Where are the moderators?

[Supreme2k]

From the looks of it, the only active mods right now are redwudz, mats and yoda313, with Satstorm being a semi-regular. Most of the other mods have been gone for a year or more.

It just seems odd that these people are still mods. Most of them can't really be considered members of this board. There are people who have "quit" who frequent these boards more often.

Maybe it's time to revoke most of these mod titles, at the very least to keep people from sending questions to absentee mods who will never answer them.

Here's the mod list, with their last visited dates:

BJ_M Mar 03, 2009
bugster Jul 03, 2008
Cobra Feb 01, 2008
Craig Tucker Jun 12, 2008
Faustus Apr 01, 2009
galactica Oct 11, 2007
mats.hogberg May 23, 2009
offline Dec 30, 2008
pacmania_2001 May 17, 2006
redwdz - Frequent flyer
Satstorm - frequent (only recently)
vitualis May 04, 2009
yoda313 - Frequent

I often wondered why so much junk was getting through to these boards lately, and it seems that the problem is that redwudz is pretty much the only truly active mod.

I don't really have a solution, other than to get more mods (who may or may not stick around). I am also not suggesting that I am up for the job. I am too meticulous with message boards. I would be way too ban-heavy here.

I guess another suggestion is for the other 'active" mods to pick up the pace and help redwudz out.

I understand that it's a non-paying, (at times) difficult task, but I know that most people here really appreciate it when the job is done well, which it how generally has been done.

[freebird73717]

Hey if there is a mod position open I'll do it. I'm online a good portion of the day anyway.

[lordsmurf]

I vote for bird.

[minidv2dvd]

did king baldrick call the round table for a vote

[Supreme2k]

I was trying to elicit dialog about the situation. Maybe we can do the whole nominate and vote thing if or when such a thing comes about.

Just wanted to bring this to everybody's attention. I found it odd how quiet it was from the mod front, especially with redwudz looking busier than (insert proper colloquialism here).

[guns1inger]

This is a grass roots movement, by the people, for the people. Revolution, my brothers.

@Supreme2k : you might be careful what you wish for. While I sympathise greatly with your attempts to call attention to less fortunately intellectually endowed amongst us, I can't help but think that a year ago many of your recent posts wouldn't have lasted as long as some of them did, and you would have had your wrist slapped several times as a result.

[minidv2dvd]

sorry s2k it was a only meant as a lighthearted joke.

they seem to be doing fine from what i've seen. most spam/crap gets deleted/banned quickly enough that most people miss it entirely.

[edDV]

No revolutionary would want to be a Mod. Got to be one or the other.

[Supreme2k]

@Supreme2k : you might be careful what you wish for. While I sympathize greatly with your attempts to call attention to less fortunately intellectually endowed amongst us, I can't help but think that a year ago many of your recent posts wouldn't have lasted as long as some of them did, and you would have had your wrist slapped several times as a result.

Ah, but then there's a catch-22: would the posts about which I complained have stayed (more than) a year ago?

I think that you're exaggerating about my posts.

...or wishful thinking

Seriously though, in some of those threads, I linked to threads from a couple years back that were much worse* than my so-called "bad" ones, yet literally nothing was done to the offending parties. I try to keep it civil, much more than in my "bad boy" days. Though, like lordsmurf, I tend not to mince words or coddle people.





*Not that my threads are even bad

[gll99]

Over the past year or so, I've reported dead tool links, spam, multiple same topic threads and other stuff and they've mostly been acted on very quickly. Those that weren't were probably put on the mod watch list to see where they would lead. It doesn't bother me one bit if the mods choose to wait out a thread to see where it goes before acting on it. If only a few mods are active then they've sure been doing their job.

Personally, there were a few "leading nowhere, sh!t disturber" threads I wouldn't have tolerated for so long but it wasn't my call. Knowing what has happened to a few moderators in the past, some may be extra tolerant not wanting to appear to be heavy handed.

It's a shame that over the years it's often not the newbie but it's the "frequent flyer" who perhaps out of a sense of entitlement, makes the mods' job harder by polluting threads with off topic, aggressive and often rude comments, frequently stirring up controversy thereby causing general unrest, inciting others (a few junior Wannabes) to unduly criticize fellow members for their slightest failings, prompting some to withhold their participation or questions out of fear of being ridiculed, agitating some to the point of even causing them to abandon the site altogether out of frustration and then finally either he himself leaves or goes too far and gets banned.

Since they can't see everything, IMO, the "report this post" feature is the best way we can help the remaining mods by pointing to problem/suspect posts.

@Supreme2k
You do bring up an important point. If the current/active mod list is out of date that could cause problems when trying to report something to a mod privately via pm as we are instructed to do so in the "rules". As to the rest, I guess that's in Baldrick's hands.

[Baldrick]

I have removed the non active moderators from the super moderator list.

And yes it's probably time for a new moderator or two.

[fritzi93]

It's not like the modding isn't getting done. Redwudz and Yoda do a fine job, IMO. And it's good to see Satstorm more active lately.

But if it's a question of them getting some help (and it does seem they're the most active Mods), then yeah, I would like to see Freebird become a Mod.

[gadgetguy]

In my opinion, nobody should PM a mod to report perceived violations. That should all be handled through the Report this Post function. PMs should be reserved for personal exchange and clarification of a ruling.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the mods here do an excellent job. The fact that so many mods could go inactive and it takes month/years to be noticed speaks highly of the remaining mods and the forum in general. Too bad so many went inactive without having the courtesy of notifying Baldrick.

[Seeker47]

It's a shame that over the years it's often not the newbie but it's the "frequent flyer" who perhaps out of a sense of entitlement, makes the mods' job harder by polluting threads with off topic, aggressive and often rude comments, frequently stirring up controversy thereby causing general unrest, inciting others (a few junior Wannabes) to unduly criticize fellow members for their slightest failings, prompting some to withhold their participation or questions out of fear of being ridiculed, agitating some to the point of even causing them to abandon the site altogether out of frustration and then finally either he himself leaves or goes too far and gets banned.

I don't know where you happen to travel online, or what you are comparing with what, but I'd have to rank VH as being in the upper 25-percentile, when it comes to the helpfulness and civility of the vast, vast majority of posts. And that's quite good.

Yes, there are many topic / support boards that hew more strictly to the straight and narrow course, not tolerating much in the way of "flavor" or personal expression that might rile someone. But I don't necessarily regard that as an automatic virtue. And I can tell you that there are quite a few sites that seem to be populated by dim and vicious adolescents (or those operating at that level), where newcomers are mainly viewed as being useful for target practice.

Good mods (like Redwudz) are good to have. In any case, we're well ahead of the curve here though, I'd say.

[Supreme2k]

It's a shame that over the years it's often not the newbie but it's the "frequent flyer" who perhaps out of a sense of entitlement, makes the mods' job harder by polluting threads with off topic, aggressive and often rude comments, frequently stirring up controversy thereby causing general unrest, inciting others (a few junior Wannabes) to unduly criticize fellow members for their slightest failings, prompting some to withhold their participation or questions out of fear of being ridiculed, agitating some to the point of even causing them to abandon the site altogether out of frustration and then finally either he himself leaves or goes too far and gets banned.

I understand from where you are coming, and blatant attacks do make the mods' job difficult.
On the other side of the coin "shit stirring" may be in the eye of the beholder. To some, merely saying "Do a search. That question has been answered many times." may seem harsh, though it is not the slightest. Is that not helping? Or when a first-timer comes to Videohelp asking about finding someone's IP address and is told to look elsewhere. It may actually be odd or even funny to some that a person would do that.
Also, there's a big difference between "criticizing fellow members for their slightest failings" and (for example) someone who has been here literally eight years and still doesn't use search or know how to burn a disc.


While I agree that "entitlement" is often a problem, it goes both ways. A newb who fails to read the rules (any of them), can't phrase his question correctly ("I need help" doesn't cut it), or acts like a jerk because it was pointed out that his methods are flawed, is not entitled to anything.

The old saying that's been quoted a few times here is "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Often times, here, the saying changes to "...teach a man to fish and he'll come back in 10 minutes, say that it's too hard to even try, and demand that you do it for him. Then he'll say that he solved it on his own, most likely using the method that was first suggested to him."

In my opinion, nobody should PM a mod to report perceived violations. That should all be handled through the Report this Post function. PMs should be reserved for personal exchange and clarification of a ruling.

Exactly, but I was specifically citing questions. If another member told a newbie not to cross-post (which is a simple solution), the newb may seek clarification, click on the super moderators link and pick the first guy on the list (or one of them). Chances are (before Baldrick's purge), they wouldn't get an answer.

[redwudz]

I don't get many PMs about Mod stuff. Not really a problem.

The other Mods did inform us that they would be unable to spend much time here. Several are profession people that relocated or changed jobs and some were students at university with a short time to graduation and very heavy class loads. (Pre-med in one case, then internship.)

But Baldrick still spends a lot of time in the Mod forum, from which he could probably do with some relief.

[gadgetguy]

I don't get many PMs about Mod stuff. Not really a problem.

The other Mods did inform us that they would be unable to spend much time here. Several are profession people that relocated or changed jobs and some were students at university with a short time to graduation and very heavy class loads. (Pre-med in one case, then internship.)

But Baldrick still spends a lot of time in the Mod forum, from which he could probably do with some relief.

It was an assumption on my end based on them still being mods, but not posting in such a long time. You'd think I'd know better by now. Far be it from me to question the Baldrick's ways. Be they mysterious or misunderstood, the Baldrick is always right.

[fritzi93]

Far be it from me to question the Baldrick's ways. Be they mysterious or misunderstood, the Baldrick is always right.

Oh brother. :P

[Number Six]

Far be it from me to question the Baldrick's ways. Be they mysterious or misunderstood, the Baldrick is always right.

Oh brother. :P

I KNEW somebody would go there.

[fritzi93]

Far be it from me to question the Baldrick's ways. Be they mysterious or misunderstood, the Baldrick is always right.

Oh brother. :P

I KNEW somebody would go there.

Just kidding. I know irony when I read (or hear) it. :P

[Number Six]

I know that you were only kidding fritzi

[Supreme2k]

If he wasn't kidding, he would have used this one

[Seeker47]

Also, there's a big difference between "criticizing fellow members for their slightest failings" and (for example) someone who has been here literally eight years and still doesn't use search

While I can agree that it is reasonable (in many cases) to expect someone to make the effort to at least try some Forum Topic searching before posting a query, it is a big mistake to regard searching as any kind of panacea. On numerous occasions, I have searched for something I absolutely knew was there -- because I recalled the prior thread, or may even have posted in it myself -- and yet come up with zilch. This, despite searching with various most likely keywords, different authors' names, etc. (The next time this happens, I'll be glad to document it for you, if you doubt it . . . .)

Orsetto has previously pointed out how unreliable the internal search at eBay is. The forum software used here at VH may be better for searches than what eBay has (though with their incalculably greater volume of things to search through, I wouldn't hazard a guess), but not tremendously better. And anyone who does a lot of it can tell you there is definitely an art (and maybe a bit of luck) to coming up with the right 3 or 4 keywords or phrases in order to hit your desired target in a Google search, without having to plow through 40 pages of non-relevant hits.

[Supreme2k]

Also, there's a big difference between "criticizing fellow members for their slightest failings" and (for example) someone who has been here literally eight years and still doesn't use search

While I can agree that it is reasonable (in many cases) to expect someone to make the effort to at least try some Forum Topic searching before posting a query, it is a big mistake to regard searching as any kind of panacea.

I agree, but let me amend my statement to fit with that.

The search box is not a cure-all, but searching is exactly that. "Searching" is not just Google or a blank box. It is also looking at stickies, taking a quick glance to the left, or skimming through a section or two.

The problem is twofold: people are lazy and impatient. Ironically, they will spend more time asking the question and waiting for a response than if they went directly to the solution contained in Tools ("What program do I need to burn a DVD?" Tools-->Burn) or other areas ("What capture card does *this certain thing*?")

[Bodyslide]

Maybe Make a Poll of who should be added as a Mod....Hell I can even toss my hat in for a Mod Position.....

[SatStorm]

The way I see it, the forum is not overall active as it used to be. I done that observation myself few months ago in the mod subforum. It is not only the mods that missing. Many members also do, and many new members afraid to talk. The "welcome committee" which some -older- members organized here, turned the place very difficult for the young ages, especially when they have expression difficulties and total unawareness of the laws. Don't mention the non native-english users.

Overall, we don't have many motives the last couple of years to discuss regarding our hobby. In the matter of fact, because we play here too much with the rules (and many rised a new hobby for themselfs, "hunting" bad users that is...), we are in a point that half of the things we could talk freely a few years back, now are considered illegal. For the majority, that situation is a dead end and there is no way back.

Regarding me, I'm always around but I do background job. Better that way, and less tension. I visit the place daily, and it's easy to find me with a P.M.
I prefer doing this, than being in some silly fight, because of the traps some users set up to the rest members -or even me- just for their fun. I don't have a compatible taste of humor, so I don't play their game. The forum "looses" me as a side effect, but at least, I manage to be here after all those years and doing what I wish to do here the first place: Helping others, not messing with them...

We may need a couple of new mods around. But what we really need, if you ask me, is to see some members grow up and move on doing their "fun" elsewhere. But this is another subject, for another topic.

[Bodyslide]

I like the idea of the Stealth Mod, Satstorm......Sweet

[Supreme2k]

Overall, we don't have many motives the last couple of years to discuss regarding our hobby. In the matter of fact, because we play here too much with the rules (and many rised a new hobby for themselfs, "hunting" bad users that is...), we are in a point that half of the things we could talk freely a few years back, now are considered illegal. For the majority, that situation is a dead end and there is no way back.

Can you elaborate on that? What exactly is illegal now that wasn't a few years back? All of the same types of topics are still around, only adjusted for new technologies.


Your whole post shows a problem in itself. You are very prone to take this "job" personally. Just the phrase "because of the traps some users set up" screams volumes about it.

As a mod, adam also had this problem, often heavily implying "My word is law! I'm a lawyer!" He is much better as a "regular" now.

Even though this board is primarily in English, it would be preposterous to think that it is exclusive to native speakers. I often find myself on Russian boards for video and animation, so I know how it feels to be misunderstood. That is why I often ask if English is their native language. I try to find out whether there is a language barrier, or if it's simply some lazy person using texting-speak or (intentionally) horrible grammar.

[Dv8ted2]

The way I see it, the forum is not overall active as it used to be. I done that observation myself few months ago in the mod subforum. It is not only the mods that missing. Many members also do, and many new members afraid to talk. The "welcome committee" which some -older- members organized here, turned the place very difficult for the young ages, especially when they have expression difficulties and total unawareness of the laws. Don't mention the non native-english users.

Overall, we don't have many motives the last couple of years to discuss regarding our hobby. In the matter of fact, because we play here too much with the rules (and many rised a new hobby for themselfs, "hunting" bad users that is...), we are in a point that half of the things we could talk freely a few years back, now are considered illegal. For the majority, that situation is a dead end and there is no way back.

Regarding me, I'm always around but I do background job. Better that way, and less tension. I visit the place daily, and it's easy to find me with a P.M.
I prefer doing this, than being in some silly fight, because of the traps some users set up to the rest members -or even me- just for their fun. I don't have a compatible taste of humor, so I don't play their game. The forum "looses" me as a side effect, but at least, I manage to be here after all those years and doing what I wish to do here the first place: Helping others, not messing with them...

We may need a couple of new mods around. But what we really need, if you ask me, is to see some members grow up and move on doing their "fun" elsewhere. But this is another subject, for another topic.

You mention speech and I have seen you mention it before. I do not think it is much of an issue. You are typing characters on a screen. As long as people can generally follow what you typed, that is all that matters. Try not to let it bother you.

[SatStorm]

I've been understood by those who wish to understand. The rest can keep setting traps and games. I won't play.