Dear SnoWest Members:
Now that the sled forums have been fully organized I am in need of a few good moderators to help me manage them on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately when most online forum members think of Moderators they think of Internet Thread Cops that are there just to enforce the rules and make their life miserable by restricting their ability to "freely express themselves". And while that does have to happen from time to time when legitimate problems arise, that is really NOT what being a good effective moderator is all about.
On SnoWest, being the Thread Cop will be the least of your responsibilities...
Let me give you an idea of what my moderators do...
=====
1st.
Moderators are "Thread Herders" first and foremost!!
In most cases this will take more of your time than any other part of being a Moderator.
This means your responsible for making sure threads end up in the correct forum.
If someone posts a thread in your forum, or one of your sub-forums that doesn't belong there, your responsible for MOVING it to where it should be.
This also means, that you get the honor of reviewing ALL the historical posts in your forum and moving them into their permanent home!
2nd.
Moderators are expected to take a VERY active role in their forums.
They should be one of the primary posters of new material.
I expect them to go out "hunting" for new material to post into their forums to stimulate new discussions.
Ideally, this would happen at least 2-3 times a week.
If your time permits, daily would be even better.
The Internet is a vast ocean of information, the key is in knowing where to look and then bringing it back into SnoWest for all of the members to find and put to use.
3rd.
Moderators should actively participate in the threads in their forum that are started by other members.
This means we should see your smiling Avatar on a regular basis in the threads in your forum.
One of your goals should be to foster as much participation of the other SnoWest members in your forum as possible.
And the best way to do this, is to be an active member of the threads.
Don't be shy, let them see you on a regular basis.
4th.
New posts in your forum should be monitored daily.
Even if time does not allow you to post anything, it is expected that SnoWest Moderators will drop in and check on the posts in their forum on at least a daily basis.
Based on the activity level of your forum, once a day may be sufficient, but in most forums it will require more frequent visits.
You will have to determine how often your presence is required.
5th.
The Forum moderator is responsible for intercepting the posting of any material that is not in accordance with the rules of SnoWest. In short, you become the front line of defense against anything that is inappropriate for SnoWest. As a Moderator on SnoWest, special tools will be made available to you that allow you control over the various threads posted to your forum. My expectation is that you will use these tools wisely and with prudence to ensure that the SnoWest members follow our rules. My experience has shown me that there is nothing that raises the ire of members more than a moderator nuking their posts, regardless of the justification. Thus this action should be used sparingly and only when absolutely required!
=====
Moderators on SnoWest need to be movers and shakers. They should be people with a passion and love for the sport who want to see SnoWest move itself forward and become the best possible online destination for Mountain Snomobilers in North America. They need to be individuals with TIME and ENERGY to donate on behalf of all the other members on a daily basis.
Here are some traits of an Ideal Moderator
1. Has been a member of SnoWest for at least 6 months, know the forums well, and who most of the "players" are.
2. Has been active on the forums and posted at least 250 times.
3. Have not been reported to any of the Admins as being a trouble maker or problem child.
4. Is not prone to arguments, combativeness, or feeling the need to engage in unending controversy with other members.
5. Not on a "power trip" about being a moderator.
6. Has some expertise in the topic of the assigned forum, wants to learn more, but does not have to be an expert on it!
7. Must be VERY comfortable on the Internet and searching out new material to post in their forums.
8. Has a thick hide and is not easily offended by the comments of other members.
9. Can accept constructive criticism and direction from the Admins without feeling belittled.
10. Has a daily job that allows them time to jump into and out of the forums all through the day.
===
If you think YOU might be the right man or woman for the job, and would be interested in taking on the challenge, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE outlining WHY I should consider you and which forum you think you would be best at moderating.
Now that the sled forums have been fully organized I am in need of a few good moderators to help me manage them on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately when most online forum members think of Moderators they think of Internet Thread Cops that are there just to enforce the rules and make their life miserable by restricting their ability to "freely express themselves". And while that does have to happen from time to time when legitimate problems arise, that is really NOT what being a good effective moderator is all about.
On SnoWest, being the Thread Cop will be the least of your responsibilities...
Let me give you an idea of what my moderators do...
=====
1st.
Moderators are "Thread Herders" first and foremost!!
In most cases this will take more of your time than any other part of being a Moderator.
This means your responsible for making sure threads end up in the correct forum.
If someone posts a thread in your forum, or one of your sub-forums that doesn't belong there, your responsible for MOVING it to where it should be.
This also means, that you get the honor of reviewing ALL the historical posts in your forum and moving them into their permanent home!
2nd.
Moderators are expected to take a VERY active role in their forums.
They should be one of the primary posters of new material.
I expect them to go out "hunting" for new material to post into their forums to stimulate new discussions.
Ideally, this would happen at least 2-3 times a week.
If your time permits, daily would be even better.
The Internet is a vast ocean of information, the key is in knowing where to look and then bringing it back into SnoWest for all of the members to find and put to use.
3rd.
Moderators should actively participate in the threads in their forum that are started by other members.
This means we should see your smiling Avatar on a regular basis in the threads in your forum.
One of your goals should be to foster as much participation of the other SnoWest members in your forum as possible.
And the best way to do this, is to be an active member of the threads.
Don't be shy, let them see you on a regular basis.
4th.
New posts in your forum should be monitored daily.
Even if time does not allow you to post anything, it is expected that SnoWest Moderators will drop in and check on the posts in their forum on at least a daily basis.
Based on the activity level of your forum, once a day may be sufficient, but in most forums it will require more frequent visits.
You will have to determine how often your presence is required.
5th.
The Forum moderator is responsible for intercepting the posting of any material that is not in accordance with the rules of SnoWest. In short, you become the front line of defense against anything that is inappropriate for SnoWest. As a Moderator on SnoWest, special tools will be made available to you that allow you control over the various threads posted to your forum. My expectation is that you will use these tools wisely and with prudence to ensure that the SnoWest members follow our rules. My experience has shown me that there is nothing that raises the ire of members more than a moderator nuking their posts, regardless of the justification. Thus this action should be used sparingly and only when absolutely required!
=====
Moderators on SnoWest need to be movers and shakers. They should be people with a passion and love for the sport who want to see SnoWest move itself forward and become the best possible online destination for Mountain Snomobilers in North America. They need to be individuals with TIME and ENERGY to donate on behalf of all the other members on a daily basis.
Here are some traits of an Ideal Moderator
1. Has been a member of SnoWest for at least 6 months, know the forums well, and who most of the "players" are.
2. Has been active on the forums and posted at least 250 times.
3. Have not been reported to any of the Admins as being a trouble maker or problem child.
4. Is not prone to arguments, combativeness, or feeling the need to engage in unending controversy with other members.
5. Not on a "power trip" about being a moderator.
6. Has some expertise in the topic of the assigned forum, wants to learn more, but does not have to be an expert on it!
7. Must be VERY comfortable on the Internet and searching out new material to post in their forums.
8. Has a thick hide and is not easily offended by the comments of other members.
9. Can accept constructive criticism and direction from the Admins without feeling belittled.
10. Has a daily job that allows them time to jump into and out of the forums all through the day.
===
If you think YOU might be the right man or woman for the job, and would be interested in taking on the challenge, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE outlining WHY I should consider you and which forum you think you would be best at moderating.
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