The Joys of Moderation . . . or as LJ Refers to it, Being a Maintainer
I normally never post to my own blog. I've always considered that I'm here to assist at the communities I belong to -- and at those I help to moderate (maintain).
But the more I participate as a moderator, the more fascinated I am by LiveJournal. (And also by GreatestJournal. Which I suppose is really another story.)
The most gratifying thing I've experienced at LJ is working as part of a very large moderation team -- and discovering what a joy that can be. While I know of people who apparently think moderation should be a 'one man' (or one woman) job, I'm unable to understand that sort of reasoning. (I tend to think such people are clearly not team players -- or are not mature enough to be able to work with others ... certainly something I learned to do at a young age.)
When I hear friends speaking about offering moderation help to others -- and they're talking of how that help is turned down -- I have to wonder at the person turning the assistance away.
Is it a case of being too controlling -- and unable to delegate responsibility to others? Or are we talking about something entirely different? (And if so, what, precisely?)
No, I'm not open to the argument that it's 'confusing' to have more than one moderator at a community. Why would that automatically be the case? It's only confusing if you don't know how to work as a team! But admittedly, I have the great pleasure of working with people who know exactly what they're up to when it comes to moderation -- and how to help keep other moderators informed of who is doing what, and what actions have been performed. None of this takes much time, but it does make for a better community.
While there are days when I might find myself ready to beat my head against a wall because of the questions asked, I generally feel great affection for the community members of those places at LJ (and GJ) where I interact.
And I feel nothing but the most sincere admiration and respect for the other moderators.
I doubt I'd be active at LJ (or GJ) at all if it weren't for these joys.