Thoughts of a moderator newbie |
Thanks to Abby for the banner! I would first like to point out that we (the new mods) have a three month supervised try out period before we potentially become official moderators So, I became a mod... Definitely didn't see that one coming! I became a member in late February (2020) and since the beginning I've seen a lot of negative things being said about the mods on this site. They're biased, they're corrupt, they abuse their powers and extra functions. Sounds pretty bad, doesn't it? So why did I apply? To be completely honest, I was curious. And I thought, if everybody really was this biased, I could be a more neutral player since I don't have a lot of close friends on here. Also, I thought there's no way they're actually going to choose me, right? Quite ironic tbh, hahah. So I began writing my application, without the intention of actually sending it in. I had nothing better to do that evening and still thought how ironic it would be if I was to apply for real. I finished my application and sent it to Teabag (we're siblings so ofc I was gonna share with him lol). He said that "It's a good text. The only reason you wouldn't get in is bc they don't know you. And you sound too nice 😂". I figured he was probably right, but since everything was written and done, why not send it in? A couple of weeks go by and I make it to bootcamp together with four other people. I'd seen a few of them in forums but I didn't actually know anyone so I was a bit nervous to meet everyone. But they all turned out to be very chill and fun people to have discussions with! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've seen people wonder what it is we did in bootcamp.. We were given made up scenarios of common fights/disagreements where we had to discuss how to handle the situations. We also had a writing exercise where we got to write out warnings/time-outs to 10 different scenarios (also made up). We got to know each other and just chat in general in between the lessons we had. I was surprised to see how well organised it actually was, I had way less expectations. Now, with being in bootcamp and actually becoming a mod, there's already been a lot of judgement from people. I had people tell me to "enjoy my freedom" as if being a mod was going to censor me, or turn me into a robot. Clearly, I can't speak for the others; but I don't really feel any different than I did a few weeks ago. It's weird to see my username in blue with a badge next to it, and I've definitely gotten more attention this past week than I ever did before. It's an adjustment for sure. Ngl, it feels way more nerv wracking to have to do this "live" rather than in made up scenarios. But it won't change my whole personality haha. My goal as a moderator is to be as neutral as I can, in any given situation. And to be the sarcastic trashcan I usually am! If there's anything you want to know, feel free to ask in the comments or PM me! I hope you somewhat enjoyed reading what's been going on inside my head these past few weeks, it was definitely a fun challenge to write it out (and to make it make sense lmao). I'll see ya around in the forums! ✌🏼 |