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The following is a "digest" version of the 2012 Moderator Election Town Hall Chat. The format, as described on Meta Stack Overflow, is one answer to this question for every question asked in the Town Hall, containing all the candidate's answers to that question.

To view the digest chronologically, please sort the answers by "oldest".

If you have questions or comments about this, please do not answer this question as the answers are designed to be used for the questions from the Town hall itself. Instead, please ask on the parent question or in the Town Hall Discussion Room.

If you see any corrections which need to be made to this digest, or if you were a candidate who was unable to attend the town hall and would like your answers included, please @Rebecca or @TimStone in the chat room and let us know!

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    Why not make this a community wiki :D
    – Amith KK
    Commented Feb 10, 2012 at 7:37

30 Answers 30

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Marco Ceppi Marco Ceppi asked: Why would you ever want to be a moderator? (It’s seriously not a glamorous position)


jrg jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

William William answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: I've never known glamour, I want to be a mod to serve.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: That is actually easy to answer. I want to serve the Ask Ubuntu community as a whole. Not just through answering the questions, which would limit my usability to specific topics. Hence, I think becoming a moderator is the logical step forward if you want to continually serve the site in as many aspects as possible.

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  • that are really sweet words! Commented Aug 19, 2012 at 12:55
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Stefano Palazzo Stefano Palazzo asked: What will change about Ask Ubuntu after you are elected?


Amith KK Amith KK answered: I will try to help change the answer rate to a glamorous 80%, by using my SuperDiamond'Omatic powers, along with the communities work

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: On the one hand, very little - I won't be intrusive. On the other hand, it will become a cleaner, friendlier place.

jrg jrg answered: 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. :)

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: Hopefully not all too much other than a steadily improving quality of the site.

William William answered: 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: http://marcoceppi.com/2012/02/bugs-are-not-questions/

William William continued: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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...

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Basically nothing. From what I remember about the theory of moderation, a moderator should have to do as little as possible. So, if I am elected, I would try to preserve the current nature of the site as much as possible.

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Michael Mrozek Michael Mrozek asked: 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?


William William answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: I don't mind, I believe I have done no post which will cause me problems when I get a diamond

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: I recognize it is a tricky position, so I try to act like I'm always on camera, mod or not.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: I am generally careful with what I say. I have absolutely no problem with people being more critical with what I say or said.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: A star is a honour in itself - however I judge being a mod just as an extension of being a good user. Just me POV.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I personally think adding a diamond to the back of my name wouldn't have too much of a negative impact at all. Instead, I think the added focus on my past, current and future actions would only ensure that I stay on guard on all times. In other words, I don't feel pressurized about the change at all.

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rlemon rlemon asked: 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?


William William answered: I would confront the other moderator and ask their standing on the issue, and attempt to work out a compromise.

jrg jrg answered: 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"

Amith KK Amith KK answered: I would Initiate a chat between the User, Myself, and the other Mod, and try to get a solution in hand.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Even if I agree to the user, I will still confine myself to hear from both the sides. In this case, consulting with the moderator regarding the situation and getting to know the events that led to this particular decision would be crucial. And, if possible, I will try to convince both the sides regarding the actions of the other sides to try and cool the situation down.

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Michael Mrozek Michael Mrozek asked: 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?


William William answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

jrg jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: If necessary, trying to contact the user in question and explaining to him that many flags have been raised against his rather irritating behavior and he should probably either think about his current state or he should take a break for a while. If the user still continues with his own ways, then suspending the user for a given period of time wouldn't be inappropriate.

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Marco Ceppi Marco Ceppi asked: In your opinion, what do moderators do?


William William answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: Moderators: 1. Serve. 2. Assist. 3. Police (keep things in check).

jrg jrg answered: Maintenance. Which I love, because its both easy to do and indeed required.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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. ;)

jokerdino jokerdino answered: In my opinion, I think moderators mainly focus on all the janitorial work of the site like cleaning up the site of spam and poor quality content, etc. If they genuinely follow the theory of moderation, they shouldn't be doing anything significant at all.

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TheX TheX asked: 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?


William William answered: The Ubuntu Regulators chatroom is a great way to communicate among moderators and for regular users to give feedback.

jrg jrg answered: 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?)

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: The current moderators already have a public trello board set up. I think continuing with that will be a great way to get the community involved and engaged.

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Amith KK Amith KK asked: How much time will you spend in moderation?


William William answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: As much as is required to keep the site running smoothly, and probably a lot more than that to keep it running better than "smooth".

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: As much time as I currently spend on the site actively doing something, which ranges from a few, to several hours a week.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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!

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I won't be overzealous and say I will spend all my time that I currently spend on Ask Ubuntu moderating the site. I will make sure that I spend optimal amount of time with regard to moderation and the rest of the time contributing to the site through valid answers and quality questions. In simpler words, I will participate as a regular user and moderation would just be an extension of that. After all, no one wants a moderator who burns himself out and then throws the towel!

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Marco Ceppi Marco Ceppi asked: Everything you vote on, once elected, will be a binding Super Vote. How will this change your voting habits?


jrg jrg answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: A great deal. I will call for more consultation, until I get the hang of it, and every time I fell conflicted on a choice.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: I will reduce my votes and flags, Because its the supervote, and I'll let the community decide and approve on that

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: It means that I will have to think twice before I cast any vote and that I would try to get more views on a certain case to decide.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

William William answered: I will do research on the post before I close.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I don't think this so-called super vote is going to affect my voting habits at all. Because I already cast my votes as if it is the final judgment and hence take immense care and attention before voting.

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andybleaden andybleaden asked: 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


William William answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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)

jokerdino jokerdino answered: There is no better way to induce others than to personally involve yourself in the event itself. So, I think my participation should be more than enough to encourage more people to participate in Ask Ubuntu (inclusive of new people asking questions).

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rlemon http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e5b801f3e9b405c4feb5a4461aff73c2?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG rlemon asked: 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?


Amith KK http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/17f955dcc67792f420f47dc6471d376a?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Amith KK answered: I'd help his as much as time permits, Often trying my best to explain in the comments session

William http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/6e744502dc7c5f0305e2d428bf117569?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG William answered: This far: https://askubuntu.com/questions/100404/ubuntu-software-centre-does-not-load (deleted)

William http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/6e744502dc7c5f0305e2d428bf117569?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG William continued: Put in a ton of effort on that question, initiated chat session, contacted RolandTaylor, and the whole 9 yards.

jrg http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/de85c185f39ef9feef79d9933409d400?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG jrg answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/32d851b22e4659bca3a94b6286cada76?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Octavian Damiean answered: As far as the other user is ready to follow. Best way is to get him to join the chat and try to explain how SE works to him.

fossfreedom http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/c88f455192559b06f95d006abfe33f9f?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG fossfreedom answered: ... 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.

Bruno Pereira http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/858395cf1fc125b0609a1070081038b8?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

Roland Taylor http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d629b6ac45d58dbd918c0246b364748d?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Roland Taylor answered: 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.

jokerdino http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/8bfa3d624cdb4f087d8d8ffcaf786315?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG jokerdino answered: I have, many a times, extended my hand when I know there is someone looking for help and I know I can help them to safety. I have noted in the past that advising the users that there is almost nothing to lose and everything to gain has always helped them from getting discouraged. So, I think encouraging users in times of distraught has always been an useful remedy to their problems.

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rlemon rlemon asked: 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?


Amith KK Amith KK answered: Good Question

Amith KK Amith KK continued: My love for everything Ubuntu would make me a good moderator, I will do all I can within my powers on AskUbuntu to help the community

jrg jrg answered: I would like to think that the site would benefit most from my enthusiasm/energy.

William William answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: Good question. I guess because I am honest, especially when I made a mistake.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: Responsible would be my most valuable attribute.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I would say my self-confidence in dealing issues under pressure would be my defining character.

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TheX TheX asked: What will your position be on flagrant, and obvious, repeated violations be? How will such incidents, people be handled?


  • jrg jrg asked for clarification: 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.

    TheX TheX clarified: Just in general...

    William William added: I completely agree. The punishment should fit the situation.

    TheX TheX continued: I can't give you a specifice example because I have never seen it happen here, but you never know.

William William answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: Such people would be face'd with a week's/month's suspension, after a chat on what they did wrong

jrg jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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).

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Trying to reach the user and explaining to him that such behavior is unwelcome here. If that doesn't produce the desired effect, hopefully a temporary suspension would.

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Stefano Palazzo Stefano Palazzo asked: 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?


William William answered: 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.

William William continued: The chatroom is one of the best features of Ask Ubuntu in my opinion, but it is a privilege, not a right.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I already spend most of the time that I spend on Ask Ubuntu in the chat. Moderating the chat room shouldn't be too tough of a chore when you are already part of the chatting group. Moderating the room is necessary because it is the next line of support after the site itself. It will either make or break the user's impression about our site.

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Michael Mrozek http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/dd7e03fbbfcabd4675844173ec5390d2?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Michael Mrozek asked: 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?


William http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/6e744502dc7c5f0305e2d428bf117569?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG William answered: 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.

jrg http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/de85c185f39ef9feef79d9933409d400?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/c88f455192559b06f95d006abfe33f9f?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG fossfreedom answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/32d851b22e4659bca3a94b6286cada76?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Roland Taylor http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d629b6ac45d58dbd918c0246b364748d?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Roland Taylor answered: I believe questions should only be migrated to another site if they are: 1. Totally off topic. Ubuntu is not Fedora, or Debian, or Linux Mint. 2. Better answered by a different community, namely that on U & L.

Bruno Pereira http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/858395cf1fc125b0609a1070081038b8?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/8bfa3d624cdb4f087d8d8ffcaf786315?s=16&d=identicon&r=PG jokerdino answered: If the question is more suited for the other site and both the site and the question will only benefit, then it is appropriate to be migrated. If not, then it is better to be closed as off-topic in the parent site. I haven't seen the amount of migrations that has happened in this case. So, I can't comment about any possible change in this regard.

0

N.N. N.N. asked: Would you work in any way to promote Ask Ubuntu, i.e. work to get new people to the site?


William William answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: Outside of what I do already on Google Plus/other social networks, my LoCo team and in person? Not really, although I wish I could do more.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: I do it now, and I don't think becoming a mod will enhance my abilities on spreading AskUbuntu (Other than Optimizing titles for google) :D

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: I have already answered this question, but yes, I would, as I already do.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Sure, why not? More users means more quality questions and even more quality answers. In every way possible, it only seems to benefit the overall efficiency of the site. If your question was about what I would do to get new people, then I think producing and maintaining quality content should be the top priority. Other than that, promoting Ask Ubuntu is not just limited to the moderators and I would continue to promote the site regardless or whether I am elected as the moderator or not.

0

rlemon rlemon asked: 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)?


  • jrg jrg asked for 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?

    rlemon rlemon clarified: Low-quality meaning poorly written, no information, bad english/grammar, bad formatting, ect..

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

William William answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: 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. :)

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: If I can understand the core meaning of the low quality content, I would try to edit it to make it more useful and meaningful. If that is not possible, then I would post it in the chat room hoping that someone else will finish off the task that I intended to start. I try not to downvote or flag when the problem is fixable. Regarding comments, I would ask the OP to be more specific and relevant and request to stick to the problem in hand.

0

TheX TheX asked: 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?


William William answered: If they said they are sorry and they appear to be sorry, and they don't do it again, then I would let it go.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: One would apologize to the user, stating the real meaning of your post.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: If the person accepts that he has made a mistake and apologizes, there is nothing that can be done after that. Other than advising the person to move on with other things and to ask him to be more thoughtful about the implications of his actions.

0

N.N. N.N. asked: 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.


Amith KK Amith KK answered: We need and Ad that says "Make this place better to ask and answer, Visit meta"

William William answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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 ;).

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Personally I think the interest to make Ask Ubuntu a better place should come from the person himself. If the person cares about Ask Ubuntu, he will do what he feels is right. And regarding meta, I think things like adding important decisions and discussions made in the meta to the newsletter might be useful and helpful to the community. (Yes, this is derived from your suggestion.)

0

TheX TheX asked: Outside of the community/Ubuntu/Technology, what else are you guys involved in, enjoy doing?


William William answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: Out of ubuntu, I <3 DIY Electronics, an I own An Arduino. But I have school, so It's a high priority :D

jrg jrg answered: Hiking, school, and similar activities.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: "... 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 :)

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: Reading books and general sport activities (sometimes even skateboarding).

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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 :)!!!

jokerdino jokerdino answered: In Ubuntu itself, other than Ask Ubuntu, I contribute in bug triaging and translating. Outside of that, I spend my time in philosophical and literature books, to improve my critical thinking. But, since I am still a college student, most of my time is spent in my education.

0

N.N. N.N. asked: What would be the most rewarding aspect of being a moderator for you?


Amith KK Amith KK answered: The Most Rewarding thing for me is that I know I'm helping the community In a great way, using my Moderation powers

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: The ♦, of course :D. On a serious note, I enjoy serving others, and this is where I would be most rewarded as a moderator - no joke.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: Being able to help the community I care about as effectively as possible and of course representing my community in the public!

jokerdino jokerdino answered: The feeling when you get when you wholeheartedly do things, which helps others. That, I think would be the most rewarding aspect of being a moderator for me.

1
  • Oops! Guess I missed this question, sorry about that! My answer: freedom to help this community grow in ways that I currently can't because of reputation restrictions.
    – William
    Commented Feb 8, 2012 at 23:32
0

N.N. N.N. asked: Is there anything in becoming a moderator that makes you uneasy or nervous?


William William answered: Nope, not really. The fact that the whole community is relying on you is a little unnerving, however.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: No - if I was nervous or worried I would stand down now - short and sweet answer :)

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: One thing would be that any mistake you make can be a potentially big one that makes me a little bit uneasy :D

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: No.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: If I found even the slightest part of the moderating duty that would make me uneasy or nervous, I wouldn't have stood up for the nomination. So, the answer is no.

0

rlemon rlemon asked: 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...


William William answered: Sometimes I downvote before editing if I feel that the OP put absolutely no effort into the post at all. Then, I believe downvoting is okay.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: never - honestly - we have all failed the OP and answerers if both the Q&A needs flagging and downvoting.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: Can you please give us an Example Case Scenario, that would require such a treatment. Anyways, I'd downvote

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

William William answered: At that point, the question should be flagged or closed.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: I down-vote when a question or answer is just wrong or highly dangerous.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: If the question / answer is on topic but not helpful in any matter it should be downvoted. It does not matter much your personal opinion on these cases, be cold and cruel, downvote when needed.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira continued: When a question is on topic, doesn't have severe formating or quality issues but at the same time has no usefulness as a question per se, it should be downvoted. The same with an answer, if the answer is harmful, only contains some information or links but in the end the usefulness of that answer can be questionable it deserves a downvote.

jrg jrg answered: When does it deserve a downvote? For both Question and Answer, when I personally don't agree with it. Specifically for a answer, when it is technically wrong, but not legally wrong, and it won't even harm a users system.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Questions should be downvoted when they are not really a real question or when they are merely stating their opinion. Answers should be downvoted when they don't actually answer the question in hand. But, that is just my opinion though.

0

Rebecca Chernoff Rebecca Chernoff asked: Finally: final thoughts from the candidates please (:


Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: I would like to make it clear again, I'm not seeking to be a moderator for selfish reasons, but rather so I can serve.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: Thank you all for the opportunity and support given until now. Thanks you all the responsible people that organized this and keep working for the sites in the network. Vote for me! ;)

jrg jrg answered: I'd like to thank everyone for such good questions, and I look forward to any further questions on meta as outlined in this question. :)

William William answered: No, vote for me!

William William continued: And look at my presentation!

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: ... final thoughts. enjoy life, enjoy being a good user, enjoy being a mod. We are all users - lets make this site the best that it potentially can be...

fossfreedom fossfreedom continued: Thanks for a great hour - thoroughly enjoyed this

Amith KK Amith KK answered: My final Thoughts: Moderation is a great responsibility, and there would be many cases i'd have to face.But I can depend on help from the other Moderators and the Community. And I loved the questions asked in this session

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: Thanks @RebeccaChernoff and @TimStone!

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean continued: And thanks to everyone around asking questions!

jokerdino jokerdino answered: Well, I couldn't make it to the actual chat session. Nonetheless, I feel it has been a valuable discussion. I have noted many pointers that have been mentioned here. Overall, the standard of the question and the thoughts given into the question more than just impresses me. Many thanks to you for organizing such an enriching and engaging session.

0

TheX TheX asked: The community has for a long time allowed a sense of humor, how will this appropriate fun be handled?


William William answered: I will use my sense of sarcasm when it is appropriate. Having a sense of humor goes in the "better person, better moderator" category.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: I encourage humour and social flexibility; so fun is okay with me when it's appropriate, otherwise I would kindly discourage it.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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).

  • TheX TheX asked: You say we are all humans, with a few exceptions, who might you be referring to?

    Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean responded: Mostly Jorge Castro, he seems to be a bot.

    William William added: We jokingly believe Roland Taylor to be an alien, he even admitted it himself. See chat transcripts.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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 or might reflect the site's 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: As long as humor stays as humor, I will just be fine with it. But, anyone can instinctively feel when the fun factor is getting too much out of hand. In that case, I will try to curb the fun to make sure that it doesn't go beyond.

1
  • Oops.. forgot to answer that I love humor, But as long as it doesn't offend a community member or any other person or doesn't go over the fence, I'm fine with it
    – Amith KK
    Commented Feb 10, 2012 at 7:35
0

N.N. N.N. asked: Moderators are elected for life. Do you think you will be able to frequently visit the site and do the required duties in the next couple of years?


William William answered: Yes, I am a dedicated user and can visit the site frequently. I will do that, moderator or not.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: Yes, I do hope I'm able to. I can Moderate More on holidays and also i'll continue my moderation till as far I can do it :D

jrg jrg answered: 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.

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: I'm a ubuntu user for life (or at least until our dear leader (!) keeps ubuntu going) - so, I'm here for the long haul.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: Yes, my life is quite stable and planned enough for me to do a commitment 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: @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. :)

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I only commit in things that I am confident that I can truthfully and sincerely accomplish. So, I think I will make it a point to not only visit the site, but to ensure the smooth running of the site itself. Regardless of the duration.

0

rlemon rlemon asked: 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...


Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

William William answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: I would talk to the other moderators, and write a measured, but apologetic response to the user(s).

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: 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.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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 change / fix the situation asap.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: If the action that I took was in fact pre-mature, then I would apologize to the necessary party and try to undo the effects of my action.

0

TheX TheX asked: 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?


bambuntu bambuntu answered: 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.

Amith KK Amith KK answered: 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

William William answered: 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.

jrg jrg answered: 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.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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).

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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. We cannot be all the time seen on good hands when handling transparency or being frontal but then again we are not here to be popular.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: As an advocate of transparency myself, I am happy to see someone who believes in transparency. I would try to make decision making as much transparent as possible, as that would enable the community to make a wiser opinion regarding the decision. Saying that, from what I have read from the moderator terms, there are certain things that shouldn't be exposed to the general public and I seek no compromise on that.

-1

TheX TheX asked: 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?


Amith KK Amith KK answered: I don't do much animal cruelty.. I have this friend who made the unicorn starring script, and I love cats and kittens. Animal cruelty is a NoNo

William William answered: I like cats, my avatar is a bird. Being an Ask Ubuntu moderator has absolutely nothing to do with Animal Crulety.

  • TheX TheX explained: It will help me judge the type of person you are, and help me form an opinion of if you are ready to be a moderator or not.

jrg jrg answered: First, I would like to question exactly what that has to do with moderation, however I am firmly against animal cruelty and of said animals.

  • William William added: I am also firmly against animal cruelty, and I still fail to see what this has to do with being a moderator.

    TheX TheX responded: Simply put... better person == better moderator..

    William William responded: You have a point.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: Anything related to animal cruelty is shameful, no matter in what situation that is applied.

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: Animal cruelty is sick. "A righteous man is kind to his animals."

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: My stand in regards to animal cruelty? I am totally against animal cruelty in any imaginable way. I have five cats, I hope that says enough. :)

fossfreedom fossfreedom answered: Taking a stand is admirable - being patient and understanding is another... listen to the arguments and once you've got a consensus... act

jokerdino jokerdino answered: I am strongly against the act of cruelty against anyone and anything. It doesn't matter whether it is against fellow human beings or poor animals. I find acts of cruelty inhumane and simply unimaginable. If possible, they should be prosecuted according to the relevant law.

-1

rlemon rlemon asked: 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? (we all have pitfalls and I would like to know what you think yours is in the context of moderation)


jrg jrg answered: 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 rlemon argued: Fair enough.. but that is kinda cheating the question.

    jrg jrg responded: 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. :)

    rlemon rlemon responded: 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)

William William answered: 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

Amith KK Amith KK answered: I suck at deciding at how to handle flags with edge cases, like many are. I've not experienced Mod like powers, so I'm not exactly sure

Roland Taylor Roland Taylor answered: 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.

Octavian Damiean Octavian Damiean answered: As @jrg said. Deciding on edge cases. I would consult the community.

Bruno Pereira Bruno Pereira answered: 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.

jokerdino jokerdino answered: What I am very poor at? Trying to convince people why I came at a particular conclusion..

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