- 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?
The system works well and usually helps push the user in the right direction on it's own. I start with what every user has the ability to do. Vote and comment on their post and try to point them in the right direction. I have pulled users into a chat room to discuss, and would do so in this case. I would explain that the community as a whole decides how it's done here, and that might be different than the sites they are active on. Ultimately as a last resort I could use my abilities as a mod to email the user directly if they were not receptive to the previous hints, and finally could put the user in timed suspension.
- 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 have been in emergency services as a firefighter and paramedic for more than 20 years. I have had formal training on crisis intervention and deescalating conflict. Those same behaviors work here.
- 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?
Start with the basics that every user can do, vote and comment. Sometimes you have to remind users that text has no emotion and things can be taken the wrong way by other users. Open a dialog in chat, explain that their knowledge is welcome and needed, and explain why they are getting a negative feedback from the community and some suggestions on how they can improve. Some users have, and some have left on there own.
- How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc a question that you feel shouldn't have been?
I have great respect for all the mods here and across stack exchange. I am very hesitant to overturn anything another mod has done, and always try and talk to the mod before reversing any action. I have had this happen with Bob and I and didn't do anything before discussing it with him.
- 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?
See my post Why are we so mean to new users?
I would either remind folks of this post or start a new more specific one based on the current problem.
- 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?
This has been a reality for me almost since the beginning. And it's not just a time thing. I hold myself to a higher standard because there is a diamond behind my name, so I feel like I have to set an example. I try and concentrate on answering questions that are in my area of expertise. I also give time for other users to answer first, and if their answer is right I don't answer at all. This allows me to benefit the site by using my time to answer the questions that don't have a good answer from the community.
- 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?
Bob and I are the ones still standing and through all the things that life has thrown at us we still remain. Although I secretly suspect Bob has some sort of machine to deal with that space time thingy. I have had some personal things in my life that have affected my time greatly over the past year, but still find the time to stop in and handle flags and other cleanup duties. I know you think being a mod is sexy but it's really more like a janitor than anything else. :) during that time, I have spent less time answering or hanging out in chat but continue to handle flags almost every day.
- 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?
At some point if there is not enough information to answer the question and the OP is no longer participating in the question then it should be deleted. It doesn't add anything to the site.
- What mechanical experience do you have, and where did you do the bulk of your learning on the subject?
- Automotive Technology in High School (3 years)
- Associates Degree in Automotive and Diesel with a specialty in Automatic Transmissions from Universal Technical Institute.
- Former ASE master technician (I really should renew it, but haven't taken the time)
- GM factory training
- Acura factory training
- I-CAR instructor 18 years
- More than 20 years experience working for dealerships, and independents.
- As a moderator, how will you keep your fellow moderators in check?
An open dialog with each other, it's really that simple communication goes a long way.
