[MOD] Mod recruitment post

[acidae.livejournal.com]

It's here!

For those of you who missed the previous announcements, I have decided to step down as the maintainer of arashi_on. Since I've been the only one looking over this place (with lullabyeforyou occasionally lending a hand), I'm going to be recruiting two new maintainers to take over my spot. I know some of you have asked if I will still be around, and yes, I will remain the owner in case anything happens, but they will be running this community on their own starting in September.

Before we move on, I have to give you a warning: I may be stepping down, but I only want the best for arashi_on. I hold myself to pretty high standards in running this community, and I will be expecting the same out of anyone wanting to take over. So this post is going to be pretty long and you might be put off by how much I expect out of you, or how strict the requirements are, but my sincere hope is that there will be people out there willing to take on this role regardless. Having said that, please do read all the way through if you're interested in applying!


What does being a mod entail?

There's a few basic things that a mod needs to be able to do, and do well:

- Knowing the rules like the back of your hand
- Being diligent about clearing the queue (not just being reasonably timely, but actually checking each one to make sure no rules are broken)
- Handling community issues as they arise, be it through PMs from members or things you notice yourself
- Being around!

They may seem like common sense and incredibly easy to do, but as the saying goes, it's always easier said than done. It's one thing to read that list and say "Oh, I can handle all of that, no problem", but an entirely different matter to be able to keep up the same level of consistency six months, a year, two years down the road. Yes, fandom is supposed to be fun, but running a community with over 20,000 members is a great responsibility no matter where you go, and anyone even considering applying needs to be aware of that.

Of course, being a mod isn't just about the things you have to do. Your innate qualities are just as important, because they will dictate how you run the community, how you treat the members, and how you deal with problems. Some of the common qualities that members of this community themselves have cited (and I wholeheartedly agree with) are listed below:

- Professionalism (eg. being polite and approachable, able to stay objective and fair, being able to separate personal opinions/matters/preferences from the community)
- Critical thinking skills (eg. being able to look at all sides of a problem, being able to weigh the pros and cons for all possible solutions)
- Maturity (eg. having a sense of responsibility, being patient and flexible in situations, being able to differentiate between rational decision-making and emotional impulse, handling crises and pressure with self-composure)
- Respect for diversity (eg. keeping other people's feelings in mind, having the ability to listen to and evaluate the viewpoints of others regardless of who they are or what they like)

If you find it doable and would like to give it a shot, please fill out the application below and leave it as a comment here (all comments will be screened). I'm going to do things a bit differently here at arashi_on from the way mods are usually picked in other communities, so there will be a second part of the application process as well. After a week, I will send out an email to select applicants with a few more questions, which basically consists of three scenarios you may see during your time as a mod and how you would handle them.

Note: Please do not PM or email the following form to me as I want to keep everything in one place!


Application form

Name:
Email address:
Timezone/Location: (Place of permanent residence and/or current location eg. if you're only studying abroad for a year)
Availability: (How often can you be around in a typical week? Do you have other commitments such as a full-time job or school? Do you travel a lot?)
Fandom background/experience: (How long have you been in fandom? What activities do you take part in? Any other fandoms you're currently into?)
Any previous modding experience before? If so, please explain:
Reason for applying: (Why are you interested in running the community?)


The deadline for applications will be on June 30th at 11:59 PM EST. Application deadline is now over, thank you for applying!

As I mentioned before, my hope is to take on two new maintainers for arashi_on, preferably with opposite timezones so someone can be around no matter the time. You won't have to worry about being thrown off the deep end of the pool, because I will remain a maintainer for the months of July and August, offering guidance and advice where needed; basically like job shadowing and training for a couple of months. :)

Also, please be aware that we will be keeping in close contact amongst the mods-- not just with me over the next two months, but also between the two new mods once I'm gone. I was able to get by on my own, but having more than one person will mean a need for open communication in order to run this community smoothly!

That should be all for now. Good luck, everyone! ♥