I'm a forum admin/moderator/news/dev staff, ask me a question

[Dick Montage]

Some members have climbed their way to 100% before they "got it" and have thus avoided a ban.

You're welcome :)

[Rudy]

Are you guys watching me :shifty:

[Steven P. Administrators]

What are some of the plans you guys have for the future? What changes do you have plans on making somewhere down the line, and what changes would you like to make that seem impossible for the moment?

Also, I'll get these questions in here as I'm curious, but really don't expect a definite answer:

Will we ever see + rep on the news comments?

Will there eventually be a way to better keep up with news comments, as we are able to with forum posts?

And for the moderation team, do some people (or staff even) ever get under your skin that you just wish you could slam the hammer down on them and be done with it? Not naming names of course, but I'm always curious when the community is annoyed by an individual if any of the staff ever feel the same.

The plans we have for the future really equate to keeping in line with the rest, when we started we were pretty much a "new" thing, mixing a semi-warez leak atmosphere with a semi-official news blog, eventually a lot of companies caught up with us and we've had to make the gray line between journalism and leaks a lot thinner due to agreements specifically with Microsoft, although not creditted I believe we had a big hand toward Microsoft finally opening up their beta process to the common online geek, reserved previously to the old boys club of MVP's and a very small select number of online bloggers (pre XP beta).

We have one major plan in the tubes, but we can't announce that now because of the implications it will have towards certain parties, plus its too early on to announce.

Eventually as far as rep on news comments go, yes that will be unified in the future.

As for moderation, yes I still have to bite my tongue, even after all these years, but some members I know, appreciate my honesty when they've really taken it too far.

Ooooh, I got one...

What happened to that Keldyn dude? He seemed nice!

Like all mods, he eventually moved on through his own choice.

How frequently are mods expected to watch over the boards for miscreants?

We have an activity status in our staff area and the Supervisors do keep tabs on moderators to see if they've become inactive, plus the board ACP has a log of activity, basically we generally tell all staff to be honest about their level of activity, no-one is forced to do certain hours per day/week and in the 10 years we've seen many staff members come and go through different reasons.

[Lechio]

What is Neowin's relation to Microsoft and what role do you represent in the promotion of their products? Do you follow any guidelines delivered by Microsoft, like other Microsoft subsidiary websites do?

[dead.cell]

Yeah, there are members that bother us from time to time but we are usually limited by the promise to deliver due process. Some members have climbed their way to 100% before they "got it" and have thus avoided a ban. We know when members bother other members as well and it would be easy to let mob rule control our actions. Sometimes people come on here with an attitude and swinging for the fences before they calm down a bit. Then there are times when we cheer another moderator for finding a warnable item on a trouble making member because it brings him closer to 100%.

The plans we have for the future really equate to keeping in line with the rest, when we started we were pretty much a "new" thing, mixing a semi-warez leak atmosphere with a semi-official news blog, eventually a lot of companies caught up with us and we've had to make the gray line between journalism and leaks a lot thinner due to agreements specifically with Microsoft, although not creditted I believe we had a big hand toward Microsoft finally opening up their beta process to the common online geek, reserved previously to the old boys club of MVP's and a very small select number of online bloggers (pre XP beta).

We have one major plan in the tubes, but we can't announce that now because of the implications it will have towards certain parties, plus its too early on to announce.

Eventually as far as rep on news comments go, yes that will be unified in the future.

As for moderation, yes I still have to bite my tongue, even after all these years, but some members I know, appreciate my honesty when they've really taken it too far.

Very interesting to know, thanks! (Y)

One last question before I head off to work, I've watched moderators/staff come and go over the years, and notice that ex-staff become veterans. However, some staff do not. Is this a choice of their own to become a regular member, or is it something that occurs when that staff member has been problematic? I'll take it this question will unlikely be answered if it's the latter, but was just curious. Personally, I see not being a veteran to be an opportunity, as I would assume that would make someone eligible to participate in some of the Neowin contests. :p

[thechronic]

There should be a Getting to Know you type thing, with set interview questions for staff to answer like "what do you enjoy" "what is your favourite food" and so on. Post individually for each staffy and let members ask more and comment ;)

[swuzzlebum]

There is a general understanding that one should step aside if one cannot perform one's duties. I don't often go looking to prune down our list of moderators though so an inactive moderator could linger for a few months before they are noticed (if indeed they are noticed at all). If it ever were to be a problem, however, we do have the tools available to keep track of this (there are statistics kept about the number of threads moved, posts deleted and members warned). We've never set any formal minimum requirements that have required strict enforcement.

We have an activity status in our staff area and the Supervisors do keep tabs on moderators to see if they've become inactive, plus the board ACP has a log of activity, basically we generally tell all staff to be honest about their level of activity, no-one is forced to do certain hours per day/week and in the 10 years we've seen many staff members come and go through different reasons.

Sounds like the most logical way to do it, especially since they're already regular users. ;)

[Steven P. Administrators]

Lechio: We don't actually have a generic agreement with Microsoft, we have signed multiple individual agreements over the years for specific areas of their company and have been warned about the consequences of our actions (long time ago). The relationship now is pretty good.

dead.cell: Some staff only get Vet status if their contribution was meaningful (sometimes that goes to admin/supervisor vote), out of that we'e had "trial" staffers who simply didn't make the grade or opted to stand down themselves, and yes we've also had staff refuse the status and actually ceased coming to Neowin through "difference of opinion". Infractions are obviously not rewarded with Vet status but luckily that is non-existent.

swuzzlebum: a large team helps too :p

[Brian M. Veteran]

And for the moderation team, do some people (or staff even) ever get under your skin that you just wish you could slam the hammer down on them and be done with it? Not naming names of course, but I'm always curious when the community is annoyed by an individual if any of the staff ever feel the same.

From what I can tell, most, if not all of the staff get along just fine (it's like a big family at heart! :p).

As for members, sometimes some of them can annoy you to no end (examples include when you ask somebody to not do something twice, and they jump straight back in and do it again, or the rude PMs we sometimes get after warning people (I've been called several things from dick to nazi in the past 3 or so years)). One other thing that REALLY annoys me is when banned members continually create duplicate accounts. We've had members here with 10 or 12 accounts (excluding any that we've not found yet ;)) who still keep coming back. I don't know about you, but if I was banned from a website 12 times I think I'd get the message. However, for every member that annoys the hell out of you, theres 50 others that make it worthwhile.

Moderating is a pretty thankless job because you guys only see the bad stuff. You see that you've been warned or banned, or that another member you liked has been banned out of the blue, however, you don't see the countless warnings/pages and pages of discussion that goes on behind the scenes (as Neobond said earlier, we have members with a warning log as long as your arm who are still here, and we have lots who have been on 100% walking the ban tightrope, have seen the light, and now have a perfectly clean 0% nose - sometimes I guess they're just part of the furniture! :p).

How frequently are mods expected to watch over the boards for miscreants?

There's a fair amount of leniency here - after all, we all have lives away from the internet (shock, horror!), and in those lives things change, things go wrong, etc etc. I've been "semi-active" on and off for a good few months now due to a combination of exams, coursework and medical issues. The support from the rest of the guys (and Laura!) is amazing.

There should be a Getting to Know you type thing, with set interview questions for staff to answer like "what do you enjoy" "what is your favourite food" and so on. Post individually for each staffy and let members ask more and comment

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/900236-im-a-neowin-staffer-ask-me-an-off-topic-question/

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

No news staff questions? It's seems like all of these questions are related to Admin/Moderation

[Ferret]

How much bandwidth do you typically use in a month ?

Oh, and your ACP tell's you how many people are using a theme - So how many are using the pink theme ?

[Motoko.]

I hear ya. But unfortunately, politics exist everywhere. If we moderated all that out, there'd be no forums :p

Well I mean it is a tech forum, we can do without the hysterics; but to each their own though, I'll stay away

[Tzvi Friedman Veteran]

Well I mean it is a tech forum, we can do without the hysterics; but to each their own though, I'll stay away

Slightly off topic, but I've in my travels through the Interwebs that the 'tech geeks' are some of the most opinionated people I've spoken to, as far as politics goes. 'Tech geeks' are confident in their abilities and opinions, and when you put a bunch of those people in one room/thread, it's a challenge not to get riled up over a cause you 'know' is right.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

What plans do you have regarding the front page - i.e. is the focus of what is reported and what not going to change?

Also, isn't the tags system on the front page underused and do you have any ideas how to show members in which ways they can tailor the front page news to their liking using tags?

[thechronic]

I mean provide a standard form for the staff to fill out with questions laid out, post their answers and allow members to comment, add more questions e.t.c

So what is your real name? Joe bloggs

Which Country do you Originate from? Denmark

What is your Job at Neowin? Chimney Sweep

How did you come to be here? Abduction

Where do you think Neowin will be in 5 Years? Here, still.

Where do you think you'll be in 5 Years? Drunk under a bridge

What Food Do you like? Anything, preferably dead.

Do you have Pets? Do Cockroaches count?

How Many Computers do you Have? None, i'm currently in a library.

Do you have anything you wish to add? Fascists are really bad. That is all.

[ATGC]

Will you bring back the IRC stats?

[swuzzlebum]

Will you bring back the IRC stats?

This this this!! :devil:

[Berserk87]

How do I apply to be a mod?

[Max Veteran]

How do I apply to be a mod?

You don't apply. The staff get together and discuss who would make a good candidate for a moderator or MVC. There is no application system. If you are regular, well-behaved individual who enjoys being on Neowin and is knowledageble then you are always in for a chance when a position for moderator opens.

[Growled Member]

If you are regular, well-behaved individual who enjoys being on Neowin and is knowledageble then you are always in for a chance when a position for moderator opens.

Good thing I'm regular and well behaved and enjoys being on here. :p

[Rob2687]

Good thing I'm regular and well behaved and enjoys being on here. :p

You became a mod in less than 2 years of being here. That's gotta be a record or something. :p

[Phenom II]

Where did you get the name "Neowin" ?

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Where did you get the name "Neowin" ?

It was back when betas of what would become Windows XP represented the new (aka "NEO") "WINdows".

[Phenom II]

It was back when betas of what would become Windows XP represented the new (aka "NEO") "WINdows".

(Y)

[Fred Derf Veteran]

(Y)

/me reserves the right to be completely wrong and corrected by Neobond.