Questions about moderators

[Mac'nCheese]

Not sure if these questions are unanswerable due to the rules. Please close the thread if they are:

1. How long do moderators jobs last? As long as they want or is there a set time?
2. Can a moderator lose their jobs if they break forum rules or do they just go on a t-o like everyone else and come back as mods the t-o is over?

[grapes911]

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail but here are some general answers.

For the most part mods can hang around as long as they wish. There is no term length mandating they retire.

I can't think of any situation where mod has revived a TO, but I guess it could happen. As far as I know it would be uncharted territory and the admins would handle it as they see fit.

[stridemat]

Edit* Too slow...

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

1. How long do moderators jobs last? As long as they want or is there a set time?
2. Can a moderator lose their jobs if they break forum rules or do they just go on a t-o like everyone else and come back as mods the t-o is over?

1. For as long as they want to remain an active moderator on MacRumors.
2. Moderators could be de-modded. We abide by the same set of rules as everyone else. I am sure the decision would be upon discussion with the Admin team. However, it is not a 'job' per say. We are all volunteers.

[balamw]

Originally Posted by stridemat

1. For as long as they want to remain an active moderator on MacRumors.

"active" is probably a bit of a stretch. We certainly have some "active" mods that only pop in once in a while these days.

Originally Posted by stridemat

We are all volunteers.

This cannot be overstated. We are users first, mods second. This isn't a "job" as we don't get compensated for it.

B

[Shrink]

Originally Posted by balamw

This isn't a "job" as we don't get compensated for it.

B

So all of those extremely strange and exotic virtual sexual practices that occur during "meetings" don't count as compensation!!??

[Doctor Q]

Here are answers from the administrators:

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

Not sure if these questions are unanswerable due to the rules. Please close the thread if they are:

1. How long do moderators jobs last? As long as they want or is there a set time?

Members can volunteer to help MacRumors as a moderator for any mutually agreeable amount of time. Some members have been moderators for over a decade, some for less than a year. Some don't mind the work and some decide it's not the right work for them.

2. Can a moderator lose their jobs if they break forum rules or do they just go on a t-o like everyone else and come back as mods the t-o is over?

They can be disciplined or lose their forum membership for breaking rules, just like any other member. They are also subject to additional conditions as a moderator, and can lose their moderator privileges based on those conditions.

[Mac'nCheese]

Thank you for all the posts and if the one about the meetings is true: sign me up!!!

[theSeb]

Originally Posted by Doctor Q

Here are answers from the administrators:


Members can volunteer to help MacRumors as a moderator for any mutually agreeable amount of time. Some members have been moderators for over a decade, some for less than a year. Some don't mind the work and some decide it's not the right work for them.


They can be disciplined or lose their forum membership for breaking rules, just like any other member. They are also subject to additional conditions as a moderator, and can lose their moderator privileges based on those conditions.

Disciplined? I assume this is related to post #5.

[chown33]

Originally Posted by Doctor Q

They are also subject to additional conditions as a moderator, and can lose their moderator privileges based on those conditions.

Can the additional conditions be made public, or are they under NDA?

[Doctor Q]

Originally Posted by chown33

Can the additional conditions be made public, or are they under NDA?

The simplest summary is that staff and volunteers must make sure that our public statements and the official information we post are correct. That includes moderating as fairly and consistently as possible, observing the Privacy Policy (we're very serious and careful about that), and making sure moderation is in accordance with the rules and site policies.

The site's reputation depends on having our deeds match our words, i.e., the way we actually operate has to match all the rules and FAQs and announcements. Both administrators and moderators are subject to those conditions, but it's the biggest challenge for moderators because they spend the most time evaluating reported problems against the rules.

[Mac'nCheese]

Originally Posted by Doctor Q

The simplest summary is that staff and volunteers must make sure that our public statements and the official information we post are correct. That includes moderating as fairly and consistently as possible, observing the Privacy Policy (we're very serious and careful about that), and making sure moderation is in accordance with the rules and site policies.

The site's reputation depends on having our deeds match our words, i.e., the way we actually operate has to match all the rules and FAQs and announcements. Both administrators and moderators are subject to those conditions, but it's the biggest challenge for moderators because they spend the most time evaluating reported problems against the rules.

That blows me away. The stuff I've seen moderators post -and yes I've reported it- are so inappropriate at times.

[balamw]

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

That blows me away. The stuff I've seen moderators post -and yes I've reported it- are so inappropriate at times.

There are plenty of things that users post that are inappropriate that are not against the rules or otherwise actionable. We try to make it clear when we are posting official information vs. our own personal posts as users of the site through various means. I tend to prepend "MOD NOTE:" when I am speaking for the site.

If you want an accounting of why your reports may not have been acted on, use the "Contact Us" link and the admins will review and get back to you in private.

B

[Mac'nCheese]

Originally Posted by balamw

There are plenty of things that users post that are inappropriate that are not against the rules or otherwise actionable. We try to make it clear when we are posting official information vs. our own personal posts as users of the site through various means. I tend to prepend "MOD NOTE:" when I am speaking for the site.

If you want an accounting of why your reports may not have been acted on, use the "Contact Us" link and the admins will review and get back to you in private.

B

Well it seems the specific posts I was referring has had some action taken against it since I last checked. One final question, if you don't mind: what does user title: "guest" mean. I looked it up in the list and only saw the usual titles listed: nembie...member...mac names...etc....

[Moyank24]

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

Well it seems the specific posts I was referring has had some action taken against it since I last checked. One final question, if you don't mind: what does user title: "guest" mean. I looked it up in the list and only saw the usual titles listed: nembie...member...mac names...etc....

I believe that means that the person in question asked to cancel his/her account, so he is no longer a "member" of the site.

[Mac'nCheese]

Originally Posted by Moyank24

I believe that means that the person in question asked to cancel his/her account, so he is no longer a "member" of the site.

That makes perfect sense. It's all coming together now...ok thank you for all the input.

[Doctor Q]

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

One final question, if you don't mind: what does user title: "guest" mean.

It's covered in the Wiki:

What do the "In Time-Out" and "Banned" and "Guest" user titles mean?

We might still have some users with title "Retired", which means the same as "Guest". See the 'retired' members? thread.

[annk]

Originally Posted by balamw

There are plenty of things that users post that are inappropriate that are not against the rules or otherwise actionable. We try to make it clear when we are posting official information vs. our own personal posts as users of the site through various means. I tend to prepend "MOD NOTE:" when I am speaking for the site.

If you want an accounting of why your reports may not have been acted on, use the "Contact Us" link and the admins will review and get back to you in private.

B

I'll just add that - speaking in a general sense, and based on experience of reading post reports - "inappropriate" is often a matter of personal opinion or taste. We get post reports from members who are very indignant over a comment or the wording of a comment, but there's no rule broken and TBH none of us sees the problem, even after discussing and trying to see it from all possible angles. If we deleted every comment reported as being inappropriate, I can promise you we would be accused of rampant censorship.

Some comments are of course over the line for a vast majority of members - that's not what I'm referring to here, just so that's clear.

[BRLawyer]

I got suspended a couple of days for "insulting" another user when he slandered me - of course I don't agree with such moderation double standards, especially when the slandering statement still stands in a given thread; does this fall under the category of possible moderation abuse as well?

[Doctor Q]

Originally Posted by BRLawyer

I got suspended a couple of days for "insulting" another user when he slandered me - of course I don't agree with such moderation double standards, especially when the slandering statement still stands in a given thread; does this fall under the category of possible moderation abuse as well?

I doubt it, since it's more likely to be a difference of opinion about the rules, but contact us and ask for a review and we'll find out for sure and tell you. Or give us an OK to post the details here.