It's been a bit since I hosted one of these as a mod, and we've got a fair number of newer folks on the site who may have missed it.
Disclaimer: There are some things that I may not be able to elaborate on, either to ensure our ability to continue to work effectively behind the scenes, or because some subjects may exceed the PG-13ish nature of public spaces of the site. I will also not comment on specific individual moderation actions. If there's a situation that you need help with, feel free to PM myself or another moderator.
That said, I'll answer as transparently as I'm able!
So... what burning questions do you have about RPR moderation?
Disclaimer: There are some things that I may not be able to elaborate on, either to ensure our ability to continue to work effectively behind the scenes, or because some subjects may exceed the PG-13ish nature of public spaces of the site. I will also not comment on specific individual moderation actions. If there's a situation that you need help with, feel free to PM myself or another moderator.
That said, I'll answer as transparently as I'm able!
So... what burning questions do you have about RPR moderation?
Do you ever get burnt out from dealing with stuff here?
I'm actually curious how being a mod here may have shifted over the years - like, updates to how various issues are approached, changes to what sorts of issues are most common, overall vibe, etc.
MagicHavoc wrote:
Do you ever get burnt out from dealing with stuff here?
Sometimes, I absolutely do need to just take a breather and step back. All members of the team are encouraged to prioritize their mental health, and we have a feature called "vacation mode" on the back end. This removes that moderator's name from the bottom of the forums to make it less likely that someone might reach out to that mod for help.
The great thing is that we've got such a big team, so we tend to have some folks present at any given time.
Zelphyr wrote:
I'm actually curious how being a mod here may have shifted over the years - like, updates to how various issues are approached, changes to what sorts of issues are most common, overall vibe, etc.
Honestly, being a mod hasn't changed much at all in the time I've been moderating. Kim keeps the experience and ethos consistent. The biggest difference is that we have more tools now that Kim built to make our jobs easier and more efficient. It REALLY helps!
As for how various issues are approached, we are constantly in conversation. If, for example, we get a report that raises an ethical issue we haven't yet established precedent for, we hunker down and have a big group discussion to reach a consensus. Virtually all rule or policy changes are made through this collaborative process.
The great thing is that we've got mods from all over the world and various walks of life, so we bring a fairly diverse range of expertise and viewpoints to a meaningful dialogue. I especially love when we (politely) disagree sometimes because I gain new perspective. We are constantly learning from each other.
Not for naught, but we've also revisited age old policies to update them, such as instituting a blanket ban on RPing hate group characters such as Nazis. Sometimes we realize change is needed, and we try to go about it as mindfully and fairly as possible.