I daresay most people who've used the forums for more than a month or so know who the mods are because some mod-related thread keeps popping up, so it doesn't really matter to us.

So I suppose the only real question is whether it helps to have new people know who the mods are, and I think it does. People who've used forums anywhere know to follow mods instructions. Further, they're more likely to click on your profiles, and all the mod profiles I've seen tell them to mail webdipmod@gmail for cheating allegations. That seems to be an easier way to locate that email ID than the place where it is currently.

@Geo

First, I didn't think any mods would have a problem with the badge. That was an oversight on my part and I'm sorry for not discussing it in private before asking the forum.

There are a few reasons I think the badge would be helpful:

1) Many mods have info about how to report cheating in their profile. It would be helpful if players knew which profiles they could click for information.
2) Occasionally, the mods do need to act on the forum in an official capacity (more on this below). I think it's helpful for people to understand that a mod is telling them something.
3) Because most of our work is done behind the scenes, I think a lot of the community gets the impression that we aren't very active. This could lead to a lot of the cheating we see. Perhaps if people saw this site does, in fact, have a lot of active mods, they'd be less inclined to cheat in the first place.

As to regulation on the forum, I agree that it should be self-moderated. That's one of the reasons I still actively participate on this forum after 3 years. However, when the freedom of the forum starts negatively affecting gameplay, something needs to be done. That's the quickest way to lose our top players and scare off new ones.

Posting cheating accusations and discussing on-going games is a clear violation of the rules and should be dealt with immediately and harshly. It is unfair for a player to have to defend themselves on the forum while playing a game. Breaking these rules on the forum turns this site into a meta-gaming bukake and it needs to stop.

Temporary Global Muting or Thread Locking are reasonable alternatives to point docking. They run the risk of becoming draconian, but as long as we're careful to only use them in the above cases, I think it would be fine.

I think having badges that mods can toggle on and off is an excellent idea. Or, perhaps we should only have one or two mods that are responsible for the forum.

I think that the checkerboards help, but aren't really necessary, considering most of the work is done behind the scenes. However I am in favor of them.

Agree ABG. Forum mods would be great. And you are also right, i thought the mods were lazy when i did my thing. But toggle off. Just make an undercover mod two if thats what you want, i.e. people who are mods but no one knows they are.

@abge

I'm good for #1 and #3. Finally someone mentions why they'd be useful.
But #2 is useless until we have actions we can take against repeated forum insubordination.

Have to back Geo - Kestas ripped out your teech when he told you all to stop docking points. Until you get a means of punishing the violators, it isn't going to stop them.

@D33

There is absolutely no benefit to having undercover mods.

@Geo

I won't disagree with you there.

I've got a ten day break in a week. I'll spend some of that time looking at the forum code. I really want a squelch button.

If people click our profiles just to find out what the icon is and they see links to rules and warnings about breaking them, that's good enough for me. But if it also increases the amount of direct PMs I receive... I dunno. But in either case, I don't think the checkers should come back UNTIL we have a tool or set of tools for moderating the forums.

There is an advantage to undercover mods, as they could trick and sneak and go into the gray area and not have there action logged for all to see on request (one of the player rights, but my requests have been denied, but thats another story...) And a forum mod or two is a really good idea, because that person or persons could exclusively moderate the forums and delete rule-breaking threads, etc. And since they deal exclusively with the forums you would not have to worry about mod powers being abused since they wouldn't do anything else. I'd almost do it if needed. Not hard.

Ha.

As a player, you do not have the right to see our logs. Whatever gave you that impression?

And no, you will not do it. Please stop asking.

Geo, I didn't know you were a coder...?

"Mod & admin actions are logged, and can be checked over if requested."

By a more senior mod, or by Kestas. Logs are not publicly disclosed. I'd like to make that clear.

this ain't a democracy, folks. Think of communist russia and we are the KGB...

Mod & admin actions are logged, and can be checked over if requested.

Read the rulebook. This is what it says. It says nothing about players not being able to. It fact, it even suggestes they are. That needs to be clarified.

@D33

I just clarified it for you.

And we should be able to vote for mods, the community should, like on wikipedia (where i am a mod, or administrator, as they put it there.) :-)

And i meant clarify it in the rulebook itself, say by kestas or higher mods.

The skill, dedication, and responsibility of being a webDip mod far surpasses that of a wikipedia mod.

Furthermore, the damage done by mod who makes a mistake is much harder to fix on webDip than on wikipedia.

Personally, I see no reason to have mods be democratic. Mods need to be able to pick people that they feel they can work with. Also, there are many people who should not be mods for reasons that will never be disclosed to the community at large. Most importantly, I believe that people who want to much to be a mod want it for the wrong reasons and are exactly the people that shouldn't be one.

@D33 - Shut the fuck up already or go the fuck away. You paid *nothing* for this site. Even you rlittle copper donator icon came because *I* donated in you rname. This is Kestas' site and he will run it as *he* sees fit. If you don't like it. go build your own and no one will come to it. *Fuck*!

You are right in that abg. And i suppose this is a much smaller community than wikipedia, making it easier to rum like a communist or dictatorial government. :-)
And they should have the right to pick who they work with. But I would love to see that blacklist of people...

Sorry Draugnar. Just sharing my opinions. If it bothers you to see a different opinion,mute me and shut up. I will return the favor...

Fine and done...

I'm sure you would. Because what you care about is power and having access to secrets. What Mods care about is making sure everyone can have a fun time playing diplomacy.

Great. Now I can have peace from him.

@ Draugnar: Could you get a po box and send me the address? I want to buy you a mall-cop badge for Christmas that you can wear when you're logged on here.

j/k...sort of...

I vote for having the checkerboard, or some other denotation for mods.

LOL! I could probably get a real cop badge, but my brother might get in trouble for giving me one of his old ones from Warren County.

"Should I be a Mod" decision tree:

* Is there a pressing need for a new moderator?
Yes: Continue. No: End
Explaination: If there isn't a need for someone else, why add one? It's just going to add complexity

* Is the job one you are qualified *and have time* to do?
Yes: Continue. No: End
Explaination: If they're looking for a moderator, it's to take a load off. Making them train you adds to the load, not decreases it

* Are you going to have to deal with morons that you don't have the time or patience to deal with?
No: Continue. Yes: End
Explaination: Being a mod means that you will always have someone who thinks you're doing something wrong - either by being too harsh or by not being harsh enough. Plus you can't just ignore the jackasses, because - unless you're going to lower the banhammer - they're a member of the site and entitled to raise issues to the moderators as well.

* Are you going to be able to act with the highest ethical standards, both by recognizing that your status as a moderator means you no longer represent just yourself but the entity you moderate, *and* not using your moderation powers for anything but the duties you have agree to do?
Yes: Continue. No: End
Explaination: If you see an off duty police officer screaming obscenities, you think "that member of the police is wrong", not "that person is wrong". You wear a badge, you represent that entity, for good or ill - which means that the other mods represent *you* if they do something stupid. Additionally, if you use your powers for evil, you will not only lose them, you will be reviled much more than if you were just a garden vareity nitwit.

* Do you have the respect of a majority of the entity's members?
Yes: Continue. No: End
Explaination: No one wants an idiot in charge, and raising an idiot to the level of moderator raises questions about the judgement of the moderators as a whole. If people, in general, think there are imbeciles on the mod team, they're not going to feel any desire to go to the mod team to deal with issues, and will likely leave or try to deal with problems themselves.

* Are you a fucking moron?
Yes: Continue. No, seriously, continue. Nag and nag and nag, because you'll wear them down with time! They'll see what an asset you'd be if you just bring it up at EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY!
No: Either throw your hat in the ring if they're soliciting new mods or wait for them to approach you - and don't get butthurt if they don't. You're not the only qualified person out there, Mr. Egomaniac

You'd be fine as long as you don't put it on when you're out and on your phone.