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Meta Stack OverflowNominations: New Stack Overflow Moderator
[+56] [38] Jeff Atwood
[2010-01-14 13:48:51]
[ discussion moderators nominations election ]
[ http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/35583/nominations-new-stack-overflow-moderator ] [DELETED]

blog.stackoverflow: Stack Overflow 2010 Moderator Election Begins [1]

Based on the traffic volume, it's crazy that we have so few Stack Overflow community moderators relative to the site's size and traffic. Numbers in parens, below, are the 1 month visitors from Google Analytics:

The original thinking was that Joel, myself, Jarrod, and Geoff would be pitching in as moderators, and I desperately try to every day, but I don't think that's enough in practice.

So, I think we need to have another Stack Overflow Moderator Election [2]. Let's start by collecting some nominations.

Post an answer if you think you would make a good community moderator. But first, some ground rules:

  1. You may nominate another user who you feel meets the below criteria, but the nomination is invalid until the user him or herself acknowledges the nomination and accepts it by either editing or posting a comment on the nomination to indicate they accept.

  2. You must be a currently registered Stack Overflow user in good standing

  3. You must have at least 7,000 reputation on Stack Overflow.

  4. You exhibit patience and fairness at all times in your questions, answers, and comments.

  5. You lead by example, showing respect for your fellow programmers in everything you write.

  6. You should want the responsibility. This is not an obligation. It's purely voluntary.

Moderation guidelines:
http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/05/a-theory-of-moderation/

Nominations are now closed; thanks for participating, and keep an eye out for the vote!

(24) Can we take this opportunity to remove moderators we don't think did a good job? - XMLbog
(13) Wouldn't it be a good idea to let people know that this is happening? Not everybody visits meta (hell, not everybody even knows about meta). Would it be possible to add a banner saying "Elections ahoy! Head over here"? - alex
(58) Oh, I see where this is going. Sorry, I cannot be removed as moderator. :) - Jeff Atwood
(28) Maybe add 7: must be reasonably thick-skinned. The SO community is generally very professional and civil, but when the fur flies it can get a little ugly - truly the exception, though. In summary, can do points 4 & 5 even when someone is being a complete tit. - Marc Gravell
(5) Geez, can't recall seeing any of the current nominees around on SO. I must follow the wrong threads... ;) - jalf
(2) I never vote for anybody, I always vote against -- W. C. Fields - Steven A. Lowe
(5) SO is self-regulating. Why would we need more mods? - Chichiray
(33) Just saying, it'd be nice to have moderators in all the timezones, not just US. - marcgg
(11) Anyone who promises to crack down on the "Give me job-hunting/career advice" questions will get my vote. ;) - gnostradamus
(2) @gnostradamus: I'm with you there. Yeah, I'd be cracking down on those. - John Rudy
(7) @marcgg: Your statement implicitly assumes that we sleep when "normal people" do. - LeakyCode
(9) I'm kinda torn here: I'd really like to do this, but at the same time I know I already spend too much time on SO (and I'm not joking about that). - Joel Coehoorn
@marcgg: I believe there are already two mods in the UK. - Joel Coehoorn
(4) Wow, I decided to vote for everybody on here that I recognized. I only recognized one person. And I've been an active participant since the beta on SO. - Won't
@Joel: Marc is in the UK... who's the second one? Oh, correct; didn't realize Jon's magical powers are effectively a superset of mod powers. - LeakyCode
(4) Is this thread just for the nominations, or will the highest voted person automatically be chosen as the moderator? - Dan Dyer
(2) @Will: I believe that's the result of encouraging "self-nomination". Despite the possible issues that might arise (some people might step out), the last nomination process seemed much better. What's the worst thing that happens if someone steps out? Choose the next guy. Self-nomination should be banned. - LeakyCode
I'm somewhat surprised that Jon Skeet isn't a moderator already. - Paul Nathan
(4) @Paul Nathan: He was the first one nominated in the first round last year (blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/03/…;, but he declined. - mmyers
(2) @Dan - this is the NOMINATION thread. When the vote happens it will occur on Stackoverflow, which will allow SO users to vote on it, even if they aren't on Meta. - Adam Davis
(5) If there is a relation between the success of a site and the number of moderators, you'd want to reduce the number of moderators on the other sites, not increase it on Stack Overflow :) - Andomar
(1) @Paul Jon is too busy racking up major rep and dealing with all the tail he gets from it to be modding... - Won't
@Will: Did you mean tail or tail calls? - gnostradamus
(3) Do you get tail from reputation? Man, I am getting shortchanged here, I must get back on the first page of users! - Lasse V. Karlsen
(2) Are people downvoting everyone they are not voting for? That's kinda lame. (Are downvotes even taken into consideration here?) - Ether
I've just notices that splattane is a moderator on Super User - superuser.com/users/187/splattne and Server Fault - serverfault.com/users/45/splattne - at least he has a diamond after his name, but his name doesn't appear on your list - ChrisF
@Æther - yes, in effect they are voting twice for their preferred candidates. It's fine, this is only a nomination process. - Adam Davis
Please set a date and time to close this nomination process: meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/35659/… - Adam Davis
(1) @ChrisF: That's the "Stefan" that's listed for those two sites. - mmyers
(3) I'm curious... why was 7k rep chosen as the threshold for suitable mods? - skaffman
@mmeyer - thanks. I did wonder, but his profiles don't give his real name. - ChrisF
@skaffman - it was the arbitrary limit chosen for the first election. Don't restrict it to fanatics at 10k+, but more than twice the closing/opening powers at 3k so you know they have a lot of experience with those tools. - Adam Davis
(3) Reading some of the nominations: wouldn't it be a requirement to adhere to the correct spelling of the name Stack Overflow? ;-) - Arjan
(17) You should make the Fanatic badge a requirement. - deleted
(3) Remember to consider this in your SO moderator nominations: meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/10067/… - Troggy
(5) Where did Paul Tomblin's post go? - mmyers
(6) per an email response to me, Paul just started a new job and won't have bandwidth to become a moderator. He deleted instead of updating to prove a point, since I kinda deleted one of his meta posts. (Don't worry, we have since reconciled via email..) - Jeff Atwood
OK... don't get mad at me, but aren't those with 10K+ rep already moderators by default?! - Paulo Santos
(2) @Paulo: not mad, but note the difference between "access to moderator tools" and "official community moderator". 10K+ rep users are one by default, not the other. - quack quixote
(2) Direct link to the timeline (for convenience until the timeline tab is added): meta.stackoverflow.com/posts/35583/timeline - mmyers
@~quack Okie Dokie... Thanks! - Paulo Santos
[+48] [2010-01-14 15:49:47] mmyers

I nominate myself: mmyers [1]. (Although it still feels weird.)

I have been an active contributor to Stack Overflow in the past; anyone who's followed the java tag (or is active on Meta) probably recognizes my name. Recently I've had less time to answer, so I end up hanging out in either the newest questions page or the moderation tools.

Why would I be a good moderator?

  • I like to keep things in line. That's also why I like being a programmer, coincidentally.

  • I always try to be tactful. More than once I've made a comment and then realized it could be taken two ways, so I deleted it. I try never to engage in snarky commenting, funny as it may seem to other people.

    As an example, I earned a Reversal badge for this answer [2] to a do-my-homework question.

  • If I have a difference of opinion with other people, my first instinct is to assume I'm wrong. Only when I'm sure of myself do I take action. For this reason, I rarely cast the first close or delete vote on a question. If the ideal moderator does as little as possible [3], I'm the perfect one for the job.

  • I'm also a moderator on a game forum, so I have some experience dealing with spam and unruly users. Since I am also one of the game's creators, I also know not to say too much from a position of "power".

Why would I be a bad moderator?

Frankly, I don't know. And maybe that is itself the biggest argument against me.

Edit: I also have a tendency to make corny jokes in comments. I promise will try to keep them to Meta, though.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/13531/mmyers
[2] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1681180/homework-question-in-c/1681228#1681228
[3] http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/05/a-theory-of-moderation/

(5) I'd say the ideal moderator "does as little as is necessary." - Paul McMillan
(7) On the down side, your Gravatar is excruciatingly boring. Change it to a pic of Dennis Rodman and you'll get my vote. =) - JohnFx
(1) @Paul McMillan: Yes, otherwise the only good moderator is a dead moderator. - mmyers
(2) +1. I don't know how to say this. I would be glad to have you in the moderators team, but if that happen, I would ( also ) like you to show your real name and your photo ( at least some real name ) I don't know, but, I feel that if you don't do it, you're hiding something. Anyway, it may be just me. - OscarRyz
(9) That is my real name, or at least part of it. I guess I could go with M. Myers, but I hate to change a (somewhat) established identity. Look at Kyle Cronin; nobody knows who he is now. - mmyers
(1) I can only recall one interaction with mmyers, but I would hope a moderator would be more impartial towards users than I saw him be. - Tom Ritter
@Tom Ritter: I'm sorry to hear that. Did I make a snarky comment? - mmyers
@mmyers I removed a thread of offtopic/baiting/aggressive/something back-and-forth comments between you and a user. (Honestly, I can't recall the exact content, I forgot it after I removed it, so I just recall the broad content.) Jeff would surely be able to look it up if he is concerned and he probably won't mind, but I felt obligated to do service to my opinions. And of course, that's only one interaction one person has had with you, and I only brought it up because you're the break-away star here. - Tom Ritter
@Tom: Oh, yes, I think I remember that. The other user had made what I felt were edits that reduced the quality of the post, so I rolled back most of the changes; then he rolled back to his version again. I don't remember exactly what was going on in the comments during this. - mmyers
And just WHO IS Dennis Rodman and how do we adDress this? - Mark Schultheiss
@Oscar Reyes: Happy now? - mmyers
:-o :-O ... Well, 10 months later but yes, happy. A voted for you back then anyway. - OscarRyz
1
[+36] [2010-01-14 15:42:46] John Topley

alt text

Here are a few reasons why you might consider voting for me:

  • I've been using Stack Overflow since the private beta (user ID 1450)
  • I visit the site lots of times every working day (got to have something to do during those long Java compiles) and quite a lot most weekends too
  • I went to Dev Days London ( my review [1]) and paid out of my own pocket, so I guess I'm kind of invested in this thing
  • I'm in the UK so can cover whilst the US is asleep
  • Yesterday I got my Fanatic gold badge, so I really am invested in this venture
  • Ruby, Rails and JavaScript are my thing, not C#
  • I care [2] about the details [3]
  • I single-handedly moderated Joel's old Design of Software forum (R.I.P.) for a number of years
  • My avatar's not a caricature, it's a photograph

On the other hand, you might choose to spoil your ballet paper because:

  • I make a lot of edits that simply fix incorrect apostrophe usage
  • Ruby, Rails and JavaScript are my thing, not C#
[1] http://johntopley.com/2009/10/30/stack-overflow-dev-days-london-2009
[2] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/29229/use-of-login-logout-is-inconsistent-and-incorrect
[3] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/35268/title-text-for-own-answer-delete-hyperlinks-is-confusing

(16) +1 for the incorrect apostrophe usage thing - Blorgbeard
(3) Fixing incorrect apostrophe usage? Thats great! - billpg
(1) +1 for all the times you fixed my answers! ;) - Simone Carletti
(3) It's a shame when you can't fix comments though. - Gnome
Thanks guys, I appreciate the support! - John Topley
(2) [twiddle twiddle] Take that, Roger! Anyone can edit posts; this just shows why a ♦ is so darned useful ;-p - Marc Gravell
(1) You fixed grammar on so many of my posts with patience and provided insightful answers all across the ruby/rails tags... I wish I could upvote you more ! You definitively got my vote. - marcgg
Are you saying theres a problem with my apostrophes? Whats up with that? Bad grammar is its own reward! - JohnFx
@JohnFx Fixed that for you. - Tom Ritter
Well, at least some of it.... - JohnFx
2
[+31] [2010-01-14 19:27:34] Kyle Cronin

[1]    

I would like to put forth myself as a candidate to be a Stack Overflow moderator. As a moderator here on Meta, I've had the opportunity to get experience with the moderator tools and when and how to use them effectively.

Pros:

  • Experienced with moderation tools
  • Moderate with a light touch, but I'm not afraid to make potentially controversial calls [2] I think are in the best interest of the site
  • I'm only human, so I will make mistakes, but I also admit and fix [3] incorrect calls I've made
  • Active on Meta Stack Overflow
  • Open about personal details in the interest of transparency (real name, picture, email address, etc)
  • Longtime active user on Stack Overflow (I have both the Beta and Fanatic badges)

Cons:

  • Low recent activity on Stack Overflow (this would obviously change)
  • Already a moderator elsewhere in the trilogy (I understand giving another person the opportunity)
[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/658/kyle-cronin
[2] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/31211/is-im-tired-of-seeing-this-get-bumped-a-valid-reason-to-lock-a-post
[3] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/6441/clicking-on-tags-with-wildcards-gives-you-a-blank-page

Those that are voting against me, would you care to mention why? Is there something I've done here on Meta that you don't like? - Kyle Cronin
(2) Several people are voting down nearly everyone in this thread - check out the vote splits. It's not you personally, they are simply voting up the one or two people they like, and voting everyone else (whether they know them or not) down. - Adam Davis
(2) Well, since you asked... I agree with both of your cons (especially your lack of activity on SO), and the whole "personal details" thing kinda rubs me the wrong way - my opinion of you as a moderator is based on the actions you take or don't take, not how much irrelevant personal information you care to share. Transparency means being open about your actions here, not whatever you do outside of SO. Mostly though, I'm just maximizing the value of my up-votes - as Pollyanna notes, it's worth down-voting users you didn't vote up if they have a reasonable chance of getting voted up. - Shog9
@Shog9: I notice "don't take" is emphasized - is there anything in particular you think I should have done but I didn't? - Kyle Cronin
(1) @Kyle: actually, I emphasized it because it's easy to point to stuff that moderators do on SO: closing, locking, deleting, etc... it's the stuff they don't do - flame-wars they stay out of, slights or insults left unrevenged, questions left open/closed - that, for me at least, illustrates the kind of restraint I expect from a moderator. Truth be told though, the deciding factor for the people i've up-voted here today has been the presence of frequent non-personal edits in their recent activity lists - that shows a willingness to participate in the site even when it won't gain you any rep. - Shog9
(2) +1. I honestly would have nominated myself as well but my 1000+ rep points on SO is not enough motivation. - Diago
(3) Kyle would make a good mod so I raise you +1 - Chris S
(3) +1 I'd never really heard of Kyle but his efforts on Meta as a moderator have left a good impression with me. Thoughtful, even-tempered, considereate. - cletus
(2) Hmm, one issue (mentioned above) stackoverflow.com/users/658?tab=activity#sort-top activity has been pretty darn low. One page of Recent Activity goes back to July. - cletus
(1) OK, you too have my vote. (And the cheque had better be in the mail.) - Stu Thompson
3
[+27] [2010-01-14 20:40:59] Jonathan Sampson

alt text


(6) What, no freehand circles?! - Adam Davis
Haha. No, Pollyanna, no freehand circles this time :) - Jonathan Sampson
Note that I am making my frowny face at you at this time. - Adam Davis
>:( This is the frowny face I'm making, in case you were confused. - Adam Davis
How did you make this megaflair? - Paul Tomblin
(1) Paul, just kicking around in Photoshop. Although it would be neat to build an app that spits these out for users provided a userid :) - Jonathan Sampson
where do we get one of these posh profiles from - Chris S
(2) +1 in the hopes it keeps you away from my jQuery questions. :-) - cletus
(1) @cletus I hear you... he is a beast on those jQuery questions! - Doug Neiner
I have to give a vote to Greasemonkey. - Jeff Yates
(1) +1 Seconded. ---- - Pëkka
(9) Jonathan, you need to promise that if you get elected, you will actually implement that megaflair. - Pëkka
(1) Deal, Pekka :) Now start campaigning! - Jonathan Sampson
+1: maybe you can also help with some UI design stuff? - RSolberg
@Chester: If it were requested of me, I'd be honored :) - Jonathan Sampson
@jonathan sampson: do you do much UI design work? - RSolberg
@Chester: Some, but I'm mainly a programmer. - Jonathan Sampson
(1) @Jonathan: Where is this promised flair? - uɐɯsO uɐɥʇɐN
4
[+20] [2010-01-14 14:01:38] George Stocker

I would like to volunteer.

Reasons why I'm a good choice:

  • I am active in the community
  • I fairly assess each question on its own merits (a quick glance at any of my answers on Meta should confirm that).
  • I care about Stack Overflow. I spend most of my time on Stack Overflow playing to my strengths: Clarifying bad questions, closing questions that cannot be saved, and re-opening questions that are misunderstood. In all cases, I try to use good editing to make Stack Overflow a 'better place'.
  • I believe very strongly in fairness.

Reasons why I'm a bad choice:

  • I take a position. I normally don't waffle on a position. I will change my position if it's logically in error.
  • I tend to be very direct. Not harsh, but I believe in direct language. If you're wondering how direct I am, a quick look at any answer [1] I've posted on meta should be an indicator of how I communicate.

Ironic Note is Ironic:

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. - Douglas Adams

[1] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/api/useranswers.html?userid=16587&page=1&pagesize=30&sort=votes

(2) Someone who nominated himself! I'd never vote for someone like that. - XMLbog
(3) You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine. - George Stocker
(2) I am your father! - Ladybug Killer
(12) +1 for sneaking waffles into your bid for moderatorship. - user27414
(9) @George, I guess they disagree with the nomination, it doesn't matter if it's cw or not - jmfsg
(2) Where can I vote for gortok? - Jimmy
(4) One does not simply vote for Gortok. His answers are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with questions, answers, and comments. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand rep could you do this. It is folly. - Adam Davis
(6) -1 An abrasive, polarizing figure at the center of way too many edit wars to be considered mature and even-tempered. Sorry. - cletus
(4) @cletus: Aren't you glad they didn't delete your account on Meta like you asked them to? meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/32387/meta-in-a-nutshell :-) - George Stocker
Like I couldn't make a comment if they did... - cletus
This is not meant to be mean but I think it's sort of pretentious and self-serving to say you're a bad choice because you "take a position and don't waffle but will change it if it is illogical," as those are clearly traits one wants. - user138665
(1) +1 for quoting Douglas Adams - Treb
5
[+15] [2010-01-14 17:03:06] Jonathan Leffler

I'm a mug; I'll volunteer. Apart from being a long time user of SO, I have a long history of participating in news groups on 'Usenet' (remember that?). For the rest, I'll let my record [1] speak for me.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/15168

(1) Yeah, I think it would be nice to have someone active in the C questions. - user138665
6
[+13] [2010-01-14 17:10:50] Robert Cartaino

Buggers, there are a lot of votes placed already but here it goes:

I would like to nominate myself:

alt text Robert C. Cartaino

I'm one of those "refresh every 2-minutes" users.

My "Resume-Style" Pros:

  • Strong Participant - I'm on Stack Overflow every day and steadily throughout the day. I have my Fanatic badge and keep on top of meta discussions. I listen with eager attention to all the Stack Overflow Podcasts and blogs, so I have a deep understanding of how (and, more importantly, why) Stack Overflow works.
  • Experience with Moderator Tools - I am a administrator in the StackExchange beta so I am already familiar with the moderator tools and how everything works behind the scenes.
  • Industry Experience - I started my first BBS in 1980, and have been building "online communities" ever since. I have run some of the largest systems in their class. I used to give seminars on "Concepts of Cyberspace" where I developed a deep understanding of what builds (and, more importantly, destroys) online communities.
  • I am Self-Employed - I am around during the workday when Stack Overflow is the busiest, but I am also around to fill in those holes during off-peak hours.

My *Real* Pros:

  • Hands-Off Approach - I believe Stack Overflow is designed to be run by everyday users. Moderators are there to step in where users cannot (technical limitations) or will not (mass hysteria, mob rule) act in accordance with Stack Overflow's continued success.
  • Strong-But-Balanced Business Sense - I'm here to keep Stack Overflow healthy and pain-free. I've been a programmer, a business owner, and a community builder. I want everyone to have fun but I know where to draw the line so Stack Overflow doesn't devolve into... well, Yahoo! Answers or YouTube comments.
  • Strong Opinions, Weakly Held - I will operate under a well-define set of guidelines and principles. I try to be consistent but, when presented with a well-thought-out argument, I am quick to re-evaluate and change my perspective, when appropriate.
  • I'm No Stack Overflow Fanboy - I don't get caught up in the power trips or get swept up in OS and technology wars. Truth be told, I'm more interested in the usability and motivations which makes the Stack Overflow community work.

Cons:

  • Reputation Limitation - Technically, I don't meet the 7000-reputation requirement (currently 6,125). But that doesn't mean I lack the experience with these systems (Meta: ranked #14 of 13,755 users (rep: 10,695); Super User: ranked #47 of 22,225 users (rep: 3,322); StackExchange: ranked #3 of 1,015 users (rep: 4,729).
  • Not in the Clique - I don't make nearly enough pony and waffle references to earn the really big community accolades. I will try harder in the future.
  • Jeff Atwood Hates Me - Nah, not really (at least I don't think so). I just thought I would try for the sympathy vote.

(1) I think Robert is a good candidate. - Paul Nathan
-1 for having an underexposed photo. Just kidding. :-) - cletus
(2) I'm highly sceptical of all users having more rep on meta than on stackoverflow. ;) - Georg Schölly
@Georg - I hear ya. My contribution to meta stems from a career in community building and designing large-scale social software. So, arguably, I have proportionally more to contribute content-wise to meta; the behind-the-scenes stuff geared toward making Stack Overflow more awesome (in contrast to straight-up help with programming questions). But that is also what would make me a good Stack Overflow moderator ... - Robert Cartaino
(7) ... Many of the folks nominated here are pretty awesome; very active in the community. But consider also, when you promote one of your top contributors, you lose that contributor. They stop contributing in the same way and spend more time policing the system. It's like turning your star programmer into a project manager. I contribute wherever I can but my real contribution is where I can help behind the scenes, making sure Stack Overflow keeps making you guys look good. - Robert Cartaino
(2) I might even vote for you considering that answer. :) - Georg Schölly
(4) @Robert (re "They stop contributing in the same way") I'm not 100% sure you can make that claim... I'm pretty sure I still contribute a little bit. - Marc Gravell
@Marc Gravell - Wow! You are a machine. Kudos. - Robert Cartaino
7
[+9] [2010-01-14 17:45:37] Won't

I'll volunteer as well.

Qualifications:

  • While I'm a bit of a jerk, I'm not as bad as RichB.
  • I already do perform the moderation duties I'm allowed, e.g. cleaning up questions
  • I'm a mod at dotnetkicks [1], so I already know the cross which I'm volunteering to bear
  • Beta tester, got my sticker for free (was on 2nd page)
  • I'm not super-anal; I'm not interested in throwing my mod-weight around

Reasons to avoid like the plague

  • I'm not super-anal; I wouldn't ban RichB
  • I don't spend every minute here like some people
  • I'm not that into ponies
  • While I do participate on meta, it isn't all that often (twice a week)
  • I'm a bit of a jerk sometimes
[1] http://dotnetkicks.com

(20) "Vote Will 2010: He's not as bad as Rich B!" - mmyers
(3) I like all of the qualifications you listed under "reasons to avoid..." - Shog9
(1) @mmyers, it works sometimes! - Won't
Whatever happened to Rich? I haven't seen him in a long time... and now that I check, his SO account is gone... - womp
(2) That's a bit harsh on RichB. I've had my run-ins with him but he's no more opinionated than many types I have to deal with at work. And opinionated doesn't always mean wrong. - paxdiablo
(2) @pax Its a joke. RichB reminds me of my id unleashed with a bad case of f-it-all. In other words, I liked him. Wonder why he zoomed off to never-never land? I know he had his run-ins with management, but I thought that got dealt with... - Won't
@womp: His account is still on SO, just under a different name right now: stackoverflow.com/users/5640. He's suspended from Meta, though. - mmyers
8
[+8] [2010-01-14 16:49:53] Kip

I'll nominate Kip [1] (myself).

Reasons why I might be a good choice

Reasons why I might be a bad choice

  • I was willing to nominate myself.
  • I have a full-time job. Even though I use Stack Overflow a lot during the day, when things get busy at work I sometimes go through weeks of inactivity.
  • Not very active outside the C++, Java, Perl, regex, JavaScript, jQuery, and math tags.
  • You can see me at my worst in the edit history of " Add the ability to ignore users [9]". I wrote that after getting very frustrated in a comment thread with he-who-shall-not-be-named. After editing out the offensive stuff, though, it is now a very highly-rated suggestion on Meta Stack Overflow.
  • I hold the record [10] for most downvoted answer on Stack Overflow. (The afore-mentioned 256-is-a-round-number answer.)
    • In my defense, Jeff and/or Joel encouraged everyone to downvote that answer on one of the early podcasts. The goal was to keep the question's score at exactly 256. It is currently approaching 1024 votes. ;)
[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/18511/kip
[2] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/164432/what-real-life-bad-habits-has-programming-given-you/164556#164556
[3] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1003841/how-do-i-move-the-turtle-in-logo
[4] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/223393/how-do-i-get-the-length-of-a-string-in-perl
[5] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/search?q=%5Bstatus-completed%5D+user%3A18511
[6] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/search?q=%5Bstatus-deferred%5D+user%3A18511
[7] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/search?q=%5Bstatus-declined%5D+user%3A18511
[8] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/search?q=%5Bgreasemonkey%5D+user%3A18511
[9] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/3353/add-the-ability-to-ignore-users
[10] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/11017/what-are-the-most-upvoted-downvoted-questions-and-answers-on-the-sites/11022#11022

9
[+8] [2010-01-14 18:54:44] Jason Cohen

Another self-moderation! I'm Jason Cohen [1] with 12k rep.

Why me?

StackExchange Moderator

Along with Dharmesh Shah, I co-host the StackExchange-based Answers.OnStartups.com. We've built a great community there, as you can see by checking out a few random questions and answers.

This demonstrates I have the skillz to be fair and develop a quality culture.

Long-time User

I was a beta-tester at SO and have seen the site and culture evolve. I've followed the blog and participated in the discussions so I also have a deep understanding of why the culture is what it is, and therefore how to encourage it without discouraging participation.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/4926/jason-cohen

(11) Jason, although you are awesome, would you honestly have time for this? - Jeff Atwood
(1) +1 Jason is a great guy - Robert Greiner
10
[+8] [2010-01-14 21:50:22] David HAust

I say hook up Shog9 [1] for SO.

He's been around since the early days.
He participates with a level head.
He's funny and seems to have a sense of humour about things.

And keep Marc and Bill (if they want it).
They have been doing a great job.

That's my 2 cents.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/811/shog9

(10) I'm disappointed; I saw your formatting and thought you'd written a nomination in haikus. - mmyers
(1) David, I appreciate the comments and the nomination, but honestly I'm probably not a good choice simply because I haven't been spending as much time on SO lately. I do heartily endorse Paul Tomblin, Welbog, George Stocker, and of course Chet A (keep scrolling...) - fine, community-minded users all of them! - Shog9
(6) To be honest, shog9 has a habit of rubbing people the wrong way and taking things a bit too personally, which I guess is your choice. They're not great moderator qualities though. Sorry. - cletus
(3) I love you too, cletus. Thought it does worry me a little bit that you're out there down-voting posts just because I edited them... ;-) - Shog9
(5) I thought @cletus said goodbye to meta. - waffles
11
[+7] [2010-01-14 15:30:11] Sam152

I would like to nominate Gumbo [1]. Just cause I think he is a nice guy and he once took a long time to help me with a problem I was having in the comments of an answer, even though he didn't get any "rep" from it.

I'm sure he would do his best to help people and be the best moderator he could be.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/53114/gumbo

(2) Any reasons for the down votes? - Sam152
(3) @Sam152: People don't agree? - AnonJr
(4) Gumbo is a great choice. +1 - Pëkka
@AnonJr, well that's clear, the question is why. - Sam152
(7) There are a few people who, instead of upvoting people they like, are downvoting everyone else. And a few who are doing both. Either way, don't take it personally. Votes on Meta aren't real anyway, Jeff buys cut-rate faux-votes here, because they're cheaper and no one seems to notice or care. - Adam Davis
(2) ok Gumbo confirmed that he would like to be eligible (via email), so this is valid - Jeff Atwood
12
[+7] [2010-01-14 15:57:10] Dave DeLong

I'd like to volunteer ( davedelong [1])

Why I'm a good choice

  • I'm an active user on SO (I got my Fanatic badge 100 days after signing up and haven't missed a day since).
  • I'm patient and try to be fair minded in all my contributions.

Why I'm a bad choice

  • I spend most of my time in Mac-related tags (iPhone, Cocoa, Objective-C, etc).
[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/115730/dave-delong

(3) +1 Dave is very knowledgeable about Apple stuff, and willing to learn from others about anything else. - alesplin
(2) +1 As someone who spends most of my time in Apple-related tags as well, it would be great to have someone to watch over said tags closely. Dave is sharp, always quick to answer a question (he usually beats handily in the race), and is thoughtful in his responses. Plus, he can write and spell properly. :-) - Quinn Taylor
"p-r-o-p-e-r-l-y" - Dave DeLong
(1) Interestingly, I think why you say you would be a bad choice, might make you a good choice...I suspect it's probably a good thing to have moderators with different foci. - beska
(1) Dave is well respected in the Utah iPhone community. People go to him for the more difficult questions. Highly recommend. - touchopia
13
[+6] [2010-01-14 15:30:43] jjnguy

I would like to nominate myself ( jjnguy [1]) as a Moderator of Stackoverflow.

As a moderator I will give free cake to all. That is all.

Oh, and one more thing:

I have been a very active member since the private beta. I am a very old member. (2598) I have seen the site grow and change into what it is today. I know how everything works and how the community feels about it.

As a student I offer a different perspective on matters than some of my older peers on this site; this could be a valuable point of view for the moderator team.

Although my actual question answering rate has declined since my hay-day, I still visit the site (and meta) every day and watch new questions as they flow in. (Or 30 times a day...)

And don't forget about the cake.

Last thought:
I don't see SO as a game. I see it as a question and answer website and would moderate it as such. My goal as moderator would be to promote great answers to great questions.

[1] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/users/2598/jjnguy

What flavour this cake you proffer? - random
You spelled flavor wrong... White - jjnguy
Well, I'm guessing white isn't a flavor..so then Vanilla. - jjnguy
(17) The cake is a lie! - mmyers
Now the legal term for that @mmyers is libel. - jjnguy
(2) The legal term for that is: great geek reference ;-p - Marc Gravell
(7) Actually, I've never played Portal. Most of my geek references come from seeing other people use them. That's where I got 42 of them, anyway. - mmyers
*hands mmyers a PGGB* drink up, mate. watch out for the brick. - quack quixote
"Cake is a made up drug!" - mavnn
14
[+6] [2010-01-14 19:25:45] Lasse V. Karlsen

I'd like to volunteer for moderation duties.

Why I would make a good moderator

  • I have been here since the beta, so I know the history of the site, its intentions and direction (insofar as I understand it), its policy, and I agree (largely) with it
  • I am on Stack Overflow all day, that is, as much as possible when I have Internet available, even if I'm not doing any programming
  • I'm a Norwegian, so I'm on European time, probably a good idea to have moderators from different time zones (but that is also a vote towards other non-US moderators)
  • I can be fair (but I have to admit that I've also been unfair, I know I have some answers and comments on SO that I'm not entirely proud of, but they're mine, so I'll leave them)

Why I might not make a good moderator

  • Being a good moderator for such a group of smart people comes with huge responsibility, I'm not entirely sure I would be able to fill those shoes
  • I can't point to much experience in being a moderator before

My SO profile is here: @Lasse V. Karlsen [1].

I must say though that I find it entirely odd that the system of choosing new moderators involves the potential candidates nominating themselves, I'm rather used to others nominating them, and them then being asked afterwards.

But it is what it is, so here I am, and doing my part (which is volunteering). Now you do your part and vote me up or down.

Oh, and if I'm not chosen, I'm going to go sulk in the basement.

Nah, just kidding.

I don't have a basement.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/267/lasse-v-karlsen

Thanks for the corrections Peter, I always get the casing of those wrong. - Lasse V. Karlsen
15
[+5] [2010-01-14 14:18:05] XMLbog

The guys have been twisting my proverbial arm on Wave to get me to nominate myself. I consider that to be community nomination.

So here's my nomination (copying Gortok's style):

Welbog, triumphant master of time

Reasons why I'm a good choice:

  • I know the Stack Overflow system well, its bugs and its various flows to be able to determine if something is an error and how to correct them.
  • I'm on good terms with the other SO moderators (except for that dick Jeff)
  • I take the time to answer questions making sure that they're actually answered instead of just dropping a "use jQuery" bomb and running off.
  • I know how to make really good French toast.
  • Everybody loves RaymondWelbog!
  • I'm not scared of making decisions and I'm not scared of admitting my decisions are wrong (which they never are, by the way).

Reasons why I'm a bad choice:

  • I'm abrupt.
  • A lot of the time I can be pretty long-winded, y'know? Y'know.
  • I have a very different approach to moderation than Atwood has. As I'm sure you've seen in my constant disagreements with him. But that just means that, if elected, I'll be here to make sure the other moderators don't let power get to their heads. I hate abuse of power, and so I'd make sure to use my moderating fist of justice only for good. With great lasers come great responsibility, afterall.
  • I am dreadfully afraid of bees. Seriously those things creep me out.

Ironic note is ironic:

Welbog once made a laser so big that even he couldn't blow a hole in a donut with it. - Orange Catholic Bible


(1) Well played sir. Well played. - George Stocker
(8) Also, with Gaspar nominating Welbog, you sneakingly worked around the self-nomination stigma problem - balpha
(4) What, a moderator make a bad call once in a while? I tell you, it'd never happen... - Marc Gravell
(5) I cannot vote for someone who's afraid of bees. Wasps, I understand. Bees ... no. - John Rudy
if you were made moderator you'd have to give up the name-changing. could you even live like that?? - quack quixote
(7) Why in the name of giant vats of maple syrup would I have to stop changing my name? - XMLbog
Wait, you can change your Name? ohdarn :) - Mark Schultheiss
16
[+3] [2010-01-14 14:33:34] John Rudy

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring. I must be a great fool, but it will encourage me to spend more time on SO proper.

Everyone seems to be using a fairly standard template here, so I'll go along with it.

Reasons I'm a good choice:

  • I'm fair, and I think respectful, even when I'm disagreeing with management here.
  • I'm already fairly active in junior janitor moderation -- editing, retagging, closing.
  • I think I have appropriate taste in closures [1].
  • I can write, spell and punctuate correctly in English.
  • I am already somewhat versed in the mod tools, as I am a mod on an SE site ( Auto-Gurus [2]).
  • I have great Google-fu for finding duplicates
  • I am well-versed in .NET technologies (so evaluating those questions is easy), and moderately well-versed in Apple's development stack (Objective-C, Cocoa, Cocoa-Touch).

Reasons I'm a bad choice:

  • I'm on the lower end of the acceptable rep level (~7,900 as of this morning; yes my Meta rep is approaching singularity with my SO rep, how sad is that)
  • I do not always toe the "party line" regarding SO's management techniques. (IE, I have disagreed with not only the management here, but even some of the mods on occasion.)
  • I'm opinionated. (Though I try not to be a jerk about it.)
  • I change my name on Meta a lot. (However, I'd consider reverting it back to John Rudy, and leaving it there if elected.)

Ironic note is ironic:

John's current record for cigar smoking is a whopping 5 in one day. He did this whilst also enjoying fine bourbon, and writing code. -- The Book of John, 24:7

Update

Jinguy seems to be very successful with his offer of cake bribery. (Hey, I upvoted him for it, I'm not going to lie.) Thus, I now cow to that lowest common denominator. I can't promise you tax cuts, but if elected, merely contact me, and I will happily send you a good cigar. If you do not like cigars, I will e-mail you back a limited-edition (well, as much as bytes on the Internet are limited) picture of a cigar [3]!

I'd offer bourbon or absinthe, but I expect that will get very expensive, very quickly. :)

[1] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/32490/closing-migrating-question-instructions-guidance/32515#32515
[2] http://autos.stackexchange.com/
[3] http://www.flickr.com/photos/73443422@N00/4272327909/

(3) I almost upvoted you. But changing your name back is a no-go! - Ladybug Killer
(2) Somehow I don't think it's quite appropriate to have a ♦ next to the words, "I Am Your King." :) - John Rudy
(2) I have heard from a very reliable source, Rudy, that you are a zombie. I will vote for no zombies! - XMLbog
If you think about what is appropriate on Meta, I do not upvote you either. - Ladybug Killer
(5) No, you're right. I Am Your Lich King ♦ or I Am Your Undertaker ♦. - random
Well-played, Random. Well-played. - John Rudy
Fine, fine, I softened the name change language. Yeesh. :) - John Rudy
Consider your ass, dead King! What are you, a politician? - Ladybug Killer
(4) This is an election. Or as Kang said, "Abortions for some, little American Flags for others!" - John Rudy
Nominations. Elections come later. - random
You're King not Kang, Kong. - Ladybug Killer
I don't think I could accept the responsibility but as a user with > 7k rep I'd just like to thank the SO team for extending an invite. Thanks! Makes me feel gooey inside. - matt b
@Smither: Yeah, that's fixed now. - John Rudy
-1 I prefer scotch. - user27414
@Jon B: Now you're just being difficult. :) - John Rudy
(1) Bah, scotch is piss compared to good bourbon. You know they re-use bourbon barrels for flavoring scotch? You're drinking the equivalent of coffee brewed with used grounds. - Shog9
(1) @Shog9: If I can't actually taste the Scottish coastline in my drink, it's rubbish. - user27414
Score one, Shog9. - John Rudy
(1) @Shog9, JonB: i'm'o hafta shootchoo both for slanderin' my fave-o-rite whiskies. you know some days are bourbon days, and some are scotch days. and then there's those days you need the Blues Drink: one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer. (walk into a bar sometime and order a Blues Drink. note the look of pure unadulterated joy on the bartender's face when you explain it to them.) - quack quixote
For the record, I do like Jameson. That was the first brown liquor I really liked. I've not had any better than that yet, though. Should I ever finally get to Ireland, I do plan on doing a proper pub crawl and sampling several good scotches. But until then, I'm a bourbon boy! (And thank you to the 14th upvoter, I feel better being at 0 than -1!) - John Rudy
17
[+3] [2010-01-14 18:46:10] Mitchel Sellers

I would like to throw my name into the running as well. I had tried to prepare a wild, elaborate detail as to why, but then I went back to going through Stack Overflow posts so here is what I have.

Why I'd be a good choice

  • I am a moderator on other forums, so I have had lots of practice being balanced and fair in this type of role
  • I am active on SO across multiple tags so I keep an eye on a lot of different questions, discussions etc.
  • I try to get out to SO at least 5-6 times a day to keep up on things
  • I have a proven record of being fair, honest, and willing to make changes should they be needed for anything that has been posted.

Why I might not be a good choice

  • My activity at times can be limited, but I always make up for it when I get back
  • I too was willing to nominate myself

18
[+3] [2010-01-14 18:47:10] Nick Berardi

I would like to nominate myself: Nick Berardi [1]. And like others I am a little hesitant to, because an honor like this usually comes from a 3rd party.

I have been an active member of Stack Overflow since the beginning. (I am user #17 so I got in pretty early.) I will work hard to keep the content approachable and relevant to Stack Overflow users.

I feel I will make a good moderator for the following reasons:

  • I enjoy programming with a passion. (Isn't that enough?)
  • I have a level head and bring that to the moderation of content that is posted on Stack Overflow
  • I love learning and reading about languages and methologies that I don't yet understand, so I won't be a one-sided moderator only sticking to one language or field.
  • I know this sounds corny, but I would be here to help make this already great site better, or at least I would give it my all.

I probably won't make a good moderator for any of the following reasons:

I feel like a politician. Vote Nick Berardi [2].

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/17/nick-berardi
[2] http://stackoverflow.com/users/17/nick-berardi

(3) @cletus: I don't really participate much on meta, most of my focus is on Stack Overflow. And I didn't see your joined account on Stack Overflow, so I really don't know what you are referring to. Are you sure you have the right guy? - Nick Berardi
woops, my apologies. I was getting this post mixed up with another one. I think the "edited by shog9" was throwing me off. - cletus
19
[+3] [2010-01-14 23:43:06] duffymo

One person who has greatly impressed me with his knowledge and light touch with people is Pascal Thivent [1]. I don't know if he would be interested in the job, but I think he's a good choice.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/70604/pascal-thivent

It's better to add them as seperate answers. - gnostradamus
20
[+2] [2010-01-14 18:21:06] gbjbaanb

I'd like to skip past established practice and nominate someone else.

In this case Ash [1]

Ash has been a very knowledgeable and stable member of SO for some time; I've read a fair few of his answers and they appear knowledgeable, well thought out, and above all even-handed even in his approach to comments he's disagreed with.

PS. Now we just need to make Ash aware of his nomination to see if he'd like to accept the "opportunity".

PPS. Really think mods should not be able to nominate themselves, it's just not polite.

PPPS. Ash, you owe me some recs :)

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/5023/ash

21
[+2] [2010-01-14 19:23:36] warren

I'm going to volunteer to run for this action, too :)


22
[+2] [2010-01-14 21:52:40] Shoban

I would like to nominate myself [1]. Nothing much to say about me.

I am passionate about programming and I love the Stack Overflow concept. It would be an honour to be a Stack Overflow moderator.

As marcgg [2] commented

Just saying, it'd be nice to have moderators in all the timezones, not just US

Here I am from India :). I must admit that I am not much active on Meta Stack Overflow or Super User or Server Fault.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/12178/shoban
[2] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/users/131061/marcgg

+1 because multitimezone is good. - Paul Nathan
23
[+2] [2010-01-15 02:50:28] duffymo

Another person who has greatly impressed me with his knowledge and light touch with people is skaffman [1]. I don't know if he'd be interested in the job, but I think he's a good choice.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/21234/skaffman

24
[+2] [2010-01-20 13:16:19] C. Ross

I nominate ChrisF [1] based on his years of experience, excellent comments, and calm.

EDIT

OK - I acceptdecline the nomination. I'm not going to have enough time to fulfil moderator duties.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/59303/chrisf

25
[+2] [2010-01-22 22:17:05] Dougman

I would like to nominate OMG Ponies [1]

Not only does he have a great handle, but he is very active in the database related questions. Does great editing of question syntax when needed and seems to always be hanging around and helping out. Might as well make it official and put him on the "payroll".

Here is the Meta OMG Ponies [2] user.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/135152/omg-ponies
[2] http://meta.stackoverflow.com/users/136803/omg-ponies

26
[+1] [2010-01-14 15:38:05] plinth

I'll volunteer. I'm crazy to do so, but I'll do it.

Reasons I'm a good choice:

  • I'm patient
  • I'm passionate
  • I've been active in internet "culture" since email went in the form site!site!site!user and have seen just about everything
  • My coworkers allege that I'm wise

Reasons I'm a truly horrible choice

  • I have so very little time, I can't imagine effectively adding another responsibility
  • I routinely disappear for large blocks of time to, you know, write code
  • I'm innocuous. Contrary to apparent numeric reputation, I feel I'm largely unnoticed on SO.
  • I'm very self-deprecating, I'm just not very good at it

Ironic note is ironic:

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."


27
[+1] [2010-01-14 15:42:54] ljs

Kronoz [1]

I'd like to nominate myself. I am a huge fan of Stackoverflow, both its philosophy and implementation and would be grateful to be able to contribute back further by becoming a moderator.

I try to be fair, reasonable and polite in all my comments/postings, though of course I'm not perfect and sometimes I screw up just like anybody else. However I think I am good enough at the wetware side of things to be able to handle that fairly and reasonably.

I've worked my way up to over 10k rep so I feel I've shown that I can use the site and clearly haven't been an unreasable fellow to get here in the first place. I started with the beta so I've been here from very early on and understand how the site works well by now. Additionally I have a certain degree of mod powers already which I think I have deployed reasonably and fairly.

Obviously it's up to the public to decide, however I humbly submit a few of my questions and answers to give you an idea of what I'm about, both the good and the bad.

Questions

Use of var keyword in C# [2]

How do I work effectively with VERY messy legacy code [3]

Good C# Interview Questions for a Senior Dev Position [4]

Good Practice Projects to Improve Programming Skills [5]

Programmatically obtaining Big-O efficiency of code [6]

Answers

Should a function have only one return statement? [7]

Best Practice: Should functions return null or an empty object? [8]

Why continue writing legacy systems? [9]

How do I reward my developers for the little things they get right? [10]

Why was Google’s Chrome browser written almost entirely in C++ and not C# or Java? [11]

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/3394/kronoz
[2] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/41479/use-of-var-keyword-in-c
[3] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/108141/how-do-i-work-effectively-with-very-messy-legacy-code
[4] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/70763/good-c-interview-questions-for-a-senior-dev-position
[5] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/47898/good-practice-projects-to-improve-programming-skills
[6] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/480775/programmatically-obtaining-big-o-efficiency-of-code
[7] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36707/should-a-function-have-only-one-return-statement/36729#36729
[8] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1626597/best-practice-should-functions-return-null-or-an-empty-object/1626620#1626620
[9] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/44629/why-continue-writing-legacy-systems/44658#44658
[10] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/77352/how-do-i-reward-my-developers-for-the-little-things-they-get-right/77446#77446
[11] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/623062/why-was-googles-chrome-browser-written-almost-entirely-in-c-and-not-c-or-java/623374#623374

28
[+1] [2010-01-14 16:26:14] Daniel A. White

I would like to throw my hat into the ring. Here is my profile [1].

I have been a member of SO since September 2008. I am practically on the site all the time. I always try to be helpful and polite. I close a lot of questions and able to determine if something needs to be closed right away. I try to be well versed and I try to listen as best I can to help any problem.

My mission in life is very similar to SO - share your knowledge. Why should one brain store everything?

If you guys have any questions, please reply.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/23528/daniel-a-white

29
[+1] [2010-01-14 17:15:50] Adam Robinson

Alright, at the risk of being mauled I'll throw in my own self-nomination as well. I'm a very active SO user (mainly traveling in the .NET and SQL Server circles, though I'll dip my toes outside on occasion), and I generally feel like I'm a pretty level-headed person when it comes to evaluating questions and answers (and producing answers myself).

Since everyone's been doing bullet points, I'll follow suit:

Reasons I'd Make a Good Moderator

  • Very active in the community (though I would imagine this is true of anyone who nominates himself)
  • Try to help out new and inexperienced users with formatting, subject, and structural corrections
  • Keep a level head (most of the time!) when it comes to the not-infrequent internet $%^&-measuring contests that take place in the comments section
  • Great spelling skeelz.

I'm not particularly aware of any reasons that I should not be a moderator (though that certainly doesn't mean they can't exist!), otherwise I wouldn't be applying.

Well, I don't have any gold badges yet, so maybe that's a reason ;)


30
[+1] [2010-01-15 01:04:03] Mark Bessey

I got an email this morning asking me to nominate myself [1], so I have. Here's a handy pro/con chart:

Pro:

  • I've been using Stack Overflow for quite a while
  • I check the site fairly often [2]
  • I have a very inclusive definition of what constitutes a "programming question"
  • I'll bring a non Microsoft-centric view to things (more of a Mac/Unix perspective)
  • I always try to give helpful answers to questions
  • I have moderation experience on a number of other discussion forums

Cons:

  • I can be a bit [3] blunt [4] when folks haven't done their homework
  • I'm not obsessively on the site 24/7
  • I've never asked a question on the site, just answered them
  • I'm not very interested in "gaming" my reputation, so I don't know how that system works in any great depth
[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/17826/mark-bessey
[2] http://stackoverflow.com/badges/83/fanatic
[3] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1965298/someviewcontroller-may-not-respond-to-alloc/1965501#1965501
[4] http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1984856/java-runtime-performance-vs-native-c-c-code/1985350#1985350

And hey, you're more mature than all of us at age 89! - Dominic Rodger
31
[0] [2010-01-14 16:40:24] cjk

I'd like to nominate myself.

I feel I can be fair for the most part, and like to contribute actively.

I've been on SO for over a year, and have learnt a huge amount reading through questions and answers, and like to plug that knowledge back into the community.

I know at times I can be harsh on people, but this is the internet, and that's generally what people do. I can also take criticism and will humbly accept when I am wrong.

I'm also on the right side of the Atlantic for those that are awake in the GMT+0 times of the day.

Whilst I'm primarily a Microsoft fan (boo, hiss) I don't treat other technologies with disdain, as without Java, where would C# be?

Also, as proof I known what I'm doing:

bold, italic, interesting

 IModerator newModerator = CheeseFactory.CreateModerator("ck");

The worst website in the world [1] <= this link is to the worst website in the world.

This is a good website:

Some strange logo

[1] http://cksiteoftreats.co.uk

(18) That looks an awful lot like you were saying Google is the worst site in the world. - Dominic Rodger
If you were a mod, you would instantly see the dotted underline to indicate it was a link in itself... ;) - cjk
(6) @ck: You're right. That is an awful website. - XMLbog
@Gaspar - hasn't been updated in years, its PHP on Apache, and my specialisation is now ASP.NET on Windows.... - cjk
Love that worst website. It has recent news dated 2006 stating that the blog section has started and when you go to "my blog", you get: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING, expecting ',' or ';' in /home/sites/cksiteoftreats.co.uk/public_html/getpage.php(21) : eval()'d code on line 65. To call this bod glacial is an insult to glaciers :-) - paxdiablo
@paxdiablo: loving the glacial terminology... Maybe if I didn't spend so much time on SO I could update my website... :) - cjk
Oh, and I don't even have the FTP password anymore :( - cjk
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[0] [2010-01-14 17:36:59] Gishu

I'd like to step up. Profile: Gishu [1]

  • Too late in the night for me to write an elevator pitch. I'll let the votes and my SO profile decide (pretty minimal presence on meta and the others, which is a nice segue into)
  • Pro/Con: Favor minimalism. That is my excuse for saying I'll be able to do the mod thing, 15-30 mins a day. Walking a flimsy tightrope with a resource-hungry day job, a great family, a blog that's threatening to put itself up for adoption and a love for programming languages.
  • Like to be inconspicuous - will do my best to remain in the shadows. Still I'd like to volunteer for a year - the least I could do for SO and its community.
  • Haven't been in a mud-slinging event on SO since I joined.. a year+. I think I'm the calm-n-composed type for the most part.
    So checkmark on prereqs 3..6
[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/1695

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[0] [2010-01-14 23:54:00] David Rodríguez - dribeas

I ( dribeas [1]) will pop in the game. I have been an active user for quite a while and spend quite a bit of time each day in SO browsing C++ (where I am most active), C#, Java and Python.

Most of the time I participate by commenting to improve answers or to help correct small details in overall appropriate responses. In most of the cases that ends with answers being corrected by the author, improving the overall quality of the site and maintaining a low downvote/upvote ratio (less than 10%). In all those cases, where I downvoted and discussed the reasons, I never got into an argument.

On my judgement on question quality, it seems appropriate as all the questions I voted for closing were actually closed, and the two questions I voted for reopening were also reopened.

On the negative side, I hardly ever go into questions that are not tagged with c++, c#, java or python, so chances to spot problems in all other questions are limited.

As a last note, I also endorse Neil Butterworth (also in GMT+0 timezone) nomination, as shared interests made us coincide many times, and from what I know, I do trust him with the responsibility of moderation.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/36565/dribeas

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[0] [2010-01-17 01:57:40] Jorge Córdoba

Well, I like to nominate [1] myself too. All I can say is:

  • I spend a great deal of time on Stack Overflow anyway.
  • I'm willing to think the best of people, I actually believe almost everyone on Stack Overflow tries to help... even when they don't
  • I try to never prejudge anyone and consider all points of view.
  • I think the moderator spirit is to handle discussions and get consensus if possible, dealing with people. Again, I firmly think people that need moderation do not know they do need it.

And that's basically all, I don't have an outstanding reputation although is sufficiently high to at least guarantee I've done my homework :)

By the way, I'm from Spain so another timezone. If that even counts because I see answers being posts at ANY time I connect...

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/2695/jorge-cordoba

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[-1] [2010-01-14 20:00:20] Dillie-O

Sup-a-Dillie-O All!

I'd like to nominate myself [1] for the role of moderator. I've been in part of the SOFUM suite since the early beta testing and believe I have a good grasp on the "big picture" with the overflow sites. This puts me in a good position to keep a level head despite the flare-ups that pass through from time to time.

I'm on Stack Overflow every day and while I'm no "rock star" participant, I'm dedicated to see the site continue its AMAZING success it has had in nearly over a year now. If you want consistency, level headedness, and dedication, I'm your man.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/71/dillie-o

You are close to "Rock Star!" - JohnB
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[-5] [2010-01-14 15:21:56] Simon

I'd be happy to be a moderator. I'm not going to try and sell myself here, I'll let my profile speak for itself.

The reason I'm interested is that I get a huge amount of value from using SO but am a lop-sided in terms of what I have contributed vs. what I have got out of it. This would be a nice way of putting something back.


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[-15] [2010-01-14 16:05:10] Shog9

I would like to nominate Chet A [1], a long-time Stack Overflow user and possibly our glorious leader's secret evil twin. He's far too modest to nominate himself, however I managed to obtain tacit approval:

Certification of Acceptance

Reasons Chet would be a good choice

  • He's a serious workaholic
  • His avatar pic looks like an explosion from some 8-bit console game.
  • Long history of doing boring janitorial work on SO.
  • Everyone already hates him.

Reasons Chet would be a bad choice

Non sequitur note is non sequitur

If you run this nomination through a Perl interpreter, you'll see a dancing bunny.

[1] http://stackoverflow.com/users/5640/chet-a
[2] http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/01/stack-overflow-2010-moderator-nominations/#comment-43053

(2) Note: If you instead run it through a Ruby interpreter, it will format your hard drive. Do not try this at home. - mmyers
(9) My notes on this nomination: Yeah, right. - balpha
Bareword found where operator expected at - line 1, near "time Stack" (Do you need to predeclare time?) - Brad Gilbert
(5) I LOL'ed at "reasons Chet would be a bad choice" - Jeff Atwood
Should add "Has only been banned a few times" to "Reasons Chet would be a good choice" - Adam Davis
Since he's currently in suspension on meta, wouldn't that violate (2)? - tvanfosson
(7) @tvanfosson: Never mind #2, as much as I like Rich and think he has been known to provide a valuable service, #s 4 and 5 are the ones which worry me most. There's direct, and there's rude, and he has a tendency toward the latter. I wouldn't want him as a mod. - John Rudy
(5) @tvanfosson: so far as I'm aware, he's still in good standing on Stack Overflow (the requirement of #2). It's meta where his, uh, singular methods of interacting with The Powers That Be put him in the box... - Shog9
(1) @Shog9 -- doesn't being a moderator on SO automatically make one a moderator on meta? Now, that would be interesting... - tvanfosson
(1) @tvanfosson: and I love interesting... - Shog9
(1) This would be a good show for a couple of weeks, though. - squillman
(4) In all honesty, I think the downfall of Chet as a moderator would come from the deafening whine of the same people who've been whining about Chet as a user for the past year+. There are plenty of other opinionated and/or rude users around, but he's been something of a lightning rod - he could probably keep doing the exact same thing he's been doing for months and still collect allegations of mod abuse... Which of course, would provoke some interesting discussions. - Shog9
(10) I have to admit I would love to see how many people crap themselves silly after witnessing a diamond trailing Rich B's name. - gnostradamus
(1) LOL at Chet rolling back the post. - Adam Davis
(1) April fools joke: Make Rich B a moderator for the day. Hilarity ensues! - Super Long Names are Hilarious
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