Why be a Mod?

So mods what do you get out of being a moderator on ATS?
Are there any perks too being a mod?.
Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?
Do you enjoy being a mod?
Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?

Also does your ATS page set up look different to us normal members, just like non members ATS page looks different to a members page set up.

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reply to post by DBCooper71

Well if censorship wasn't a valuable thing the government wouldn't be the way it is would it.

Hey there


***So mods what do you get out of being a moderator on ATS?


Being here almost 9 years and 7 of them being a moderator, What do i get out of it?

I love ATS, And i know from those first early days that this site would grow, And to be a part of that really is a great experience, We ..all Staff and members have made ATS what it is today, Also learning from our members,
I know for me my interests where quite limited when coming here, But moderating has made me read so much more and learn so much from members, So that's a big + in itself,

***Are there any perks too being a mod?.


The perks are i guess personal rather than anything else, We are like one big family, we have laughed, cried and been happy together, We are part of a team and that feels great,


***Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?


We don't get paid and lol no freebies, We do it as we love the site and want to see it become the best it can be,
Its a commitment and a choice we made when saying yes to being a moderator,


***Do you enjoy being a mod?


Personal i love being a mod, I love reading what opinions are from all walks of life, We have it all here and we are very lucky like that,

***Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?


Draw backs would be that sometimes when things get a lil crazy we dont get to much time to post ourselves, and also lol we have to take the blame for alot of things out of our control, We are only people just like everyone else and we differ in our opinions, Also we cant read every post made so we do miss stuff



***Also does your ATS page set up look different to us normal members, just like non members ATS page looks different to a members page set up.


Our page looks just like what our members see just we have a few little buttons to help us moderate,


The great thing is every mod will answer these questions in there own way and there own opinions and im sure it will vary for all of us,
Im sure others will come answer for you as well,

I applied for mod and they said I was "over qualified".

The story of my life

reply to post by haven123


The mods do not get paid to do what they do. So your assumption of money is wrong.

vvv

Probably the same thing i had when i was Founder of a IRC chan (long time ago lol )
i could add Sop and Aop and make Perm Ban
never had any money for this
but its a serious job or hobby

Moderator is like an Operator
you can Ban impolite users who dont respect the rules
for the day or a permanent Ban

Being a moderator on ATS is similar
they have their Sop and Aop
Skeptic Overlord is the founder all all those Sop/Aop lol
i think the terms have changed a little bit

Originally posted by DBCooper71
Are there any perks too being a mod?.

If debating what does or does not cross the line with the T&C's is a perk, then I guess that's it.

Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?

Nope. I'm still waiting for my free ATS coffee cup.

Do you enjoy being a mod?

There are days when it's a pleasure working with the staff and other days when it's rather fractuous, but, overall, it's a great learning experience. The same can be said working with the membership. There is nothing like feedback of all sorts in order to come to grips with one's own personality and every day brings a little more light onto who I really am. Often, it's trial by fire. Other days, it's like drowning and seldom is it easy.

Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?

Yes. Being a moderator often means that our posted opinions are seen in the light of our status and then used in an argument against us. As in; "You're a moderator? How dare you think this way?"

That, and we're often too busy to voice our opinions anyways. On top of that, it is standard practice to never post an opinion in a thread which we are moderating, which means that as soon as we remove an off topic post (or whatever), we can't join in the conversation no matter how much it interests us. I run the writing contests, for instance, and regardless how much I'd like to post in some of those wonderfully creative stories, I don't so that I can still moderate them if something comes up. That sucks.

Also does your ATS page set up look different to us normal members, just like non members ATS page looks different to a members page set up.

Nope. It's about the same. Staff does have their own forums for discussion, though, so I guess that's different.

reply to post by DBCooper71


1. A huge sense of family for me

2. No real perks other than to be associated with a group of the finest people on the planet

3. No pay, No freebies

4. I absolutely LOVE being a Moderator here

5. Drawbacks? Yes... The negative aspects are definitely a drawback, also the long hours sometimes when the site needs us.

6. No, our page is basically the same

Thank you for your interest as well

Semper

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed
I applied for mod and they said I was "over qualified".

The story of my life

I am sorry your wish didn't come true, I wish this too but few are chosen.

***So mods what do you get out of being a moderator on ATS?

I guess the best way to describe it is that as a non-member ATS is like this girl you know. As a member she becomes a girlfriend that you either become all consumed with or it is an on again/off again type of relationship. Being a mod...you are married...somedays it is bliss and other days you are cleaning hair clogs out of the sink otherwise you are not getting any.

***Are there any perks too being a mod?.

You get to meet and communicate with people you otherwise might not have. But then again, I never had trouble talking with people due to one of my philosophies of life that everyone is a genius in their own right about something.

***Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?

See, this is were others won't say but I will tell you. It will be our little secret. We do get paid and get a lot of freebies. No, not in cash but in experiences. We build memories, kinships and share ideas. Some of us do the radio shows which for me is a creative outlet for public performance that I have not had since the 80's...well January 1, 1990 to be precise. I didn't get paid for those gigs either, but I hung out with some interesting people as well. Some more known than others.

***Do you enjoy being a mod?

Yes, if I didn't I can resign. Personally, I think that I do a good job. There have been times that people: mods, members and *gasp* even owners, might disagree. But one of our more important jobs is to weigh in with opinions on things. Each of us have different backgrounds so we all see things in different perspectives. So while the members might think we are slow about something, it is because we are still hashing it out.

***Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?

Absolutely. Time is but one of them. Currently I work two jobs 60-70 hours 6-7 days a week, do two radio shows which is another 6-7 hours 5 of those on air. I still have to find time to help friends move or remodel a house they are about to move into and give the cats the attention that they need...is it any wonder I am not married and raising a family or even dating for that matter...

***Also does your ATS page set up look different to us normal members, just like non members ATS page looks different to a members page set up.

A little different in that we a couple more forums to look at and some extra buttons to automate some of our more common actions. That and the little yellow box that says we have a message is lit far, far more often. We also see more ads so that we can help spot the problem ones or at least see what people were talking about. Back when becoming a Bronze, Silver or Gold member meant "no more ads" I enjoyed about three weeks of ad free browsing, then I became a mod and the ads were back. Which reminds me of another perk we had. Mods used to have a higher character limit so we could write a longer, wordier post. Three of us really enjoyed that benefit...I will let you guess who the other two were that could and would come close to that increased limit on a regular basis.

So mods what do you get out of being a moderator on ATS?
I have gained a group of alibis....

Are there any perks too being a mod?
Im not sure seeing Garth in a speedo and wearing a pink cape is a perk or not, but there ya go...it might be perk for some *shrug*.....

Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?
Full bank account, new Porche Cayman R (afterall I moderate the A&U forum), vacations to tropical islands (I got Social Issues too)...

Do you enjoy being a mod?
is enjoy the right word or should it be "Are you addicted?"

Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?
yes. the "love" mail. it is always a joy to see some so irate and pissed off at me because i just removed a post filled with profanity or a "screw you xx member" kind of post......"You have a new message". Open. You suck. I also thought it was an easy way into the CIA.....boy was I wrong

But seriously....most have already answered....
We dont get paid...it is all volunteer....
I have gained some great friends on staff....I have gained an exciting spot on an amazing radio show with a great group of guys....I get to interact with members on all kinds of levels all day long.....some good interactions, some not so good, but that is life. But the good interactions are incredibly rewarding because there are some amazing members here!....but i can tell you that the "hate mail" makes me laugh does not upset me (for future hate mail writters)...

I do enjoy it, but need breaks now and then. It can be a taxing job (look at how many threads/posts there are on a daily basis). You must have thick skin because people can be cruel and mean.....to staff. Many think we aren't allowed to voice our opinions. Others think we are molds of each other. But we are members and people too with opinions and thoughts on the very things everyone else is concerned about and a seriously varied staff on all levels....It also takes up a LOT of personal time. But I am addicted to ATS on so many levels.....I truly love to be here!

I started out as a member and appreciated how well run the site was. I liked that people could not fling insults at each other and that I didn't have to worry about reading profanity and porn filled posts or people spamming "go to meetrichguys dot com" type posts. I could see, as a member, that staff worked their butts off to maintain a well oiled machine.....so now that i'm staff I see and appreciate more the hard work put into maintaining ATS. It is not an easy job but it is rewarding due to the interactions and people you meet on both sides of the curtain

I have been staff on other "forums" before. I didn't like it. I would never be staff on any other forum anywhere, ever again. ATS is 2nd to none when it comes to the staff, the members and how it is all maintained.

Not sure if I answered this well....but I will answer any questions

Oh...and yall BETTER LISTEN TO ATS LIVE!!!

Originally posted by DBCooper71
So mods what do you get out of being a moderator on ATS?

ATS has brought me hours, upon hours of enjoyment, and it was a signal honor to be asked to help keep it as enjoyable now, as it was when I first joined.

Are there any perks too being a mod?.

It sounds trite, but I get quite a bit of satisfaction out of helping members when I can.

Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?

Paid? Nope. Strictly volunteer. Though we did get a really cool shirt some time ago. But I think I speak for most, if not all, of my fellow mods when I say we aren't doing this because we want perks or presents...we do it because we want ATS to succeed. ...and so far, so good.

Do you enjoy being a mod?

Immensely. I spend, at least, three to four hours a day here. Sometimes twice that.

Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?

The drawbacks are the same as the advantages. The members. Sometimes it's very easy, and at other times, not so much. I derive a great deal of enjoyment interacting with people from all over the world. At the same time? It can be a tooth grindingly frustrating time when a member refuses, for whatever reason, to understand what is being said to him/her...

Also does your ATS page set up look different to us normal members, just like non members ATS page looks different to a members page set up.

No. My pages are exactly the same as they were before I joined the staff.

reply to post by DBCooper71

Why be a Mod?

Hot babes
Cool cars
Borg Implants

And free coffee at the ATS gift shop and snack bar.

Forgive me for being a bit obtuse, but I used to work in a place that told us that pay was strictly off limits for discussion among other employees. If it was discussed, it meant instant termination.

Honestly, I wouldn't be a mod unless I was paid. I simply can't afford to work for free. I'm not independently wealthy and no job I've ever had would allow me to keep the internet close enough to work and moderate this website at the same time. Most places nowadays heavily monitor what their employees are doing on the computer. I have no qualms about donating my time or work for charitable causes like animal shelters, but ATS is a business and I have a hard time swallowing the fact that the administrators expect people to help them manage their site for free. Why not spread the wealth?

I know that a couple of mods have stated that they are health care workers, but that makes me nervous. I wouldn't want to be a patient with my nurse's or health care practitioner's attention in two places at once.

Being a moderator has never been a goal of mine. I come to ATS because it's rare that you can go sit in a bar or coffee shop and find someone to have an intelligent conversation with about things that are discussed here.

Well, that's about it. Sure hope I haven't ruffled any feathers, but this is how it looks to one measly member.

While I love this site all of the comments above are why I could never be a Mod.

I like to take off at a whim, sometimes for days and no one knows where I am going...sometimes not even me. I just follow the sun.

To the Mods...Thank you for all that you do.

So mods what do you get out of being a moderator on ATS?
- The fulfillment of helping keep the site from being a series of chain post for male enhancement drugs. Honestly I just enjoy the site in general and want to help keep it a great place for people to have an open discussion because sometimes I need a good place to have an open frank discussion.

Are there any perks too being a mod?.
- Aside from the time-share we have with recovered UFO, the monthly moon trips, and access to the bunker in Cheyenne Mountain, not really.

Do you get paid or get any freebies for your time and effort?
- Do you get paid for mowing your own lawn? No, but the satisfaction of seeing well manicured turf around your house is all the payment I need.

Do you enjoy being a mod?
- I enjoy doing anything on ATS.

Are there any drawbacks to being a mod?
- Moderating can be a huge time suck so it can leave you short on time you might have used to participate in a discussion.

Also does your ATS page set up look different to us normal members
- Looks the same to me as it does to you except that SkepticOverlord and Springer have Beavis and Butthead avatars. I'm not saying which one is which.

edit on 3/29/2012 by dbates because: (no reason given)

Being a mod does have a few perks.

Once we get our security clearance, we are privvy to a variety of government sites that detail much of the mysteries discussed here. I have, personally, manned the controls for the government's remote access aerial light device (raald) and I have to say, it was a blast (sorry stephenville).

We don't get paid any money but we, and our immediate families, will be provided with secured spots on the shuttle when the time comes. You'll learn more about this in the near future.

The hardest part of being a mod, besides the twice monthly blood and urine tests, would be lying to y'all about all the things you guys see and post here. It's very difficult to post about how unicorns and leprechauns aren't real whilst sitting in a room with a lep astride his tiny unicorn but, they tell us, it's for the best if you are kept in the dark.

Oh, and we all get cool "agent" names.


Unfortunately, we all get the not quite as cool "john" so, when the department head yells "john, get the raald up in the sky over california" to distract everyone from (insert any news item here), we all jump up and bang into each other in a mass grab for the controls.

reply to post by Afterthought


Thanks for asking that question and thanks to the Mods for answering. I've been wondering about what they put up with as well but had similiar thoughts.

Something along the lines of;

"What's the first rule of being a ATS Moderator?"

"We don't talk about being a ATS moderator."

Originally posted by TDawgRex


I like to take off at a whim, sometimes for days and no one knows where I am going...sometimes not even me. I just follow the sun.

we've all been tagged with tracking devices so we can take time off when we want to and we don't have to announce it.