Bitcoin Forum

Noticed that there are a few mods who are inactive since quite some time in the forum. Do we need to recruit new mods?

Inactive mods:
1. Andreas Schildbach (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3696) - Last active: February 13, 2018 - Board: Bitcoin Wallet for Android (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=100.0)

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2. Thomas V (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3137) - Last active: August 15, 2022 - Board: Electrum (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=98.0)

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3. Mike Hearn (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=2700) - Last seen: March 29, 2016 - Board: BitcoinJ (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=138.0)

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4. MiningBuddy (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=14001) - Last seen: April 04, 2018 - Board: Beginners & Help (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=39.0)

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I didn't have a look at the mods on local boards, if you have more you can list below..

Each moderator can do multiple tasks and moderate multiple boards. If you see an assigned staff for a specific board is inactive long time ago, it does not mean that board is not moderated at all.

Additionally, the displayed staff names for a specific board has been not updated a long time. MiningBuddy (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=14001), a moderator for Beginners & Help (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=39.0) board. The user is no longer a forum staff which is confirmed by Search by position (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=mlist;sa=search) with a keyword 'staff'.

• Suggestion to update the obsolete moderators from various boards / child boards (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5252771)
• List of the forum's admins/ global moderators/ staffs (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5206428.0)

The forum might use community consensus in some areas, but it is inevitably run solely by the admin theymos, and it's he who can determine that; he's the one who sees the data on mod action and which boards are not getting enough moderation.

Editing the names of the inactive mods out from those boards would solve half of the problem, which is this topic being raised and discussed often. Anyone drawing attention to the news to recruit new mods then would be doing so based on them noticing delays in confirmation of reports on certain boards.

This board isn't really active, there's no need to find a new moderator.

This board is quite active, but there's no shitposter which mean the moderators already solve the inactivity of this moderator.

Last replied on this board was 2 years ago, what's the point we need a new replacement? actually this board doesn't need any moderator at all!

This board is active and there's many shitposter especially users who create merit fishing thread. Many users already create thread to replace MiningBuddy but there's no move from @theymos. So I don't think there's a new change after you create this thread.

I think you missed the point OP made there. We all have seen how inactive Andreas Schildbach has become since 2018. If that user has been that inactive, why still leave their name there? That's the basic question. Why not put the username of whoever that has been keeping that section running. Even if it's theymos himself who has taken up the moderation of that section, he should put his name there. I think that's the most logical and understandably thing to do. The same thing should happen too to all the parts OP pointed out.

Yeah, but during the upcoming bull market, we may see increase in activity in the forum too (which means more possible shitposting, spams, etc.), in that case we may need more moderators so theymos can assign or even think about it before it happens.
Exactly!

Why asking such question? You are not theymos, you are not an admin, you are not a moderator but a member. Let me tell you something, moderators are trying and handling spam effectively. Or don't you know that?

You are wrong, especially when spams and reports are handled effectively. Example is beginners me help, it has no moderator, but it is effectively moderated. If boards are well moderated, do not complain about anything related to this forum moderation. Why should people complain about something that is good.

Do you mean an inactive board or a board has no shitposter doesn't need moderation?
Well, you or I can shitpost there, and anyone can post on a board and make it active.

I think you don't get OP on this topic. The mods have last seen long ago, and these boards need to change their mods or simply put the name of who is moderating these boards. I mean someone is taking care of these boards while the original mods are inactive.

Really? Did you say there's no mod for Beginners & Help? Where are you coming from, dude? Didn't you see MiningBuddy as a mod there? How come you said there's no mod there? Yes, the user hasn't been active for a few years now and that is part of what prompted the OP. So, instead of putting a name there that isn't active as mods while someone else does the job why not put the real user who is doing the job. But again, I guess you missed the question OP is seeking resolution to.

I don't think it's a crime seeking clarifications on issues. Even theymos wouldn't hush users when they complain.

Global moderators can take over the job of those inactive moderators including on local board. As long as the problem can be fixed and the inactivity of some of the moderators is not yet a problem in terms of moderation, then I don't think the forum need new moderators. But it would be great to get moderators so that the moderation can be more organized and reduce the burden of global moderator moderation.

It is possible to add moderators to several boards or get replacements. But I think so far that moderation across some board is fine. Plus the merit system has at least made the forum seem reduce spam than before the merit system was introduced, so stay positive as long as it's not a problem.

I don't think we need more moderators, but it's best if they con confirm that and say if they need more help or not.
More than adding new mods we need more volunteer members for reporting spam and worthless posts.

Croatian board moderator was removed and never returned, even after we asked for new one several times, but we can survive without him for now ;)

If they are inactive for very long time, probably yeah, they should be removed.
Do we need replacement for them? In perfect scenario yeah, it would be good. But it's not neccessary. These boards isn't very active, so, I think that global mods is enough to keep these boards clean. Maybe, Beginners & help is a bit more active, it would be good to have dedicated mod there, but now situation isn't very bad there.
Where dedicated mod is really needed - Politics & society board.

No, but this is a question that might be asked by any community member and I don't think it's an unreasonable one, even if OP has no vested interest in the answer.

Only had 1 sMerit left else I would have given you more, so don't take it as an insult.

I always wonder what happened to Flying Hellfish (when I think of moderators at all), because if I recall correctly he was so stoked about becoming a moderator and then just disappeared.  That might be a tad bit off-topic, but it's not something I'm going to start a thread about.  I just wonder if he burned out on the job or got turned off because of the accusations against him (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5173424) of censorship and whatnot.

There's no way it can be an easy job to try to keep any of the sections here clean.  But in any case I'm fairly sure Theymos has a handle on what the forum's needs are--and if he didn't, I'm sure the existing mods would make it known.

I'm a bit surprised to see Mike Hearn is still given special permissions here.  I thought the community turned on him a la Roger Ver style when he tried to share his opinions about the state of Bitcoin and the network.  I wonder if this was an oversight or just paying homage to one of the early great Bitcoin developers.  I tend to think the decision to leave him was mostly because that section of the forum is basically dead.  That is a long time though.  I think it's pretty safe to say that Mike Hearn has washed his hands of this community and won't be returning.  Always nice to leave the door open for someone to come back though.  Talent like his is direly needed on this forum. 

I will ask you, does it really hurt your eyes when you see the name of those inactive moderators? it's really decrease your quality post when you see their username? I don't think so, I believe everyone don't care about it. I don't know if theymos is still paying those moderators even they're inactive, I mean if theymos want to delete their names, he can do it yourself.

You can do it yourself and we will look does the board really need moderators, until now those boards has less shitposters. I don't want to become a shitposter since I'm not a shitposter.

Global moderators and administrators, actually they can control all the boards, mentioning their names in every boards doesn't look good since it will be long and not efficient.

Yeah.... You seeee, there was a time I took a quick survey on the forum and, after a long search, I bumbed into a post that Theymos made years ago -- and he's looking for someone that's really compatible to take up a position -- if I could vividly remember, it was a moderator's position in one of the local boards (can't recall the board in question though cus that's been quite a long time) but I know for sure that the moderator had openly denounce the post -- he said he wasn't interested anymore after several years of inactivity and unconcern.
At that point, I felt like shit -- yeah, the system's been beffled over the years just so the unserious ones would slide out and apparently, the profound ones would tighten their grip.... I guess they need replacements though we have 'em GMs on every board ..

Sandra 🧑

Well, perhaps the biblical Prince of Persia withheld it from getting to me just the way it held on to Daniel's blessings as I'm yet to get even the 1 🤔.

Stop being sarcastic in the face of real issues. Of course, it doesn't hurt my eyes or anyone's but we're talking of the right thing getting done. If you're nonchalant that it shouldn't be an issue that inactive names are placed while some other user(s) do(es) the dirty job, then it means you adopt the attitude of "anything goes". People should be acknowledged for their works. It's as simple as that.

Well, you can speak for yourself alone because most of the responses so far aren't suggestive of what you're saying.

If I am not wrong only global moderator can handle reports from multiple boards while all other moderators can only handle reports from their assigned boards only ( correct me if I am wrong).

I think we need a dedicated mod for B&H because it can reduce the work load of global moderator because its is one of the section mostly receive reports if my assumption is right.

Since theymos didn't search for new mods meaning they can still handle the reports happen in the forum and doesn't need any additional man power at the moment.

Maybe if we can see a huge influx of post where those inactive mods belong maybe for that they would think about recruiting new mods to help them.

You are right about global moderators but as I know, there are non-global moderators who are assigned with multiple boards to handle reports.

If I am not wrong, one of such staffs is @Welsh.

I agree with the OP the rot set in with the admins and mods a long time ago and a broom needs to be taken to sweep out the cobwebs from that long dead list.

Rebooting that is a way out of this "quagmire". What's happening now reminds me of a newspaper company I was affiliated to a few years ago. The publisher made sure news stories that weren't properly covered with correspondents didn't have names of reporters on them. Instead he would write, "By Our Reporter" on the story. It was bad ethics of the writing profession. I never heard or read of such until that time. I knew of pseudo names but not of blank names.

The global mod can handle reports anywhere including on non-English board. This means they can view and handle all  board and reports when assigned mods are inactive. About other mod, they work on assigned board and maybe forum can have custom mod to handle reports on multiple board at once, but they are not global mod.

I'm agree with that, but so far I haven't heard any issues with it. If there is, maybe admin will choose one of the users who has been the best spam reporter so far.