Too many moderators?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

In a now closed thread LeahandLucas wrote:

And to the VJ moderators....there are TOOOOO many of you on here for starters that "think" you have alot of power. I have been on VJ since late 2003 when this was created, only now im under a different name.

Im not a moderator like some here who have been on for a bit and then want to become moderators.

VJ needs to go to a VOTE to ELIMINATE a GOOD MAJORITY of the moderators as well, have it like it used to be, when the creator of this site, Steve had it....

As a moderator I wanted to respond to this and allow others a chance to weigh in as well.

VJ is no longer the same site it was when it was created back in 2003. Seven years later, as of the time of this posting, we have 73,784 members with multiple new memberships being added every day. There are 47 very active forums, some with hundreds of posts a day. I don't have the statistics of how VJ was set up when it first started but I do know that the site has grown immensely even since the time I became a member early in 2006. I know it is a vastly different site now than when it was first created.

Moderation isn't about having power, and personally, I think anyone who finds 'power' attractive should be eliminated as a choice for a moderator. None of the current moderation team are power hungry, nor do they enjoy 'throwing their weight around'. Moderation is about making the site supportive and accessible, both in content and in structure. The Terms of Service are designed as a framework within which we work to help make that happen. As I have mentioned previously the Lion's share of moderation activity happens in the Off Topic (now Politics and Religion) forums which actually have nothing to do with immigration but are here for the benefit of VJ members. I will also add that it is a small group of 'regulars' who receive the majority of moderation attention.

I know that I did not ask to become a moderator. I did not seek it out nor did I consider it an option until Administration approached me with the request. I even took a few days to consider whether I was willing to put myself into that position, knowing that if I took it on, I would be putting in the effort to to do the best job that I could and that it was a big responsibility. I wasn't sure if I was up to that responsibility. Some people may see the 'power' in the job; for me, I just see the 'responsibility'.

Moderators work based upon receiving reports from VJ members about posts or threads that are problematic - whether it is a content issue or if the thread is in the wrong place or violates one of the TOS. We receive multiple reports every day - far more than one moderator can handle. Moderators are volunteers. We receive no remuneration, no benefits, no perks. (We don't even know Captain Ewok's real name ). We donate our time and our energy and share our immigration expertise because we believe in what this site is about and what it has to offer. It can be very hard work at times and I know there are days we all dread turning on the computer because we are tired of having to face the barrage of reports. Not all reports are valid, but they still all have to be investigated. Sometimes the investigation requires reading over every post in that thread. Some thread are 20 pages or more long. Reading with the intent to understand context can take several hours, but that is what is required to make an informed and fair decision. Again, we do this because we believe in what VJ stands for, not because we are power hungry. We are offering back to the site our services as a way of saying thank you for the help the site has given us.

While you obviously disagree, VJ currently does not have too many moderators. We have 5 global moderators who all have private lives and families of their own. We also have 3 Regional moderators who bring additional skills that those forums require into the mix. They too have private lives and families of their own. Because these are volunteer positions and we all have responsibilities in the real world, It is not reallistic to assign a 'schedule' that Moderator A is on duty from 6 am to noon with moderator B on duty noon to 6 pm, etc. There are times we are all on line and times no one is on line. There are times when one moderator is carrying the majority of the load while other moderators attend to necessary activities in their own work and family lives. Even if the site decided to employ full time paid moderators, it would require a number of people to do the work based on the workload and the volume of posts.

While it would be nice if we could all return to a safer, quieter, calmer time when VJ was young and small and everyone was actively focused on providing a supportive community to help each other over the rough spots of immigration, that VJ no longer exists. It is a much more complex organization now and the size of the moderation team addresses that reality.

Finally, VJ is a privately owned site. It is not a democracy. Members do not 'vote' on how the site is managed or maintained. That responsibility belongs solely to the site owners and administrator - not the moderators and not the members. They get to set the rules and we get to play on their site as long as we are willing to play by the rules. The moderation team is kind of like the 'playground monitors'.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Kathryn41

[Darnell 8,478]

LeahandLucas

Alas - VJ today is not the VJ of yesteryear, circa 2003.

Totally different 'animal' - can't even righteously compare the two beasties -

a Venn Diagram would only have about 2 tiny bits of convergence.

If you are 'tripping over' a mod, or a collection of mods, that have personally displayed too much power to YOU, then strongly suggest you make a complaint to The Site Owner, Cap'n Ewok. In time, he'll reply back with a very pointed response.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I have been around since 2004 and oh ya, VJ has changed and prob not for the better---yes, i just stay away from the off topic forum,lol