tlhIngan

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?

I would explain to the user that the StackExchange network isn't a collection of cookie-cutter sites. Each site has it's own slightly different way of handling things, mostly defined by the community of people that are using each site. I'd gladly welcome his or her input, feedback, suggestion and experience of other SE sites, but behind the scenes, in private. We may or may not change how we do things based on this, but in the mean time, here's how we do things here and please follow the rules. :)

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)?

I've been a moderator on a forum about paranormal stuff (www.capi7.ca), most of the time I was banning spambots, maybe edit the occasional post for language.

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?

A user that produces a steady stream of valuable answers is a user that is knowledgeable in this field, participates in this SE and wants to help or educate others, all valuable traits. I'd have to see the specifics of the arguments and flags that are being raised. Sometimes people troll or get trolled. Sometimes people who know get into arguments and debates with people who have the facts plain wrong. I have no tolerance for disinformation, whether deliberate or accidental.

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

I would talk to the mod behind the scenes. Sometimes what looks like a legitimate question from a user that seems not to be knowledgeable in the field is actually troll-bait thrown out by a knowledgeable person. Knowing the user and their history might explain a seemingly good question getting closed.

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?

If the new users-per day remain manageable, a mod should reach out and greet each new user so they know both where to turn to if they have questions on how things work and they know someone is watching.

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?

Answering questions helps the community by pumping info out of individual brains and into the public stream of consciousness. Being a mod helps keep the community welcoming and functional, which allows more people to contribute to the stream of knowledge.

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?

I can contribute a solid half-hour per day at a minimum. If I can't keep up my duties, I will inform the other mods so that they can decide if they can shoulder the burden alone of if we need another election.

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?

This is an issue that needs to be answered by the community. What do we all agree is reasonable? A set time limit before the question gets closed (say 14 days)? This would clean up the queue. Leave it open indefinitely or for a really long time (says 1 year)? This would probably be my vote as sometimes vehicle maintenance issues are sporadic and intermittent, and life gets in the way, and it's your daily driver, and you may not always have a spot to work in or proper tools to work with, or your mechanic friend said he was coming over, or winter just got here. I've have my daily driver parked for an entire year once because I needed to change the steel brake lines and was looking around for the best way to do it. I have a project car that's been sitting in front of the house because it needs a new engine and I'm looking for an engine that is more fun to drive but still simple enough to fit, and is still available.

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

I have a friend that is better than a licensed mechanic. I've learnt lots just watching him work and handing him wrenches. Mostly, I got sick and tired of my shop bills being 2/3 labour, 1/3 parts. There's car parts stores very close to where I live, I built a detached garage, I bought some tools and I've bought an extra car in case my repair doesn't go well and the car needs to sit for a few days until I figure something out.

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

Open discussion behind the scenes, make sure we are all on the same page and all agree on what the rules for the site are. Whomever gets elected to a mod position has the support of the community, so we should all be working towards the same general goal.