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Who wants to be a moderator here?

Discussion in 'General Announcements' started by AA7BQ, Aug 2, 2016.

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  1. AA7BQ

    AA7BQ QRZ Founder QRZ HQ Staff QRZ Page

    Would you like to be a moderator in this forum area?

    Please post your thoughts on this thread. Do NOT send me email or PM's about the subject because if you can't advance a persuasive argument right here in public then you're obviously not qualified for the job.

    In your response, please address these topics in addition to any others that you feel are important:

    1. What is the importance of a moderator having good writing and grammar skills?
    2. How good are you at remaining neutral when the topic at hand is important to you?
    3. How are your diplomatic skills? Can you politely tell someone that they are misbehaving?
    4. Will you publicly defend your moderation decisions and accept criticism from other users?
    5. Do you have the conviction to work diligently at something that offers no compensation?
    6. How will you defend those who have opinions that differ from yours?
    7. What types of speech would you censor under all circumstances?
    8. What sorts of thing should you avoid, as a moderator, to demonstrate your neutrality?
    9. How important is speed and consistency in moderating? Why?
    10. What other key concepts of fairness do you believe are necessary for moderators to observe?
    11. What other things about you make you more qualified than others to moderate?
    12. What rule changes to the site would you suggest to QRZ management?
    Unlike the other threads in this section, I will pay attention to this one and read the responses with genuine interest. Please do not abuse this thread by posting snide remarks and one-liners. I will accept commentary and discussion, but will not tolerate ridicule in this instance. I may or may not appoint a moderator at the conclusion of this process, however, I am hoping to learn something from it. Who knows? If you can impress myself and others, we might just offer you a shot at it.
     
    TA2B and AF6LJ like this.
  2. KD3NE

    KD3NE Ham Member QRZ Page

    I appreciate what you have done here, giving politics a separate place. Strict enforcement of " no politics " must be administered in all other sections. Even threads that have a faint smell of politics should be removed from other section and placed here. On one motorcycle forum I participate in they did just that, but even so we had one poster who would do his best to get political in other areas. He is no longer welcome on that site, though he has made efforts to find his way back he always gives himself away.

    It will take an extremely special kind of person to moderate this section, might even want three or more moderators. On the other forum we have I believe 4 normal moderators and one 'super moderator'. Should a moderator overstep their bound the 'super moderator' can step in and remedy the situation. The 'super mod' is really there to keep the moderators in check.

    Good luck in your search. In reading your opening post I think you should find the folks who can fit the job.

    No I do not want the job, even if I thought I was qualified I just don't have the time to devote to being a moderator here.

    EDIT: " If nominated I will not run, if elected I will not serve! " :D
    ( just a little humor)
     
  3. KP4SX

    KP4SX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Fred, I have a little anecdote about moderation from another forum. The owner of that site was also weary and 'hired' a bunch of new moderators. Interestingly some of them were known pot-stirrers and some of us thought that maybe he thought by giving them a badge they would settle down. It did work to a degree.

    The new problem arose when some of them became little dictators and were deleting at will and sometimes that was a reflection of personal conflicts. Then some other mod would revive the post. You can imagine the fireworks created!

    They wound up with a hidden moderator forum to discuss things so that they would stay on the same page and be CONSISTENT with their moderation. For instance, an individual mod was not allowed to lock or delete a thread or a post unless it was way out of line or spam. There had to be some agreement behind the scenes that it was necessary. Some posts were put in limbo for a while (usually not long) and either brought back or deleted but it was never the decision of a single individual.
    Any lock or deletion had to be identified publicly as to the reason and by which mod.

    I don't see any moderation battles going on here so it may be a moot point. But with the possibility of a bunch of fresh mods I would hope that there is a clear set of rules for them to operate by and that all of us members are aware of. A good example of the grey area is locking an entire thread because of one errant post instead of just deleting that post. Locking the entire thread sometimes comes off as seeming punitive to the others who were well behaved.

    GL with whatever you decide. I'm a Guest here.
     
    KK5R likes this.
  4. AF6LJ

    AF6LJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    In the online gaming forum I moderated in, moderators were held to a higher set of standards than the membership. A certain level of verbal "horse play" was allowed by the members, but not the mods. Name calling of any kind was not allowed, for instance you couldn't call a member a one man side show. You also had to address a person's actions not their charactor, you had to cite instances of a person's punishable behavior not just say "your are a pain in the bitt". While the harmony of the forum was important you were highly discouraged from suggesting someone be banned just because many did not like him, or her.

    If a group of people decided to "gang stalk" or abuse the reporting system simply because they didn't like someone they were subject to banning. Reporting abuse use to be quite common, after the leaders got banned it usually stopped.
     
  5. KD3NE

    KD3NE Ham Member QRZ Page

    That's what a " Super Moderator " position is for .... to moderate the moderators.

    A " Super Moderator " should always be someone who is long in the tooth in relation to the site, that is to say someone who has been around for a long long long time.

    We too on another site had a moderator with a known strong bias that came out in his moderator actions and that is NO GOOD.

    His powers were removed in short order.
     
    KK5R and AF6LJ like this.
  6. W5INC

    W5INC Ham Member QRZ Page

    Just a thought here Mr. Fred. If you make the job of the Mod in this Forum limited to only "censoring" the personal attack aspect on posters in said threads, that seems to run rampant at times, this might be a better way to manage this political Forum. In this way the Mods can't be construed as having any skin in the thread either way, pro or con to the thread's subject matter. A sliding scale of time outs for the juvenile offenders, starting out at 3 days, 10 days, 30 days and then finally going to the cornfield for a year. If folks want to have the Freedom of having their personal opinion respected and not attacked in any way, then they must give this same exact Freedom to others involved in the thread. I do Thank You for keeping this section open so the folks who don't cross the line and don't go into personal attack mode, aren't punished for the few who have no tolerance for other people's opinions. :)
     
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  7. AF6LJ

    AF6LJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    The above are good suggestions, I would add in terms of language; the acceptability standards I believe should rest on what is considered to be acceptable on modern day cable TV, There is latitude in that recommendation but it does not include F-Bombs or using the N-Word etc...
    I think that might meet with the greatest level of tolerance without offending too many people.
    Someone is always going to be offended at something..... You cannot please everyone.
     
    KK5R likes this.
  8. W5INC

    W5INC Ham Member QRZ Page

    If people get offended because someone else has a different opinion then they do, it seems they shouldn't be here in the 1st place. Not everyone is going to agree with you and no 1 person is the Oracle of Delphi. Let's try to remember the Golden Rule, especially when some other Forum member doesn't see things in the same perspective as you do. Nothing wrong with an exchange of open ideas, but when discussing these open ideas it doesn't give license to personal attacks on Forum members who have a different opinion on a subject then you do. The exchange of open ideas and personal attacks are 2 separate kettles of fish and should be treated as such. :)
     
    KK5R likes this.
  9. KD3NE

    KD3NE Ham Member QRZ Page

    Can this be made a 'sticky' so it does not get lost in the swamp?
     
    AF6LJ likes this.
  10. KB3PXR

    KB3PXR Ham Member QRZ Page

    1. What is the importance of a moderator having good writing and grammar skills?
      1. It is important that moderators instructions and guidance are presented clearly and professionally. Poor writing and grammar can easily undermine the importance of a moderator message and worse can make QRZ look unprofessional.
    2. How good are you at remaining neutral when the topic at hand is important to you?
      1. I can remain neutral when needed, in the context of moderation, a rules violation is still a rules violation even if I agree/disagree with the person in question.
    3. How are your diplomatic skills? Can you politely tell someone that they are misbehaving?
      1. Yes, I have done it multiple times, I'm a moderator for an internet chatroom. A person who violates the rules is still a person in the end and still deserves respect.
    4. Will you publicly defend your moderation decisions and accept criticism from other users?
      1. Yes, I firmly believe that moderators need to be accountable and that as humans, moderators also make mistakes. Defending a moderator action is important to unity between the users.
    5. Do you have the conviction to work diligently at something that offers no compensation?
      1. Yes and I already do, I'm already an administrator (which includes moderation duties) on an IRC chat system.
    6. How will you defend those who have opinions that differ from yours?
      1. I would defend those that differ the same as those that agree with me, if they are not violating the rules, they have the explicit permission granted by the site operator to express their opinion openly.
        1. Note the "explicit permission" above. The first amendment does not apply to non-governmental organizations such as QRZ. In this case anything that is discussed is to be done so with permission of the organization.
    7. What types of speech would you censor under all circumstances?
      1. Explicit threats against persons or organizations.
      2. Obvious trolling
        1. Trolling being designated as behavior intended for the sole purpose of disruption.
      3. Spam
      4. Anything else that is a violation of QRZ.com's terms of service.
    8. What sorts of thing should you avoid, as a moderator, to demonstrate your neutrality?
      1. Posting of strong opinions can easily (even if incorrectly) give the illusion of bias.
        1. This includes using the like button.
      2. Discrediting information sources on anything OTHER than accuracy.
        1. Obviously stories from the Onion or other satire sites SHOULD NOT be presented as real news
      3. Taking the minimum action necessary (within Standard Operating Procedures) when moderating.
        1. For example: a post contains both permissible content and a personal attack (non-permissible content), ideally the post should be edited to remove the non-permissible content leaving the permissible content intact.
    9. How important is speed and consistency in moderating? Why?
      1. Moderator action needs to be Neutral, consistent, and quick in that order.
        1. Neutral moderation is of utmost importance, taking unfair actions reduces the credibility of not only the moderator, but of QRZ.com Neutrality and Consistency are intertwined.
        2. Consistency comes in at number 2 by a hair, it is more important to take neutral action that may be inconsistent with previous action that may have been biased than to also take biased action. If neutrality is not a concern, consistency is very important as it makes sure action is fair AND the action is taken with neutrality, inconsistent moderation can be seen either as non-neutral. Again, consistency and neutrality are intertwined.
        3. Speed is also critical, the longer action is not taken more users will assume inaction is caused by a moderator choosing not to act. A moderator needs to act as soon as possible, but the duties of Neutrality and Consistency should not be overlooked for speed especially since this may save a few minutes at most, but cause problems that could take years to correct or not be possible to correct such as damage to the moderator's reputation or that of QRZ.com
    10. What other key concepts of fairness do you believe are necessary for moderators to observe?
      1. The willingness to publicly admit and correct an error (especially in judgement) goes a long way. Moderators are prone to error and as such they can make mistakes.
        1. Obviously if the error involves a sanction and willing dialog of the sanctioned user (polite appeal from the user), the option of reversing the sanction (or lightening a sanction when a stronger than necessary sanction was applied) should be investigated and used.
      2. Publicly demonstrating that the rules apply to everyone. Make sure that if a moderator violates the rules that they receive the same treatment as a standard user. This includes apply sanctions to ourselves as appropriate.
    11. What other things about you make you more qualified than others to moderate?
      1. I have experience in moderation on a platform where moderation is very transparent. If a sanction is taken everyone online in that channel sees it. I have no choice on accountability.
    12. What rule changes to the site would you suggest to QRZ management?
      1. I would recommend that moderators be required to state a reason including which rules were broken when deleting a post (if technically possible), editing a post, locking a thread (with the last post in a thread being said place to put information), or deleting a thread (if technically possible).
     
    KK5R, NY7Q, AA7BQ and 1 other person like this.
  11. WB2WIK

    WB2WIK Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    I can't afford the job but I'm glad Fred is looking.:)
     
  12. N2EY

    N2EY Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Sure! But why just this area?

    I am going on the assumption that this thread is an exception to the rule that one does not comment on QRZ moderation. So here goes.

    The following is just my opinion:

    Good writing skills of all kinds - grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. - are important because they set the tone of the website and they make for a clear, unambiguous message.

    This doesn't mean every typo is a big deal, but if a moderator can't be bothered to write clearly, all sorts of misunderstandings will happen. It sends the message that sloppiness is OK.

    My highest values are facts and clear reasoning. That's the foundation of neutrality.

    I can try. However, there are folks who will see ANY such responses as a personal attack.

    Sure - I do that now, just not as a moderator.

    Depends on what you mean by "diligently". How many hours per week? Life happens - one cannot always be near a computer.

    Opinions based on facts and clear reasoning need no defense. Opinions not based on facts and clear reasoning deserve no defense.

    Words and phrases that are clearly racist, sexist, ageist, scatalogical, sexual, and/or put-downs of various groups, individuals, regions and places. There needs to be a list of "words you can't say on the Zed". Euphemisms too - calling something "BS" or "bovine excrement" shouldn't be different from the actual word. Telling others to shut up, directly or indirectly. And no, putting a smiley at the end of something doesn't suddenly make it all OK because "I was just joking".

    Posting and moderating the same thread. Clear conflict of interest there.

    Speed is important but not all-important. Better to wait a bit and make a cool decision.

    Consistency is all-important. Inconsistency causes people to think there are favorites, and/or that the rules are biased against certain people or views. Inconsistency also causes some to test the system, to see what they can get away with. More than anything else, moderation must be consistent.

    When one person is banned or has numerous posts removed while another does very similar stuff and has no action taken, what conclusions will be drawn?

    The single biggest concept is that statements have to be based on facts and sound reasoning. In particular, stuff that is provably untrue or illogical must be removed.

    Example: Quotes attributed to people who did not say them at all. Photoshopped pictures that have been debunked as fakes posted as real. Conclusions drawn using obvious logical fallacies. Opinions presented as facts.

    Look at my record here. I'm not perfect by any means but my record speaks for itself.

    First - all moderation decisions should require at least 2 and preferably 3 moderators agreeing to the action. If that means more moderators, add more moderators. (I don't know how many there are nor how many the system can accomodate.)

    Second - banning should be done by a point system. If a post is removed or edited for a TOS violation, that action should generate a certain number of points, depending on the severity of the violation. When a person reaches a certain number of banning points, they are banned for a week, for the first offense. Second offense, two weeks. Third offense, four weeks. Etc.

    Points would be removed by having no moderation actions for a certain amount of time. Say, 2 points removed per month of good behavior. Points should be known to the poster - and maybe even made public.(!)

    Third - locking threads should be minimized. If posts start to get out of hand, remove the posts! Only when a thread itself is clearly a bad idea should the thread be moderated - and then, by removal.

    Fourth - all moderation rules should apply to all forums.

    Fifth - bad practices (technical and operating) should not be tolerated. QRZ.com should not be a showplace for Hammy Hambone stuff. This doesn't mean everything has to be NEC-approved, ISO-9001 compliant, but when stuff that is obviously bad practice, unsafe, or just plain wrong is shown as "here's how to do this!" - there needs to be action of some kind. Probably the best action is simply to remove the post or thread.

    Sixth - well, this is the Big One......

    With all due respect to all involved - I think the whole political-forum experiment has failed. It may have been worth a try, but.....it's just not working. There's too much anger, hatred, name-calling, cussing, wild claims, insults, polarization, etc., etc. going on, and it spills over into other areas.

    It seems to me that the best solution is to reopen RCC2, or create a new RCC3, with clear rules that say NO POLITICS and what language and other stuff is allowed and not allowed. This includes the put-downs of newer hams, young people, etc., as listed above. It also includes signature lines, avatars, biography pages, etc.

    QRZ.com is perhaps the premier amateur radio website online today, and it should present amateur radio in the best possible light, not the worst.

    Imagine you're a young person who thinks Amateur Radio might be interesting. You go to a public school, study hard, get good grades, like your teachers, are active in a number of activities, work part time, do chores at home, and are planning on maybe going into engineering or science or math in college. (There really are a lot of young people like that, folks.)

    You surf over to QRZ.com and start reading.....and you see post after post after post after post after post saying the public schools are ALL NO GOOD!, that your teachers are worthless moneygrubbing union slugs, that young people today are stupid, lazy, useless, always looking at their phones, and will never amount to anything. And how the tests today are SO EASY......and on and on.

    You've studied history and civics and science, and see post after post after post after post after post saying that global warming is a hoax, that the universe is only 6000 years old, yada yada yada - from folks who don't know an isobar from Kelly's Bar.

    Does that make you want to be a ham? Or does it make you want to drop the idea entirely?

    Suppose you're that young person's parent, and you do some research, and come across the same things. Do you support your kid becoming a ham, or try to steer him/her away?

    And it's not just young people that will be turned away. Imagine some ham trying to get a use permit or a variance or whatever, and the neighbors and officials do a little checking into this "amateur radio" thing......what impression will THEY get?

    Some may say "that will take all the fun out of it." I say "if that's you're idea of fun, QRZ.com isn't the place for you."

    The above is not a troll nor aimed at anyone in particular. I'm not claiming to know all the answers nor to be perfect in any way. It's just one ham's honest attempt to make things better.

    Well, you did ask.

    73 de Jim, N2EY

    Now the pool-pah......
     
    K5FH likes this.
  13. AF6LJ

    AF6LJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    I would have to ask how the terms "Facts" and "Clear Reasoning" are defined and how those terms come into play in moderating a forum. One person's facts are not necessarily anther's facts.

    A person who has a faith based life may see a different path to reason than someone who has no such basis in their life.

    Moderation is like salt, a little goes a long way...
     
    W5INC likes this.
  14. W5INC

    W5INC Ham Member QRZ Page

    IMO, the Political section in the just talking, paid subscription area is a great idea. Maybe a way to satisfy all, would be that only folks who have their subscription up to date to just talking, can play nice with others, get to use the Forum. Make it so that folks who don't have a paid subscription, can't see the content contained in the Forums, even when using their regular QRZ username and log in. ;)
     
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  15. AF6LJ

    AF6LJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    This kind of thing goes miles to bolster the credibility of a moderation team, it also adds a sense of Due Process to the whole system, just banning someone and saying they are a pain in the butt doesn't do anybody any good, and creates a sense of hostility toward management which the mods are a part of.
     
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