NationStates Jolt Archive

For all mods, (Do NOT answer these questions unless you are a mod. You may post your own questions, but only mods may answer, please) I have a few(?) questions for you. When you answer them, please say which number you are answering. (These are not only for me. I know the answers to a few of them. Those are just for those who don't.)

1. What is a mod?
2. What does a mod do?
3. How does one go about being a mod?
4. Who decides who becomes mods?
5. What are the good parts about being a mod?
6. The bad?
7. Is being a mod good or bad overall?
8. Can a mod own a nation?
9. Can a mod RP?
10. Can a mod go to war?
11. Can a mod do other things besides moderation (eg. war, trade, ect.) ?
12. Can a mod be in the UN?

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=102087

I am NOT a Mod but thought you might find this helpful...it is stickied about 5 spots above your post...

8,9,10,11 and 12: yes (although 10 is not different than by normal players (RPG))

and read the thread suggested by BM :wink:

1. A volunteer who helps keep things in order, i.e. making sure the rules are obeyed.
2. See above.
3. By having an excellent understanding of the rules, a level head, an impartial approach and many other qualities.
4. [violet]
5. The satisfaction that justice is being served.
6. It's stressful.
7. Being a mod shouldn't be an end in itself.
8. Yes.
9. Yes.
10. Yes..
11. Yes.
12. Yes.

To help explain it a little bit, since Sirocco's answers to 8-12 might bring up more questions, moderators (atleast those that own nations under their moderator name) have two distinct sets of characteristics. The first is the OOC (Out of Character) in which the moderator performs his or her duties and helps run the forums and/or the game. The second is the IC (In Character) in which a moderator is now an equal player and no better than anyone else, despite their job. Now IC is the persona they take on when RPing and OOC is the persona they take on when they are performing the various tasks associated with moderating.

To help explain it a little bit, since Sirocco's answers to 8-12 might bring up more questions, moderators (atleast those that own nations under their moderator name) have two distinct sets of characteristics. The first is the OOC (Out of Character) in which the moderator performs his or her duties and helps run the forums and/or the game. The second is the IC (In Character) in which a moderator is now an equal player and no better than anyone else, despite their job. Now IC is the persona they take on when RPing and OOC is the persona they take on when they are performing the various tasks associated with moderating.I understand that thats slightly different when it comes to region crashing/ invasion type war, there are different guidelines that mods go by.

1. What is a mod?
A: I am a mod. Only kidding, it's short for "moderator" and basically means that we help run the game. You have a problem, you come to us, we try desperately to solve the problem while juggling competing interests, everyone else weighs in and starts calling us corrupt.

2. What does a mod do?
A: Everything from moving threads to the right forums and "stickying" them (putting them permanently at the top of the forum) through to deleting and resurrecting nations. Basically, if something happens which isn't caused by the server mangling things and you can't do, we do it.

3. How does one go about being a mod?
A: One waits until one is told about a problem that needs to be resolved and then one uses the tools that we have access to in order to solve it. Sometimes, in the case of UN proposals and some highly suspicious nation activity, we are more pro-active than that.

4. Who decides who becomes mods?
A: [violet] appears to do most of the appointments these days, although as I recall it I was Emailed by Max when I was appointed.

5. What are the good parts about being a mod?
A: The all-too-fleeting sense that we're actually helping this community to work. That and the telegrams I sometimes get sent saying "thanks for locking this thread" or "good job on that business".

6. The bad?
A: Whenever people forget that we're not machines and therefore can't do everything at once. Also the frequent accusations of bias - "bias" seems to be short-hand for "a rule which disadvantages me".

7. Is being a mod good or bad overall?
A: I quite like it. It's given me a new appreciation for how these sorts of things run, I've learned a fair bit about computers as a result of the things we do and I've probably met more people as a mod than I would have as plain old Enodia.

8. Can a mod own a nation?
A: Very much so. I'm talking to you from mine right now. A lot of mods also have puppets.

9. Can a mod RP?
A: Yes. Can a mod RP well? Depends on the mod. I don't tend to do much RP as Enodia, but I've got some puppets lying around with story ideas gradually working out, so I do a bit of it.

10. Can a mod go to war?
A: See above, although I'm not a big fan of straight-out war RPs. Characters are my thing. If you're talking region crashing and defending, my personal response is that I'd stay more than well enough away from that sort of thing. Enough people complain about bias in the first place, so there's no need to give them any more ammunition.

11. Can a mod do other things besides moderation (eg. war, trade, ect.)?
A: See question 9.

12. Can a mod be in the UN?
A: Yep. Stephistan and I both are, and I think one or two others are as well. Even where the main nations aren't, there's obviously nothing stopping a mod's puppet nation from being in the UN.

Thanks for all of your help. I'm now leaving this thread for all and any questions about mods. So if you have questions for them, go ahead and post here.

bump (so that I may help many)

bump (so that I may help many)

1. What is a mod? A sort of unpaid volunteer appointed game/forum staff member who handles rule enforcement issues and helps players understand stuff.
2. What does a mod do? Wades through lots of demands for assistance and does what one can to address the issues that arise.
3. How does one go about being a mod? Logging on to wade through that stuff. Sometimes it means giving a player some pointers, other times it means weighing some evidence, deciding whether rules have been broken and acting on it, other times it means passing stuff on to someone more familiar with the issues.
4. Who decides who becomes mods? [violet] chooses, although I assume that being the owner of the site, Max has the final say.
5. What are the good parts about being a mod? People being appreciative when you resolve something for them.
6. The bad? People bitching when you're doing your best operating in a grey area.
7. Is being a mod good or bad overall? I suppose it is good. Depends on the individual, really. I have found it hard at times.
8. Can a mod own a nation? Of course. All Moderators are promoted nations.
9. Can a mod RP? Yes, and most do.
10. Can a mod go to war? Yes, in RP certainly. Although region-crashing is frowned upon as a potential source of conflicts of interest.
11. Can a mod do other things besides moderation (eg. war, trade, ect.) ? Yes.
12. Can a mod be in the UN? Yes. Some are in fact Regional Delegates.

Isn't this a bit redundant, considering there's a sticky about the topic?

Yeah but "sticky-blindness" is rampant these days.

OOC: Why do the mods keep answering my questions. Can't they see that I've already got the answers. Go to the top of the page and you'll see that.

Siswai Aman, I'm not blind. I know what a sticky is. Some of this was to help others who are sticky blind.

Siswai Aman, I'm not blind. I know what a sticky is. Some of this was to help others who are sticky blind.
I think you misunderstood my intent slightly.
I simply meant my statement to mean that the thread was not redundant because some people are sticky-blind.
I did not mean it to imply that you were sticky-blind and my apologies if that's the way it came out.

OOC: Why do the mods keep answering my questions. Can't they see that I've already got the answers. Go to the top of the page and you'll see that.

First, this forum is OOC, so, you don't need to state that. Second, the made a thread, and therefore, anyone can post in it until it's locked.