Deputy Mods on VJ: Moderation Structure

[TracyTN 237]

I think it'd be pretty easy for anyone with a modicum of immi knowledge to distinguish that saying, for example, 'K1ers can work when they arrive in the US' is incorrect, and make a correction of that statement whether they're a mod or not. All of us do that today - is that legal advice too then? Maybe we should all stop posting tout de suite and let posters do the research on their own.

This idea of deputy mods wasn't mine to begin with - I just saw the logic in it and still do. But if everyone here seems to think it's a bad idea to have mods in the upper forums with more particular immi knowledge, then let's shelve the idea all together. Perhaps it already has been shelved as nothing has been done with it - but we just haven't been told.

[mox 298]

But except for the very rare complete blithering idiot, questions like "can you work when you first enter the US on a K1" are more often answered correctly than not. It's the more nuanced questions that rely on more expertise than you can reasonably expect to be routinely policed that are the tougher ones.

If there really is some kind of discussion that upper forum mods must be immigration "experts," then yes I agree, let's completely shelve that idea and return to sanity. Moderation is the day-to-day sweeping, mopping, hauling out the garbage, and general maintenance of the forum. You should be able to take a good moderator from, say, a World of Warcraft site, plop them down here as a moderator, and they should do just fine. The reason we have a member-driven community is because it's the community, not the moderators or even the administration (how often does Ewok give immigration advice?) that drive helpful discussions. Sure, there are some real knuckleheads that think they're gawd's gift to people seeking immigration advice, but are in fact about as helpful as a jello doorknob. Most of the time there are plenty of others around to correct them, but I've seen posts that have gone days or weeks or even never without being corrected. It's unfortunately the nature of this kind of site. What I do know is that, for me anyway, the overall level of advice was high enough that I made it through the whole K visa process without ever having to talk to a lawyer or getting an RFE. So yeah, it's imperfect, but it does work. I think that's most people's experience here.

The best thing anyone can do to keep information fresh and accurate is to question advice that seems questionable to you. Even if it's pushbrk or Mermaid handing it out, even if it's somebody who's fragile little ego can't deal with criticism, if you've heard otherwise or it just doesn't sound right, challenge it. It's discussion that drives this site, not broad proclamations that often turn out to be one person's opinion. That's how you get accurate immigration information out there. Moderators with the power to shut somebody up because they may or may not know better is a recipe for VJ's ultimate irrelevance.

Edited January 27, 2010 by mox

[TracyTN 237]

Maybe I got the wrong impression of the 'requirements', but I didn't think Capn was wanting 'immigration experts' to mod the upper forums. Just long time-ish members who tend to hang out in those particular forums and have better than a basic knowledge of that particular process. For example, someone like emc in the waivers forum. Maybe it's best for Ewok to tell us again what his thought process was on this. I might have the wrong idea.

[mox 298]

Nobody would love to hear Ewok's thought process on moderator selection more than I.

[TracyTN 237]

[Captain Ewok 1,857]

Correct that if we pick people for the upper forums they are not there as any type of expert. They are there as a moderator / member with a longer standing on the site. They should have a background in the upper forum they are working with (personal history, etc.) that will help them moderate it better. Truth be told, most the moderation outside of spam happens in the regionals and off topic.

[Mags 112]

jello doorknob.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... most the moderation outside of spam happens in the regionals and off topic.