2018 Moderator Election

TheSimpliFire's answers to your questions

Dear MSE Community,

Although I have only been here for just less than a year, this site provides me with the opportunity to both share and take in a great deal of mathematical knowledge in a relatively short time. It has led me to think of creative ideas and ways to solve problems, which I would never have done without it.

I treat all MSE users with respect, no matter how high their reputation is, or how long they have had their account for. This, I believe, is crucial to forming a welcoming community and giving users a positive experience at this site.

I am in the top 800 of all time and have completed a total of 3027 review tasks. I have not been suspended so far. My activity in meta is increasing as I am now much more familiar with the workings of MSE. I hope to maintain this in future.

Thank you for your time.

TheSimpliFire.

Asaf's answers to your questions

Against my better judgement, I am begrudgingly joining this race.

For the better part of the afternoon I've been staring at an old comment from December 2012, where I claimed that I will never run for moderator. My feelings are not that different from back then. I am still hesitant and far from being surefooted about this step. I've seen it tire my friends, and drain my colleagues from energy to browse and answer and help. And I don't know if I want that.

But I feel that things, and I, have changed. Enough for me to give it a try and tread carefully.

I've been a very active user on meta for years now, with strong opinions about some topics, and not-as-strong opinions about other topics. I am aware of the current problems of the site (PSQs, proof critiques, the fact that a lot of people feel disenfranchised). I don't pretend to have solutions, though. But I am willing to hear ideas.

You might know me from the comments as someone prone to jokes, off topic, or snide sarcasm. But if you look more closely on the serious discussions, you can see that I am also capable of being serious. And if nothing else, being a moderator would be a good exercise in self-restraint.

Nick's answers to your questions

< Nick />

Intro

I'm a final year computer engineering student hailing from South India.

I've been on Math.SE for a very long time (this is my second or third account) and I've seen this site grow in many ways. The managing of this community has not been a simple endevaour, I can understand.

My Nomination

With moderatorship, comes great responsibility here on SE. Responsibility is a thing I take very seriously. So, I would like to take on the role of moderator here. It would be an immense privilege to join the ranks of the moderation team and contribute to the health of M.SE.

"..Shall not go quietly into the night..", as they say.

I'm ready to become a human exception handler. Hopefully, an exceptional one at that :)

Do consider my candidature.

Plans for Math.SE

• More welcoming to new users, lesser conflicts, more transparency and uping the niceness by a few billion gajillion degrees.

• Lessen suprise closed/on-hold qns with generic close reasons.

• Ensure M.SE is in alignment with its stated goals.

Outro

Yipee kay yay, tetris.

Simply Beautiful Art's answers to your questions

Hello world! I'm back again after a break that has lasted quite a few months. Heading to college soon and simply wanted a break from things and relax a bit more for my summer break. But now that I'm back, I'm certain I can put in the time necessary to be a moderator, that being perhaps a few hours a day (assuming I don't get addicted to this site again) once school starts.

After being gone for so long, you may be wondering

Why am I running for moderator?

and I ask myself the same question. I'm not entirely sure, but I felt like a calling I had to fulfill. This site means a lot to me, and as they say, you should never forget your roots.

Can I promise I can fulfill the duties of being a moderator?

I believe I have the necessary time and experience to undertake the task, but I may be unable to perform my duties to the fullest once school starts.

My platform is that I will stand for a more moderate position. I suppose what I wish to say is that my "time off" has distanced me from the strong opinions on meta so that I may respect all sides more than before. I still stand against PSQs and have my own opinions, but I do not believe I fall on many extreme ends.

Aloizio's answers to your questions

Hello, I am Aloizio Macedo. I am a Brazilian PhD student who owes much of his knowledge to MSE. This is behind one of my main motivations to run for moderation: to help nourish balance in the community which helped me grow. I think I have the right inclinations for that, as I hope to convey in the answers to the questionnaire and this short introduction.

Part of the problem around moderating communities is that they are often (roughly) polarized in terms of opinions. That term is a pretty good one, since I believe that polarized communities are very much like magnets, in the sense that if you attempt to separate the poles you end up with two new polarized magnets, and the problem only iterates. It is part of the job of a moderator to ensure that this polarization can be healthy and constructive, with communication and discussion happening in a reasonable way, instead of culminating in separation. I think this may be the best aspect in which I can be a good addition to the site.

There are several other tasks which come along with the job, and it goes without saying that I will strive to fulfill my role in all of those tasks with the utmost care and dedication.