When I saw the list of candidates for the local mod position my jaw dropped. There are 15 candidates and they are all very deserving of the position. 7 of them have been local mods before (unless my memory is deceiving me). 11 of them have been, or currently are, staff members. They've all been on Vizzed for at least 2 years, and are all well-known throughout the community. But there can only be one winner.

I, tgags123, would like to be Vizzed's newest local moderator. Throughout my time on Vizzed I have accumulated over 6500 posts, 22000 CP, 369000 total words, 22 trust points, and a post rating of 719. I have been a site staff member on more than one occasion, with the roles of Content Adder, Sony System Manager, and Tech Support. I've been on Vizzed for nearly three years, so I'm extremely familiar with the rules of the site and the way that it is run.

Unlike 7 of the applicants, I have never been a local moderator before. To some of you this may seem like a bad thing, but I think it is a good thing. It is a chance to get a new voice on the mod team, a fresh opinion on things. I have moderated multiple rented forums on Vizzed in the past, so I do have some experience.

Now that all of that is aside, the most important part: I'm just a normal guy that's here for the same reason you are. I'm not here to be a supreme overlord of the forums or anything like that, I'm here to chat with some people and enjoy myself. This doesn't mean I'm not going to enforce the rules, I'm just not going to be a tyrant about it.

Thank you all for reading. If you have any questions please ask and I would be more than glad to answer. Vote tgags and make Vizzed great again!

tgags123 : Are you the Bernie Sanders of Vizzed? I guess Zlinqx will be feeling the Bern soon enough. #VoteBernieTgags2016

Honestly, though, I think you'd make a good moderator.

NovemberJoy : Ew no. I won't be giving anyone anything for free

Thanks

I have a few questions for you actually.

1. Based on your current post total and the fact that you said you've been here almost three years, I estimate you average roughly 180 - 200 posts per month. However I also remember that you had a period of inactivity if memory serves, and I don't often see your name in the forums I tend to frequent the most (I'm assuming you do most of your posting in debate). In light of these factors it seems apparent that much of your total was accumulated prior to your inactive period (which is fine and all). So I ask this: how many posts do you believe you currently average each month, and do you feel the Local Mod post quota would be something you could consistently hit with ease?

2. How do you feel about what you know of the current system that is in place for Local Mods? Namely post quota and procedures for handling forum issues with users.

3.How do you feel the site administration as a whole is doing currently in regards to the way the forums are run? This includes Local Moderators, Global Moderators, Administrators, and David himself.


Apologies if I seem to be interrogating you, I actually am interested in you as a candidate for the position, and I just want to know who I'm supporting if I choose you. Thanks for taking the time to read this, answer, and affirm your love for all things pudding related.

Eirinn : I don't mind being interrogated (And I love pudding!)

1. Yeah, I just made my return 4 days ago. Prior to that I had 5 posts in 3 and a half months, but I have 33 posts since returning. I think I could easily achieve 250 posts a month, maybe even more on TdV months. I'm not sure exactly what the quota is but I don't think I would have a problem reaching it.

2. Well I like the post quota. I think it is very important to ensure that the local mods are active and the post quota does that. What kind of issues are you referring to? People having issues or problems that they need help with? Or someone causing an issue by spamming, causing fights, etc?

3. In general, I think the administration does a more than satisfactory job. I do think that the ban system could use a little fixing (regarding ban durations for different offenses mainly). Other than that I don't really have any other complaints. I think how threads are closed when they are no longer relevant to keep the forums less cluttered. I like how discussions are allowed to happen and are only shut down if they get way out of control. Overall, I like the way the site is run.

I actually don't have many questions for you, since I feel I know everything I need to know.

But in the interests of fairness, I figured I'd give you a few, to gauge how seriously you are taking this.

You literally just came back, so I'm incredibly unlikely to vote for you, unless you can sway me to your way of thinking, just thought I'd be clear about that.

In that mindset, what do you think the biggest problem with Vizzed is, right now, and how do you plan on tackling it, if elected moderator? What is the reform you wish to bring about?

I don't view your lack of experience as a bad thing. For many of those locals, they left on less than perfect terms, and it's hard to say I will definitely be voting for one, just because of experience.

What do you believe is the role of a moderator, in your own words?

You are incredibly opinionated, and this can be both a good and a bad thing. You say you will not be a tyrant, but it is hard to gauge such a thing, when all we have to go on are words. How do you plan on tackling perceived arrogance?

We know your stance on pudding, but how do you feel about jello?

How do you believe ban duration should be changed? What offenses need their duration increased or shortened?

How do you feel about permabanned members returning?

In regards to the procedures, I was referring to people that broke a rule of some kind. The procedures are viewed as very indirect and even inefficient by some users claims, but others insist they are handled the way they are because it's the most logical way of doing so. What do you say?

Also if I may add an extra question or two...

Many candidates seem to be saying "I won't be a tyrant" and the like. Why do you think that is? Is it that the current team is perceived by them as being tyrannical? Or is it that there is simply a fear of power corrupting most people? Or are they trying to speak to their humbleness?

Next, and this is related to the tyrant comments that everyone is using as well: Local Moderators are actually rather limited in the power that they have directly over the forums as they (except in very rare cases) are not the ones that issue the forum bans. Instead they simply monitor the forums, issue warnings, report issues that they find, and weigh in on issues at hand. With this in mind, how would you describe a Local Mod that could be considered a tyrant? What would they do that would make them a tyrant, that in turn you would not do?

Next, this question is brought about by something Speed Leggy asked you. He asked how you planned on tackling the biggest issue you found with Vizzed and what reform you planned to bring about. My question is this: do you have hopes of bringing a reformation, or simply becoming a valuable addition to important discussions and proceedings handled by the Mod team as a whole?

Finally (last one, I promise), what do you feel you have to add to the Local Mod team? Do you feel you will bring a fresh perspective to the table? Or do you just plan to weigh in on whichever views you agree with? Or perhaps both when applicable?

What do you think needs to be changed in how the current moderators go about their business?

Do you feel that there needs to be more transparency in the decisions made on Vizzed?

Also, can you promise to not disappear for a thousand years again like you did recently?

SPEED LEGGY : Well the biggest problem on Vizzed right now, in my opinion, is the lack of activity. This issue, however, is not one that I would be able to fix as a local moderator. I can try to make Vizzed an enjoyable place so that members will come back, but I won't be able to recruit any more people than I already have. Other than that? Well I'm more of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy. The only other thing that I can think of at the moment that I would like to modify would be the ban system, as I mentioned above. I would make perma bans less frequent, but actually permanent. Under the current system I believe perma bans are handed out a little too easily. However if someone does do something bad enough to deserve a perma ban, they should not be allowed back under any circumstance. For example, if a user was to get upset, throw a tantrum, and threaten to report Vizzed to Nintendo, (purely hypothetical of course) then I would say that user deserves a permanent ban. Whereas if someone were to verbally attack a user I would warn them first, then ban them for a day if they continued, then ban them for a week, then perma ban them, no more chances. Obviously I wouldn't be the one doing the banning but this is the system that I would like to see in place.

The role of a moderator is to keep the forums neat and orderly, overlook what is going on in his/her forums, and to intervene if things get out of hand. In simpler terms, to keep things running smoothly.

As a moderator I would talk to arrogant or obnoxious people differently than I would if I was a regular member. I realize that I would be representing Vizzed and would need to act professionally. If I was on Twitter and someone said something objectionable or rude I would definitely go back at them with the same attitude, I won't deny that. But as a moderator I would be the "bigger man" and respectfully tell them whatever it is I needed to say.

Vanelan : Jello is pathetic, it wishes it was as good as pudding

I went into bans above in my reply to Speed Leggy.

I also said that I don't think perma banned users should be able to return, but that is only if the ideas I stated about making perma bans less frequent is implemented as well. As far as members that were banned beforehand, I would be open to letting them back depending on what they were banned for and if they apologize and show an effort to improve.

Eirinn : Well efficiency takes a backseat to logic and fairness in my opinion. I don't care how long it takes or how many people it takes as long as it is the best and most just way of handling the situation.

I definitely wouldn't say that the current team is tyrannical, although there may have been a mod or two that I did find to be a little power hungry in the past haha. I just think it's always a fear for people. You never know how someone is going to react when they are given a little bit of power. For example, there is this woman that works at my church that everyone hates. She doesn't really have a lot of power, but she sure does take advantage of the little she has. When I used to go to religion class it would end at 8:30 and she would make all of the parents wait in the lobby thing (not sure what to call it, the place right inside the entrance of the school) until exactly 8:30 and then she would let them go to the classrooms and get us. And when you were leaving if you were five steps ahead of your parents she would flip out and yell at you asking where your parents were. Really what I am saying is that I am not going to be like that lady lol.

An example of a "tyrannical" local mod would be someone that intervenes in every thread when someone goes slightly off topic, someone that talks down to other users, someone that would reprimand you if you sandwich post once (ex: User A posts, User B posts, User A posts) during a non-TdV month, etc. Just someone that is bossy and takes advantage of the power that they have.

Of course I have hopes of being a valuable addition to discussions. I stated in my opening post that it would be good, in my opinion, to have a new moderators as opposed to someone that's already been one so that you get some fresh opinions when discussing different issues. I am the type of person that loves to share my opinion (as many of you know ) so I would contribute to all of the conversations as much as possible.

I'd say I plan to do both. I hope that I can bring in a new perspective, but I'm not going to change my opinion on something just to be different.

A user of this : As far as the role of the moderators I don't have any particular changes in mind and I'm not going to make something up just for the sake of the question. Like I said above, if it ain't broke don't fix it

Assuming you are talking about site decisions, I think it's important to always let your users know what is going on. The more people you have throwing ideas in the better. If you are talking about decisions regarding users, I think those should be kept private out of respect for that user.

I can't promise, I don't know what life is going to throw my way next, but I'll try

It almost sounds like there are permabans that you believe were unjust.
Do you believe there are users that went right to permaban that shouldn't have?

Vanelan : There is one user I can think of right off the top of my head, yeah. But the main reason I think perma bans should be less frequent is so that we can actually make them permanent. The second chances would come with temporary bans beforehand, instead of perma banning peope right off the bat and then giving them a second chance to come back from the perma ban.

Round 1 of the election is over. Since you did not make it to the 2nd round I am closing this thread.