When a mommy and daddy love each other VERY much…
Thanks for the answers y’all. appreciate it
In defiance of tradition, I’m going to give you a straight answer. You have to be a well-respected poster for a while. A while is more than a couple of days, it’s more like several years. You don’t have to be well liked, it’s not a popularity contest. Some of the most well liked posters were either never considered for being a moderator, or, after becoming a mod, turned out to be a poor fit. You have to be fairly well-read and have a knowledge of a wide variety of subjects, and be curious about stuff that you don’t know. Knowledge of pop culture is a bonus, but I managed to become a mod and later an admin even though I don’t watch much TV and don’t know much about pop culture in general.
When someone applies to be a mod, all of the current mods look at the application, and give their views of the applicant. And if ANY of the current mods have a serious objection, that applicant won’t become a mod. We have to get along with each other. We don’t have to love each other, but we need to have as few personality conflicts as possible. We also review any Warnings that the applicant has had.
Occasionally, we decide that we need more moderators than we have. Then we ask if there are any mod applications in the works. If not, we put forth likely candidates, and if we all agree on someone, then an admin extends an invitation to that poor sucker.
Our Colibri is an onithologist and/or bird biologist, I forget which one. A colibri is a sort of hummingbird, IIRC.
Yep, our friend Colibri is a hummingbird, not a lighter.
Well, there goes any chance I ever had. Time to get back to raping nuns.
Damn, Knead!
All I’ve ever had to do was buy them a drink. 
The nuns, not the Mods.
It would be nice if the applicant were told of the objection, and by whom, with an opportunity to answer prior to a decision being rendered.
Would you expect that when applying for work elsewhere?
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:25, topic:561615”]
Yep, our friend Colibri is a hummingbird, not a lighter.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, colibri is Spanish for hummingbird. I did my thesis research on hummingbirds in Panama.
At least since I’ve been a mod, I don’t recall anyone being rejected because of an objection by a single moderator, or even a couple. If the candidate is generally qualified, but there are concerns about a particular issue, they may be asked to clarify. And we’re certainly not going to give out the details of our discussions to a candidate, whether they’re selected or not.
That still doesn’t defend it, just like Lynn’s comment about it working that way in the real world. The point is that, if you have a problem with someone, but don’t tell them about the problem, they can’t fix it, and thus it is immoral to judge and punish them for it.
You therefore need a reason that trumps that morality. Something other than an appeal to emotion.
Not that I have any desire to be a mod here, or anything. I get too easily upset over minor things. But at least I know that.
If you can’t say something to someone’s face (albeit in a polite way), you shouldn’t say it behind their back.
Again, when applying for a job how do you expect to be treated?
Not selecting someone for moderator status is not a punishment. If we didn’t warn someone, and then banned that person, THAT would be punishing them without telling them. But moderators need to be able to judge for themselves, and if they’ve posted in a manner that’s objectionable, but not warnable, this means that they simply are not qualified to be a mod. Being a moderator on the SDMB is not a right, but a privilege, that needs to be earned. And if you have to be told why your application was turned down, then you just aren’t suited for the job in the first place.
We DO ban spammers without warning them. Anyone who spams surely knows that it’s not OK to do so, in just about any message board.