# Who decided which mods would moderate a particular forum? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094 "2003-04-11T19:00:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/1 "2003-04-11T19:00:12Z")
Did Uncle Cecil pick names out of a top hat? It was Truth or Dare and someone Dared? It was the last hand of strip poker? OK, I’ll be good, I promise. Seriously, who decided that \*\*Coldfire, Cajun Man & UncleBeer \*\*would be the mods in **MPSIMS** or that **Eutychus & Ukule Ike** would be the mods in **Cafe Society**? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/2 "2003-04-11T19:31:00Z")
While they will deny it, it was all decided in _cage matches_, held in underground bunkers under the _Reader’s_ building. I’ll leave it up to your imagination as to whether the winners or losers got to pick first. Personally, I can see it both ways. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/3 "2003-04-11T19:46:50Z")
It was decided in a Strip Poker game. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/4 "2003-04-11T19:52:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Payton’s Servant \* > \*\* > Seriously, who decided that \*\*Coldfire, Cajun Man & UncleBeer \*\*would be the mods in **MPSIMS** or that **Eutychus & Ukule Ike** would be the mods in **Cafe Society**? \*\* I believe (and if I’m wrong, I hope the mods will correct me), they were filled on an “as-needed” basis. (i.e. when they saw that they needed an extra mod for MPSIMS because of the volume, they just took whoever the next qualified candidate was). BTW, shouldn’t this be in ATMB? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/5 "2003-04-11T19:59:40Z")
Gee, I always envisioned cole slaw wrestling. In fact, I thought long and hard about requesting Mod status for that very reason. But I couldn’t get a straight answer on creamy vs vinegar dressing, so I opted out. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/6 "2003-04-11T20:17:14Z")
I always thought it was a joust. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/7 "2003-04-11T20:38:55Z")
No, they have a big gloomy castle on a hill and they have structured, yet evil meetings there! **UncleBeer** : “Hail, brothers. Coranon Silaria, Ozoo Mahoke.” **All** : “Mahoke” **UncleBeer** : “Any new buisness?” **Coldfire** : “Hmmm, this [a](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=158752) thread has gone on far too long” **UncleBeer** : "No! Let them have their fun… silly Teeming Millions, little do they know they are drawing ever closer to the _Poison Thread_! _Dramatic Pause_ **UncleBeer** : There is a poison thread isn’t there **Cajun Man**? **Cajun Man** : “No, our lawyers consider it murder Sir.” **UncleBeer** : “Damn their oily hides! **Coldfire** , lock it down!” **Coldfire** : "Done and done. **UncleBeer** : “Excellent! And now **Lynn Bodoni** will read from the Necronomicon” ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/8 "2003-04-11T22:15:13Z")
We tend to try to match Mod personalities to the forum, and keep a balance of temperments and range of knowledge in each forum. So we wouldn’t pick a person who doesn’t read many books or watch movies to mod in Cafe Society, or someone who hates to argue to mod GD, though they might be perfect for another forum. The prospective mods for a forum are primarily, though not always, nominated by the mods of that forum, and we tend to pick prolific posters in our forum who have demonstrated the qualities we look for. We also allow mods to have veto rights on whether they want to mod a particular forum (I categorically refused the MPSIMS position 😃 ). ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/9 "2003-04-11T22:30:21Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] Moving to ATMB. [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/10 "2003-04-12T03:05:55Z")
Is it only people who applied who are considered, or does the occasional mod get chosen by being approached by you guys if you think he/she is good for the job? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/11 "2003-04-12T12:19:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaudere \* > \*\*We also allow mods to have veto rights on whether they want to mod a particular forum (I categorically refused the MPSIMS position 😃 ). \*\* Fucking GD snob. Feh. **mnemosyne** , yes, some candidates are approached. I was one of those, actually. How they talked me into it, I have long forgotten, but it involved a horse’s head and my bed, I believe. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decided-which-mods-would-moderate-a-particular-forum/168094/12 "2003-04-12T12:28:30Z")
Actually, the assignment of Moderator-Candidates to Forums is done by a secret committee of the Illuminati. It’s the Committee to Assign Moderators to Elected Liasions (CAMEL) and gave rise to the famous saying about a horse designed by a committee.