2016 Science Fiction & Fantasy Moderator Election

Thaddeus Howze

00:00

I suspect you won't be finding much in the way of "fat loots" here.

Just dropped in to see how the election was going. I still have an essay to complete.

jimsug

@Ixrec In my experience, this is a new thing.

rand al'thor

@Iksandar Many of the "rewards" here are mainly about enabling you to aid in moderating the site.

jimsug

Most forums assign moderators, and users have fewer moderator abilities.

rand al'thor

Being able to close and reopen questions, delete and undelete posts, protect questions, and so on.

jimsug

And most of them unlock additional functionality - being able to post links, images, etc - rather than the housekeeping/moderation abilities we get on SE sites.

user61230

00:02

@Ixrec This is definitely nonstandard. Stack Exchange places a significant amount of trust in users with these tools, because they're the tools that allow you to shape the site into what you and other members want.

user61230

A lot of places don't hold that kind of trust in their user base, but Stack Exchange has made the a priori assumptions that a) people really care about the site they're participating in, b) can, for the most part, discuss things reasonably, and c) want to use the tools they've been given for good.

user61230

In a sense, the gamification of Stack Exchange is the privilege of shaping your community.

Thaddeus Howze

Indeed.

Iksandar

How do you deal with trolls, script kiddies, and the like?

Thaddeus Howze

"Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur." Very funny.

Ixrec

00:05

it varies depending on what they do, but the short answer is they get deleted

user61230

@ThaddeusHowze [grins]

rand al'thor

Although when we get to 25k, we get to see cool stuff like this:

Ixrec

typically by one of us normal users "flagging" one of the offending posts, and then an elected moderator handles the flag with their superpowers

rand al'thor

user61230

@Iksandar Skiddies are handled by code, but trolls are handled by moderators.

Ixrec

00:05

iirc literally anyone can flag regardless of rep

Iksandar

Thaddeus,, Im 50 years away from my one year of Latin

rand al'thor

@ThaddeusHowze "Sorry, I don't speak Celtic."

(just re-watched The Fires of Pompeii last night)

Thaddeus Howze

Wrong family, my friend.

jimsug

@Emrakul Trolls can be handled by ordinary users, given enough spam or offensive flags, though.

user61230

@jimsug Yeah, actually, you're right, that happens a lot.

user61230

00:07

(Just forgot about it because when users handle it, mods don't see it...)

rand al'thor

@Ixrec I think you need 15 rep or so to be able to flag.

jimsug

@randal'thor This is correct, and you need comment privileges to flag to close.

rand al'thor

@jimsug You can flag answers as VLQ or NAA before you can flag questions to be closed?

Strange. I never knew that.

Thaddeus Howze

Alright, I have to get back to my essay. Alas they are never able to write themselves.

Iksandar

What topic, Thaddeus?

user61230

00:10

Questions are, oddly, protected from action just a touch more than answers.

rand al'thor

Good luck with that, @Thaddeus! :-)

Thaddeus Howze

The Quantification of Mythology. Why do comic fans insist on trying to define feats and make comparisons or versus battles with superheroes?

jimsug

@randal'thor This is because those close reasons generate comments; if you can't comment, you can't flag for those reasons.

Thaddeus Howze

There is no way for them to objectively compare because each story is an individual element written by a particular writer.

There is no OBJECTIVE criteria by which they can be judged or compared.

I also have to get back to posting stories for my Patreon account. My goal by midyear is to have $300 dollars a month in patronage.

rand al'thor

@jimsug Ahh, makes sense.

Iksandar

00:13

Premise seems airtight

rand al'thor

Well, not all of them do. Flagging as primarily opinion-based or too broad doesn't generate comments.

And recommending deletion of answers also generates comments (though flagging doesn't).

Iksandar

Wife informs have bought the exactly wrong red enchilada sauce. I must away...thank you all for your time and wisdom.

Thaddeus Howze

The funny part is: if you go to ComicVine or Reddit and suggest it is a fruitless task to collect feats and compare them, they will give you a rationale as to why they think it's relevant and in fact necessary.

Take care @Iksandar

Ixrec

necessary?

and people call us obsessed

Iksandar

Adios, amigos y amigas

Thaddeus Howze

00:15

Yes, necessary.

Because only with such feat based comparisons can we truly understand why some superheroes are being poorly written or undervalued.

According to some forums, the Flash is the most powerful metahuman in the DC Universe...

rand al'thor

Au revoir @Iksandar

jimsug

@randal'thor scifi.stackexchange.com/help/privileges/flag-posts

> * these options will not appear in the flag menu until you have earned 50 reputation (the amount required for commenting).

rand al'thor

@jimsug Wow, plenty of guidance for how to flag appropriately.

jimsug

mhm, it's all there.

rand al'thor

I've never read that stuff ... just picked it up by osmosis.

Which seems to have been good enough, judging from my ratio of helpful flags.

jimsug

00:18

There's also a mod's version for handling flags...

rand al'thor

I bet.

jimsug

Well, comment flags, anyway:

125

Q: A guide to moderating comments

Commenting is one of the unsung heroes of Stack Exchange. The help center suggestions that you should submit a comment if you want to: Request clarification from the author; Leave constructive criticism that guides the author in improving the post; Add relevant but minor or transient i...

rand al'thor

Is there a whole mod-only page in the Help Centre?

Thaddeus Howze

Okay folks, stay frosty out there.

jimsug

There are mod-only pages in the /help, but not everything you need is in there

Good page for budding moderators:meta.stackexchange.com/q/118972/260340

2

Well, for actual moderators.

You can't do much with most of that information until you have mod tools.

rand al'thor

00:25

@ThaddeusHowze Frosty? With the Flame and the Void, we don't need to feel the cold.

Loong

01:27

450 voters

jimsug

03:04

@Loong How'd you get that number? o.O

jimsug