# The time has come for elected moderators **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 22, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415 "2008-07-22T21:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/21 "2008-07-22T21:35:21Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] Given the level of dissatisfaction… [/QUOTE] What level of dissatisfaction? Other than the same old people who are always bitching about the mods, who else is dissatisfied? Yeah, sometimes somebody complains about a particular mod or mod action, but that doesn’t demonstrate generalized dissatisfaction. On preview: I notice that **silenus** has kindly provided us with a list of moderators. I hereby vote for them all. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/22 "2008-07-22T21:37:53Z")
I am disturbed that the accompanying Google ad is “five tips for a flat stomach”. Clearly, the change that we need to make here is for all posts by moderators to be accompanied by photos of said individuals. Wearing clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/23 "2008-07-22T21:39:02Z")
For what’s it’s worth, I’ve spent a good portion of my life in the greater New York City metropolitan area. And the default is, you go to the pizzeria with the really good pizza, not to the pizzeria where they are exceptionally polite. And if you’re really bothered by Big Vinnie’s tendency to yell for no reason or his shabby t-shirts or his weird political views about Albania, you get shittier pizza somewhere else. Asking for an election among all the customers to have somebody else run the register would not occur to anyone. Anyway, I think that’s the attitude to have. Strangers are being meaner to strangers than they need to be (by some unknown definition) on the Internet. This should be way down on one’s list of concerns. > [@](#): > > At present, the system is one that would make Robert Mugabe proud. You have a little spittle on the corner of your mouth, there. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/24 "2008-07-22T21:40:01Z")
The real problem is not that the Reader will not go a long with it, it’s that if they did, only complete nutjobs would allow themselves to be nominated. And not even the fun nutjobs. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/25 "2008-07-22T21:40:03Z")
[QUOTE=Green Bean] What level of dissatisfaction? Other than the same old people who are always bitching about the mods, who else is dissatisfied? Yeah, sometimes somebody complains about a particular mod or mod action, but that doesn’t demonstrate generalized dissatisfaction. On preview: I notice that **silenus** has kindly provided us with a list of moderators. I hereby vote for them all. [/QUOTE] I agree, but with the stipulation we have one extra, who can “watch the watchers”, and that is the person we need to determine! All those who say, “Aye!”! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/26 "2008-07-22T21:42:11Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Seconded. [/QUOTE] Motion passed. Well, that was easy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/27 "2008-07-22T21:43:34Z")
> [@](#): > > At present, the system is one that would make Robert Mugabe proud. Robert Mugabe wouldn’t be proud until he took all the tech jobs and gave them to friends of his who were ice fishermen. Seriously, what made you think that a customer has rights? If you’re not getting value for your dollar, spend your dollar somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/28 "2008-07-22T21:45:04Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] For what’s it’s worth, I’ve spent a good portion of my life in the greater New York City metropolitan area. And the default is, you go to the pizzeria with the really good pizza, not to the pizzeria where they are exceptionally polite. And if you’re really bothered by Big Vinnie’s tendency to yell for no reason or his shabby t-shirts or his weird political views about Albania, you get shittier pizza somewhere else. [/QUOTE] The Soup Nazi sure didn’t have a line running out his door because he was a polite, pleasant fella. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/29 "2008-07-22T21:45:18Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Seconded. [/QUOTE] Mr. Chairman, I move that we call the question, and approve the current slate by unanimous consent. Seriously - I have never seen a better-governed message board on the Internet. No, it isn’t perfect - but this place has some of the finest, most interesting conversations I’ve ever had the pleasure to take part in. Plus, you can get answers to painfully obscure questions in minutes. I believe the current moderators do an outstanding job, and have no objection to their appointment as dictators-for-life, if that would suit them. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/30 "2008-07-22T21:45:43Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Seconded. [/QUOTE] Thirded, but without the massive quote. 😉 Especially **Giraffe** , because I haven’t flirted with him recently and it needs to be done. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/31 "2008-07-22T21:46:46Z")
Maybe the time has come for elected members. Each week we get to kick someone off the island. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/32 "2008-07-22T21:47:17Z")
Until the **Tuba Divists** start fighting it out with the **Girrafiviks.** ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/33 "2008-07-22T21:48:33Z")
What a dilemma-should we ban the nominators, or the nominees? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/34 "2008-07-22T21:49:37Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Maybe the time has come for elected members. Each week we get to kick someone off the island. [/QUOTE] We could even have a moderator league table! Now that would be fun! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/35 "2008-07-22T21:51:28Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] At present, the system is one that would make Robert Mugabe proud. I’m tired of seeing Mods speak to members with contempt, and otherwise treating people poorly. It will only be redressed if we rise up and demand change. Who is with me? [/QUOTE] Jeez, hyperbole much? I guess I’m not “into” the whole culture enough to count (if it isn’t history, science, or film, or food, I pretty much skip over it) but I’ve rarely found intervention by moderators to be untoward or completely arbitrary, and the handful of times I’ve been asked or told to “cool it” it has been entirely appropriate and correct. This insular, the-Board-is-collapsing, a-Moderator-kicked-my-puppy stuff is just tiresome. Get some umbrage about something real, like how people are being slaughtered in Darfur, or the government failing to repair Interstate highway infrastructure, or how Fox keeps canceling promising television shows, or something. And if we have to vote for moderators, I’m voting for **silenus** , 'cause he seems like the kind of teacher that doesn’t really care if you’re in the back of the classroom mixing chemicals to see what spontaneously combusts as long as you don’t blow up any glassware and clean up your mess. Also, he has good taste in whiskey. [QUOTE=John Mace] Maybe the time has come for elected members. Each week we get to kick someone off the island. [/QUOTE] Now there’s an idea I can get behind. I have a list… Stranger ---
**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:** [July 22, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/36 "2008-07-22T21:53:08Z")
I question the initial assumptions. [QUOTE=danceswithcats] Given the level of dissatisfaction [/quote] And this level would be … ? Do you have an opinion poll result? > [@](#): > > and the fact that we, the paying customer base, should be allowed to democratically choose our governance Can you give me an example of a company that uses this business model? Is this a common practice? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/37 "2008-07-22T21:55:25Z")
I vote for myself! Who’s with me?! ---
**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:** [July 22, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/38 "2008-07-22T21:56:42Z")
No, _I_ vote for myself! Who’s with _me_? ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/39 "2008-07-22T21:57:32Z")
While they can occasionally be unnecessarily grumpy, I can think of only one instance in all of these years where I actually disapproved of a mod action; they were called on it in a Pit thread and eventually partially gave in. By and large they’re doing a great job with a difficult, unpaid, and largely thankless position. (By the way, what’s with the fifteen different threads about scrambledeggs today? Argue the temporary suspention of a jerk who ignored repeated mod warnings if you want to, but don’t clutter up both the Pit and ATMB, please. ) ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415/40 "2008-07-22T21:57:43Z")
That’s a fine sense of self-entitlement you’ve got there OP. Do you think that you should have a say in all the staffing decisions of every businesses you give your money to. Pity we don’t have the putz smiley anymore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-time-has-come-for-elected-moderators/457415.md?page=3)