Number of Moderator Positions

In summary, the conversation discusses the role of moderators in online forums and their purpose in maintaining the quality and accuracy of content. It also touches on the topic of global warming and the forum's decision not to allow discussions on it due to the lack of an expert moderator and the politicization of the issue. The conversation also reveals the forum owner's influence in choosing moderators and the importance of having unbiased moderators for controversial topics.
  • #36
It is worth noting that we have far more lurkers than members and they can get a lot from PF without joining. That's not a common feature of religions, particularly Catholicism (not picking on Catholicism per se, that's just the main historical reference).
 
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  • #37
harrylin said:
Just a side note:

That's not what "excommunication" means. ;-)

Excommunication is the exclusion of a member from contact (communication) with the group, so that his/her opinions will not be heard anymore. That could create a social problem for that person if there are no serious alternative groups. However there are a few serious alternatives to physicsforums - and many more crappy uncensored ones. :tongue2:
That's not right either: In most religions, people are not allowed to have opinions. In the middle ages Catholic church, they weren't even allowed access to source material for the religion to help themselves to the knowledge!
 
  • #38
All this talk about "excommunication" made me look it up in wiki:

In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus says that an offended Christian should first draw the offender's fault to the offender's attention privately1; then, if the offender refuses to listen, to bring one or two others2, that there may be more than a single witness to the charge; next, if the offender still refuses to listen, to bring the matter before the church, and if the offender refuses to listen to the church, to treat the offender as "a Gentile and a tax collector"3.

1. Mentor sends poster a "Private Message", telling them of an offense.
2. Mentors meet in mentor-land to discuss offender.
3. Offender is banned!

hmmm...

Actually, these are the exact steps taken where I work when someone breaks a rule, and continues to break them.

------------------------------
Wraps humor badge around head to soften the blow of the impending lumpy salmon thwap, wielded by the almighty. Whom I will still praise, and give thanks, that I should be worthy of such an honor.
 
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  • #39
OmCheeto said:
All this talk about "excommunication" made me look it up in wiki:



1. Mentor sends poster a "Private Message", telling them of an offense.
2. Mentors meet in mentor-land to discuss offender.
3. Offender is banned!

hmmm...

Actually, these are the exact steps taken where I work when someone breaks a rule, and continues to break them.

------------------------------
Wraps humor badge around head to soften the blow of the impending lumpy salmon thwap, wielded by the almighty. Whom I will still praise, and give thanks, that I should be worthy of such an honor.

The mentors will now retreat to discuss this post privately...
 
  • #40
OmCheeto said:
1. Mentor sends poster a "Private Message", telling them of an offense.
2. Mentors meet in mentor-land to discuss offender.
3. Offender is banned!

micromass said:
The mentors will now retreat to discuss this post privately...
:rofl:

Notices that there are no steps for poster to correct behavior...
 
  • #41
Borg said:
:rofl:

Notices that there are no steps for poster to correct behavior...

We are now discussing two offenders...
 
  • #42
To be honest, the member posted a banned topic, he was sent a zero point "warning" that the topic was banned. He did not get an infraction, nothing, not being infracted, he was not at risk of any mentor action, it was just a "heads up" and that's what caused his outburst. He never contacted the mentor with any questions, he basically appeared to have never read any of the forum rules, but that is our fault for having rules.
 
  • #43
micromass said:
We are now discussing two offenders...

Beat them with the Ban Hammer until their fingers can no longer press the keys!
 
  • #44
micromass said:
The mentors will now retreat to discuss this post privately...



It has begun...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WJlLNIsyY​

:cry:
 
  • #45
Drakkith said:
Beat them with the Ban Hammer until their fingers can no longer press the keys!
What was this thread about again? Oh, never mind...
 
  • #46
Drakkith said:
Beat them with the Ban Hammer until their fingers can no longer press the keys!

And if you and berkeman would please stop mentioning helicopters, I will stop sharing my flashbacks.

FesterOm_pow_n_Pat.jpg

----------------------------
Bang bang Evo's Ban Hammer came down on their hands, doop, de, doo, doop...
Sung of course to the tune of Maxwell's Silver Hammer
 
  • #47
Ah, back before the universe condensed into Technicolor...it must have been depressing with everything always so monochrome.
 
  • #48
Evo said:
To be honest, the member posted a banned topic, he was sent a zero point "warning" that the topic was banned. He did not get an infraction, nothing, not being infracted, he was not at risk of any mentor action, it was just a "heads up" and that's what caused his outburst. He never contacted the mentor with any questions, he basically appeared to have never read any of the forum rules, but that is our fault for having rules.

I was quite serious the other day when I praised Greg's Super Moderator Guide. I was going to start my own thread in FF&A to the effect that that guide should be read before you start complaining.

After some years, one can interpolate the rules and structure of the forum without ever having read them. (I'm a man. I never read the instruction manual...) I was amazed though that this whole forum is still sticking to an apparently well thought out plan.

Perhaps you could institute a multi-phased set of rules for newbies:

for those with severe ADD (or men in general)
1. Play nice or Die

for those with short attention spans
2. 10 basic rules of the forum...
1. Play nice or Die
2. No swearing
3. No spam
4. No trolling
5. No fighting(except in the P&WA forum)
6. No fighting(unless it is about magnets. even Feynman wouldn't explain them.)
7. No, um, what are the rules?
8. No banned topics(hyperlink to list)
9. No crackpottery(hyperlink to definition)
10. Play nice or Die​

for the wannabelawyers
3. Full set of rules...(TLDR)

for the curious
4. Reference the S.M.G. as a guide to who and what these demi-gods called mentors are, where they come from, why they are necessary.

for anyone 16 and older
5. Tell people a 16 year old started this forum, and ask what they did when they were 16, besides pick their nose.

6. etc. etc. etc.
 
  • #49
jtbell said:
Evo can be the Lord High Executioner. (Or should that be Lady High Executioner?)
She can have any part she wants, except Katisha...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNF3DHDRDG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-H700B2Cxs
 
  • #50
AlephZero said:
She can have any part she wants, except Katisha...

I'm never quite sure about where and when to reveal my level of ignorance of things. At 50+, I've heard of the Mikado at least 1000 times.

But, I've never known what it was, where it was from, nor from what time it came.

Thank you, AlephZero.

I appreciate everything I can get. :smile:

OmCheeto said:
Wow.

One would not think such a voice could be humanly possible.

More opera please. :smile:
 
  • #51
OmCheeto said:
I was quite serious the other day when I praised Greg's Super Moderator Guide. I was going to start my own thread in FF&A to the effect that that guide should be read before you start complaining.

After some years, one can interpolate the rules and structure of the forum without ever having read them. (I'm a man. I never read the instruction manual...) I was amazed though that this whole forum is still sticking to an apparently well thought out plan.

Perhaps you could institute a multi-phased set of rules for newbies:

for those with severe ADD (or men in general)
1. Play nice or Die

for those with short attention spans
2. 10 basic rules of the forum...
1. Play nice or Die
2. No swearing
3. No spam
4. No trolling
5. No fighting(except in the P&WA forum)
6. No fighting(unless it is about magnets. even Feynman wouldn't explain them.)
7. No, um, what are the rules?
8. No banned topics(hyperlink to list)
9. No crackpottery(hyperlink to definition)
10. Play nice or Die​

for the wannabelawyers
3. Full set of rules...(TLDR)

for the curious
4. Reference the S.M.G. as a guide to who and what these demi-gods called mentors are, where they come from, why they are necessary.

for anyone 16 and older
5. Tell people a 16 year old started this forum, and ask what they did when they were 16, besides pick their nose.

6. etc. etc. etc.

You left out the Homework Help admonitions. That seems like about half of what we Mentors deal with daily...
 
  • #52
berkeman said:
You left out the Homework Help admonitions. That seems like about half of what we Mentors deal with daily...

Really? That's a surprise. Are people solving other peoples homework? Maybe I should sneak a problem in. I have a poly-dimensional mathematical problem that I don't even know how to write down, much less solve. :tongue2:
 
  • #53
No, the "Homework Help admonitions" are for newcomers who haven't found the HH forums yet and start out by posting homework exercises in the other forums. You probably don't see very many of them because we move most of them pretty quickly.
 
  • #54
OmCheeto said:
No. He owns this place.

Holy Moses! The SMG is an excellent read. (saved to desktop!) Good job Greg. Did you make all that up yourself?
[..]
Hmm... probably - and regretfully - the following rule is applied here:

If there’s a dispute between a member and a moderator, side slightly with the moderator. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, but try to follow it as much as possible. -http://www.sitepoint.com/super-moderator-guide/
 
  • #55
OmCheeto said:
I'm never quite sure about where and when to reveal my level of ignorance of things. At 50+, I've heard of the Mikado at least 1000 times.

But, I've never known what it was, where it was from, nor from what time it came.

to see how the Mikado was created, watch Topsy-Turvy :smile:
 
  • #56
tiny-tim said:
to see how the Mikado was created, watch Topsy-Turvy :smile:

Bookmarked, to the bar.

Thank you.

:smile:
 
  • #57
OmCheeto said:
...
FesterOm_pow_n_Pat.jpg
...

[off topic]
Just out of curiosity, who's the guy next to you... and how ol are you? :biggrin:
[/off topic]
 
  • #58
Gad said:
[off topic]
Just out of curiosity, who's the guy next to you...
[/off topic]

Gomer Pyle (actually Leonard Lawrence).
 
  • #59
Gad said:
[off topic]
Just out of curiosity, who's the guy next to you... and how ol are you? :biggrin:
[/off topic]

Borek got his initials right, but backwards. His initials are P.G. He talked me into joining the Navy. We'd been best friends since 7th grade. We were both 18 in this picture.

I decided that our friendship needed some slowing down about 4 years later, when he tried to kill me*.

*He gave me a ride on the back of his brand new Harley Davidson on a cold drizzly November night up on Whidbey Island. A drunk lady pulled out in front of us, and we hit her @ ~55 mph. I lost my big toe nail. Pat spent 6 months in the hospital. He used the insurance settlement money to buy a truck, which he totaled a few months later. He eventually got married, still rides Harley style motorcycles, and has become what I would refer to as an evangelical christian. I on the other hand, remain single, have had an aversion to motorcycles since the incident, and more than anything else, consider myself an evangelical scientist and part-time bohemian. I doubt our paths shall cross again. Except perhaps at high school reunions. We do have fun reminiscing how we didn't die.
 
  • #60
have had an aversion to motorcycles since the incident
Well, that's pretty understandable. Sounds like your friend needs some riding/driving lessons. Glad that all you lost was a toenail.
 
  • #61
This thread has gotten way off topic. Can we get back to how lousy the moderators are?
 
  • #62
Jimmy Snyder said:
This thread has gotten way off topic. Can we get back to how lousy the moderators are?

Excellent point. You're banned. Thank you for your support.
 
  • #63
berkeman said:
Excellent point. You're banned. Thank you for your support.
BAN HIM! :grumpy:
 
  • #64
Jimmy Snyder said:
This thread has gotten way off topic. Can we get back to how lousy the moderators are?

berkeman said:
Excellent point. You're banned. Thank you for your support.

Evo said:
BAN HIM! :grumpy:

Keep him alive. Maybe next year he'll be open to PFs "Best Humor Award".

Never mind. Ban him.
 
  • #65
dlgoff said:
Keep him alive. Maybe next year he'll be open to PFs "Best Humor Award".

Never mind. Ban him.
:rofl:
 
  • #66
Rut rho. Evo, he has one of your Get Out Of Ban Free (GOOBF) cards still. What were you thinking?!
 
  • #67
Oh wait. Maybe that's just a GoofBall card. Need to look this up in the Mentor Card FAQ...
 
  • #68
berkeman said:
Oh wait. Maybe that's just a GoofBall card. Need to look this up in the Mentor Card FAQ...
Lol, yeah, we need to keep track of those. At one time, a bunch of counterfeit GOOBF cards were printed and distributed. Some people had billions.
 
  • #69
I'm putting on my t-shirt.

i_love_my_moderators_tshirt-r7bd938231d834777b0610e8b0449fbb4_804gy_216.jpg
 
  • #70
I have kittens and puppies for the mods. Don't ban me!
 
<h2>1. What is the purpose of having a specific number of moderator positions?</h2><p>The number of moderator positions is determined based on the needs and size of a community or organization. Moderators are responsible for maintaining order and enforcing rules, so having a specific number ensures that there are enough individuals to handle the workload and maintain a fair and balanced approach.</p><h2>2. How is the number of moderator positions determined?</h2><p>The number of moderator positions is typically determined by the size and activity level of the community or organization. A larger community may require more moderators to handle the volume of activity, while a smaller community may only need a few moderators. The specific needs and goals of the community should also be taken into consideration when determining the number of moderator positions.</p><h2>3. Can the number of moderator positions change over time?</h2><p>Yes, the number of moderator positions can change over time. As a community or organization grows or evolves, the need for more or fewer moderators may arise. It is important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the current number of moderators and make adjustments as needed.</p><h2>4. What qualifications are typically required for a moderator position?</h2><p>The qualifications for a moderator position may vary depending on the specific community or organization. However, some common qualifications may include good communication skills, a strong understanding of the community's rules and values, and the ability to remain impartial and handle conflicts effectively.</p><h2>5. How are moderator positions typically filled?</h2><p>The process for filling moderator positions may vary depending on the community or organization. Some may have a formal application and interview process, while others may select moderators based on their level of activity and contributions within the community. In some cases, current moderators may also have a say in selecting and training new moderators.</p>

1. What is the purpose of having a specific number of moderator positions?

The number of moderator positions is determined based on the needs and size of a community or organization. Moderators are responsible for maintaining order and enforcing rules, so having a specific number ensures that there are enough individuals to handle the workload and maintain a fair and balanced approach.

2. How is the number of moderator positions determined?

The number of moderator positions is typically determined by the size and activity level of the community or organization. A larger community may require more moderators to handle the volume of activity, while a smaller community may only need a few moderators. The specific needs and goals of the community should also be taken into consideration when determining the number of moderator positions.

3. Can the number of moderator positions change over time?

Yes, the number of moderator positions can change over time. As a community or organization grows or evolves, the need for more or fewer moderators may arise. It is important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the current number of moderators and make adjustments as needed.

4. What qualifications are typically required for a moderator position?

The qualifications for a moderator position may vary depending on the specific community or organization. However, some common qualifications may include good communication skills, a strong understanding of the community's rules and values, and the ability to remain impartial and handle conflicts effectively.

5. How are moderator positions typically filled?

The process for filling moderator positions may vary depending on the community or organization. Some may have a formal application and interview process, while others may select moderators based on their level of activity and contributions within the community. In some cases, current moderators may also have a say in selecting and training new moderators.

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