ITT we discuss why you staffers can't moderate Microsoft's Window

The reason we prefer to choose "overall" moderators instead of ones who specialize in certain forums is due to moderator turnover.

For instance, let us say that NYRSkate, RacinReaver and I all step down for various, external reasons. This would leave a small gap, one which might require filling, depending upon GFF's activity.

In this case, the remaining moderators would look to the newest among them and see if they've shown enough capacity to "graduate" into wider responsibilities. Today's moderators might be tomorrow's Admins.

So, in choosing new mods, yes, we often have an idea of where we'd like them to begin. But we also hold the hope that he or she will mature into the role and expand their duties to the entire board. There's no truly good reason to limit an experienced moderator to only one or two forums.

Understand that when we take on new staff members, we do put them where there's a direct need for moderation. We expect that they'll be reasonably eager to prove themselves worthy of the gift of authority. But more importantly, we want that person to be well-adjusted enough that, should the need arise, we'll be able to depend upon him/her for more than just tending to one or two niche forums.

Believe me. I wish there was a quick, simple solution to the Microsoft's Window. Out of sheer curiosity, I looked in there and yes, I agree, it needs help. And I did take care of a few things. But I know it's not enough. Frankly, I don't know squat about the X-Box, so unless a comment is 100% blatant spam, I'm not the best person to make judgements upon that forum and its participants.

Yet in choosing someone to tend to Microsoft's Window, we realize that it's shortsighted to expect that person to oversee one forum and one forum only, forever. This is why we look for the "overall" candidate long before we consider the "specialist".


I'd also like to say that Pang was asked to be a moderator last year. For a brief while, he accepted. Then, with little reason given, he had a change of heart and stepped down from his duties. While we didn't understand why, we let him do as he wished. As far as we understood, he couldn't reconcile participating amongst the "establishment" while several uncited issues went unchecked. Conflicts of interest, I gather.

Now, to see him jockeying for moderation priveleges in Microsoft's Window, I am greatly amused. Not that I am thinking it'd be great to have Pang on staff again. I contemplate his rejoining and am only met with visions of his inevitable ennui and subsequent re-retirement. The entire suggestion seems ultimately pointless. I only laugh at his current argument in the sense that a parent might laugh at a young child who threatens to run away from home, a parent who knows it's an idle threat and that the child will be back as soon as it is cold and hungry.

As soon as the political winds shift at GFF, so too will Pang's interest in cleansing Microsoft's Window of its current malaise.

Jam it back in, in the dark.