# Wombat's Back and GQ's Got Him! **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 28, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086 "2018-09-28T03:35:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/1 "2018-09-28T03:35:04Z")
Gary Robson (formerly WombatGary, if memory serves) has unretired and returned to us as a moderator. I’ve stuck him in General Questions for now, but he may travel around a bit over time. Let’s all give him a Straight Dope welcome back! Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator _You can check out any time you like but you can never leave._ ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/2 "2018-09-28T03:45:55Z")
Thanks, Jenny! It was originally **InvisibleWombat** back in 2003 before I decided to rip loose the veil of anonymity and just be me. It’s good to be back. ( **Idle Thoughts** , I’m watching you 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/3 "2018-09-28T04:00:17Z")
What’s wrong, Gary, you got tired of poop? 🙂 Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/4 "2018-09-28T04:38:19Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > What’s wrong, Gary, you got tired of poop? 🙂 There is no shortage of poop on the SDMB 😃 ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/5 "2018-09-28T04:40:01Z")
> [@Gary\_Robson](#): > > There is no shortage of poop on the SDMB 😃 Oh, so you \* weren’t\* gone then? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/6 "2018-09-28T04:59:08Z")
Welcome back Gaz. Ignore **snfaulkner**. It’s not really him. Well, it is him, but it could also be snfaulkner (no relation). ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/7 "2018-09-28T05:02:29Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Welcome back Gaz. > > Ignore **snfaulkner**. It’s not really him. Well, it is him, but it could also be snfaulkner (no relation). There’s no wrong reason to ignore me. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/8 "2018-09-28T05:09:25Z")
If you need more poop, wolfman now has a bag of crap. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/9 "2018-09-28T05:11:16Z")
> [@Gary\_Robson](#): > > Thanks, Jenny! It was originally **InvisibleWombat** back in 2003 before I decided to rip loose the veil of anonymity and just be me. > > It’s good to be back. ( **Idle Thoughts** , I’m watching you 😉 ) Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/10 "2018-09-28T05:23:00Z")
Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/11 "2018-09-28T06:11:47Z")
Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/12 "2018-09-28T17:30:33Z")
Good to have you back. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/13 "2018-09-28T20:53:24Z")
> [@Gary\_Robson](#): > > ( **Idle Thoughts** , I’m watching you 😉 ) If you didn’t already know, Idle Thoughts was fired in disgrace and no longer publicly participates here. Which bring up a question… Why does someone that left, if not abandoned, the boards for years get a Moderatorship almost immediately upon return? I’m not asking from a position of ‘Gary is bad’ as I do think I recall him being a good mod. Rather, it’s from the ‘wouldn’t someone more currently active be both better informed about the current state of things as well as more deserving of the privilege of elevation to Moderator?’ point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/14 "2018-09-28T21:16:33Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > If you didn’t already know, Idle Thoughts was fired in disgrace and no longer publicly participates here. Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. > [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Why does someone that left, if not abandoned, the boards for years get a Moderatorship almost immediately upon return? I’m not asking from a position of ‘Gary is bad’ as I do think I recall him being a good mod. Rather, it’s from the ‘wouldn’t someone more currently active be both better informed about the current state of things as well as more deserving of the privilege of elevation to Moderator?’ point of view. There are some upcoming mod vacations. I’ve kept in touch with Tuba, and mentioned I was coming back. She asked if I could pitch in. Nothing nefarious. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/15 "2018-10-01T18:38:52Z")
Welcome back, ex-Wombat. I was traveling and didn’t have a chance to post before. > [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Why does someone that left, if not abandoned, the boards for years get a Moderatorship almost immediately upon return? I’m not asking from a position of ‘Gary is bad’ as I do think I recall him being a good mod. Rather, it’s from the ‘wouldn’t someone more currently active be both better informed about the current state of things as well as more deserving of the privilege of elevation to Moderator?’ point of view. Being a Moderator is much more about having a proven track record of good judgement than being up on the issues of the moment. Since **Gary** has amply demonstrated the former, I have no doubt he will quickly get up to speed on any policy or rules changes since he was last modding. (There haven’t been that many, anyway.) And “deserving the privilege of elevation to moderator”? :dubious: Being a moderator has its drawbacks as well. Many potential candidates would rather not deal with the hassles. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/16 "2018-10-01T18:47:57Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Being a Moderator [here] is much more about having a proven track record of good judgement _snerk_ Square brackets mine. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/17 "2018-10-01T22:50:57Z")
Yay! Best news I’ve read in days and days! ---
**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:** [October 2, 2018, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wombats-back-and-gqs-got-him/822086/18 "2018-10-02T12:50:41Z")
All decisions of whom to make a moderator are handled on a case-by-case basis, and while the existing moderators typically contribute arguments for and against various candidates, it’s ultimately the sole decision of the Big Boss (formerly Ed, now Tuba).