a mod will suspend that person for a day or three, just so it doesn’t escalate and because there isn’t enough time to hold a “mod meeting”, but those are the exception. If a long time poster is banned, you can bet there was probably multiple days discussion by most mods about it. And despite what some may think on here, the mods don’t always all agree. In fact, I’d say there are disagreements more times than moments where everyone agrees… …but nobody ever holds grudges or presses issues too far/long because… > [@Senegoid](#): > > I’ve seen it happen in scenarios something like this: > > Some noisy obnoxious poster (usually a newbie) shows up in a thread, making obnoxious noise. Many posters, _including a mod for that forum_ try futilely to engage the same in reasonable argument (good luck with that!). Obnoxious poster just gets more obnoxious and accuses that mod/poster of setting him up for a banning; **while the mod/poster is, clearly, losing patience.** > > Finally, the guy gets banned, as everybody else saw coming, of course. But that just vindicates the ex-poster, who said all along you were just setting him up for a banning. > > It’s just bad optics when that happens. This is the kind of case where that moderator should probably recuse himself from moderating that thread, and hand the job over to another mod. [bolding mine] …most of the mods are mods because of their ability to keep their patience and cool in a situation. I can’t think of any current mod (offhand) who would lose patience with a poster like that (in your example). If something like that happened (let’s say I was the mod who was modding the obnoxious poster), chances are a banning wouldn’t happen right then. He’d probably get warned and then told not to post in that topic again or start a thread somewhere else. Now if they continue beyond that, then (again, just speaking for myself), I’d probably temporarily suspend the person so that they could cool off. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/24 "2016-04-13T03:11:04Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Miller** is the only Pit mod. And he seems to _like_ it.😉 Odd duck, that one. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/25 "2016-04-13T19:22:54Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **How does one become a moderator at the SDMB ?** > > Generally, we send messages privately to people that we think would be good for the job. You can also contact us if you want. Either way, there ends up being an application process that you have to go through, and Ed has final say on everything … [snip] Selective Service, eh? Is there any specific thing one could post to guaranty being labeled as “Unfit for Moderator Duty”, without getting banned? Don’t get me wrong or anything, I’m as loyal to fighting ignorance as the next poster … but this is a worrisome detail that I wasn’t aware of. Should I be worried when I log in that my PM box will have an Induction Letter? Ed’s a great guy and all but why does he _specifically_ have final say on whether I’m a moderator or not? Shouldn’t there be a board, or a committee, or some kind of due process. Seriously … we have to _draft_ moderators? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/26 "2016-04-13T19:25:06Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The Pit is actually probably one of the easier forums to moderate, since there isn’t very much that’s off-limits there. And **Miller** ’s style is basically just, “hey, stop saying fuck. No warning issued.” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/27 "2016-04-13T19:27:27Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Is there any specific thing one could post to guaranty being labeled as “Unfit for Moderator Duty”, without getting banned? Sure. Your post qualifies. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/28 "2016-04-13T19:31:25Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Seriously … we have to _draft_ moderators? Actually, I think that more than half the candidates we ask turn us down. (Probably because we preferentially ask people who we think have good judgement. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/29 "2016-04-13T19:33:11Z")
Whew … thank you … now I can venture forth and fight the fight in my own special way !!! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/30 "2016-04-13T20:40:50Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Whew … thank you … now I can venture forth and fight the fight in my own special way !!! After Marley, we decided not to accept any more moderators with numbers in their names anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/31 "2016-04-14T03:01:49Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > You forgot:the hide of a rhinoceros; > [@](#): > > Different breeds of rhinos have different types of skin, but one thing remains generally the same: It’s nice and thick. > > – > > Rhinos of any breed have thick skin, but that doesn’t mean that it’s strong. In fact, a rhino’s skin is relatively sensitive, and this is why he has so much of it. > > – > > A rhino can’t afford to take his thick skin for granted – if he doesn’t take care of it, it can easily get hurt. Rhinos are particularly prone to insect bites and sunburns, so they make a habit of wallowing in the mud. [Why Do Rhinos Have Thick Skin? | Pets on Mom.com](http://animals.mom.me/rhinos-thick-skin-2231.html) Avon Skin So Soft instead of mud? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/32 "2016-04-14T03:23:08Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Selective Service, eh? > > \< . . . \> > > Seriously … we have to _draft_ moderators? If you are invited, declining is not an option, but a bannable offense. (ETA: You could, of course, publicly burn your SDMB membership card in public and then self-exile yourself to Canada.) ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/33 "2016-04-14T03:36:45Z")
I just now remembered … I was once a card-carrying member of the “Ask Marilyn” fan club back in college … ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/34 "2016-04-14T20:44:47Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Odd duck, that one. Even tho it appears Miller doesn’t care for me, he really is the perfect guy to moderate the Pit, and does a excellent job. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/35 "2016-04-14T20:50:36Z")
33 posts and no mention of a car coat and a blood initiation and all that? We’re slipping here folks. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/36 "2018-08-15T04:21:34Z")
Should this FAQ be updated? I’m assuming TubaDiva now has the authority that Ed was described as having. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995/37 "2018-08-15T05:19:23Z")
It’s not a FAQ, as far as I can tell. It was just a thread started by a poster out of curiosity. It wasn’t a sticky, and anybody could tell it was obviously out of date and would have continued to fall to the bottom of the forum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-sdmb-mods/751995.md?page=1)