The format is open, feel free to ask your question(s) unprompted, however please be mindful of whether or not candidates have answered the previous questions so that they don't get behind and start missing questions. Other than that, feel free to jump in.
Candidates, please use the reply feature so that questions and their answers are linked together. (Hover your mouse over the left of the message, click the down arrow, click reply)
If you don't, I can't protect you from @TimStone (;
When a question is asked, I'll star it - please star it yourself also to help! Please save stars for the questions so that candidates can refer to the star list to make sure they haven't missed a question.
We will be creating a digest version of the town hall chat after it is completed. This digest will take the form of a question on meta, containing all the questions asked as well as their answers for easier reading.
I would like to remind everyone that I put together a presentation with some of my opinions and telling about me. Please take the time to take a look at it: portal.sliderocket.com/OMS/William
@MarcoCeppi Why would I ever want to be a moderator? Well, I love serving the community, and being a moderator would just enable me to serve the community more, and in "better" ways.
@MarcoCeppi "I'm a fan of Ubuntu and love this site. I try my best always to help to improve Q&A's, frequently helping directly through answers and comments and explaining & most importantly following up queries and issues"
@MarcoCeppi I want to be a moderator because I want to help a site with a big awesome communal hand because I <3 the community ... I know that one moderator can't be free of flags for more than 3 minutes. Also I can't earn rep too fast, So I can help the community without having 10k
@MarcoCeppi I would like to be a moderator so I can help make the site better for other users. Moderator privileges remove the initial restrictions of having a lower reputation, and give the person who is a moderator more power. Being a moderator shows how much you serve the community. And, don't forget the diamond.
@MarcoCeppi Basically because what I enjoy most on the SE sites is to do maintenance work so it is the most logical step. Being more effective to help your community maintain the site.
@MarcoCeppi because it would increase the possibilities I have of contribution on the site and removing the limitations and need to be flagging to solve something I can do it myself. I can work by myself and my work speaks for me, being a moderator would speed up things over something I already do.
Candidates as valued members of our community and our lives, many of us worship cats and other small furry creatures... What is your stand in regards on animal cruelty and the treatment of said animals?
A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?
@MichaelMrozek I, personally think that "With great diamonds come great responsibility". I would try as hard as I can to make every thing I say well written, as I am representing the views of the users on Ask Ubuntu.
@MichaelMrozek With a diamond comes both responsibility and a sense of trust in the community - and we all know community is watching, always watching, so I will continue to think before I comment, before I vote to close, and before I write an answer, just as I have been doing.
@MichaelMrozek I take great pride on the work I do for the site but if one thing is being a normal user with some power another is having that diamond next to my name. I think I would ponder my decisions more than I already do and be aware that they will be reviewed very closely. I would be extra careful on the actions I take on the site. It would be more than serious with moderation status.
@AmithKK Quoting from my slide: I operate on a very strange schedule that continues to mystify some. I am struggling to get done what I have to get done, but whatever free time I have I pour into Ask Ubuntu. If elected moderator, I can solemnly promise devoting all the time that I can to helping this community grow, live long, and prosper.
@StefanoPalazzo What will change? For me, not much - I'm already pretty big into the maintenance side of things, and my understanding of moderator work is its... maintenance. :)
@AmithKK I use all my time possible, and put it into AskUbuntu. I would take ages to get 10k, so I would be able to get all the powers, and help clear the flags and aid the community
@StefanoPalazzo Also quoting from my slides: 1. Clean up days: As with a lot of the other candidates, I believe that cleanup days are a great way to help the site as a whole. I would really like to work together with the other moderators and organize more of them. 2: My opinion on bugs : see my comment here: marcoceppi.com/2012/02/bugs-are-not-questions
Flags: My opinion on flags is that they are a thing that should be used only as a last resort. If the post can be edited into something that is a work of art, then edit it, don't flag it. You're doing the community a favour. There are cases where flags are necessary, such as spam. Then, go ahead, flag away. But it can be improved, think of the preciousness of others and improve the post instead.
@StefanoPalazzo I think that the actions taken until now are work to be continued. Seriously I don't think that much will change. Things will be done faster, true, but no drastic changes. Of course I want to see the site flourish and work to the best of possibilities but I would not expect drastic changes.
all joking aside... A user has a complaint with the way another Moderator has handled a situation and has contacted your privately about it. Assuming you agree with the user, how would you handle this situation?
@AmithKK personally I spend approx 25%+ trying to improve stuff (questions, editing etc) - I would expect something similar in the future. As a high rep user I use the tools offered as much as poss. Being a mod hopefully will just improve the effectiveness of what I'm already doing!
@MarcoCeppi It won't change them that much - I already do a fair amount of research on things before I vote to close - I will be more inclined to wait for more (as in, 3-4) votes before I swoop in and close it.
@AmithKK Since Ask Ubuntu is open almost all day when I'm on the computer (which is the majority of the day since I'm a professional software developer) I will check the site very often. However it depends on how much needs to be done.
@AmithKK I and online from 7:00AM until 00:00AM, I have permanent connection to the internet everywhere I go and even tough I would not assume I would be 100% of that time online I am sure to be around most of it.
What one thing would you change to encourage new people to ask questions and then what one thing would you do to encourage people to participate in askubuntu
@MarcoCeppi I'm not asking to be a mod to be the first and foremost arbitrator. I would expect my thoughts to be as now - listen carefully, listen to the pros and cons and then make a decision. The binding vote should be used sparingly and only in the glaringly obvious.
@rlemon Talk to the moderator in question, and talk to them in an attempt to straighten things out - it might be that i'm not seeing the whole picture, and it might be that the user isn't seeing the whole picture either. However, I will not take immediate action, because most situations like that are not "cut and dry"
@rlemon much like I handle such situations in my personal positions of authority outside the site: get as much info as I can, and only take action if I think the action is meritted.
@MarcoCeppi Take extra care, scrutinize all decisions at first and read everything 3x before going forwards with an action at start. Be sure of my actions and be sure that those are the best for the site.
Where there is a will, there is a way: How far would you go to help another user? How far have you gone in the past to ensure a new user does not become discouraged at the first sign of trouble?
@andybleaden I want to spread the word about Ask Ubuntu, the link in the 11.10 installer was a great way of gaining popularity. However, this has the side effect of a lot of more questions that don't belong on the site on the site.
@TheX As long as it is A. safe for work, and B. the community is serious when it is required (such as, user comes into the chatroom with a serious problem that requires immediate fixing), by all means be funny.
@rlemon I would talk to the other moderator to get an idea of his point of view so I can understand why he performed the action he performed. If both of us disagree I think that the best solution would be to ask the community. That is post a meta question about it.
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?
@rlemon Protect the moderators and the site at all costs, backup all of my fellow moderators decisions while on the private and on a one on one chat ask him why were things the way they were so I have a better understanding of his actions.
@StefanoPalazzo to be honest - I'm not going to make grand promises - I dont see the role as a "I know everything". I want the site to become more accurate and easier to navigate. This involves correctly tagging, making questions easier to find through better titles etc...
@TheX As long as that humor is not abusive or otherwise inappropriate and stays on chat or meta (to some extent) it is alright. We are all people (with a few exceptions).
@MichaelMrozek I would confront the user and tell him/her to stop, possibly adding account suspension if neccessary. I know that sounds a little first, but I would be nice about it first.
@MichaelMrozek Ah, A hard one, "Nothing will be unsolved if you ask nicely" is my policy, so I will get in contact with the user and make him understand thats not good behaviour. If the warning is dismissed, Light suspension will be applied
@andybleaden What one thing? I have so many things I'd love to do that its difficult to pick one... I'm going to pretend this is "one thing" and say furthering the plans of getting Ask Ubuntu properly integrated with the existing ubuntu community.
@andybleaden much as what I do at the moment. Drop a comment, offer advice, help to improve their questions and answers. A mod is there to help just like any good contributor. After all we are all users of the site.
@TheX On chat I see no problems with it. As long as it does not cross the borders of being rude or making someone upset over a subject go for it. But, if we are talking about areas of the site that are exposed to the public of might reflect the sites public image I say that is off limits. All the time you spend having fun on the site on areas where you should not means more time a moderator needs to clean those up, meaning that more time will have to be spent on trivial unnecessary actions.
@rlemon Let me say this first: Jorge Castro helped me when I got discouraged about a few things that happened during my first few months here on Ask Ubuntu, and since then I have tried to help others who are/have been in similar states - I have been known to send users tips about editing, tagging, asking questions and similar things - so far, I haven't encountered any users who are resentful about my doing this.
What is your single most valuable attribute / trait (which would benefit the site) that I should take into consideration when deciding whether to give you my vote?
@MarcoCeppi They help other users on the site and attempt to provide a better experience for everyone. Their role is to serve the community and make it a better place for everyone. Most of that is janitorial work.
@MarcoCeppi In my opinion, Mods are legendary warriors who fight flags all day and control the chaos(if any) between the community using legendary powers, also a mod helps his community and does maintanance to the total quality of the site :D
@MichaelMrozek Talk to the user first before anything else, because they might not know they are doing that - at that point, asking them politely to stop should work, if they continue, consider temporary suspension.
@MichaelMrozek count to 10, think through what they are trying say - invite them into the chat rooms - get a consensus and a way forward. I'm not the argumentative type. I like to listen carefully and contribute my thoughts in a clear manner as possible. Hopefully this will molify most users and their thoughts.
@andybleaden I would (I do) actively advertise Ask Ubuntu as much as possible. That would go for encouraging people to ask questions. To encourage people to further participate I would try to get users more involved in chat which I believe is a great medium for that.
@rlemon Good question. I believe that one of my defining characteristics is my devotion to Ubuntu. I really want to get the word out there and help all Ubuntu users have a good experience so that they tell their friends, and their friends tell their friends, and... you get the point. I will spend however much time it takes to make that happen.
@andybleaden Be extra careful with comments on new users, prevent "older users" from being harsh over some questions, prevent rudeness. Those are important things that can change the initial experience of a new user. It is important that all users feel at home in AskUbuntu while sharing their questions. Sharing questions on media sites, invite new users to the site is a great and noble idea. The more people participating the more the site benefits.
@rlemon ... I try not to do an instant flag or close... for instance I saw a question recently that was badly structure, wide open and the potential to be instantly flagged and closed. I worked with the user to get a great question ... and I see it made it into the askubuntu newsletter. Great news. I take much pleasure in that.
@TheX If they have already been asked to stop and refused, try a suspension. If that doesn't work, they will have to be removed. No one person can spoil the community for everyone else.
@andybleaden I am not sure of what I would do (on the site itself) to encourage others to ask questions, other than to give them friendly feedback when they do (I cannot speak with authority as I am not aware of just how deep a moderator can go in changing the site). However, I would encourage people to participate by asking them to assist (I already share questions on Google+ a lot, where many technical minds hang around), and pointing them to Ask Ubuntu if they have problems (I've also done this)
@TheX Can I ask for some clarifications? What kind of situations? Are you asking just in general, or is there anything specific? Keep in mind it can be anything from repeatedly asking off-topic questions to repeatedly insulting another user, to vandalizing questions/answers.
@MichaelMrozek I would try to contact him and find out why he produces such a large number of flags. If he is producing a steady stream of valuable answers then he definitely cares enough to work on that problem.
@rlemon No question is so dumb that does not deserve being answered. We are not machines and should not act as such. Giving bounties, editing old questions, making sure that questions have some visibility is the way to go. Sometimes even a small comment under the questions asking how the status of the situation is enough.
As a moderator on AU, you will also moderate the entire Stack Exchange chat system. How much time do you spend, or plan to spend in the Ask Ubuntu chat room, and why?
@MarcoCeppi listen carefully to the the community - through chat and meta. Review questions and answers, look at the flags. Basically make the site as clean and tidy as possible. Janitor is an apt phrase indeed.
your almighty judgement was wrong: The <insert incorrect action> you handed out was in fact pre-mature and now you have angry users... how do you circumvent the anger, and ensure the user does not leave the site with a bad taste in their mouth... so to speak...
@rlemon There's little telling how far I would go. However, to put it in perspective, I set up a virtual machine, installed a bunch of stuff I did not need, and even endured months of emotional stress from the same person - to help that single person with a problem.
@StefanoPalazzo I spend way too much time in the chat room. That part will not change. I would be happy to be a chat moderator as I feel that I know how the chat system works.
@MarcoCeppi They are there for their community. That means when the community can't fix something by itself then a moderator should be there to help them.
@MichaelMrozek I would probably pull that person aside privately (if they agree to have a chat) and let them know what problems we are encountering, without being personal or identifying who flags them. I would encourage them to take positive steps in the right direction, until the problem goes away.
@rlemon I would contact the users and say sorry, I will undo the action(If possible). The mistake made will not be repeated. I can't say I don't make mistakes, we're humans
@TheX Thanks for clarifying. In general, talk to the user, if its something such as repeatedly asking off-topic questions, just say "hey, unix and linux might be a better spot for this" (depends on the question of course), or, in the hypothetical case of a user insulting everyone, a chat, then suspension after consulting the other moderators as to what a "appropriate" "sentence" would be - I wouldn't he the only moderator, and I have no intention of acting like I am.
@rlemon I would apologize and say that I was wrong to do what I did. I won't try to make excuses. I will ask for forgiveness. People are a lot more receptive to forgivingif you simply say that your'e sorry.
@MichaelMrozek There will always be some point where you have no choice but to ask the user to stop that behavior. I would do so privately and ask him to replace the negative behavior with more of what good he has to offer. There will always be these cases and they deserve to be discussed with the users in question. No harsh speech but let him be aware that that kind of behavior is not acceptable.
@TheX mods shouldnt work in isolation. Drop a line to others and work through an appropriate response. I dont see myself as god all mighty. Think through, the issues and use what powers are given a sparingly as possible.
@StefanoPalazzo I spend a large amount of time in the Ask Ubuntu chatroom as it is, so I would say I'm on there about as often as my browser opens, which is a lot.
okay, so the moderators will work as a team, but what will be the choosen method of communication between them? and how will regular users be able to be part of this if at all?
@rlemon that is a tough question, since I tend not to look at myself to find what is best about me, but rather let others tell me what they see in me. However, I would say, my ability to put myself in others' shoes, and exercise "grace" to them, would be one of my strongest points.
@StefanoPalazzo I would use it for the same time I'm using it now, I know how to handle flags and stuff, so I have a good understanding of how it all works. I would <3 to be a chat moderator
@MarcoCeppi They are the middle man between the community's opinions and decisions. They can be seen as janitors but will only take actions when it is favorable and supported by the community. They close, clean, give opinions, end discussions, listen, get shouted to, get bored of listening to users rant, etc. And they always do it with a smile. ;)
@TheX my personal position is that such behaviour needs a time out: the person needs to be pulled aside and spoken to, if that is possible, and if they refuse to stop, then they need to be quarantined, so to speak, for a little while.
@rlemon yes that can happen - it happens in real life. Fortunately the golden rule which works for me is to count to 10 before making a decision. You be surprised how your thoughts change in those brief seconds. Dont be afraid to apologise - we are all humans and are not infallible. Offer to tidy up the issue as quickly and effectively as poss.
If elected, which specific task of moderation (as you understand the role of moderation to be), will you admit-tingly lack in? Which is to say: Where can we expect you will suck? - this is a legit question; we all have pitfalls and I would like to know what you think yours is in the context of moderation.
@TheX I don't know of how they normally communicate, however I * believe* moderators communicate via email and a specific chatroom - as for regular users, I publish my email and contact info pretty much everywhere, you can find it easily on the internet. (@Marco or @Stefano, can you confirm this?)
@TheX I would try to get in touch with the particular user to resolve the problem in a way that lets him still be an active part of our community. If that fails and he repeatedly violates the rules then I guess he would have to take some time off (he should be temporarily banned, depending on the severity of the voilations).
@TheX I would like to create a "Moderator Duties" room , which Is private,and only mods are allowed in.. There we discuss the matters which are to be kept confidential(?). For other things, the Current room for Ubuntu Regulators is fine
@rlemon What specific task of moderation do I suck at? Well, I think I suck at deciding edge cases - however, I think everyone sucks in one way or another with edge cases, so I don't think that says a lot. . .
@rlemon Quite frankly, a lot of the stuff on Ask Ubuntu is beyond me. I have to do research to understand the question, and then I learn more, but research takes time, and that time is taking out of my time I can spend on Ask Ubuntu
@StefanoPalazzo I already spend a lot of time in the Ask Ubuntu chat room, both for the pleasure of hanging with great people, and so that I can help others. I have already had a taste of the harmony of the chat system across the SE network, through being alerted of flags in rooms I had no clue of. I would take each case based on its own merit, of course, and remain in the AU chat room as much as I do now, if not more.
How do you feel about migrating questions between Ask Ubuntu and Unix and Linux? When should questions be migrated? Should it happen more often than it does now? Less? Never?
I am a firm believer of if you can't say it in front of everyone then you shouldn't say it at all... complete transparency... working for a school district I have seen the lack of this at times, and how it can work to destroy the work and community environment. Any thoughts on this?
@TheX Ban a user would be an action applied only on extreme cases and with the shared opinion of fellow moderators. Repeated violations can be handled with some will but there is a limit for everything. Again, talking to the user in question would be the first step to take, asking to stop and try to get some sense from his personality. If all is lost in the end there would be consequences of course.
@StefanoPalazzo All my time. I'm already online in the chat as much as possible. The reason is simple. It is the easiest and quickest way to communicate with the other users. You can do a lot of things like discussing questions, tags and stuff like that.
@rlemon I've had to deal with such decisions in my personal life before, and one thing I've learned, is to be clear about both the reasons for my decisions, and about my mistakes, and allow others time to vent their feelings, within safe boundaries. Avoiding their anger is almost impossible, but handling it correctly would ensure that at the end of the day, we end up as friends, if not friendly, when we part ways for the moment.
@rlemon However, I firmly believe that is the truth, since I have seen pretty much every user greater than 3K on Ask Ubuntu that is in this chatroom stumble with an edge case at least once, and I'm just as "guilty" of that as everyone else here. :)
@MichaelMrozek Questions should be migrated when they have to do do with a linux distribution that it is not an Ubuntu derivative and is outside the scope defined in the FAQ.
@rlemon I would try to revert what I did and officially apologize. I'm as human as everyone else and make mistakes. I can only try to learn from those mistakes.
@TheX IIRC, moderators have their own char room on the site, however, I like to hang with the common man, so to speak - so I would figure that any action that affects users on a larger scale would be discussed in the open, either via Meta or in the general chat room.
@jrg yes but is it fair to say "we all lack in edge cases", because "edge cases" by definition are hard to rule for or against. So I think a different answer would be more helpful (just saying)
@TheX I aree with you on that. The problem with anonymity is that we may not know when something unscrupolous is occurying whereas when people must be in open, there is less change for deceptive practices. This is the problem with AMerican democracy and private voting. It allows the in for fraud.
@TheX Unless It is not about the official derivatives of ubuntu, Its going to go to Unix&Linux. It needs to go at the same speed as it is now being flagged and migrated. We dont need to make the mods there get more work from AU
@StefanoPalazzo I often spend some time reviewing the chat room transcripts looking through what the issues of the day are. The more useful non-general chat room such as the ubuntu regulators I often monitor. So, will I spend more time in the more general chit-chat rooms - honestly, maybe more time but not a dramatic amount.
@TheX Ask Ubuntu is particularly good about not bringing users down. This is not an issue. Believe me, as a middle schooler, I see the worst in people as far as integrity goes each day. This gives me first hand experience on how to deal with these sort of situations.
@StefanoPalazzo I am always there or at least having an overview of the chat most of the times, it is important to be part of it since most incident behavior will end up there. The chat is a cauldron of messages, they can be only funny, informative or general but also rude, form of warning, request for help or opinion. It is important to be present at most times and at least have an idea of the topics shared in it.
@MichaelMrozek It depends. I have nothing wrong with migrating a "good" off-topic question (for example, a question about Linux Mint, an unofficial Ubuntu derivative) - however, if its a bad off-topic question, I won't give the U&L guys a burden, they probably have enough to deal with as it is without Ask Ubuntu sending them the bad stuff.
@TheX I would say that most of the discussions should be held on chat and documented on Meta. That is the easiest way to ensure that the part of the community that wants to participate can effectively do it.
@rlemon Talk to him, review the situation several times and try to listen. Ask other moderators opinions on the subject and if wrong apologize and offer to fix / fix the situation asap.
@rlemon It is difficult to answer this question without being a moderator at this time - but judging from my past experience, my main short coming might be in occasionally forgetting a promise or goal.
@MichaelMrozek I see the SO sites are one large team - the vast knowledge pool. AU doesnt work and should never work in isolation. We shouldnt be afraid to migrate to other SO sites if the Q deserves are more effective answer where such expertise exists.
you have encountered a low-quality issue where is it difficult to determine what the problem is; if a problem exists. Downvote, Edit, Flag.... which do you do first? and what associating comments would you provide the OP (if any)?
@TheX For some moderator actions, I'm pretty sure the rules regarding the privacy policy and such don't allow transparency, however, for other things (for example, integrating Ask Ubuntu with the general Ubuntu community), transparency is something I would say is a requirement and is not optional in any way, shape or form.
@NN We need more publicity, as I have stated many times, but with more users w might have problems with more questions that don't belong on the site. This comes with a trade-off. We can possibly talk more with Ubuntu and the Ubuntu forums. Some questions on the Ubuntu forums would do much better on Ask Ubuntu.
I am a funny person, and like to have fun... but sometimes I make comments that can be misread (and in hindsight perhaps should not have been said at all) if a person does this, but is sincerely is sorry after the fact, how would a situation be handled like this?
@rlemon I would leave a comment stating telling its of low quality, Edit it if I can and If the user doesn't respond In 2 days, I'd close as Low Quality
@rlemon Edit! I believe that by editing instead of flagging you are setting the example to the community and the user on how to write better questions. I wouldn't leave a comment, because they might interpret it as me insulting them, and that is not the case. There are times when flags are entirely appropriate.
On @jrg behalf I will say he is a huge pusher of the community, and Ubuntu in many many ways and in many different formats... also the same is true with @RolandTaylor
Good luck all candidates.. I will have to review your answers when I have more time! I have very much enjoyed having this opportunity to discuss these topics with you and ask you a few questions that are on my mind.
@TheX I think there is already a process where you can report wrong doings over a moderator, it is not on the base functions of a moderator to judge all the actions of other moderators. Follow the processes already established for that, no need for public mess. If the community wishes to that request can be done to SE and be reviewed by the moderators.
@rlemon Clarification: So we have a badly written question, correct? If so, my answer is edit, edit edit edit edit did I mention that I can edit the question?
It seems not too many users visit our meta site. Have you got any idea of how we could get more people to participate in meta? I guess this comes down to getting more people interested in also making AU a better place and not only getting answers to one's questions.
@MichaelMrozek I had to learn about migration rule #1 (Don't migrate crap) the hard way on Stack Overflow. I would try to find out if a question would be of value on the other site, that is if it isn't a duplicate and generally matches the acceptable question definition of the FAQ. If in doubt I would ask in chat or Meta of U&L.
@NN This should be just role of mods - we all should as good users of the site. I do this in my career. I'm fortunate - I can do this (and do do this) through my workplace chatrooms and "watercooler" type environment. However perhaps the most effect way to get "new users" are great Q&A's show up in google and as such this should be the way we should focus on.
@rlemon Talking all the time on chat is not one of my strong points. It can be seen as not being very social. Its not that I do not try or that I have a problem doing so, its just that I dont feel the need to do so all the time, I would rather be focusing on other parts and doing some work while I am at it.
@rlemon Using our wonderful selection of pro-forma comments, ask for more information if required (logs, what hardware they have etc), if its just bad formatting, English/grammar etc, just edit it and leave a comment saying that I edited it to try and help them get an answer. :)
@NN I think that users discover the meta when they unlock more priveleges on ask Ubuntu. By this time they have more of an idea on how the site works, and have things to contribute to the meta. So, I think this is just fine as it stands.
@MichaelMrozek I think the rate is as good as it will be. We can successfully identify them and migrate questions to other sites, it is important that they are on the right place to help the user the best we can. I think that at start I would ask other moderators before clicking the button to migrate but they are not so hard to spot.
@NN Since I've been at the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Budapest (UDS-O) I've always wanted to participate in person again. This would be another good reason to do it. Speaking at Linux events in my area would also be a good option.
@NN Meta is an interesting concept - but sometimes seen as the "lesser" AU. We should perhaps discuss this further as to how we can bring Meta and AU together rather than working in isolation. It needs to be upfront on the main site not tucked away under a tiny link. One thought - make use of "great - and potentially interesting" meta questions and promote these more in the front page and next to Q&As more than we do at the moment.
@TheX great question. Transparency is something I treasure, and as such, I would strive to be as transparent as is possible + necessary + allowed - though I would be careful to use wisdom - which means, avoiding making blanket statements, being personally negative toward another user (especially in cases where it could attract a group attack), and in private (when it would be backstabbing).
@TheX I think some transparency is of the up most importance. If it does not offend and it is justified there is nothing wrong with it. One cannot be seen on good hands when handling transparency or being frontal but then again we are not here to be popular.
@TheX Depends on the context - in the chatroom, its a pretty loose bunch of people, so I don't think anything there is taken "seriously" (other than the times we do support there) - if its on a question/answer, delete the comment as too chatty, because thats what it probably is.
@rlemon If it is problematic to determine the problem I would leave a comment to the user asking him to try to be more clear. I would definitely never down-vote a question just because I don't understand it. If I understand the problem but the question can be improved to be easier to understand then I would of course edit it.
@TheX Ubuntu is my life. Therefore, I have no life. I say that jokingly. Unfortunately school consumes the majority of my life at present, so all my time is Ubuntu and school.
@rlemon Normally in such cases, I refrain from voting or closing until I have been able to gather some information regarding the question from the user, unless of course they seem to be just wasting time. In either case, I would ask the user in a comment what they were trying to ask, and if needed, provide assistance by editing or having a chat with them.
@rlemon I very rarely downvote - 5 in my whole history! I prefer to edit and improve. I do flag. I dont see a reason as mod to enforce "superpower" rights. Work with others. Give a question the 5 chances that it has at the moment. It really has to be a rarity to force me to use "superpower". After all, this is a community and we need to work through whatever issue is bugging us.
@NN I cannot spend more time on social groups linking the site, I do it on everything I can: work, social sites, ask friends to have a look at some questions, ask for information about my answers. It is of the up most importance for the community to be open and as popular as possible. Every where I can I will use the site and promote him as the go to destination for questions about Ubuntu.
@TheX Are you really factoring things like how people feel about animals and what they do in their spare time into your decision, or are you just asking whatever questions come to mind?
@TheX I would likely encourage the person to explain themselves, and in extreme situations, I would ask them to delete the comment, or ask them if they want the comment removed for them. I would also encourage them to be careful with what they say, as not everyone has either a sense of humour or the ability to handle such mistakes well.
@TheX I would tell him that it was not appropriate and ask him to be more careful. If he is sorry it means that he already knows that he did something wrong which in most cases means that he will be more careful in the future anyway.
@NN I think thats something every site has a problem with - and I think that we barely have enough people contributing to meta, but I don't know how many we actually have contributing. As for getting people involved, I would say that we need to try and get people to take pride in the site, in their questions and so on and so forth. Exactly how i'd go about that I'm still not 100% sure, but raising awareness of meta is something that is a on going process.
@rlemon Edit. Edit, edit, edit. If in doubt edit even further. Make things as good as they can be and within AskUbuntu's topics. If that is not possible take action based on what you have in your hands and flag, link in chat, ask other ppl's opinion on the matter or just ask for support to close the issue.
@NN I personally do not visit meta as regularly as I do the main site, which is something I have made a personal mission to correct. What I would like to do is to share appropriate meta questions with the wider community via various channels, while encouraging them to engage in healthy discussions. Everyone knows, humans love a good discussion ;).
@NN I can think of two things. Try to get them on chat, because that is the easiest way to explain them the concept of Meta and why it matters to use it and second maybe a Meta Ad for the sidebar.
@MichaelMrozek take @jrg for example... I know he participates in BSA, which one could conclude from that that he is a upright, moral, and well behaved citizen, and based on that, I might consider him to be a better candidate then someone who isn't.
@NN Most rewarding part of being a moderator for me would be helping users and keeping this as high quality as I can. I find that work extremely rewarding.
@TheX "... in my nomination... friends and family (foremost) - enjoy life, be busy, theatre, cinema & golf" ... maybe heresy ... but getting out-there makes us a better person, more considerate and thoughtful, understanding issues and reacting appropriately. Is this a good view on life to be a mod - hope so :)
@TheX Everything can be fixed with a simple conversation / discussion. If the time is not correct, wait until things calm down and then try to solve the situation with a conversation. In the end we are all humans, nothing is unforgivable in these kind of situations.
@TheX I'm involved in Church/evangelism, science (mainly biology), gaming/game development, and making friends from around the world. My list of things that excite me is too long to answer with right now. I guess what would be interesting to many: I'm interested in cryptozoology (yes, I think the unicorn was a real thing, just not like it is portrayed ;), and paleontology. Oh, and I love writing/reading :)!!!
@NN I can't speak for the next few years, but I have a distinct feeling that Ask Ubuntu has helped me enough over the past year that I will continue to contribute as best and as often as I can in the future.
as a follow up to my previous question: When do you feel a question AND answer (I want a answer for both Q and A) should receive a downvote, and not just be flagged. this is not a question about whether you would downvote.. rather in your opinion, when does a Q/A warrant one...
@NN The opportunity to give back to a community that I have fallen in love with. Simple as that. I have not other ambitions within AskUbuntu besides doing more of what I am already doing. Moderator means more responsibility and more freedom to do so.
@NN I believe so. I'm not married yet ;), so I have quite a bit of free time, and even when I am :), I expect to remain an active member of the Ubuntu community and continue to contribute to Ask Ubuntu as much as I can.
@NN Yes, my life is quite stable and planned enough for me to do a commencement as this one. There are situations that you cannot run from of course, but I see myself around and active for a very long time.
@NN The fact that the community is watching, always watching makes me a tad uneasy, but at the same time, I realize that it will keep me on task and "on target" so to speak.
@rlemon when the question/answer are clearly done with little care or effort, they may sometimes require a downvote to show the person that it is not acceptable.
@NN Of course there is! Nothing that cannot be fixed with a bit of experience and help from fellow moderators. Experience is probably where you will find calm when handling things as a moderator.
@NN I'm a professional software developer and student (evening classes). I don't plan to change anything in my life which means that my activity will only be determined by the amount of Uni work. Once I finish uni I'll have even more time than I already do. :)
@NN probably the fact that human nature is most obvious when someone has authority. There is a chance that my enemies/friends will likely come to the surface more than before, but I am accustomed to that, so it would not bother me much.
