Democratic Underground is looking for volunteers to serve as moderators

[EarlG]

The next moderator term will last three months, from the middle of November 2009 until the middle of February 2010. If you have never served as a moderator before but would like to volunteer some time to help keep Democratic Underground's discussion forum running smoothly, now is your chance.

Here are some things to bear in mind before you apply:

• Your political ideology is not important... We need centrists and leftists and everyone in between to serve as moderators.


• We prefer people who have been members for a while, and have made at least a few hundred posts. You must be at least 18 years old. You must have donated at least one time to Democratic Underground using your own name.


• You must be able to log on to DU regularly, and should not take any long vacations between now and the end of the term.


• We prefer people with a generally positive outlook on life, who can be fair and evenhanded, and who don't get easily frustrated. If you sign up to moderate, we expect you to stay as a moderator for the full term. You must understand that it is perfectly normal for the admins to occasionally overturn your decisions, or to make specific requests regarding the manner in which you participate on DU while you are a moderator.


• We prefer that moderators avoid highly controversial topics, or at least moderate their behavior significantly when participating in such discussions. If you have a history of rhetorically hot postings on controversial issues, we may not choose you to serve.


• If you know that you aren't very good at controlling your behavior or your emotions, or if you know that you can't be fair to a particular group of people, please do not sign up to be a moderator. There is no obligation to serve as a mod, and we won't hold it against you if you choose not to.

Here's how to volunteer:

STEP 1: FILL OUT, SIGN, AND MAIL THE MODERATOR CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

IMPORTANT! If you mailed us the form before, you might need to mail it again. The form was updated on August 26, 2005, and we need the most recent version from all of our moderators.

The moderator confidentiality agreement is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/moderator_form.html

Double-check to make sure the page says "Updated August 26, 2005." That way you will know that you are looking at the correct form. If it doesn't say that, click reload/refresh on your browser to reload the page.

Fill it out and send it in to the address provided ASAP. If you prefer, you may scan the completed form and email a digital copy along with your moderator application email (see below). Don't forget to sign the form.

We hope to receive completed forms from all applicants *before* the new moderator term begins. If we do not receive your form before then, we may not be able to give you access to the moderator forum at the beginning of the moderator term.

We will keep the moderator confidentiality agreement forms on file, so once you mail the form to us you should not have to send it again if you apply to serve in future terms.

STEP 2: SEND US AN APPLICATION EMAIL WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

Send an email to [e-mail] with the word "moderator" in the subject line. By volunteering to serve as a moderator, you are giving us permission to take all necessary measures to verify your identity. Include the following information:

- Your real name

- Your forum username

- Your address

- Your telephone number

- How much time you spend on Democratic Underground

- Which forums you'd like to moderate, or would not like to moderate (if you have a preference)

- A brief statement which generally outlines your political views

- Are you taking any extended vacations during the the next three months?

- Have you read, and do you agree to follow, the Message Board Rules and the Moderator Guidelines?

- Have you filled out, signed, and mailed the Moderator Confidentiality Agreement (Updated August 26, 2005)?

We hope to select a new group of moderators on Wednesday November 11, 2009. There will be a free conference call for the new moderators on the following night.

EarlG
DU Admin

[Soylent Brice]

1. K&R

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Suggestion.

I moderate other boards, (nothing as active as DU though) and I understand the necessity of requiring admins to keep their views to themselves.

That's kind of a big request, DU'ers are here generally because we are opinionated.

I suggest that moderators be allowed, at your discretion, to use agreed-upon sock puppets for moderator purposes.

... if nothing else, a long-term participant is more likely to have a history (read: a prominent place on ignore lists) within the community.

I'm sure there are many who can keep their mod duties separate from their actual opinions, but asking them to suppress those actual opinions might be a bit much.

[Robb]

3. Mods enforce the rules.

I've seen many, even during their term, who participate enthusiastically in discussion. :shrug:

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. But it usually results in questions of impartiality.

Often with some justification, imho.

[MisterK]

5. How much does it pay? :)

Just kidding'