So you think you can cut it as a moderator...

Positions avalible;

• Ambulance Group Moderator
  

Specially I’m looking for moderators who…

• ... are a member of the service for which the position is for.
  
• … have previous forum moderation experience, especially phpBB forums.
  
• … have been regular or semi-regular readers of this site.
  
• … can be decisive, fair, consistent, and mature in moderating forum posts (aka Moderation for Smart People)
• … expect to participate actively in the forums themselves, at least daily
• … have a passion for promoting the Emergency Services and in particular NZESF
• … have strong English skills (people from all countries are welcome)

The main reason I’m looking for people with previous moderation experience isn’t because forum moderation is technically difficult.  It’s because moderation requires a certain degree of maturity and wisdom, and those qualities take experience to build.  The moderator’s decisions, or lack thereof, can make or break a forum.  So even if you lack specific forum moderation experience, feel free to apply if you think you have equivalent life experience appropriate to the task.

I favor a relaxed approached to moderation.  The beauty with the fourm is that topics change and grow. It is expected that some topics may go slightly off topic as a naturaly progression of the conversation.  Provided that the progression is gradual and associated with the topic it can be allowed.

What does moderation involve?

Basically you check the forums at least once a day and use the built-in moderation functions to handle any problems that come up.  You’ll automatically receive an email whenever a forum member reports a problem, so in many cases you’ll be alerted to problems before you even visit the site.

Your privileges will include the ability to delete, close/re-open, and move threads and posts.  You’ll also be able to send private messages to members.  As a moderator you will need to make yourself familiar with the forum rules and guidelines  Most of this will be pretty obvious — no spam, no sexual content, no harassing people, and so on.  But written rules will ensure that all moderators are on the same page and the community has a fairly consistent moderation style throughout.

You will also be required to vet new members who wish to join the Usergroup you will be moderating.

If you decide you no longer wish to moderate, you can quit at any time.  I just ask that you give me reasonable notice to find a suitable successor.

Why become a moderator?

Anyone who’s moderated a forum already knows how rewarding it can be.  If your goal is to fill an ego-based need like status or popularity, you probably won’t make a good moderator.  A good reason to become a moderator is that you love helping people and are looking for an outlet to contribute.  Great moderators are active in their forums, and they love seeing their communities blossom.  An active moderator has tremendous influence over the type of community that evolves.  If there’s anything you’ll get out of being a moderator, it’s that you’ll build stronger communication and leadership skills.

How to apply

If you’re interested in becoming a moderator, just PM ADMIN with the following info;

• some basic info about yourself (who you are, what you do, your main interests, your web site if you have one)
• your previous history with NZESF (how long you’ve been visiting and how often)
• previous forum moderation experience you’ve had (or why you’d make a good moderator)
• which particular forum(s) you’d most enjoy moderating.
  
• why you’d like to be a moderator