RationalWiki:Moderator elections/Campaigning/Archive5

Discussion of nominees

For discussion of the election process, see RationalWiki talk:Moderator elections.

Campaigning

Here nominees may make their case as to why they should be elected.

HeidelbergKid

Anyone who votes for me shall get 10 HeidelbergKid points. HeidelbergKid points are redeemable only for expired peanut brittle (100 points, requires 4 to 6 weeks delivery) and a Utahraptor to ride like a horse (1 million points, requires something-billion dollars grant money). This goat has been included to offset the change to the goat:raptor ratio this has caused.

My plans include:

• Cleaning up our stubs, off-missions, &c
• Dealing with trolls (of course)
• Increasing the site's overall goat-to-velociraptor ratio
• Dealing with hypocrisy (including my own)
• Regular public planning on specific goals to get done (e.g., the superfoods article)
• Opening up EvoWiki (which we talked about and forgot some weeks ago)
• Getting some more people on here (my rationalist friends on DeviantArt?)

Immortality's fun, except when you become a two-headed monster ^{Talk to me} 20:46, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

AD

You know me and my credo. I will always do my best.--^talk 06:51, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

Blue

The main problem with the system has always been that mods' roles have been unclear. The original mission statement mentioned "bootstrapping" and a "framework" and stopping "destructive discussion," but it has proved to be too buzzwordy and unhelpful. The question with which we are faced is a simple one, though: are moderators supposed to be leaders of the community, or more like mods on any other forum, i.e. equal parts janitors (e.g., technical maintenance of discussion readability) and police (e.g., enforcement of the Community Standards through temporary blocks and rights adjustment)?

I have attempted to play the leader in the past, with my voting standards adoption process for example, but it is not apparent that you need to be a moderator to act as a leader in this way. I believe that mods should take up the second part. They should have the responsibility to ensure that discussions remain readable, to fix technical errors therein, to move threads to relevant headers and pages, and to have more than a modicum of knowledge of wikicode and editing etiquette. They should also have the responsibility to make sure everyone has a fair shot at speaking their mind by reversing malicious and unfair actions taken by sysops (like blocks and rights removal) and trying to prevent them from reoccurring (by talking to the offending sysop), but they should also protect discussion from being hijacked by trolling and flame wars, either by moving that material away from the thread or issuing temporary (up to a day or so) blocks and desysoppings to the offending editors, or a combination of the two.

I don't subscribe to the idea that being a mod is just a "speaking" role. It should be a "doing" role as well. But what to do and what to say should be a clear and efficient process. I have lots of ideas on how to go about doing this, and I can articulate them over the coming months; they involve templates and help pages and even some "bootstrapping". Hopefully I can lead by example as a moderator.

P.S. I was hoping to focus my energy on my bid for the Board of Trustees, but I made the last-minute decision to accept my mod nom because there were so few candidates this time. Still; support my bid for the Board of Trustees this January! Blue 2013! Blue (pester) 02:05, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

are moderators supposed to be leaders of the community No. Aceⁱ⁹ 02:16, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

If you read any further you'll notice that I said pretty clearly that I didn't think so either. Blue (pester) 02:17, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

They should have the responsibility to ensure that discussions remain readable...They should also have the responsibility to make sure everyone has a fair shot at speaking their mind... Says who? Mods aren't the arbitrager of a fair go. Aceⁱ⁹ 02:34, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

I'm going to ask you once to correct your claim that my position on the scope of moderators' authority and mandate is "unarticulated" and "has never been explained." 02:36, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

Okay. No point in engaging about this here. It doesn't have any effect on the rest of the point, anyway. Blue (pester) 02:47, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

Mikal

I know I have some pictures somewhere... but meh. The Mikal Campaign runs on the idea of having to use my powers as little as possible, pretty much just if stupid bullshit is happening.

Goals:

• Try and keep the peace and generally be cool
• Institute the secret christian cabal
• Casual Fridays

PeterL

Down with:

• Frivolous coop votes
• User-space edit wars
• Empty campaign pages

Peter ^{Subsisting on honey} 05:22, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

Sterile

Sterile.

Awesome credit to Nutty. No one else is campaigning? 'tis sad. sterile^{sporadic heavy hitter} 04:59, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

I sort of hoped someone would finally say "Hey, Jason, you're doing a lot for your friends. I know you believe in them. It's nice that you've spent dozens of hours putting together increasingly interesting campaign posters as you get further along in your study of typography, visual design, color, and composition. You're not great, but hey, you you're getting better at Photoshop and like your gumption! Kudos, Jason!" 05:47, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

Tyrannis

Tyrannis

Pray tell how Alexander Guchkov's politics relate to your candidacy for moderator? 05:51, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

That epic mustache alone might be enough to win my vote. Sam ^Tally-ho! 05:58, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

Ty's main policy is "facial hair." All else is secondary. Peter ^{Subsisting on honey} 06:00, 29 December 2012 (UTC)

Godot

Vote for me! I'm nice. Usually. (If you want a serious talk about trolls, which is what this usually comes down to - ask.)Godot She was a venus demilo in her sister's jeans 17:39, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

Genghis

Moderate. Генгис^{You have the right to be offended; and I have the right to offend you.} 09:44, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

Sophie

Vote for me even though I'm not a candidate! In deep RW'yeh the Loya Jirga sleeps, ever alert for the call to action! (said actions must involve tea.) (ooh and a biccie.)

Sophie^Wilder 20:58, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

There's tea involved? well why didn't you say so earlier.Godot She was a venus demilo in her sister's jeans 21:10, 31 December 2012 (UTC)

This is discriminatory against coeliacs. JzG (talk) 13:54, 9 January 2013 (UTC)