Admin Attention Attn: Mods - Interesting in being one eventually, how to get there?

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xburtonchic

Bluelighter
Joined
May 17, 2011
Messages
1,003
I love the people here, the vibe, there's no trolls (well at least not too many), everyone cares about each other, and most importantly - it's the one place I can go when I'm going through a rough time and say whatever is on my mind without having to censor myself, worry about people judging me, etc. because there's always a few different people in the same situation. I love how diverse the forums are and the fact that people have actual intelligent discussions without (much) arguing... just healthy debate for the most part. Bluelight for me has been an absolute blessing and has helped me through SO much. It's the one forum I've found that feels almost like a second "home" of sorts... I love helping other people and of course I like the help I get myself. I've made quite a few friends on this site, as well. For sure I don't ever plan on leaving.

So, naturally, of course I'd love to be a mod someday.

Buuut here's the only problem: I don't exactly have a "niche" on here - as in, one forum I post in regularly. I post in a variety of forums and I don't tend to stick to just one. There's not one particular forum I dedicate the most time to and spend most of my time chatting on. I spend an equal amount of time on each forum I visit (BDD, OD, Trip Reports, SLR, and most recently P & S). However, I guess I tend to spend a TAD bit more time on some than others.

Obviously, if I want to be a moderator, I know that I need to be totally familiar with the forum, it's regulars, and most importantly, it's specific rules and guidelines. Which is why I'm concerned about the fact that I haven't found my niche on here; I like a lot of the forums equally, but I know I need to choose just one and completely familiarize myself with it if I want to be a mod on any forum. I'd like to be a mod on a forum I enjoy (of course), so I need to find out what, exactly, all of those are. I haven't yet gone and read through ALL of the forums and posted in them yet, but I plan to get started on it so I can decide which ones are for me and which ones are not.

So, here's my question(s) for the mods and other staff/admin:
1. Will it kill my chances when I apply in the future if my posts and comments are all over the place, instead of mainly being focused on the forum I'm applying for?
2. If so, do you have any tips on finding my "niche" on here? How did you find yours?
3. What are the requirements for consideration in the first place? Is there a minimum number of posts you need to have, minimum number of blogs, etc.? What do you guys look for when going through applications?
3. And lastly, just out of curiosity... is it possible to be a mod on more than one forum? I believe I've seen a few who are (CaptainHeroin, for example), but I'm not 100% positive.

I don't plan on applying to be a mod, like, tomorrow or anything. I still consider myself a bit new, as I only have around 200 posts. I'd like to get some more posts under my belt, get to know more people, and gain a bit more credibility before I apply. But I do know for a fact that I plan to stick around, like I said I love BL and the community and am forever grateful to this site, so I'd like to contribute to the site in some way eventually. I'd just like to know what needs to be done so I can get myself on the right path for when I'm ready to apply in the future.

Sorry this was long, just trying to be thorough lol. I'm pretty famous for my long posts, I guess. Anyway, thanks in advance :)
 
This is from the Greenlighters guide to BL:

"To become a moderator, you would have to show an interest in a certain forum. This can be done by posting intelligent replies and helping people where they need guidance.

How will the moderators know I am doing this?

Hopefully the moderators will keep an eye out and will probably recognise when someone is making good posts and helping others in a forum.

How do I apply though?

In most forums when a position is open there will be a post in that forum asking for applicants and a cut off date for applications will be given.

How do they judge these applications?

The current moderators of that forum will read through the applicants and search all of their posts in that forum. This is why making good quality replies and starting good discussions in a forum is useful. You can only really be judged on your previous posts and general behaviour around the website. It is expected that people applying for moderator positions will have been around for a few months as this should mean you have a better idea of how things work. Individual forms may have different application processes; for example some might ask various questions of applicants.

Can I just help out in forums anyway?

Yes, people are actively encouraged to help moderators out by providing useful information for people who require it and pointing people in the right direction. This is one of the things that makes bluelight unique as a community, people are always willing to help others and share information."

Reporting posts is a great way to help out around the forums. Moderators take notice of that, and it really is helpful.
 
here's the official answer from the greenlighters guide, in the big green box at the top that all mods should be familiar with: ;)

http://wiki.bluelight.ru/index.php/Greenlighters_guide#How_do_I_become_a_moderator.3F


your primary goal should be to become a great poster. if you don't have a favourite forum or two yet, you probably haven't been here long enough yet.

don't concentrate on becoming a mod for the sake of it - if your posts are quality, you'll be noticed.

quite a few people (including myself) have modded 3 forums at once. it's hard work for no extra money - it would probably be more satisfying concentrating on one or two.

finally, don't sound desperate. ;)

and the reason you're not seeing much spamming or trolling... is cos there's about 100 volunteers beavering away in the background, unseen, keeping things tidy.
 
Keep posting and you will find a forum that fits you. Your posts are generally very good and quite informative, and you are certainly a valued member of the site - I appreciate your posts in Other Drugs especially. You seem to understand that the mission here is Harm Reduction and nothing else, which is appreciated. Like felix said, continue to be a great poster and a good member of the community and you will find your niche. Also, don't think that the staff hasn't noticed your well thought-out and well written posts.
 
Wow, completely horrible typo in the title hah. How did I miss that? I meant to say "interested", not "interesting" lol.

felix- yeah, I haven't been around long at all. I think only about three months or so. I definitely don't know my way around with my eyes closed yet... and, like I said, there are still a quite few forums I need to check out. I'm not trying to be a mod for the sake of it, but I assume by that you meant just wanting it for the title. But for real, the reasons I gave for wanting to be a mod were completely sincere and legit, I do love Bluelight. I feel comfortable here. I wasn't trying to sound desperate, just simply stating the reasons why I love the site so much, and therefore the reasons why I'd like to be a mod eventually. Bluelight truly has helped me, and even improved my life, in a plethora of ways. I've made a few friends. I've gotten sound advice about serious situations from people who have been through the same things. I have a place to go where I can vent, whether it's to a friend through PM or in one of the forums - some of the things I need to talk about are things I don't feel comfortable sharing with people in my personal life, and Bluelight provides a way for me to do that. It's provided me quite a few laughs from reading through trip reports. It's a good place to have healthy debates, which I love (I do want to be a lawyer after all.) It's helped me get through tough times and given me a small ray of hope because I know everyone on here has their own problems as well, and is therefore supportive of other peoples'. It's allowed me to give advice to others, which I enjoy doing as well. It's even helped me with harm reduction, in regards to a question I had about drug interactions a while back. And most importantly, it's helped me immensely while I'm dealing with my opiate addiction- Bluelight is literally the only place I can go when I'm going through withdrawals or having cravings, cause I know people will actually understand and not judge me for it. They're actually helpful and supportive and provide advice, as opposed to feeding me some bullshit line like my friends and family do such as, "Well if you want to quit, why don't you just quit? It can't be that hard" or "Stop complaining, it can't be that bad." They don't understand. People on here do. And that is a wonderful thing to have when you're dealing with addiction. On top of all that, I've learned quite a few new things and gained quite a few new insights and perspectives that I didn't have before I joined this site. I just want to give back to the site what it's given me... that's all. I'm not making it up to try to sound desperate or to sound like I'm sucking up, it's just the straight up truth... but hey, if the truth is going to stop me from being a mod because it makes me seem desperate, so be it. I can still enjoy the site. :)

Anyways, awesome- I'll reread through the Greenlighter's guide (been a while), and the other links you provided. Thanks for the info guys.

Oh, and muvolution- just saw your post. You're always ridiculously nice to me haha your posts always make me smile, thanks!! :)
 
hah, no need for the sales pitch, i believe you are sincere!

xburtonchic said:
(I do want to be a lawyer after all.)
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always bear that in mind and ensure you don't incriminate yourself by posting personal information or photos. you don't want to be having a panic attack in 5 years time because you're worried about a future employer finding out about your activity here either as a mod or a bluelighter.


you may find this thread interesting: Random Stats over time. but posting stats are just one criterion for choosing new mods.
 
lol that's just me, I like to write a lot. Actually, there's probably only a few posts on this site from me that just contain a few sentences. I usually go into ridiculous detail about everything.

But honestly I'm not too worried about future employers finding out about me being on BL. I used to have a picture of myself on here, and I took it down for that reason. Well, that, and also just in case anyone I know in real life happens to stumble across this site. I put a lot of personal experiences on here that I don't exactly like to share with everyone in my life. Too much judgement. Also the reason I don't say names whenever I'm referring to someone in my personal life. But yeah, the only people who know I use this site are my mom and my addiction specialist, and neither of them even know my username.

But now that you mention it, I probably should change some of the info on my profile so it's more... vague. I probably wouldn't be hard to figure out if the person knew me somewhat well enough lol

I'll read over the thing you posted, thanks.
 
many people, myself included, feel that bl gave them a lot of insight/help/whatever and they want to give back by becoming a staff member. i think one of the strengths of this community is that it's staffed by passionate volunteers who are invested in the community.

to answer your specific questions:
xburtonchic said:
So, here's my question(s) for the mods and other staff/admin:
1. Will it kill my chances when I apply in the future if my posts and comments are all over the place, instead of mainly being focused on the forum I'm applying for?
2. If so, do you have any tips on finding my "niche" on here? How did you find yours?
3. What are the requirements for consideration in the first place? Is there a minimum number of posts you need to have, minimum number of blogs, etc.? What do you guys look for when going through applications?
3. And lastly, just out of curiosity... is it possible to be a mod on more than one forum? I believe I've seen a few who are (CaptainHeroin, for example), but I'm not 100% positive.
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1. i doubt it but, as others have said or implied, forum staff looking to add new staff will want to see some level of commitment to the forum in question. put yourself in their shoes - being a regular poster and a positive influence in the forum you'd like to moderate says a lot more than an application out of the blue.

2. what are you passionate about. i love movies so my 'home' on bluelight was pretty obvious from the start - film & television (actually, its predecessor visual and performing arts).

3. tommyboy's post answers that well. again, put yourself in the shoes of the staff. if you were a moderator, what would you look for?

4. it's quite possible to moderate more than one forum at a time. many people have done it and do it.

alasdair
 
Just stick around, you'll be admin soon enough. :)

Oh hey, I'm from SoCal too!
14.gif
 
Yay, SoCal represent! haha!

Thanks alasdair, your answers were pretty helpful. Er... I'm kind of passionate about a lot of things though, lol. And unfortunately, BL contains basically everything I'm passionate about hah- music, philosophy, the SLR forum, drug research, trip reports, law, careers and education. I know. I'm all over the place. I just need to post in all of them until I find one I just kind of gradually settle into. Right now I hang around the OD forum the most, but that is subject to change once I finally break this stupid opiate addiction and get off the Subs. :) Hence the reason I've been exploring other forums lately too. Although drugs will probably always be interesting to me, long after I quit... so who knows. But for sure I'll find something!!
 
In my view, it's not a bad thing to post in many forums and lots of great staff members are and/or were active throughout the site. Try to get to know the staff, especially in any forums you're interested in modding, try to always be thoughtful in your posting, help out new members and help out the mods via reporting and so forth.

Overall, the more involved you become in the community by getting to know people and getting to know the forums, the better your chances are. One of our newest staff members, skillz~for~thrillz has always been active throughout the site and epitomized everything I mentioned above - she got involved in the community, got to know people, was thoughtful in posting and even before she was selected, we all knew it was just a matter of time before she'd be a mod.
 
That's good to know, cause there's definitely quite a few different forums I'm active in. I like how they all have their own little vibes. Oh and TDS, I post in there every once in a while too haha no idea how I forgot that one. And yeah I've been trying to help out new members lately. As far as reporting threads though, I honestly haven't come across any... by the time I see it, a mod in that forum has already done their job and closed the thread or whatever- haha they're on top of their games for sure!

Anyway, I suppose this thread can be closed now if you want to close it, since I got all of the answers I needed and more :) Thanks for all the helpful info to everyone that posted in here.
 
i think you should just concentrate on enjoying being a regular & helpful member for the next 6-12 months. life is so much simpler when you don't feel the obligation to come here every day and "work" for no pay and a lot of grief and always having to set a good example to everyone with every single post you make.

and i meant what i said about not looking desperate. it's blindingly obvious to the mods of a forum taking applications for a new mod when people suddenly raise their game and start memberating and reporting 20 posts a day and generally act like the annoying kid at the front of the class, raising their hand to answer every question first. :D

clearly, i am very jaded after being on the staff for six years, and you can probably guess that i'm enjoying my retirement. ;)

don't get me wrong though - volunteering your time here is a worthwhile thing to do, but it'll happen when it happens.
 
Cane2theLeft said:
In my view, it's not a bad thing to post in many forums and lots of great staff members are and/or were active throughout the site. Try to get to know the staff, especially in any forums you're interested in modding, try to always be thoughtful in your posting, help out new members and help out the mods via reporting and so forth.

Overall, the more involved you become in the community by getting to know people and getting to know the forums, the better your chances are. One of our newest staff members, skillz~for~thrillz has always been active throughout the site and epitomized everything I mentioned above - she got involved in the community, got to know people, was thoughtful in posting and even before she was selected, we all knew it was just a matter of time before she'd be a mod.
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WOW! Cane <3 ...what a compliment. I am speechless...except for this. =D
I want so badly to do a good job as a new mod. I know it will take time to acquire the "skillz" to climb up into the Senior Staff ladder,and that is cool. It will happen when it is right-for Bluelight and for me. I am so dedicated to Bluelight and along with my thanks- again -I want you to know that I won't stop. One day.... =D

Much peace and love........................skillz <3 =D <3
 
felix said:
i think you should just concentrate on enjoying being a regular & helpful member for the next 6-12 months. life is so much simpler when you don't feel the obligation to come here every day and "work" for no pay and a lot of grief and always having to set a good example to everyone with every single post you make.

and i meant what i said about not looking desperate. it's blindingly obvious to the mods of a forum taking applications for a new mod when people suddenly raise their game and start memberating and reporting 20 posts a day and generally act like the annoying kid at the front of the class, raising their hand to answer every question first. :D

clearly, i am very jaded after being on the staff for six years, and you can probably guess that i'm enjoying my retirement. ;)

don't get me wrong though - volunteering your time here is a worthwhile thing to do, but it'll happen when it happens.
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Oh THAT'S what you meant by looking desperate haha.. I thought you meant the reasons I gave for wanting to be a mod, my bad :)

And yeah, like I said, I'm not in any rush. I already come on here at least once a day, usually more. It's one of the first sites I check when I get on the internet. For now I have no problem just chatting and getting to know people and learning my way around better. Like you said, it will happen when it happens, and I'm cool with that. By the way though, I don't mind coming on websites and working for no pay lol. I'm already a member of another organization... not allowed to say the name of it for my own safety purposes... but it's all conducted online, I don't get paid anything so it's completely voluntary, and i still enjoy every minute of it because it's a worthwhile cause. Just like BL is with it's mission being harm reduction.

oh and skillz~4~thrillz, congrats! you seem really excited haha don't know you but still I'm happy for ya :)
 
lol why do you guys get bitter and jaded?

Sorry Felix but Facebook comes first!! The one site I said I would never join, too... hah. Now I'm probably more addicted to Facebook than I am to opiates ;)
 
xburtonchic said:
lol why do you guys get bitter and jaded?
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we all have our own dull and tedious stories about that.

i'm not really bitter and jaded about anything, except for spending too much time with an extremely unhealthy life/internet balance. which is nobody's fault but my own.
 
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