Zaid

1. I have occasionally seen a user with a high network-wide rep (i.e. 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?

Moderators are not legislators; their primary role is to enforce site rules.

Like all other SE sites, Mech.SE is community-driven and does not follow a totalitarian model. It is not the job of a moderator to set directives about what the site should or should not be.

If such an individual is convinced that there is something fundamentally wrong with the site, such concerns should be voiced in chat with the community and not just the mods.

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)?

• No experience on Stack Exchange
• No experience on other sites
• Does being a dad of three little girls count as arbitration?

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?

I can think of at least two users who come close to fitting this category.

One of them violated the Be Nice rule while the other did not. The comments of the violator did not last for long, while the comments of the other remain till today.

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

Closing a question is easy to remediate, either through the community re-opening it or reasoning with the other mod.

As for deletion, I would request justification and tend to accept it if the motives were within reason. If the motive behind deletion is unreasonable, I would reach out to other mods.

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?

Lead by example and help to maintain the positive environment:

• Be patient with newcomers, help them make the transition
• Be active in chat
• Reward good questions and answers with upvotes

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?

(I had asked this question)

This site is at an interesting juncture because it is growing every day. In January, we had about 10,000 users after 4+ years in Beta. Now we stand at over 15,000 users.

There's only so much one person can do, even a seasoned SE veteran like me.

It would be more beneficial in the long run for someone who is used to the workings of the site to empower other users, show them the way and how things work and have them contribute to the site.

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 had asked this question)

• 15 minutes a day.

• Let other mods know about it

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?

(I had asked this question)

This is still an open point and I don't have a solution that works well at the moment. What I can say is that we've undertaken intensive close-vote campaigns in the past with reasonable success, although this workaround is unsustainable in the long run.

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

I am a mechanical engineer, not a mechanic.

In a nutshell I was fed up of having mechanics play parts roulette at my expense.

I've fixed several problems on my cars over the years, including:

• A leaking timing chain cover on a BMW S62
• Drivability issues stemming from bad O2 sensors
• Replaced window regulators
• Diagnosed misfires on an LS1
• Replaced brake pads and discs

I've also rifled through the Bosch Automotive Handbook and Bosch Fuel Management book more times than I care to admit, so that's where a lot of the fuel trim knowledge comes from.

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

By staying level-headed, involving other mods and utilizing game theory :)