# What's the difference between moderators and administrators? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 31, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689 "2002-05-31T05:12:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/1 "2002-05-31T05:12:47Z")
Does an admin have to do more of the technical stuff while mods are more focused on what goes on in the forums? The line seems blurry because there are many who are both. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/2 "2002-05-31T08:10:08Z")
Administrators get plates as well as coffee cups… Actually, the major difference is what adminstrators can do with the software. In general, mods can edit, lock, delete, and move posts or threads whereas admins can do those things plus ban users, create and delete forums, and determine how the forum “looks” (so they can enable or disable specific options such as PM, who’s online, etc). ---
**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:** [May 31, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/3 "2002-05-31T15:01:18Z")
We don’t do a lot of customizing of the look and feel of the software. But that is a task reserved to administrators. Besides handling user requests the major part of an administrator’s time is usually taken up moderating his/her own forum, which is also what moderators do. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/4 "2002-05-31T23:42:33Z")
One can sum up the difference by saying that moderators can do things to posts and threads (editing, moving, closing, deleting), whereas administrators can also do things to users and fora (banning/unbanning, changing usernames, creating/deleting/closing/opening forums). In addition to **TubaDiva** , **C K Dexter Haven** , **Lynn Bodoni** , **Gaudere** , and **Noodles** , who are also moderators of particular fora, the administrators also include **Ed Zotti** , **jdavis** (the technical guy), various other Reader employees, and **Cecil Adams** (although he has a special title, and I don’t think he ever uses his administrative powers, but it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to not have them). So far as I know, all of the admins have the same powers (and they can all do the mod stuff, too, even those not assigned to a forum), but **jdavis** is probably the only one who regularly uses the Big Important Tools like changing board-wide settings and creating fora. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/5 "2002-06-01T02:15:57Z")
In addition, on my boards, administrators can enable/control moderators & moderators control users. The only people above the administrators for us are the board owners. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/6 "2002-06-01T06:46:27Z")
Noodles? Who’s that? I’m confused… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/7 "2002-06-01T11:32:41Z")
And all this time, I thought the difference was wit and charm. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/8 "2002-06-01T14:26:23Z")
[pickin’ nose]And which ones is it we Mods is got again?[/pickin’ nose] ---
**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 1, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/9 "2002-06-01T21:34:59Z")
No, its just pay. Moderators get $0, and Administrators get double that. ---
**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 2, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/10 "2002-06-02T20:16:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Noodles? Who’s that? I’m confused… He’s that guy right above me. See that next to his post? **Noodles** Administrator Registered: Oct 1999 Location: Costa Mesa California USA Posts: 7418 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/11 "2002-06-02T21:29:25Z")
Noodles!D Got any sauce to go with them? ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/12 "2002-06-04T01:11:04Z")
Cecil is the **Perfect Master** ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-moderators-and-administrators/111689/13 "2002-06-05T23:24:04Z")
Ahh… I understand far better now.