by OldGuy » 02 Dec 2024, 15:48
I have worked as a site moderator on two different sites over the years.
The first time was a complete surprise. Members were not made aware of the secret moderators at any time. There were more than a dozen moderators involved. We had a secret section where we discussed site issues. The site owners monitored the activity of members and if they deemed it a good idea, they suddenly would make contact and tell you you were chosen as a moderator. Of course with no pay for the “privilege”. We were not allowed to reveal our position.
I was given a lot of authority to edit content as I saw fit. I was able to create new categories for topics and move them around as needed. I was even able to ban members I felt were bad for the platform. All my activity simply appeared as if the site owners had done all the work on their own. That site had millions of members and topics with some 600 categories of topics. Most topics from that site were among the first to appear in response to google search results. (That alone is the reason I keep harping on quality content. It makes a HUGE difference on placement results.) Most members were earning an average of $100 per month and I was earning well beyond $1000 a month just from my content and Adsense earnings.
The number one flaw with that site was that it did not have a mobile friendly version. Google made an issue about having a mobile friendly version and the site owners refused to make the change in fear of being inundated with “text speak and icon” content.
Google forced the issue by delisting all content on all sites that did not have mobile friendly version and that entire site vanished in a few months. End of that story.
The second time as a site moderator was here on ForumCoin. I volunteered for the position in mid 2018 and served until my computer crashed at the beginning of the Covid era in February 2020. Parts, supplies, repairs and even new computers were simply not available and I ended up having to resign from the position.
There were a number of issues to watch, including catching and removing spam postings as they arrived. I recall one member in particular who joined while both Fergal and Cyberfreak were offline. That bozo posted content that was outright offensive and all I could do was to move it to a special spam folder for the administrator to deal with when they returned, including banning that member from the site.
Problem was, that same bozo returned and contributed another vile post while I was watching, so I moved that one to the spam folder as well. He then began a campaign of dozens of similar posts, one right after another and I was sitting there moving them to the spam folder again and again. It turned into an entire 8 plus hour day of that activity and ended up with something around 200 posts in a row that all were removed within minutes of arriving. I don't think any other member saw any of them. It was a real workout.
At the same time, I happen to have a personal weird hobby interest in studying statistics and I discovered the format of ForumCoin fits my study interests. Although studying site statistics has nothing to do with moderator duties, it made it very easy for me to see all site activity as it happens. I used that added information to create several special offers and awards over my time as a moderator and I have found that to be a very enjoyable way to spend the earnings from this site.
I was finally able to find a computer replacement through a local repair shop in January 2022. The computer was not new, but he was able to rebuild an older model to get me back online. There were issues with it and he replaced it with another. And then another. And then even one more. Each was a stumbling block that allowed brief visits to online access but all were temporary due to issues.
I was finally able to find new computers on the shelf at Best Buy and have been able to return to online activity without all those issues. Although I am no longer a moderator, I mostly enjoyed the statistical studies so I went back through the entire history to update every record and have maintained those records every day since. As I think of a question about the site, I create automated formulas to provide instant answers. There are now thousands of such formulas in my offline records.
Again, not as a moderator, but just for my own entertainment I have again been offering contests and awards on my own just because I have no interest in the earnings and find the awards a fun way to spend whatever I find in my account. Since I already have the knowledge about site issues, I find it easy to answer questions about site topics. And that is where I am today.
I have worked as a site moderator on two different sites over the years.
The first time was a complete surprise. Members were not made aware of the secret moderators at any time. There were more than a dozen moderators involved. We had a secret section where we discussed site issues. The site owners monitored the activity of members and if they deemed it a good idea, they suddenly would make contact and tell you you were chosen as a moderator. Of course with no pay for the “privilege”. We were not allowed to reveal our position.
I was given a lot of authority to edit content as I saw fit. I was able to create new categories for topics and move them around as needed. I was even able to ban members I felt were bad for the platform. All my activity simply appeared as if the site owners had done all the work on their own. That site had millions of members and topics with some 600 categories of topics. [b]Most topics from that site were among the first to appear in response to google search results. (That alone is the reason I keep harping on quality content. It makes a HUGE difference on placement results.[/b]) Most members were earning an average of $100 per month and I was earning well beyond $1000 a month just from my content and Adsense earnings.
The number one flaw with that site was that it did not have a mobile friendly version. Google made an issue about having a mobile friendly version and the site owners refused to make the change in fear of being inundated with “text speak and icon” content.
Google forced the issue by delisting all content on all sites that did not have mobile friendly version and that entire site vanished in a few months. End of that story.
The second time as a site moderator was here on ForumCoin. I volunteered for the position in mid 2018 and served until my computer crashed at the beginning of the Covid era in February 2020. Parts, supplies, repairs and even new computers were simply not available and I ended up having to resign from the position.
There were a number of issues to watch, including catching and removing spam postings as they arrived. I recall one member in particular who joined while both Fergal and Cyberfreak were offline. That bozo posted content that was outright offensive and all I could do was to move it to a special spam folder for the administrator to deal with when they returned, including banning that member from the site.
Problem was, that same bozo returned and contributed another vile post while I was watching, so I moved that one to the spam folder as well. He then began a campaign of dozens of similar posts, one right after another and I was sitting there moving them to the spam folder again and again. It turned into an entire 8 plus hour day of that activity and ended up with something around 200 posts in a row that all were removed within minutes of arriving. I don't think any other member saw any of them. It was a real workout.
At the same time, I happen to have a personal weird hobby interest in studying statistics and I discovered the format of ForumCoin fits my study interests. Although studying site statistics has nothing to do with moderator duties, it made it very easy for me to see all site activity as it happens. I used that added information to create several special offers and awards over my time as a moderator and I have found that to be a very enjoyable way to spend the earnings from this site.
I was finally able to find a computer replacement through a local repair shop in January 2022. The computer was not new, but he was able to rebuild an older model to get me back online. There were issues with it and he replaced it with another. And then another. And then even one more. Each was a stumbling block that allowed brief visits to online access but all were temporary due to issues.
I was finally able to find new computers on the shelf at Best Buy and have been able to return to online activity without all those issues. Although I am no longer a moderator, I mostly enjoyed the statistical studies so I went back through the entire history to update every record and have maintained those records every day since. As I think of a question about the site, I create automated formulas to provide instant answers. There are now thousands of such formulas in my offline records.
Again, not as a moderator, but just for my own entertainment I have again been offering contests and awards on my own just because I have no interest in the earnings and find the awards a fun way to spend whatever I find in my account. Since I already have the knowledge about site issues, I find it easy to answer questions about site topics. And that is where I am today.
