Discussion:
Help wanted: Business newsgroups co-moderators
(too old to reply)
Jim Logajan
2006-05-26 01:07:58 UTC
Permalink
Description:
------------
Job opening for one or two co-moderators.

Salary:
-------
Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. In fact it is even negative at times.

Other benefits and perks:
-------------------------
Hmmm. Um. Not much. Well, you do get to see posts before anyone else.

Duties and requirements:
------------------------
Recognize and approve topical posts, silently dump spam, and
diplomatically reject flames, off-topic, stealth ads, and outrageously
libelous posts, among other reasons for rejection.

Ideal candidates must be willing to approve posts they violently disagree
with but are nevertheless topical, and be willing to reject posts they
heartily agree with but are against policy.

Must be willing to check for new posts on at least a daily basis -
ideally even more often than that.

Ideal candidates should have a basic technical understanding of Usenet
and how moderated groups work or have sufficient background in network
software that the workings of Usenet can be quickly learned on ones own
time. Knowledge of how to stop and start a program on a Linux system and
basic shell commands is also helpful, but not required.

Ideal candidates will also have a background in running a business.

Co-moderators must have either a MS Windows machine they are willing to
install the Python language on or a Linux machine with Python/Tkinter
installed. The software currently being used to moderate the business
newsgroups is open source software called PyModerator that I wrote a few
years back. Co-moderators will need to download the software from here:
http://www.lugoj.com/products.html

Other stuff:
------------
The currently active co-moderators are myself and Scott Jensen; George
Demmer and Mike Turco are not currently active. I will be retiring from
active moderation, which would leave only one active moderator for four
groups. I will remain available during the transition period (about
mumble mumble weeks).

I will stick around to handle the technical side of things for a while,
but I'd really like one or more people who can take over everything. I
recently moved the moderation server from my home machine to a commercial
Linux shell account and I am willing to cover its cost indefinitely, if
need be (it's only ~US$11 a month). The PyModerator server also hosts
five moderated Usenet groups (sci.nanotech, misc.business.consulting,
misc.business.moderated, misc.business.marketing.moderated, and
misc.entrepreneurs.moderated) so it would be nice if one of the new co-
moderators were technically savvy enough to that they could tend to
server maintenance (normally just stopping and starting the server
process and informing the moderators of all the groups of any downtime).
There is absolutely no need to co-moderate the sci.nanotech group - a
moderator for that group already exists.

E-mail if you are interested - even if you think you're a less than ideal
candidate. Thanks all!
Wayne Lundberg
2006-05-29 17:05:32 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jim Logajan
------------
Job opening for one or two co-moderators.
-------
Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. In fact it is even negative at times.
-------------------------
Hmmm. Um. Not much. Well, you do get to see posts before anyone else.
------------------------
Recognize and approve topical posts, silently dump spam, and
diplomatically reject flames, off-topic, stealth ads, and outrageously
libelous posts, among other reasons for rejection.
Ideal candidates must be willing to approve posts they violently disagree
with but are nevertheless topical, and be willing to reject posts they
heartily agree with but are against policy.
Must be willing to check for new posts on at least a daily basis -
ideally even more often than that.
Ideal candidates should have a basic technical understanding of Usenet
and how moderated groups work or have sufficient background in network
software that the workings of Usenet can be quickly learned on ones own
time. Knowledge of how to stop and start a program on a Linux system and
basic shell commands is also helpful, but not required.
There is so little traffic anymore on moderated newsgroups that you might
want to just let it be an open forum and those of us who 'play' the group
notify spammer ISDs to the media cops. It works for the ebay group. Any
spammer is immediately fined or will lose their ISD.

[ Remainder of quoted material elided by moderator for brevity. -JimL ]
Jim Logajan
2006-05-29 18:47:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Wayne Lundberg
There is so little traffic anymore on moderated newsgroups that you
might want to just let it be an open forum and those of us who 'play'
the group notify spammer ISDs to the media cops. It works for the ebay
group. Any spammer is immediately fined or will lose their ISD.
Except for the consulting group, all the groups we moderate have
"moderated" in their name and that aspect is exceedingly difficult to
change. So we'd be left with having unmoderated groups with "moderated" in
their names, which would at best probably lead to confusion.
Wayne Sallee
2006-05-30 05:51:10 UTC
Permalink
Being moderated has it's advantages, but these newsgroups
are overmoderated. I am very active on
rec.aquaria.marine.reefs, and it does quite well without
moderaters, but I have not seen any unmoderated businesses
newsgroups that were of any value. Nothing but junk on them.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
Post by Wayne Lundberg
Post by Jim Logajan
------------
Job opening for one or two co-moderators.
-------
Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. In fact it is even negative at times.
-------------------------
Hmmm. Um. Not much. Well, you do get to see posts before anyone else.
------------------------
Recognize and approve topical posts, silently dump spam, and
diplomatically reject flames, off-topic, stealth ads, and outrageously
libelous posts, among other reasons for rejection.
Ideal candidates must be willing to approve posts they violently disagree
with but are nevertheless topical, and be willing to reject posts they
heartily agree with but are against policy.
Must be willing to check for new posts on at least a daily basis -
ideally even more often than that.
Ideal candidates should have a basic technical understanding of Usenet
and how moderated groups work or have sufficient background in network
software that the workings of Usenet can be quickly learned on ones own
time. Knowledge of how to stop and start a program on a Linux system and
basic shell commands is also helpful, but not required.
There is so little traffic anymore on moderated newsgroups that you might
want to just let it be an open forum and those of us who 'play' the group
notify spammer ISDs to the media cops. It works for the ebay group. Any
spammer is immediately fined or will lose their ISD.
[ Remainder of quoted material elided by moderator for brevity. -JimL ]
Jon
2006-05-31 02:16:08 UTC
Permalink
I agree, Wayne. One of the main reasons I read this group is that it
is moderated. The other business groups mainly tell you how to get
rich sitting at home playing on your computer!

- Jon
Ciaran Keating
2006-05-31 15:43:59 UTC
Permalink
Ooh! You can get rich sitting at home playing on your computer? Where do I
sign up?


Seriously though, I agree. This group is useful because it's not full of
junk. But I'm afraid I just wouldn't have the capacity to help out on the
moderation front here. Sorry, Jim.


Ciaran
Post by Jon
I agree, Wayne. One of the main reasons I read this group is that it
is moderated. The other business groups mainly tell you how to get
rich sitting at home playing on your computer!
- Jon
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