in search of a moderator

[Ralph Herold]

Dear members,

Due to the increasing workload of the forum and the increasing necessity to keep it organized, I have decided to open a moderator position in order to share the maintenance duty. Since I believe more than one person will be interested in this position, I will do a test, in which I will ask the applicants a series of questions. The one person who provides the best answers will be elected moderator. I think this is the fairest way to handle this. Suggestions regarding the details of this procedure are, as always, welcome.

There are a few requirements in order to participate:

1. You have to have joined the forum not later than the 1st of June 2004.
2. You have to have at least 50 posts at this very moment.
3. You have to be present on the forum at least three hours on average on at least four days a week.
4. You have to be free of any conflicts with other members.

Your job:

1. You will move threads into the right category, if they are misplaced.

2. You will inform members either privately or publicly, if they have done something obviously infringing the integrity of the forum.

3. You will interefere in escalating discussions and try to work out an agreement.

4. At the end of each month, you will move all threads older than three months to the appropriate Archive folder or to Scheduled for Deletion.

Of course I will continue my work as moderator, so you will never be left alone in your decision.

Three notes:

1. This is a serious assignment. Do not take it lightly. You will be given power, and power brings responsibility.

2. Be aware that I will only pick one applicant. Chances are high that you will be rejected. This is nothing personal. If you know you will be dismayed by a rejection, do not participate.

3. This is a test project. If it will prove to cause more problems than it solves, I will terminate it.

Applications will be accepted immediately until the end of Sunday, the 23rd my time (GTM+1). Thank you to all who participate.

[Ralph Herold]

The following contestants have been registered at the moment:

Annorax
AXIOS
hammr7
l0qii
mahdishain
Mr.C
rg

I had to reject two members, because they did not meet the requirements (they are not members long enough):

johnstown713
Celebrindor


I am impressed about the high number of people interested in this position. This wil be a hard decision.

[Ralph Herold]

The registration time has expired. I will contact all contestants by email, probably this week. Please make sure that the registered email address is valid.

[Ralph Herold]

Moderator tests have been sent. If you have not received your test, please contact me immediately.

[Ralph Herold]

The time to work on the test has expired. Five members have returned their test:

AXIOS
hammr7
l0qii
madishain
rg

One member has withdrawn his participation due to an unexpected shortage of time:

Mr.C

One member has not returned the test without any reason:

Annorax

I will analyze the tests and publish my decision hopefully within this week. So far, thank you all for your willingness to help and for your impressive efforts expressed in the test. You certainly spent not less time to figure out your answers than I spent time to draft the questions.

[Ralph Herold]

Dear participants of the moderator test,

I am sorry that I have not yet been able to fully analyze your submissions. In preparance to take my exams, my time is very limited at the moment and I need to be attentive to fully contemplate your thoughts. Nonetheless, I will try to conclude this topic as soon as possible.

In other news, one more member has retracted his application in the meanwhile because of an unexpected shortage of time due to a change in his job:

rg

[Ralph Herold]

Dear members,

The spindown life counter is cast: I have chosen our member hammr7 to become moderator and he has accepted the election.

I wish to thank again all participants for their willingness to support this website and their energy they have invested in the very well written replies to my moderator test. You all have passed the minimum requirements I had set for this position and you will be auto-qualified for future open moderator positions.