Why continue? *Mods*

[Solstice]

Lately I have been noticing a lot of posts from various mods about how overwhelmed they feel with modding and all of the various jobs that they have to do. I understand that moderatring on a website can be stressful and overwhelming and that it is essential to have mods in order to run a website as large as RYL but I have been noticing myself feeling uncomfortable at times with the consistent feeling of almost being a bother to even send a log that I know needs to be sent because of the constant posts about how much work the mods *have* to do.

I appreciate the work that the moderators do, I do. But I want to remind them that this is not your job, you can quit whenever you want and you did volunteer to take on this responsibility, if it's becoming too much and you're overwhelmed by it or it's bringing you to a bitter place then maybe you should quit. I'm not trying to be snippy, I'm just simply saying that it's not worth being unhappy in your life over. This is just a website and it's full of a lot of people, a lot of people who can be trained to take on the responsibility that you have. Four years ago nearly none of the current mods (if any) were moderators, those people moved on and you will one day too. If you aren't happy doing this job then don't. You aren't getting paid, you are volunteering your time and if it's that stressful for you then I personally don't think it's worth it.
Nicole

[Crysainta]

I agree with you but not sure what kind of reaction you will get to this.

[Icecube. Swirls]

I agree with you but not sure what kind of reaction you will get to this.

This^

[griddlebone]

As this thread was probably made partly in response to posts I have made its probably best for me to respond and I speak only for me and none of the other mods so anything I say is just personal.

When there is a big team of moderators it means sharing the workload more evenly between the moderators. There used to be 11 or 12 active mods, there are now 4, so thats two thirds less help then there used to be. This means that there is pressure on the remaining mods meaning that whenever you get ill or whatever you feel like you're letting down the other 3 mods that are left.

Yes,we can quit but we dont because we love modding,despite all of it flaws and the bad side of it we all volunteer because we want to help and for the most part we get satisfaction and pride from being mods. The stressful part of the job is usually outweighed by the positive feeling surrounding modding. Its hard to explain why we keep doing it if you havent been a mod, but it is a job that has a lot of satisfaction.

Have I been overwhelmed lately?Yes. Is it specifically caused by RYL?No. Theres a reason I made my thread the other day and it was so that people would understand that I DO want them to keep PMing me, that Im not ignoring them but if I forget to respond that they keep trying because I am busy. I dont think anyone ever asked for people to stop PMing them but if you feel like you cant PM specific moderators then you can always email us and then its everyones responsibility.

Im trying not to be disheartened by this thread because I know thats not your intention but this does make me sad. The worst thing for me is I know why Im stressed and thats because,as said in my support thread Im basically waiting for a relative to die, when they have died I will be less stressed....so it kind of sucks to be wishing for calm and knowing how I will get it.

RYL helps me, has continued to help me whenever I have needed it and I give back to it what I can.4 years ago, I was a forum mod and have been for 6 years, been head of chat for over 2. I think it that time there has maybe been......5/6 times when I have honestly felt like I hate modding,never want to do it again. I think thats pretty good going for that time scale.

I see where youre coming from and I hope this thread doesnt becoming a personal attack on the mods,for all of our sakes because I know that people are feeling fragile right now.Things always go in cycles, its a pretty low point but it will pick up,always does.


Edit: Also for me, being the only double team mod I find that its a very difficult balancing act between teams. When the chat mods are strong etc then the forum side seems to be going badly, when the forum side is going well the chat mods suddenly all leave or something. I dont get much rest from that. But when I go into chat and people tell me that chat is running more smoothly than it has for a long time that gives me a boost and Im grateful to be a part of that.

[Icecube. Swirls]

As this thread was probably made partly in response to posts I have made its probably best for me to respond and I speak only for me and none of the other mods so anything I say is just personal.

When there is a big team of moderators it means sharing the workload more evenly between the moderators. There used to be 11 or 12 active mods, there are now 4, so thats two thirds less help then there used to be. This means that there is pressure on the remaining mods meaning that whenever you get ill or whatever you feel like you're letting down the other 3 mods that are left.



Couldn't the mods have some vacancies on this website for more moderators because it must be very hard for four moderators because there is only four mods to deal with the issues.

[griddlebone]

We are in the process of doing that, but for various reasons its very difficult to do, it isnt just a case of picking people then making them mods, theres a lot that goes into it.

[Snow White.]

I see 7 mods and I always get confused as to why there is only 4 referenced. Not to be a dick about it or anything I guess I'm more just curious as to why there are more then there actually are or who are the ones to contact as I sense a lot of the contact falls on you [not that this thread is about you specifically].

Reading your post makes sense, I understand what you're saying. I guess it's like with scales, and on one side you have the bad and on the other the good. The bad is still there but as long as it doesn't consistently outweigh the good to the point of harming your health, the scales will flip to the good side on a good modding day and it will keep you going in the role. And we are grateful of that, as long as you're okay :)

[griddlebone]

Ony 4 are regularly active either on the public boards or on the modding site,thats why I only reference 4 :)

Its like....I have had bad modding days recently in chat and then you sent me that PM aimee and it just made me feel so much better and the scales went the other way.x

[Snow White.]

You'll be happy to know chat is being amazing again then, dear Liv :)

That makes sense, I guess my reservation is that people may be PMing other mods that are not the active ones but then I'm sure they do still pop on and check their PMs and can refer them to the right place if they're not up to it themselves.

[Solstice]

You are correct, Liv, the thread wasn't direct directly at you. You aren't the only moderator who I have noticed seems to be having a bit or a rough go at the moment with moderating. I'm sorry for the hardship taking place in your family right now. That can be emotionally tolling on anyone. You and your family will certainly be in my thoughts.

I couldn't remember if you were a mod back in the short bought of when i was a moderator (so I do know somewhat of what it is like to be a mod even if I did only have a short round of it) and I just remembered that Ama was also a mod at that time as well.

My point of this thread, as you acknowledged, is certainly not to be accusatory of the moderators and I hope the other members of the website will respect that as well. The point of the thread was to just remind the moderators that if they need a break, they can have one. It's very easy to feel overly responsible for something that they don't need to feel the burden of. Especially the personality type that this kind of website would typically attract...people pleasers. Moderators were once just regular members too and probably found this website for the exact same reason everyone else did and I think that's something that people tend to forget.

[Amaryllis]

I see 7 mods and I always get confused as to why there is only 4 referenced. Not to be a dick about it or anything I guess I'm more just curious as to why there are more then there actually are or who are the ones to contact as I sense a lot of the contact falls on you [not that this thread is about you specifically].

Reading your post makes sense, I understand what you're saying. I guess it's like with scales, and on one side you have the bad and on the other the good. The bad is still there but as long as it doesn't consistently outweigh the good to the point of harming your health, the scales will flip to the good side on a good modding day and it will keep you going in the role. And we are grateful of that, as long as you're okay :)


The active forum mods are me (http://www.recoveryourlife.com//forum/member.php?u=177), Liv (http://www.recoveryourlife.com//forum/member.php?u=423), Cam (http://www.recoveryourlife.com//forum/member.php?u=59), and Liz (http://www.recoveryourlife.com//forum/member.php?u=153).

Another reason there's so much stress on the mod team is that you feel like you CAN'T quit because then there won't be enough mods to carry the weight, nor do you feel like you can really take a NEEDED break because there aren't enough mods to carry the weight. I'd feel differently about this if it were a situation that hadn't been going on for very long, but at the moment, it's a long term thing.

We do have a couple new mods in training, and hopefully they will be able to go red soon so perhaps the situation might get better.

[Snow White.]

Thanks Ama for clearing that up! :)

[random.swirls]

Yeah I think at times being a mod can be overwhelming but days later it can be totally different!

I love modding and I think Liv, Liz and me where taken on in the same cohort back in 2008 and ama did you come along with kim etc shortly after?

[Amaryllis]

I was taken along with you guys in 2008.

[random.swirls]

Ohh I thought you had but then it seemed like loads of mods were taken on then and I can only remember Kim coming in the next group but maybe alex and charlie came then?

[[Purple_Rain]]

Yeah, until the two new mods turned red, the 4 of us had been around for 5 years.

It really isn't as simple as quitting. We're a team, if one us us 4 quit, chances are whilst another one was out ill or busy, that's leave two of us.

You don't do that to your team.

[Dreaming.]

I think that I was bought in with Kim?

FWIW I think there's a lot of stuff that can be bought out of this thread.

Nobody doubts the brilliant work that the moderators do, despite the frankly shitty situations you guys are in.
Nobody also doubts that you guys care deeply both for the people on the site and for each other (and I really admire that).

However, you aren't being given the appropriate tools for the job - whether that's support or access rights to create new moderators. Basic volunteer management 101 is that when relying on volunteers, you have to give them appropriate tools to do the job well. If you're not getting that, I'd recommend escalating it - whether it's a case that Harley needs to bring in and pay (a small amount) for a part-time moderation temp, or whether it's just not effective as a system that works with the current environment.

There's no doubt that you guys are doing killer work, but also, both you are talking about how stressed you're feeling, and people are commenting (in this thread, for example) on how it's negatively affecting their perception of and interaction on the website, too. I'm definitely not saying give up, and please don't think I'm undermining the brilliant work you do, but I wonder where the line is before the system as is ends up being more of a negative experience for everybody involved than it is positive.

You know me, I like to pop back and stir up trouble - but frankly, I do worry for your guys sanity levels, considering how long this has been ongoing and how stressful it's been in that time. I know that you don't want to leave anybody in the lurch (be it members or other moderators) but surely there's only so much you can (and should, as volunteers) take?

It's odd, I think this website really negatively swarms one's opinion (or at least, my opinion) of what volunteering is about. I always thought it was almost a martyrish thing, that it was difficult and you weren't properly supported but you did it out of a passion for the cause. Having worked in organisations that properly manage volunteers, though, I realise that that mentality is the worst and most unproductive sort of volunteer management. You need to give people support and you need to give them the tools to do their job. People volunteer because they care, and they should be valued because they're stakeholders who contribute a hell of a lot. You don't want to piss all over that enthusiasm. /tangent

[Buttons.]

Jo speaks very wise words. It's also nice to see you back btw :)

[Dreaming.]

Haha - it's like my spidey senses tingle when I smell a thread that I can make a long and unhelpful reply on :)

[Buttons.]

^ Lol

[Isoverity]

I saw Jo's avatar in the carpet tits thread and thought someone had bumped a zombie thread lol.

Jo used to be a good mod back in the day