Tales from a Website Moderator

I know it might seem scary if the first person you meet is a staff member and you broke a rule, but play it cool. We're not always out to get you and we have a job to do, even for trivial things. Don't let this be you, you won't score any points.

Boy, I sure do love cleaning out images of humans severed in half. Way to prove to me you'd be a terrible staff, guy.

Plus, we're a social network for a cartoon show. This is something to keep in private. Don't give underage minors sex advice like this, not everyone wants to see it.

This sums up most cases. I've even been called the Anti-Christ because some members don't know how to keep calm. Everyone is always innocent, despite being caught red-handed.

A week later, member announces the doctor says they're now magically cured of cancer and will live a full life. Praise the Lord!

A common reply we get for these kinds of images? "But I like it!" Like as-if that excludes everything from the rules.

Not everyone who sheds tears is the victim. Some people do this to manipulate others to siding with them, no questions asked. Unfortunately, they also tend to be popular...

It is saddening how frequently I've heard this thrown about casually. Don't joke about it. There are other people who do need the help, stop using it as an excuse to get out of your responsibility. This is a terrible thing to do.

My decade of moderating sites, it has all been volunteer and I never get paid a dime. Don't threaten my pay because it doesn't exist. Please don't push my patience, I try hard to be nice even when I get spit in the face. Banning is the easy solution for me, but I want to avoid it if I can.

Sites also have a right to allow or disallow whatever content on their site. I never punish members for their opinions, even if I disagree. But if you're going to attack others for it, I don't care what your opinion is. Being a dick is never an excuse.

Cat tax. Sorry for potato quality.