Moderation AMA

Author: bsh1

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On September the 10th, it will have been one year since Virt and I were installed as Deputy and Chief Moderator, respectively, by Debateart.com, the site owner. 

During this year, moderation has adopted a system of practices which allow a great deal of freedom of speech but which also protect the mutual civility which is necessary for reasoned debate to occur. Moderation has established rules in consultation with the general usership in order to allow the site public to have a say in determining particularly important and controversial policies. Moderation has, with every effort being made towards fairness and impartiality, enforced those rules and policies. And, moderation has attempted to be highly engaged on the site and to address legitimate concerns put to it by the usership whenever those concerns arise.

This AMA is being held to offer the usership a further opportunity to express concerns and ask questions such that moderation can address and answer them to the extent it is able. This AMA will also prove useful to moderation in helping us evaluate our policies and practices on year on, so that appropriate and considered adjustments can be made where necessary.

This AMA will last until 6:30pm, EST, on September the 12th. This will allow ample time for questioning, but will provide a point of conclusion to the process, hopefully to reign in any resulting drama (though I appeal to all members to be civil). I will be taking all questions not specifically addressed to Virt, Ram, or Castin. All four of us will participate as indicated. This is a moderation AMA, and so questions not strictly related to moderation issues (including personal and technical/features questions) might not be answered.

The AMA is now open, and I look forward to a robust discussion.
David
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Hello guys! It is hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since we were appointed. I am pleased with the progress the site has made and can’t wait to see what’s in the future. 
PressF4Respect
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Can’t wait to see what RM thinks of this

Ramshutu
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Hey everyone, it’s not been a year since I’ve been added; so I’m still somewhat new. Feel free to ask me questions about voting rules and voting interpretation.
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@Castin
@David
@bsh1
@Ramshutu
What does it take to be a mod?
David
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@PressF4Respect
What does it take to be a mod?
Patience and lots of it. It sometimes feels like trying to tame at a bunch of middle schoolers. 
bsh1
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@PressF4Respect
Formally, either I or the site owner would appoint someone as a mod. That is how one becomes a mod. What does it take? Patience, willingness to conform to the letter of the rules yourself, intelligence, maturity, and fairness.
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@Castin
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@Ramshutu
Am I qualified? :3
David
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@PressF4Respect
Am I qualified? :3
No comment. 
bsh1
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@PressF4Respect
We're not considering appointing you to any moderation position at this time.

Vader
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I am the Head Discord Mod. You can ask me question too
bsh1
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@Vader
This AMA is solely for DART's main site. Discord questions are better hosted in a separate thread.
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@bsh1
Lol fine be PETTY like that
oromagi
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What was the most difficult decision addressed by mods over the past year?
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@PressF4Respect
You have to take the responsibility seriously, and have the ability to remove your personal feelings. There have been votes I have felt were terrible, but I have not removed as they were sufficient and vice versa: and it’s tough trying to explain that to someone, knowing that the vote was bad.

Ramshutu
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@oromagi
For me, it was actually accepting being a moderator.
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@Ramshutu
because of the conflict with also being a great competitive debater?
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:( 
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Jk it’s fine
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@oromagi
What was the most difficult decision addressed by mods over the past year?
Most permanent ban decisions are extremely difficult, and often equally so.
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@bsh1
What was the most difficult decision addressed by mods over the past year?
Most permanent ban decisions are extremely difficult, and often equally so.

I agree with this. 
Ramshutu
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@oromagi
Partly, though I took the job prior to my mediocre run of marginal successes. It was more being sure of my ability to not be a cantankerous a*** on official moderator actions.



Castin
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@PressF4Respect
What does it take to be a mod?
Doing the right thing even when it's unpopular.

oromagi
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if all goes according to plan, what does moderation on DART look like 5 years from now?
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@oromagi
if all goes according to plan, what does moderation on DART look like 5 years from now?
Hitler's regime where races are killed. Stalin's regime where political opposition was killed

Joke by the way and since I ain't a moderator I wasn't even supposed to answer. 

Side note:
Your profile picture frightens me. It reminds me of the weeping angels from Doctor Who. Thankfully I haven't seen those dumbass statues in real life because I know the best place to be well informed on history, Wikipedia or maybe I forgot :( .  Even with the countless scary shite I watch I still don't have a better tolerance to things that I am frightened by. Oh well guess I am going to be the first to die in a cliché horror set pieces or maybe I'll be lucky or something. 
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@oromagi
if all goes according to plan, what does moderation on DART look like 5 years from now?
Much as it does now. There are no radical changes that we are hoping to implement.
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@bsh1
Ask mike why he has made it impossible for Iframes to capture his site without a work around.  He is pissing me off. 
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Replace damn door with late moderators not awake vote.
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@PressF4Respect
Am I qualified? :3
I won't know if your body will accept the implant until I install it in your brain.

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I have a question why were King_8 and Dr Franklin banned