A Few Good Moderators for Sac Republic FC

Discussion in 'Sacramento Republic FC' started by Knave, Jun 3, 2014.

  1. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    A little while back somebody complained that match threads aren’t getting posted in a timely manner on this board. It’s a legitimate complaint. Just about the most basic thing a team board should do is host match threads, and if we’re not getting them up appropriately, then something is wrong.

    There’s a quaint idea that if posters want match threads, they should and they will post them. But things don’t work that way. Posters in the abstract almost never take responsibility for starting routine threads. (Why is this? You can start with Mancur Olsen’s classic The Logic of Collective Action.) If you want to get something done, then somebody’s got to take responsibility for it, and on most boards that final responsibility will lie with a moderator. The fact that simple, routine things aren’t getting done shows that this board doesn’t run itself, and that it would benefit from moderator oversight.

    But that’s only one side of the matter, and it’s the boring side. The quotidian stuff is important because it has such powerful effects. By doing the simple things, mods infuse their boards with contagious energy. That energy is the difference between backwater boards and pulsating discussion communities.

    I was the DC United mod for years back when that was the biggest, most active board on BigSoccer. What made that board great? The mods made sure all the simple stuff got done, and by doing so we gave our energy to that board. We constantly started match threads, news threads, and topical threads. Threads were stuck and unstuck on time. Everything was kept timely and tidy. (And we squashed trolls with glee!) Those simple things sustain and build active, vibrant boards.

    I look at this SRFC board and the developing SRFC community, and I see the opportunity to build something special both on and offline. This board should be a big part of that. If you want reliable, high-quality SRFC discussion, this should be the place to find it. But we need some mods to step up and make it into that kind of place.

    A lot of folks think great posters make great boards. That’s not true. Especially these days, there are countless places for great posters to express themselves. You need great mods to build great boards that attract great posters.

    Modding isn’t for everyone, and it isn’t forever. When I finally stepped down from modding the DC United board, I was, frankly, relieved. I didn’t want the responsibility any longer. My energy was tapped out. I didn’t think I’d ever want to mod again. But I’ve been so tempted to step up to mod this board. So very tempted. I know this team and this place could be extraordinary.

    But I’m not the right guy. My allegiance is still with DC United, and if SRFC makes it to MLS, I expect it’ll precipitate some sort of existential crisis for me. Even if that weren’t an issue, I think this place needs younger, newer, less jaded blood. Still, I can fully see what this board could be, and the idea of being part of that is compelling.

    If I can’t do it, then I should at least try to persuade some of you to step up. (Note the plural: all boards should have at least two mods.) So I’m opening up this thread. Maybe some of you are interested but have questions. Maybe others want to chime in with their thoughts on modding this place (and modding in general).

    For now I hope I’ve at least piqued your interest. So let’s talk.
     
    QuietType repped this.
  2. QuietType

    QuietType Member+

    Jun 6, 2009
    Sacramento, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Though I post here a lot I'm not going to throw my hat into the ring. I just can't devote myself to that responsibility, and not to mention, I also share conflicting interests, with the Quakes. There are a few posters here I think would do a great job, or perhaps someone new. Kudos to those that do.
     
  3. SierraSpartan

    SierraSpartan Member+

    Jan 25, 2007
    Placer County, CA
    Club:
    Sacramento Republic FC
    I could probably try to put up and keep threads ex officio, but I too have some conflicts of time and passion.

    Has anyone thought of reaching out to the folks in the Battalion (sactotbb@gmail.com) to see if anyone in that group would be interested?
     
  4. Polemarch

    Polemarch Member

    Apr 27, 2013
    Sacramento, California
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    I could do it, but I'm about to leave for vacation and won't be back for a week or two. Is moderating stressful for a sub-board this size?
     
  5. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    #5 Knave, Jun 5, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2014
    I have to say that I have reservations about folks from the Battalion modding the main board. Why is that? Well, basically it goes back to my experience on the United board, and particularly to what some of us old timers used to call the Etcheverry Wars. Bottom line is there was a huge rift on that board, and the allignments were roughly in line with supporters group affiliations. It was better that the mods were unaffiliated, even if some of us ... ok, me in particular ... were active and vociferous combatants.

    More generally, you have to make 100% certain this place is for everyone who wants to talk about the team, not just Battalion members. That's more than a matter of unrestricted access. It's really a matter of style, and particularly a matter of openness to negative opinion and team criticism. Supporters groups don't always take well to those things. They want to support the team, period. Sometimes that means they react very badly to strong negativity and criticism.

    I'm all for the Battalion having a sub-forum. But the main board should be bigger than them, and open to a larger variety of views and opinions than you sometimes find within supporters groups.
    This board is tiny. It doesn't even have trolls. Basically, for a good long while modding this board will be about building this place up to the point that it becomes attractive to troll and stressful to mod. Until then, it should be pretty fun and satisfying to mod.

    If there's any "stress" it's that you'll have to read everything posted every single day. That's easy on a board this size. Reality is on a large board you can't read everything. That's why you need several mods. And even on a board this size, mods have lives and responsibilities and they go on vacations. So you need at least two in case the other isn't there that day.

    What else? Match threads are easy. Sticking and unsticking threads is nothing. Posting topics for discussion? Usually we do that to distract ourselves from the daily stresses in our lives!

    Meanwhile, where are @sugit and @mangerson ... Both expressed modding interest in the other thread.
     
  6. Polemarch

    Polemarch Member

    Apr 27, 2013
    Sacramento, California
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    That sounds pretty good. In that case, you can count me in.
     
  7. mangerson

    mangerson Member+

    Sacramento Republic, San Jose Earthquakes
    Jan 8, 2008
    Sacramento, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    @mangerson has been busting his tail at work day and night preparing a new software implementation. I felt guilty taking the time to post the Arizona Matchday thread yesterday. Hence, my reference to "after July" when expressing interest in being a mod. Just so you know.

    :)
     
  8. sugit

    sugit Member

    Feb 5, 2010
    Sacramento
    I would really really like to do this..I just worry about putting the required time. I'm taking a new work role here very soon and I won't have much time on this site during my ramp up period.
     
  9. SierraSpartan

    SierraSpartan Member+

    Jan 25, 2007
    Placer County, CA
    Club:
    Sacramento Republic FC
    Well, sign me up then. I've got experience in modding one of the "lesser" SJSU boards, and I have noticed that the Republic does deserve day-to-day coverage on BigSoccer.

    I doubt we'll have the issues that DCU had with their board - so far we're pretty much one big happy Republic.

    Toss me an e-mail at sierraspartan*at*gmail*dot*com and let's get to work.
     
  10. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    You two obviously have to make those calls yourself. But you should keep modding in mind for the future when things (one hopes) quiet down.
    I made some inquiries, and if you two are genuinely interested, I'm told that you should send @Ismitje a PM. He'll guide you along the process.
     
  11. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    I'm bumping this thread.

    My last effort to recruit a mod for this board kind of fizzled. But I want to give this another try. As I see it, some of the posters who stepped forward last time as possibles are already de facto mods on this board. They've got a good presence, they're driving discussion, and they're just generally making this place a better board.

    So for those that were thinking they'd really like to mod this place, please give it a second thought.
     
  12. Polemarch

    Polemarch Member

    Apr 27, 2013
    Sacramento, California
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    I applied and the super mod said he'd get to me after the world cup. Well, you can see how that's gone so far.
     
  13. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
  14. SoccerPrime

    SoccerPrime Moderator
    Staff Member

    All of them
    Apr 14, 2003
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #14 SoccerPrime, Sep 20, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2014
    @Polemarch @Knave, It might help if in your negotiations you let the actual current mods know what you are trying to do. While I agree that Sac needs their own individual mods, it might help the process. Just a thought.

    @ButlerBob
     
    Knave repped this.
  15. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
  16. DynamoEAR

    DynamoEAR Member+

    May 30, 2011
    HoustAtlantaDMV
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  17. sugit

    sugit Member

    Feb 5, 2010
    Sacramento
    Just put my app in to SoccerPrime!
     
    mangerson repped this.

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