#Answers for anonymous2 NB: I have not read any other nominees' answers yet.

1. I have occasionally seen a user with a high network-wide rep (ie has a lot of positive interaction on other SE sites) cause a lot of friction on a site they have recently joined by insisting that "the site is doing it wrong." If this occurs here, and causes trouble with the easy going Mechanics community, how would you handle the situation?

As a counsellor, I believe a great deal of resolution comes down to personal interaction. As a moderator, even as a parent or company leader, I would be in a position, not of absolute jurisdiction, but of authority and responsibility. That can be abused by failing to listen to what an offended party has to say, but also by being overly permissive.

It is critical to deal with issues personally, understand the perspective of the offender/d and to clearly state the rules and stand by them. (The king himself is under the law, for it is the law that makes him king.)

2. What, if any, previous moderator (or similar) experience do you have from a different Stack Exchange site, a different website, and/or the real world (e.g. arbitration)?

Primarily in the real world with counselling (marriage, parent, business owners, relational). It has always been interesting to me, thus I have spent massive amounts of time studying relationships and stress resolution.

3. 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?

This is a tricky one. If it is chronic, you can attempt to deal with the situation in a private chat. It's a bit risky, because it could imply necessarily imposing consequences if the interview doesn't go satisfactorily which could have been avoided had the discussion been postponed.

I tend to prefer a hands off approach in individual scenarios, whereas if it continues, to approach that individual privately. Two things about that approach:

1. It must happen with extensive prior discussion with (an)other moderator(s). Having another moderator present at the interview could be a +, depending on the situation.
2. It must be concrete. If you cannot easily pull out specific examples of violations of the Be Nice Policy, you're better not to even attempt it.

4. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?

Let it be. Frankly, just that. It's far better just to let the site continue with a relaxed, stress-free environment than to create friction between the moderators. I mean, if there was a really serious abuse of power, I might discuss it one-on-one, but in general, you can let go of one question or even ten to preserve the harmony of the site.

5. During Beta (and even today), we pride ourselves as being a very welcoming SE site to newcomers. One might argue that this has a lot to do with the manageable level of questions and new users coming in to the site on a per-day basis. Now that we've graduated, increased site traffic is a realistic possibility. What policies would you adopt to ensure that the site's association with the "Be Nice" moniker remains?

Use of powers. Use votes, both down and up. Frequently on bigger sites, as they get all sorts of traffic, they stop using the vote and just look for easy questions to answer. Close bad questions. Delete bad answers. Interact with users who are causing trouble. Get your hands dirty, without getting dirty yourself.

6. It is a distinct possibility that you would not be able to answer as many questions while moderating. Why do you believe that you could contribute more to the site's overall benefit as a moderator rather than a regular user?

Primarily, because of my experience, interests, personality, and abilities. I love answering questions. I enjoy digging into the why of motors. I love asking questions. But my talents lie primarily in the moderation side of things. And that is how I would love to help this site out.

7. Moderators, like all humans, are susceptible to fluctuations in the space-time continuum. There will be easy-going periods and times when they are overwhelmed with things in life. More often than not, site moderation will take the backseat. Evidence: of the five moderators on this site throughout Beta, (to my knowledge) only two remain active. How much time do you realistically think you can devote to the site? What would you do if you believe it is difficult to continue with moderation responsibilities in the long run?

On average, I do believe I can devote on average at least half to an hour a day, though as those who know me know, it fluctuates radically. There are times I go a week without access to internet, and thus cannot do anything at all. Then there are times I can spend all day for several days straight around the site. Realistically, on weekdays, I can usually spend a couple hours a day working on the site. Weekends are usually really busy, but as other moderators would probably have more time available on weekends, I would feel a bit less bad about shirking out.

8. We have a high percentage of unanswerable questions that lie in wait for further information/clarification from the asker. This is not always due to laziness or neglect on the OP's part; it can take weeks for them to find the opportunity to collect further details about the problem. As a moderator, what would your policy be towards such questions, and how would you mitigate the issue of accumulation of unanswerable queries on the site?

After a reasonable period, it is always reasonable to close the question and drop a comment requesting that the OP edit his/her question if they still have the issue and want it reopened. Closing is not mean, and questions can be re-opened at need.

9. What mechanical experience do you have, and where did you do the bulk of your learning on the subject?

I've worked on small motors part-time for the past 3-4 years, though I had significant interests in that domain before that time. The bulk of my learning comes from experience. Good judgement comes from experience which comes from bad judgement. Basically, my workflow is:

1. Buy broken
2. Fix
3. Sell functional

10. As a moderator, how will you keep your fellow moderators in check?

Know them. Understand them. Then address issues specifically, but only at need. Don't abuse authority: no moderator has more power or responsibility than another; only in the case of obviously abused authority should one moderator be "held in check." And in that case, I would discuss it with the remaining moderator(s) before moving ahead.