I can't imagine *anyone* wanting the aggravation of being a mod

it must be a totally thankless task.  Imagine having to mediate with fms you've known for anything up to 10 years!!  Impossible.

I know no one in their right mind would nominate me (and rightly so ).

I'd be like Cags ~ on a bad day we'd clear the forum in a week

On one of my bad days it'd take me about an hour 

LMAO !!  Yeah you could well be right ~ I was maybe a wee bit optimistic

I agree with the majority. There is too much bad history between too many FM's for anyone to be 100% impartial 

Hi hun, as you can see success!  Thanks to you, Lori gave me the golden key

to you.

Did you get banned?

Hi San

I'm shocked, glad to see they let you back Aquarius!

Jen, someone that we both know is prone to porky pies

I got locked out (for weeks!) cos my password kept getting rejected.

Banned....Moi?

Its good to be back tho.

Thats why i was shocked! I couldn't see you being banned!

Glad you got back in hun xx

I was a member of a forum where we 'self moderated' with the occasional visits from the 'proper mods'. 

One person kept causing really bad problems so it was decided that mods were needed from amongst our FMs.  Two people who were almost as bad as the one that was repeatedly banned were made mods even though there were better candidates if we had to have FM mods and it caused a lot of people to become uncomfortable.

The upshot was that they let the power of being a mod go to their head in that there were no double posts allowed (if you wanted to say something - you had to edit your previous post) if not you were banned, you couldn't quote entire posts - only the bit you were particularly referring to, pictures were to be a regulation size which was really quite small (not much bigger than our profile pictures) no warning just the ban stick - however, if you were their friends you were sent a polite message to change what you'd done wrong and no ban but if you weren't their friend, it was instant ban, although most were overturned on appeal to the admin.

The upshot is the forum closed down eventually as no one would post as the never ending lists of dos and don't and people being banned for silly offences grew 

Sorry long post but some people can let being a 'mod' go to their head 

Thanks Pengy  

I actually used to be a member of a forum that was for the fans of a big Hollywood star.  It was started up in 1999 by a guy in Japan who was a fan of this star, and then after a couple of years, he let someone take over (Gina,) who used to live in America but now lived near him, (she was a member because she knew the original site creator personally,) but she was not a massive fan of this actor.  She didn't dislike him but she wasn't a fan.  

Then GINA appointed 2 people who she got on with, who were forum members to help her moderate, and all 3 of these women were total bitches and control freaks and they would really lord it over you and threaten you with the banstick if you crossed the line, and they also had a go if you used their bandwidth with huge pics.  Then when people who hated this actor came on the site to troll it, Gina did nothing and said that they were entitled to their opinion.  

It was so annoying because the site had been great for 2 years and then was ruined by making FMs moderators.  

Wonders if this is the thread we should have linked to DS to attract 'old/new members' who think that GaGa is fluffy bunny land

Oh, and Ted, maybe if Lori is to continue, she deserves a raise!

Well, NO only has ONE 'O'....so that's you banned!

Mmmmm, use of ..... That's both of us banned Fluffs!

When any Forum has a code of conduct - which all members should read and respect - a good  Moderator oversees that members adhere to that. If any member steps too far over the line the Moderator should step in regardless of whether they're a friend or not, with a warning first if necessary but it would depend on the situation. Someone who can take a step back from being an FM to being Moderator needs to be mature in their attitude, sensible and have just the right tone when it's called for, like Lori does and many other good Mods I've come across on different forums over the years. There's a couple here who I think have those qualities...maybe there's more and I've not noticed them as much lol. If anyone from here is chosen I think Ted and/or Lori have enough experience to know who to choose, I wish them luck lol.

Nope you're wrong in this instance .. it wasn't the way I was saying no as I typed, it was a long drawn out noooooooooooooooooooooooo 

For Olly....

Nooooooooo! (Wrong!)

No!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (correct)

No complaints please....you're the one who introduced pedanticism after all!

I've been thinking about this- Social Strata is a business after all, and with our ever-shrinking numbers I doubt that we generate enough revenue to cover moderation costs.  

Maybe we ought to consider that if we want to continue that we have to step up to the plate and take the grown-up decision to deal with the fact that it may be a moderater/s from within our community or no community.

If it came to that point - I could deal with it ..... I could be a grown up if it was the only way to keep us together.  The Mod would need the heart of a lion, and the mind of a barrister though!

I vote for hoochie....X

 What have I ever done to you?

I can think of one person who would get the respect of all of us - but she'd probably kill me if I said who though, and I wouldn't embarrass her by pushing it. 

Oh go on!

Yes, I'd kill you! 

This is what i have been wondering, are they trying to tell us that we aren't wanted here anymore 

I vote for Hoochie as well 

nah there were definitely loads of o's in my no as I said it in my head and, I typed it literally as it was in my head. . 

not a clue how to pronounce a shed load of exclamation marks either.. they didn't come into it at all. .  

anyway back to the matter in hand. . I choose who knows my personal details and don't want anyone that I haven't chosen to know in the past to know them now, hence another reason why I wouldn't want a FM to be a Mod no matter how good they are...

A lot of you may not know that I own a Yahoo group with over 13,000 members and am known for my absolute fairness, mediation skills and yes even great tact  [believe it or not ] when dealing with the members but I still don't know if I could honestly say I would be fair as a mod on here hence not offering to help.. also I feel if a FM became a Mod they'd really have to drop back as a participating  member because it would and could look like they have favourites.. 

Good post Olly.

thanks Yogi

I forgot to mention how modest I was too, in my post..  not!

read it again and it sounds a tad pompous  . .oops, ah well I knew what I was trying to say

I agree with Olly,if someone became a mod they really would have to give up being "friends" with forumers otherwise accusations of favouritism would happen.

 Not pompous at all Olly. Good post.  

Yes. It could also be awkward say during BB, if they supported an hm that you couldn`t stand. I can`t imagine getting into a debate with a mod. 

Not at all pompous, Olly.

I can only echo what everyone has said after your long-ish post up there Olly ^^^  I think it is impossible for an FM to be a mod here.    As I said, (and forgive me for repeating myself,) there are a few people here (at least 3 I think,) who really really dislike me, and if one of them became a mod, I would be gone.  And even if it were someone I get on with (or at least I believe I get on with,) I would worry that they are friends with someone who dislikes me.  

And I don't think I am alone tbh.  A few people have a very irrational disliking for some people on here, (and I say irrational because they don't KNOW them,) and they can't let things from the past go... And some of the bitterness and hatred goes back a long way between some people.

It would be worse than a colleague you have worked with for 5 years or so,  becoming a boss of yours and your mates at work, because at least then you are face to face.  On here, people have the keyboard to hide behind. The posters who have said the rudest and most contentious and obnoxious things on here - to other posters - would not speak to the person they aim it at in real life.  I am 100% convinced of that.

FWIW, Olly, you don't sound pompous at all. You're just telling us the facts as they are 

I can see hoochie's point, and I have to say when I first saw this thread my first thought was the same as Aimee's.  I so hope I'm wrong cos I love this community.

Yep, nowt pompous about it . Impressive though!  

Maybe if the person was from here they kept their identity secret