2:43 PM
This room (the Digest room) will contain only the questions and the candidates' answers, sorted in chronological order: So each question will be posted followed by each answer, then the next question followed by each answer, etc.
If anyone has suggestions as we go, contact me in the main Town Hall Chat room. This room is a gallery specifically so that it stays organized.
3:01 PM
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 42 secs ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
Welcome to the Super User Town Hall Chat
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 33 secs ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
We're here to get to know the candidates and discuss any questions people may have that might help with voting.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 31 secs ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
The candidates that I see here are: @Sathya, @nhinkle, @RandolphPotter, @Linker3000, @BloodPhilia, @studiohack, @KronoS, and @TomWij. @DMA57361 will join towards the end if able.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 13 secs ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
With that, anyone want to get us started with a question?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by nhinkle
Could we perhaps all introduce ourselves?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 50 secs ago, by nhinkle
Optionally saying our (real) name, where we're from, how much awesomer than @IvoFlipse we are, and something brief about ourselves
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 46 secs ago, by KronoS
Well I'll start with the intro's... My name is Krono$ and I come from the foreign land of Arizona
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, Jan 31 at 15:07, by nhinkle
Here, I'll start.
My name is nhinkle. I'm from the west coast of the USA. I'm currently studying engineering, and might minor in computer science. I like doing things outside like running and hiking, and I also like working on computers.
My name is nhinkle. I'm from the west coast of the USA. I'm currently studying engineering, and might minor in computer science. I like doing things outside like running and hiking, and I also like working on computers.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 52 secs ago, by Randolph Potter
Introduction: I'm originally from South Africa, moved to Canada last year, and love technology to the point of wanting to buy robots for my basement to <strike>take over the world</strike> make coffee.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 37 secs ago, by TomWij
Tom Wijsman, 21 y.o., Ekeren (Antwerp) @ Belgium, I agree with BloodPhilia and I'm in a four week exam period (Bachelor Computer Science) at the moment.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 17 secs ago, by Linker3000
I'm an IT Manager for an electronics and engineering company, managing two sites and lots of kit.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 secs ago, by Randolph Potter
I have worked as a SQL DBA, computer tech, software developer and high school teacher, sometimes all at the same time, and did a diploma in software support and networking, plus the NT 4 MCSE
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 24 secs ago, by studiohack
Introduction: I'm studiohack and I enjoy tech and helping people with all kinds of things. I'm a student and might pursue IT for a career.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 18 secs ago, by BloodPhilia
Hmm, well the name's Tom(my), call me whatever you like as long as I know that you're talking to me, I've been a Psychology student up until 3 weeks ago, I live in The Netherlands, not too far from IvoFlipse and I'm a community fanboy... :D Oh, and I used to work in IT but realized it's more a hobby than it is a life's aspiration.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Sathya
Intro: I'm Sathyajith Bhat ( too long, most call me Sathya/SJ), working as an Oracle Forms & PL/SQL Developer, Laptop addict, blogger, the-dude-everyone-runs-for-help-guy, gadget-maniac and most of all, SUPER USER!!!!!
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 11 secs ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
Question: How will you handle having a binding vote (to close, flag, delete, reopen...)?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 9 secs ago, by BloodPhilia
@RebeccaChernoff No different from me voting now really...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 6 secs ago, by BloodPhilia
I mean, should you change your standards once you becoma a diamond moderator?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 secs ago, by Sathya
@RebeccaChernoff some of the more obvious ones I will cast right away. If there's a little bit of doubt, I'll abstain and watch the community trend
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 secs ago, by nhinkle
@RebeccaChernoff I think I would less often vote to close things which were borderline and may or may not need to be closed. If it's blatantly off-topic, I'd close it, but if not, I'd wait to see if anyone in the community nominates it for closing first, as closing is supposed to be a democratic process
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 12 secs ago, by TomWij
@RebeccaChernoff Maintaining a list of guidelines that I can go through and thinking twice before actually performing the binding vote.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 28 secs ago, by studiohack
@RebeccaChernoff I will make sure that it is a correct question to be closed, and if in doubt, consult with other mods and/or use the Vote to Close Chat Room to discuss.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 secs ago, by Ivo Flipse
@RebeccaChernoff In what circumstances? Is there a dispute or should you use them more often? Would you be afraid of using a super-vote on your own?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 47 secs ago, by Linker3000
@RebeccaChernoff Pretty much as now - using common sense and
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 48 secs ago, by KronoS
@RebeccaChernoff Well I'm going to back off and let the community vote for most questions. However if a question is presented that clearly violates FAQ then I'll cast the vote
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by random
Question is heading toward being closed, but doesn't suit any of the options, do you slam it closed just to reopen it and wipe away the close votes or just let it ride out?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 30 secs ago, by Linker3000
@random If it deserves to be closed according to the rules then I'd pick the most relevant option otherwise let it ride out
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 33 secs ago, by BloodPhilia
@random Depends on the question... To be honest, I find it really hard to answer the question on how to deal with binding votes in theory
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 41 secs ago, by studiohack
@random I would let it ride out, but it depends heavily on the question...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 47 secs ago, by Sathya
@random close it, reopen it and take according action (migrate/delete/whatever)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 22 secs ago, by KronoS
@random that really depends on the quality of the question, which if it's being closed there more than likely will need to be closed. However if a quick edit can bring clarity to the question that I would go that route first
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 9 secs ago, by nhinkle
As I've stated before, I like to edit questions to bring them within compliance/make them so they won't need to be closed, whenever possible
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 secs ago, by nhinkle
If it doesn't fit any of the close reasons, perhaps it just needs a little touching up
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by random
@nhinkle Let's say the question is either slated for off-topic or dupe, but doesn't fit either and can stand on its own and is otherwise valid and (most important) sensical
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by nhinkle
@random In that case, I would possibly comment explaining why it shouldn't be closed, then touch it up if necessary
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by studiohack
@random then I would edit to make it stand on it's own better so that there is less app to be closed.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Randolph Potter
@random Then it should stand, and be edited to make sense if necessary
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Sathya
@random in that case, I'd let it stand on it's own
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 44 secs ago, by TomWij
@random As @nhinkle said: Commenting and editing to prevent further close votes and then what I said in this message.
> The candidates that I see here are: @Sathya, @nhinkle, @RandolphPotter, @Linker3000, @BloodPhilia, @studiohack, @KronoS, and @TomWij. @DMA57361 will join towards the end if able
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 58 secs ago, by Josh
I have a question. What are your thoughts on the new "anyone can edit" feature that's under development?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 46 secs ago, by Randolph Potter
@Josh I tested it on the Apple site and I like the principle - it may create more work for moderators but it lets you keep sight of things you may have missed in the normal flow of things
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 secs ago, by studiohack
@Josh I think that it will really help the moderators and the community as a whole.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 44 secs ago, by KronoS
@Josh I think that it's a great thing actually. It helps us 3k+ user a lot. However I do want to see a 3k+ option that will show pending edits so that we can be more useful...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 26 secs ago, by Linker3000
@Josh I expect it will keep all mods on their toes a bit more
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 21 secs ago, by studiohack
@Josh I also agree with @KronoS, in that a queue of some sort with the pending edits would be nice.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 23 secs ago, by nhinkle
@Josh Initially I was doubtful of how well it would work out, but it's turned out to be a good feature I think. They need to add pending edits to /review so we can more easily see them - I can't go around to every question looking for
edit(1). It makes a bit more work for mods/high-rep users, but at the end of the day, will probably improve contentin Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 12 secs ago, by Sathya
@Josh I'm yet to see it properly in action, but I love the concept. It's a lot better than my current style of paying a visit to a Stack Exchange site where I do not have editing privileges and upon seeing a post which can be made a lot better with edits.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 34 secs ago, by TomWij
@Josh It's a very good idea as it improves the quality of the site more, I would say it is less work for the moderators because they have to approve/reject instead of typing the actual text themselves. So this allows the quality to improve at a faster rate. (SO has 1000+ edit suggestions so far)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Michael Mrozek
To take a page from Josh's book and steal SO town hall questions: How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 49 secs ago, by Randolph Potter
@MichaelMrozek It depends on the reasoning for the flags and or arguments, surely? If the person is a valuable contributor then this argumentative side may show up and people generally get used to that - but I would try and mediate a softer approach in language if that is possible - otherwise, let it stand
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 55 secs ago, by BloodPhilia
@MichaelMrozek The user should be monitored of course, but the thing is, users don't posess qualities on all levels, and neither do moderators. Everyone contributes to the community in their own way. As long as the user isn't getting too rude/disturbing, I'd be more than happy to clean up his comments in order to maintain his steady stream of high quality answers
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 secs ago, by studiohack
@MichaelMrozek I would discuss with other moderators what kind of action should (if any, depending on the severity of the situation) be taken, and perhaps talk to the user one on one about his actions and to try to be more considerate of others.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 secs ago, by Sathya
@MichaelMrozek It would depend on the context. I'd drop the person couple of comments first trying to get the person not to get into defensive/confrontational mode. If the person continues - again depends on the situation/context. I'd speak with the other mods first before taking any action.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by nhinkle
@MichaelMrozek I would keep an eye out for a while. If the user's comments actually were inflammatory, I would consider either talking to them in chat (if they weren't too bad), or emailing them directly if necessary, to explain that we really appreciate all their hard work and want to commend that, but that some users don't feel comfortable with their comments and that we would appreciate if they would tone it down a bit. If they were just unpopular but perfectly reasonable comments... then that's ok
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Linker3000
@MichaelMrozek ^^ Hmm, what they said. Everyone needs to be taken on their own merits/demerits - there's no universal answer
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by KronoS
@MichaelMrozek Wow that's a great question... and it's a situation that needs to be dealt with delicately. I feel that the user should be warned to stay away from such actions and to bring those comments to possibly the CHAT instead of cluttering the comments
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 2 mins ago, by TomWij
@MichaelMrozek Inform the user and monitor him, if he continues his bad behavior over a prolonged time he could face suspension. Removing comments that don't fit while doing so...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by random
If you're not elected, will you take a break from SU or will you just carry on like before?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by studiohack
@random carry on like before, for sure.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 2 mins ago, by Sathya
@random life goes on, I carry on as usual, pestering mods with my flags :P
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 2 mins ago, by KronoS
@random Carry on as before... I don't really think that this election has changed my SU habits all that much
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 2 mins ago, by TomWij
@random Carry on, and as my exams are done at that time my activity will most likely even increase compared to today...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Ivo Flipse
Why should we pick you (over those who got more votes than you in the primaries AKA @Sathya)?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by BloodPhilia
@IvoFlipse I don't know, and I think those reasons are different for every voter...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Randolph Potter
@IvoFlipse You should pick the nomination with which you're the most comfortable
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by KronoS
@IvoFlipse Because I live in the US, and I'll continue on while @Sathya sleeps ;)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 39 secs ago, by nhinkle
@IvoFlipse I think all of the candidates (who've made it this far) have great potential. I have been more involved with things like closing/editing/other janitor work than people who've been at 3k less time, but besides that... I support everybody here
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 45 secs ago, by studiohack
@IvoFlipse Like @BloodPhilia said, every voter feels different, they relate in different ways.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 secs ago, by Linker3000
@IvoFlipse I have a high degree of business-oriented experience and have spent time in many different working environments (corporate, small biz etc.) so I have a lot of real-world experience to bring to both the front end (technical) and back end (moderation) in the fields of service delivery, technical authoring and knowledge management
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 secs ago, by Sathya
@studiohack Suspensions. suspensions IMO should be done as a last-ditch attempt. Ofcourse, if the user makes no attempt to change their ways, what must be done, must be done
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by studiohack
@Josh: in the Digest, you have some of the questions associated incorrectly - some go to @IvoFlipse's question, and some to @studiohack's question
4 mins ago, by Josh
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 min ago, by Ivo Flipse
Why should we pick you (over those who got more votes than you in the primaries AKA @Sathya)?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 7 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
@IvoFlipse I don't know, and I think those reasons are different for every voter...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 7 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@IvoFlipse You should pick the nomination with which you're the most comfortable
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 7 mins ago, by KronoS
@IvoFlipse Because I live in the US, and I'll continue on while @Sathya sleeps ;)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 6 mins ago, by nhinkle
@IvoFlipse I think all of the candidates (who've made it this far) have great potential. I have been more involved with things like closing/editing/other janitor work than people who've been at 3k less time, but besides that... I support everybody here
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 6 mins ago, by studiohack
@IvoFlipse Like @BloodPhilia said, every voter feels different, they relate in different ways.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 6 mins ago, by Linker3000
@IvoFlipse I have a high degree of business-oriented experience and have spent time in many different working environments (corporate, small biz etc.) so I have a lot of real-world experience to bring to both the front end (technical) and back end (moderation) in the fields of service delivery, technical authoring and knowledge management
I guess Sathya did not answer the question "why should we vote for you instead of Sathya"... SO on to the next question!
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 11 mins ago, by studiohack
How do you, the potential moderators, feel about suspensions? in what cases should it be used? and not?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 mins ago, by TomWij
@studiohack: I'm in to help and give everyone a chance, human errors are possible. But then there are the exceptional human errors, when it goes too far then suspension is needed
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
@studiohack though I had humour in my comments, some might consider that to be quite annoying... If you guys get my drift... I think that's one of my reasons for refraining from "sales chat" in my nomination
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@studiohack It's like a cooling off period and again it depends on circumstances, but I'm not against the use if it's agreed on by other mods
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 9 mins ago, by KronoS
@studiohack those IMO should only be used in dire and necessary cases, where apparant and blatant SU protocol is being broken. In some cases and at first I will consult with other mod's before suspending but in others, like the other day in @IvoFlipse case where other user's are being affected I will take quick and swift action
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 9 mins ago, by Sathya
@studiohack Suspensions. suspensions IMO should be done as a last-ditch attempt. Ofcourse, if the user makes no attempt to change their ways, what must be done, must be done
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 9 mins ago, by nhinkle
@studiohack I think there's the occasional extreme case where a suspension is necessary. I've seen one or two of these users before. I would certainly try hard to talk to them and let them reform their ways before using a suspension though. It should be a last-resort sort of thing
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 16 secs ago, by studiohack
@Josh personally, I feel that suspensions should be reserved for the worst offensive cases, where a user is refusing to listen to any and all other attempts to talk to him.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 mins ago, by TomWij
Let's say you've just been elected as a new moderator, what initial approach would you take? Will you immediately go moderate the site? Will you start bookmarking important pages? Will you talk with the other moderators? ...?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@TomWij I'll learn the ropes, taking it slow at first, and checking out those flags everyone talks about
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 14 mins ago, by Linker3000
@TomWij First thing I will do is read all the back-end stuff about the roles and responsibilities.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 mins ago, by nhinkle
@TomWij I would definitely start looking around right away, but would take my time in actually exercising new abilities, observing what the current mods do, reading the documentation, etc. So, start slow, but keep doing the stuff I already do, and gradually increase from there
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 14 mins ago, by KronoS
@TomWij I will take it slowly at first, but continue on as I have already, in editing questions, reviewing new user answers and questions. Familiarizing myself with the MOD interface/page/tools. I will continue to look at other mod's and their examples, and then start to use those tools
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 mins ago, by Sathya
I'll quote my answer which I posted in the Meta Q&A post
. I can understand the concerns about going all-guns-blazing if I get elected - that's not going to happen because I've overseen moderator election at another discussion forum (where I'm a moderator), and my first piece of advice to the newly elected moderators was:
Don't go at a full blast - wait for a bit, see how others handle things, get your feet wet and then apply the same.
I've approached the same tactic when I hit the various privilege stage - 500/3k/10k. And if I get elected, I will continue with the same.
. I can understand the concerns about going all-guns-blazing if I get elected - that's not going to happen because I've overseen moderator election at another discussion forum (where I'm a moderator), and my first piece of advice to the newly elected moderators was:
Don't go at a full blast - wait for a bit, see how others handle things, get your feet wet and then apply the same.
I've approached the same tactic when I hit the various privilege stage - 500/3k/10k. And if I get elected, I will continue with the same.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 23 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
I agree with Randolph, it's not like you've mastered the art of moderating once you get a diamond stitched to your name
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 secs ago, by studiohack
@Josh I would start out gradually, observing other mods and learning more about what should be done for various actions. I would, of course, bookmark important pages such as /review, /tools, etc, and visit them often.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 25 mins ago, by TomWij
@RandolphPotter: Same here, I thought about organizing things first, get to learn the button/link locations, talking with other moderators and watching their actions and then slowly get into the flow.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 27 mins ago, by Ivo Flipse
And does everyone think they're ready to moderate, especially when you haven't had access to many of the moderator tools or even close votes for some time? And why would we expect anyone to 'magically' use these tools more after becoming a mod?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@IvoFlipse I'm ready to learn by example
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@IvoFlipse All things take time and I would take that time to learn
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 mins ago, by Linker3000
@IvoFlipse Ready for full moderation rights? Not until I have done some studying
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 28 mins ago, by KronoS
@IvoFlipse I wounldn't run if I didn't think that I was ready. I do feel that I have a lot to learn, but I am ready to start learning and using the tools that will be given to me
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 28 mins ago, by studiohack
@IvoFlipse I feel that I am ready to moderate in general, but at the same time, I feel there will be a "breaking in" period, learning the policy on various things, like deleting low quality posts or what is the meaning behind suspension. etc. I learn quickly, so hopefully the process will go smoothly.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 mins ago, by nhinkle
@IvoFlipse I absolutely thing I am ready to start becoming a moderator. I've been actively using the available tools (closing, editing, etc.) ever since I got them, and frequently discuss things with the existing moderators. I wouldn't start laying down my power everywhere, but do think I'd be able to learn quickly how to judiciously apply moderator abilities
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 mins ago, by Sathya
@IvoFlipse Though I've had access to 10k tools for a while, I don't think I'll be moderate right away. The first week or so will be a watch-and-learn-phase - which I've done for 3k & 10k stages
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 29 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@IvoFlipse I think we're all able to read and discover like we did with the rest of the tools we earned by rep count
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 28 mins ago, by nhinkle
Also, I think I'm ready to become a moderator because the great and all-knowing ;) @IvoFlipse thinks I am:
4:12 PM
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 34 mins ago, by Ivo Flipse
If it takes some learning, wouldn't it be wiser to first gain access to the tools at hand before jumping in for the real deal?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 mins ago, by KronoS
@IvoFlipse I wounldn't run if I didn't think that I was ready. I do feel that I have a lot to learn, but I am ready to start learning and using the tools that will be given to me
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 mins ago, by studiohack
@IvoFlipse I feel that I am ready to moderate in general, but at the same time, I feel there will be a "breaking in" period, learning the policy on various things, like deleting low quality posts or what is the meaning behind suspension. etc. I learn quickly, so hopefully the process will go smoothly.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 mins ago, by nhinkle
@IvoFlipse I absolutely thing I am ready to start becoming a moderator. I've been actively using the available tools (closing, editing, etc.) ever since I got them, and frequently discuss things with the existing moderators. I wouldn't start laying down my power everywhere, but do think I'd be able to learn quickly how to judiciously apply moderator abilities
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 35 mins ago, by Sathya
@IvoFlipse Though I've had access to 10k tools for a while, I don't think I'll be moderate right away. The first week or so will be a watch-and-learn-phase - which I've done for 3k & 10k stages
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 36 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@IvoFlipse I think we're all able to read and discover like we did with the rest of the tools we earned by rep count
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 37 mins ago, by TomWij
@IvoFlipse Have had access to the tools for 10k, so I know their ropes. Still have to get to learn the ropes of the mod tools. But if I'm not sure, I won't hit it and instead ask it first.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 38 mins ago, by KronoS
@IvoFlipse I second @RandolphPotter's answer
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by random
There's an iffy tag on a couple dozen questions. Another tag is close in meaning to it. Both suck though. How do you handle the tags and/or the questions? Merge? Delete? Close? Ask Meta.SU?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by nhinkle
@random I think discussion on MSU is the right place to start if "both suck" and it's a questionable scenario
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by studiohack
@random I would batch retag with the best one or a new tag replacing both after asking on Meta.SU and see how the community feels about it.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
@random Depends on the scenario really
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 39 mins ago, by Linker3000
@random Hard to answer in the abstract, but deferring to colleagues (Meta) would be sensible and courteous
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 42 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@random Meta first, then ranging from merge to close to delete in that order, depending on the "iffyness"
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
It's like SQL Server - where "it depends" is the standard answer - what we're anticipating is people with the right skills to assess a situation on its merits, talk to others to discuss, and act on the consensus
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 41 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
sometimes we have to act on our own instrincts, without community interaction (for what, I don't know necessarily), but then that's where being responsible for your actions comes in
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 38 mins ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
How much time do you think you'll spend modding?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 39 mins ago, by Sathya
@RebeccaChernoff probably 3-4 hours / day
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 39 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
@RebeccaChernoff As much time as I spend in the community now... So about 1-2 hours every day in total? Unless I'm out for the holidays of course :P
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@RebeccaChernoff I'll spend time modding during the times I usually spend refreshing the site, looking for questions to answer :-)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 39 mins ago, by nhinkle
Probably way too much :P
I already spend quite a bit of time on the site when I've got the spare time. Anywhere from just a few minutes to check in if I'm really busy that day, to many hours when I've got time, like yesterday
I already spend quite a bit of time on the site when I've got the spare time. Anywhere from just a few minutes to check in if I'm really busy that day, to many hours when I've got time, like yesterday
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by KronoS
@RebeccaChernoff judging by how much I've seen @IvoFlipse and @Diago moderating... I pretty much know that most of my Q/A will be obliterated when/if I become a mod
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 41 mins ago, by TomWij
@RebeccaChernoff Would be a bit more active than I am now.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by studiohack
@RebeccaChernoff I probably would not spend more time than I already do on the site, seeing as a lot of time is spent here, but more of my attention would be focused on mod duties and making sure everything is going smoothly
4:34 PM
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by Michael Mrozek
A diamond will be attached to everything you say, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that? (-- badp )
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 41 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@MichaelMrozek I feel fine about it, because it falls under the responsibility story once again
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@MichaelMrozek You're responsible for your actions, and the visibility is just higher now
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by KronoS
@MichaelMrozek I've accepted that fact when I decided to run. I know that every action I make is not only a representation of myself but of the Super User site. I will not and can not treat it lightly
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by Linker3000
@MichaelMrozek Meh! It won't change me. As others have said, most of what a mod does should be pretty invisible to the masses and I take responsibility for everything I do already.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by studiohack
@MichaelMrozek I feel it is a responsibility and a privilege to be moderator. That said, I will need to watch my actions more closely to make sure that I don't create problems or irritate other users.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by nhinkle
@MichaelMrozek It certainly won't stop me from answering questions, etc. It does mean I'll be even more certain when talking to users to be polite and respectful, but I think I already do that well.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by Sathya
@MichaelMrozek It doesn't affect me much. I will continue as always - and I think few people can attest to my patience.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by TomWij
@MichaelMrozek I second Randolph. I will take more caution in what I do and write, which will increase responsibility and let me perform the right way.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 40 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
@MichaelMrozek I think everything is said above by @studiohack and @nhinkle...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 41 mins ago, by Sathya
@LordTorgamus Wasn't a typo. I'm not impatient. My intent was that having a Diamond against me won't make me became impatient.
Before the next question, a quick correction. I mistakenly omitted Linker3000's answer to Rebecca's question earlier. The question was "How much time do you think you'll spend modding. Here is Linker's answer:
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 48 mins ago, by Linker3000
@RebeccaChernoff Depends what I am doing elsewhere - family and work take priority - in that order wherever possible!
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 44 mins ago, by TomWij
Fun question: A group of annoying anonymous internet users has invaded Super User during a time that wasn't covered by moderators, there are a lot of weird questions, comment and answers popping up everywhere. What would you do?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 44 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@TomWij I'd systematically clean it up, along with the others
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 45 mins ago, by nhinkle
@TomWij Take a deep sigh, grab some snacks, and get started
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 44 mins ago, by studiohack
@TomWij: close! then recruit others to help.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 45 mins ago, by nhinkle
Perhaps sending a message to my fellow mods saying OH GOD THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HAS COME, please come help me out!
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 45 mins ago, by Linker3000
@TomWij Do what needs to be done, but grab another coffee first.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 50 mins ago, by Moshe
To add to @TomWij's question - would you ban/suspend the users? IP addresses?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
@Moshe If they have malicious intent... yes
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@Moshe If there's enough evidence to support it, I'd ban / suspend
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by Randolph Potter
@Moshe It's no different to noise on IRC
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by TomWij
@Moshe: Good one, as this is an organized group of users, you might not be able to ban them in a reasonable time.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by nhinkle
@Moshe It really depends on the type of attack. If it was obviously a coordinated attack (especially if we could find posts elsewhere indicating that), I'd consider banning IPs, esp. if many are coming from the same IP or IP range
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 52 mins ago, by KronoS
@Moshe again banning is a very serious thing.... I wouldn't just start banning things right away. If it's spam though... it's outta here.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 52 mins ago, by Moshe
@KronoS Sound's like @TomWij was talking about something coordinated. "A group..."
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by KronoS
@Moshe ah I see... in that case i pretty much second @RandolphPotter's statement that if there's enough evidence then I would opt for that... but probably talk to @Jeff and other mod's first
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 51 mins ago, by BloodPhilia
Well, it it's anon, I think it 'd be best to do nothing and wait till the storm passes :P
5:00 PM
Thank you Moshe for that summary. There was one final wrap up question, but there's one thing to deal with before that:
DMA57361 was unable to attend the beginning of the Town hall due to time constraints. Here are all of his answers to the questions which he posted after joining the Town Hall:
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by DMA57361
apologies for the latest - life and all :)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
Question: How will you handle having a binding vote (to close, flag, delete, reopen...)?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 44 mins ago, by DMA57361
@RebeccaChernoff if the reason is clear, then I'll just vote immediately and deal with the question. Otherwise let the community have some input first (ie, a few votes).
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 43 mins ago, by TomWij
@DMA57361: I think it might be handier to post the question and answer together in one message, making the question bold, so it's easier to follow your answers. Unless Josh does it for you.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 42 mins ago, by DMA57361
@TomWij possibly, but I'm using the backlinks so you can always follow those - it was requested by a few guys to take this approach as well
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Michael Mrozek
To take a page from Josh's book and steal SO town hall questions: How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 28 mins ago, by DMA57361
@MichaelMrozek if someone's a valuable asset in terms of content we want to keep them, ideally, but at the same time if they aggravate and drive off other users this does more damage (in terms of reputation, etc) than the positives they bring. Initially, we should attempt to quell the bad behaviour, while being clear that they are an asset (the old bad news sandwich manoeuvre), if that fails then escalation with support of the wider moderation team is probably required
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by random
If you're not elected, will you take a break from SU or will you just carry on like before?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 27 mins ago, by DMA57361
@random I'll carry on as I currently do, can't see any reason to do otherwise
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by studiohack
How do you, the potential moderators, feel about suspensions? in what cases should it be used? and not?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 24 mins ago, by DMA57361
@studiohack my take is that suspensions are for when users intentionally break or subvert the rules, or refuse to learn them, and need a reminder that they don't have free reign of the site
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by TomWij
Let's say you've just been elected as a new moderator, what initial approach would you take? Will you immediately go moderate the site? Will you start bookmarking important pages? Will you talk with the other moderators? ...?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 21 mins ago, by DMA57361
@TomWij find and use the communication channels between moderators (new and old) - the worse thing for the site is a moderator team that doesn't work together (or even worse is if they work against one another)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Ivo Flipse
And does everyone think they're ready to moderate, especially when you haven't had access to many of the moderator tools or even close votes for some time? And why would we expect anyone to 'magically' use these tools more after becoming a mod?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 18 mins ago, by DMA57361
@IvoFlipse I've had a reasonable level of communication with moderators via chat and meta, and have a (hopefully) quite good idea of how they operate, but this is a slight concern - but refer to my previous answer about communication, anything that I lack clear understanding of I'll defer to other moderators for advice
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by random
There's an iffy tag on a couple dozen questions. Another tag is close in meaning to it. Both suck though. How do you handle the tags and/or the questions? Merge? Delete? Close? Ask Meta.SU?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 15 mins ago, by DMA57361
@random If both tags suck, both need to be removed. But, if there's no obvious path on what to change them to (or maybe just delete) it's time to ask meta.SU and see what the community thinks - a moderator isn't meant to be an expert in every topic the site covers, and a more expert user could have the right answer.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
How much time do you think you'll spend modding?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 10 mins ago, by DMA57361
@RebeccaChernoff It'll be my primary action when I'm on the site; my answering has become slower as of late (except a little resurgence after the holiday period :) and most of my time is spent "browsing" the site - commenting, flagging, chat - so this'll become "moderating" instead.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Michael Mrozek
A diamond will be attached to everything you say, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that? (-- badp )
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 8 mins ago, by DMA57361
@MichaelMrozek I said in my nomination text "they [moderators] are a representative for the site and have a responsibility to be an ideal citizen", and the diamond is part of that, and I think I can live up to this responsibility.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by TomWij
Fun question: A group of annoying anonymous internet users has invaded Super User during a time that wasn't covered by moderators, there are a lot of weird questions, comment and answers popping up everywhere. What would you do?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 6 mins ago, by DMA57361
@TomWij Start cleaning up ASAP. If it's very severe, send messages to other moderators and/or even the team for assistance.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Moshe
To add to @TomWij's question - would you ban/suspend the users? IP addresses?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 11 secs ago, by DMA57361
@Moshe if it's been an organised group "attack", then yes, suspending or removing the accounts from the site would form part of the clean up efforts
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Sathya
@studiohack Suspensions. suspensions IMO should be done as a last-ditch attempt. Ofcourse, if the user makes no attempt to change their ways, what must be done, must be done
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by studiohack
How do you, the potential moderators, feel about suspensions? in what cases should it be used? and not?
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
Alright, that brings us to the top of the hour, so let's let the candidates finish up answering, and then we can get a quick final thought from each candidate.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Randolph Potter
Final thought: I'm a good janitor
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by studiohack
@RebeccaChernoff final thought? good luck to all of the candidates and may the best nominees win! :-)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by nhinkle
Closing statements: thanks everybody for your support and thank you to everyone for the great questions and feedback. I believe we have a bunch of great candidates here, and wish everybody the best of luck in the election. :)
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by KronoS
In final thoughts, I just want to say that I will continue doing what I already do. If I become a mod then I will have greater tools at my disposal... if not I'll just keep being @IvoFlipse slave and doing his bidding and maybe @Sathya's as well...
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by nhinkle
And finally, I'd like to quote something I said before which people seemed to appreciate:
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by nhinkle
in Root Access, Jan 25 at 19:26, by nhinkle
I'm not really nervous. I figure, if the community decides to elect me, that's great, and I'm happy to serve them. If they don't, then whoever wins will surely be great moderators, and I'll still be happy to give them a hand while doing all the stuff I usually do
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by nhinkle
That still sums up my stance on this whole thing. Good luck to everybody!
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by TomWij
Final thought: There are great candidates, not everyone will win this time but I'm pretty sure everyone will stay active. May the best ones win! And perhaps the others win another time... This was a very nice Town Hall Chat.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Sathya
Final thought ? boy I suck at final thoughts
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Sathya
@RebeccaChernoff Final thought: best wishes to everyone. And yes, actions of most active users are noted by all :) Diamonds and users alike
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 14 mins ago, by DMA57361
@RebeccaChernoff Good luck to all the candidates, and I'm sure we'll come out the other side of the election with a stronger moderation team, and I'll be here to help whether I'm part of it or not.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
Alright, thanks everyone for participating. I'll get a summary put up on the meta question today.
in Super User Election: Town Hall Chat, 1 hour ago, by Rebecca Chernoff
Thanks to @Josh for the digest room.
I would like to thank @Moshe for assisting me in generating this digest, as well as everyone who submitted suggestions and corrections.
I would like to again thank all the candidates for their participation, as well as their devotion to the site. We value you all, even if we can only elect two of you!
Finally I would like to extend a huge thank you to @RebeccaChernoff for organizing all the Town Halls and generally being an awesome community leader!
The discussion continues in the Town Hall room, but I have ended the digest. If anyone has corrections, please notify me in the Town Hall room itself. Thanks everyone!
Transcript for
Jan '1131
♦ 
Town Hall Digest
The Town Hall Chat, but sorted with only questions and answers
