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Tuesday, November 4, 2003
Staff Disputes
With the recent de-modding of a staff member on OtakuBoards, I'm reminded of how the term "moderator" carries a lot of weight with it on a message board. When I first became staff the term almost had divine implications, since we referred to Category Moderators as "Gods." They always seemed like they were on top of things, and most importantly, they gave the impression that they could do no wrong.
Moderators are just members like everyone else. They like to read threads, make fun rpgs, and heaven forbid, actually post when they get enough time to. However, they have added responsibilities and expectations thrust upon them that can make the boards seem very unenjoyable at times. Some become jaded at times and as a result lash out against their fellow members, and their bosses.
These naughty moderators have been directly responsible for some of the most memorable moments in OB history. Anyone who has been here long enough to remember Version 3 knows that it was only created after spammers and disgruntled staff members made our previous forums completely unpostable. Without that little event we would have had a much different version of the boards today, and it seems possible that we'd all be posting on UBB software, ugh.
In many ways infighting among staff can bring out both the good (Version 3) and the bad (battle lines drawn out among members and moderators.) We are nowhere near the large civil wars of OB's early days, but whenever someone is forcibly removed from staff tensions might arise. Even bad members care about OtakuBoards, so it is difficult for people to do what they feel is best for the boards, even if it means letting a good friend have their moderator status revoked. Most moderators choose to resign for themselves, but even those who have been "fired" continue to stick around as active and productive members.
It's really best for everyone on the boards to keep their infighting off of the forums (and related sites) since it tends to hurt morale so much. Nobody wants this place to revert into one of those stupid "Clan Boards" that are so common elsewhere online. The boards have a unique community, with a friendly atmosphere promoted by and between staff members. I hate to see smaller arguments explode into public battles because of something as meaningless as "member status."
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