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#1 2011-07-15 17:22:43

Lightnin
Scratch Team
Registered: 2008-11-03
Posts: 1000+

Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Anyone who meets all the criteria described on the Scratch Community Moderator page can nominate themselves on this thread by posting a brief statement. (Nominations only, please. All other comments on this thread will be removed. If you'd like to discuss the elections, please do so on the election discussion thread).

Last edited by Lightnin (2011-07-21 12:48:25)


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#2 2011-07-15 21:19:11

gettysburg11
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-06-14
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hello all, I would like to take this opportunity to nominate myself for Scratch Community Moderator. I normally don't like to recycle speeches, but I like the one I wrote in advance of the last election, which will be posted here.

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this. My name is gettysburg11, and I am running for Community Moderator. Almost from the time I joined Scratch, I have aspired to be a moderator, and now that the opportunity has come, I hope to take advantage of it. I have been here since June of 2008, and have really enjoyed the times I’ve spent here. Since I started using the forums in April 2009, I’ve been a helpful contributor to the Scratch community. I’ve done things such as:
- Answer questions in the All About Scratch and Troubleshooting forums
- Fill requests in the Requests forum
- Show approval for a suggestion or politely explain why I dislike it or it won’t happen
- Give my feedback on projects in Show and Tell
and much more. I usually spend a lot of time on the forums and site already, but if I am elected, I will spend even more time here (once I’m done with schoolwork, of course). Thus, almost whenever there’s a problem with spam or a question needing an answer, I can be there.
   
Most of the time, I’m positive and passionate about what I’m doing, so I won’t take the moderator position as just a fancy title; I realize how important of a position it is, and how big of an honor it would be to become one. Moderators are supposed to be role models for the entire community, and if elected, I will give my all towards being a role model for the entire community, not just the forums and not just the main site, but the entire community.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you'll choose me for Scratch Community Moderator!  smile

Appendix A  tongue : :Just an add-on to my original post after reading cheddargirl's suggestion on the discussion topic.

On that topic, cheddargirl said that us nominees should talk more about what ideas we'd like to implement in the community. It is a very interesting subject that I will admit I hadn't thought much about until reading that post. I have now taken the time to think about what I might like to see implemented in the community or to have more of in the community, and have come up with two main ideas.

1. More Collab Challenges
I've seen a lot of collaborations fail in my time here, but I've also seen many succeed. The key to the ones that succeeded is that they weren't overly drawn out so people wouldn't lose interest and leave. The Collab Challenge this past year was one of those times when I saw collaboration succeed. The timeline wasn't too long, so teams were able to get their projects done in time with everyone contributing. With more examples like this set, more regular collabs might see how to work properly, and more may succeed and make some great projects.

2. A seperate forum for modifications
A while back, coolstuff made this thread about perhaps making a seperate forum for modifications of Scratch, so as to clear up the Advanced Topics forum. This was an idea that I supported then, and still support now. Sadly, the topic has a tendency to fade away, but is an idea worthy of being brought up and discussed again.

Last edited by gettysburg11 (2011-07-18 20:31:33)


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#3 2011-07-15 22:57:20

hdarken
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-06-26
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hi everyone. I would like to run for community moderator.

I have been on Scratch since about June of 2008. I love Scratch and I've had a lot of experience with it. I have created more than 150 projects! I have also been a Scratch curator.

Some of the other things I’ve done to help the community are:
- I’ve answered hundreds of questions in the forums.
- A banner request shop for forum signature graphics. I created graphics for dozens of Scratchers.
- Participated in a Scratch research survey.

I would like to help out more on the forums. I would remove spam, move topics, close topics and remove rude messages/inappropriate words. I will use correct grammar and provide detailed explanations. I use screenshots and links to other pages for added help. I enjoy helping new Scratchers. If I do not qualify to become a Community Moderator I will still help the community just as much as I do today.

I check the Scratch forums everyday if I can.  If you vote for me you will be glad that you did. I will certainly do my best and help the community a lot.

Thanks!


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#4 2011-07-16 00:52:26

Sunrise-Moon
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-06-27
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hey everyone! I'm fourteen, and I've been on Scratch for over two years now and go on the forums everyday. I'm very active, having over three thousand posts and about fifteen hundred comments.

I want to be a moderator so that I can serve the community more than just posting in the All About Scratch forum and reporting offending posts. I also realize that being a community mod is much more than just moving topics and deleting spam- it's being a role-model and a leader, and I'm totally ready to take on that burden. In fact, I was a counselor just this past week at a daycamp for 5th - 7th graders.

Some more advantages in picking me:
- I have lots of free time.
- I already know many of the mod tools, and for the ones I don't know, I'm a quick learner.
- I know when to be serious and when to be silly.
- I visit Misc. the most, and I understand you need nore help moderating Misc.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and good luck to my fellow candidates. :-)

Last edited by Sunrise-Moon (2011-07-16 10:53:35)


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#5 2011-07-16 08:36:37

ProgrammingFreak
Scratcher
Registered: 2010-09-04
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a good day! I am turning thirteen this month and even though I am not a '09er or a '08er, I still think I've really found a place to be here.  big_smile
So today I've decided that I'm going to run for the opportunity of responsibility. I'm going to run for moderator.
I think that the current moderators have done a great job in keeping this place safe for kids. Oh, how I can imagine what a privilege it would be, too. (I just hope we get a lunch break  tongue  )

I realize the horrible problem of spamming and how it needs to be stopped. And I think that I can help. But do realize, if you're under aged to run, that shouldn't stop you from helping.  wink  We're all in this together!

If you'd have any questions, you could always ask me. Thats why we're here, right?  smile

So please, consider me as moderator.  wink  But also consider everyone else too; they're pretty awesome and responsible.  big_smile

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#6 2011-07-16 21:19:41

Aidan
Scratcher
Registered: 2007-06-15
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hello, members of the Scratch community. My name is Aidan, and I will be nominating myself to be a moderator this election. I have been a dedicated member of the Scratch community for over three years. I am 13 years old, and as such, am eligible for this year's elections.

As Lightnin has said on the Discussion Thread, the Scratch moderator they are looking for this summer to fill the single open spot should be active on other parts of the site as well as the forums, especially Miscellaneous. It just so happens that the main site and Misc. are areas I tend to be active in.

If elected, I will moderate Misc. at any chance I get. I already know many of the Misc. dwellers, so it would be easy to trasnsition to moderator. I admit that I am guilty of prowling mostly in the Inspiration & More area of the forums, but I will occasionally wander into the other parts of the forum, especially to answer questions in All About Scratch, look at what other users are sharing in Show & Tell, read up on Announcements, welcome New Scratchers, or make Suggestions on how to improve the Scratch website or program.

I won't go into bragging about myself or tooting my own horn as a way to get myself elected. Instead, I will let you, the community, decide if I would be a good choice for moderator.

It would be an honor to be chosen and to serve as a moderator for this community which I have long been part of, and seen prosper and grow, and I would do my best to uphold the values and perform the duties bestowed upon me as a moderator.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

A moderator hopeful,
Aidan.

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#7 2011-07-17 04:19:44

sparks
Community Moderator
Registered: 2008-11-05
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hi everyone! I would like to nominate myself for the role of community moderator.

For me, the vibrant community found on this site is the main reason why I'm still with Scratch; the people are helpful, clever and kind in almost all instances and the forums have by far the friendliest atmosphere of any online community I have yet found! It's great to see people clubbing together to solve a problem, or falling over each other to help out a new member and I have always enjoyed being a part of this, answering questions, both advanced and basic and having a laugh on the way!

After my two weeks as Curator I found what a great feeling it was to find a great project people have never seen and then watching the world love it as much as I did! I like to think that curating those as-of-yet-unseen projects gave the Scratchers the confidence to keep working on amazing pieces of art and programming and it's this confidence I aim to instil in people with every question on the forum that I answer.

For me, being on the Scratch forums is all about improving things, I've built projects that tell you who's online and list their stats, built how-to threads and collected useful information together, even developed a method of displaying images in forum posts without needing to upload the image (using bbcode) so that users without web hosters can still share small images. I'm always trying to make learning and using the information on the fora something that is easy and enjoyable! As a community moderator I would be able to push for changes to the fora that make their use even more enjoyable, hopefully attracting more users to the community here off of the main site!

I spend at least three to four hours on the Scratch fora a day, usually more. I already moderate and run three websites so I know what it's like to deal with a spam or troll attack and have a little experience deciding whether a post should be removed or not, though I still have a lot to learn!

As a community moderator I can only hope to live up to the standards set out by the current ones who work very hard to keep this site as friendly, productive and well-structured as it is, so please consider nominating me for the open position, it would be an honour to help!

Last edited by sparks (2011-07-18 15:31:15)


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#8 2011-07-17 06:32:17

ssss
Scratcher
Registered: 2007-07-29
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hello all members of the scratch community. I would like to nominate myself. I am SSSS, a 14 and a quarter year old boy.  I spend alot of time on the scratch fora, and hope to keep the community are happy, friendly place.  I  registerred in 2007, then became active on the fora a year afterwards.   I always try and keep on-topic.  I report things that I believe belong somewhere else, are inappropriate always.   I have never has a role of importance at this site, and this role seems like a good opportunity.  I believe that the current moderators are doing a really great job, however, and that even if there wasn't a spot for another moderator the site would be great.  I believe that I could help the miscellanious forum by:
    - Keeping track of when emails are shared.
          While it's great people want to communicate, these aren't allowed to be shared
          on the scratch fora.  I hope to remove these from posts as soon as I see them.
    - Removing inappropriate language:
        - Let's face it, people avoid the filters.  I hope to keep these posts away
    - Moving threads to the appropriate place:
       - If people request it
       - If it needs moving (Wrong forum?)
    - Closing threads:
        - If it is requested
        - If it is a TBG
        - For removal of flaming?
    - Keeping the miscellanious forum friendly:
        - Removing flamebait
        - Anything to keep it friendly  wink

I will also do this regularly on the other forums.

To sum this all up:
  I hope to be ellected as the next community moderator to help keep the scratch forums as friendly as they have always been, and to keep all the people happy.  smile

(Wow, what happened to brief?


Hey.  It's me SSSS, back from the dead!  smile

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#9 2011-07-17 07:53:11

The_Dancing_Donut
Scratcher
Registered: 2010-08-03
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hello, Members of the Scratch Community!

I am overjoyed to announce that I am going to run for the Community Moderator position which has become available!

I turned 13 earlier this year, and am REALLY pleased that the Scratch Team lowered the age at which you can apply for Community Moderator.

You are probably reading this thinking 'Ugh, TDD isn't going to be a very good mod, she's been in trouble on Scratch before'. Yes, it's true: I've had a few moments of stupidity where I've caused the Mods grief; so I truly understand how it feels when you cause trouble (sometimes without realising). I was very upset when I recieved a warning, and pledged to become a more useful member.

To be quite honest, I don't see myself as STRICT, as such: I would be a happy mod, I wouldn't speak too eloquently - I would stay my same informal self; whilst ensuring the point was recieved. I find that mods who don't act too differently from normal users (and who can take a joke) are a lot easier to contact and talk to about issues bothering you. I won't be harsh towards first-time offenders, everyone has the right to forgiveness and a second chance.

I would also make sure everyone feels welcome, and take an active part in discussions.
I am active every day, and will make sure modding is my top internet priority.
It would be a great privilege to serve the community - I will do you guys proud!

In adddition to this, it mentions that the new moderator should focus on Miscellaneous - this is my favourite forum, and I visit it regularly: I have a knack of spotting topics which will clearly become heated or spammed-up in the near future. Like being psychic!
I joined Scratch roughly a year ago, only becoming active on the forums after I stumbled across them by accident. People tend to think 07'ers and '08ers are more experienced, but so much has happened since I joined (hacking allegations, troll attacks, etc.) I think I have a fair idea of how these forums function.
Also, a good point is that I know most of the forum regulars: I understand how they act and can relate to them.

I will fulfil all the duties required of me, and try my best to keep the Scratch forums welcoming, and a fun place to be!

My Qualities
> Friendly, liked by most users
> Very active
> Knows the forums well
> Has experience of being trolled, and understand the urgency with which this kind of activity should be dealt with and stopped
> Has a fairly good reputation
> Is always happy!

I know that I am not a favourite in this election, but I believe that if you just give me a chance I can become a credit to this community. it would be an amazing experience, yet I would not abuse my power. I just want the best for all the amazing people that are active here.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this: I wish the other candidates the very best of luck, and please consider me for this amazing position!

So much for a 'brief statement' xD

And a final little part of this speech, this is what I would do with the Moderator position...

M ake the most of the opportunity to serve what I believe to be the friendliest online community out there
O ften check the forums, fill requests and answer queries
D o my best be a role model to old and new Scratchers alike
E veryone deserves a chance to voice their opinion here, so I will make sure no-one's voice goes unheard
R eally put some effort into posts, make them funny, yet relevant and useful
A lways take reports seriously: even if it doesn't seem offensive to me, look into it and see the post through the reporter's eyes
T ry to ensure I don't offend snyone and no-one is offended
O ff-topic posts are deleted, along with spammy comments, and trolling
R eally do you proud!

Please consider this application, and give peace a chance! ☮

Sorry if there are typos, typing this with 2 fingers strapped together ;D


Offending strangers since 2010.

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#10 2011-07-17 09:07:41

Lucario621
Community Moderator
Registered: 2007-10-03
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Hey there, Scratchers and Scratch Team!

Right now is the Scratch Community Moderator Election. What does that mean? To some, it means a short time when we can goof off and have a popularity contest. However in reality is time for us to join together and decide, who should take a position for however many "terms" are necessary to help manage some of the inner-workings the Scratch community. This means being a good Scratcher in assisting all of the parts of the community, whether its behind-the-scenes, cleaning up spam and moving topics, to the main scene of providing feedback to users in whatever they're working on, and making sure everybody stays kind in respectful wherever it is -- whether its the posts on the forums to the comments on projects.

Thus, for me, I would like to run as I believe I would be a very good candidate to become a moderator. Now why should you vote for me, I hear you ask? For many reasons, as you will see.

I have been a a constantly positive contributor in the Scratch Community, for 4 whole years, and counting  wink . To start off, I have participated in all of the Scratch Day events at MIT, and I am an administrator/bureaucrat Scratch Wiki (over 1,200 contributions so far)! In addition, I've been a valuable helper on the Scratch Forums (the one you're looking at right now - over 5,000 non-spam posts!). But most importantly, I have made many different projects (varying from animation to games, even some made in collabs), and have posted 3,000+ of constructive comments on others' projects, giving good feedback. As far as group work experience, I do participate in Prism, a collaboration of 10 scratchers to make high-quality projects.

So why do I specifically want to run for moderator? I feel that despite all of the work of the current moderators, there's still work to be done, and there are many periods of time when I see that no moderators are online to help give feedback and prevent spam on the forums - so I would be a helpful moderator to fill in the gap. In addition, I would serve as a great role model in the community, as I show that even though I have had my mistakes in the past (no bans though), I have gotten better and have regained much of my reputation, and am a very positive Scratcher, giving good advice to Scratchers of all ages and knowledge, with all-around experience.

I have practiced my moderating duties very much so far in treating others kindly, as I have good experience of helping others, and I do often flag comments/projects and report different bugs and such to the Scratch Team  smile .

Also, I am very active on the community usually on at least 1-2 hours each day.

As for characteristics of me,

- I am very mature, so I can handle different situations appropriately.
- I am very empathetic, so I can understand other's feelings, and try to help them the best I can.
- I can listen well to other's opinions so I can represent the Scratch community's ideas the best I can  smile .
- I am very creative, so I can help with different suggestions and elaborate on ideas.

In addition, I have lots of Scratch and other programming experience, whether it's animation, art, scrolling, lists, just about anything, so if a Scratcher has a problem, I can always help  smile .

The Scratch Community has been a great place where I have learned a lot about programming, creative learning and the internet. I'd love to further help the Scratch Community by becoming a moderator, and giving something back. So do please give me consideration as a person you should be voting for; you won't regret it   wink .

Thanks, and Scratch On!  smile

Edited in at a later time:

Some people have asked me, what I can do specifically for miscellaneous, since that is one of the main focuses in this election. Well, I feel I would do especially well in this situation since I have experience in keeping multi-person discussions under control in a good manner, while keeping it on-topic while giving everybody a chance to express their opinion. Now where is this experience from? The Scratch Wiki. I have been part of the Scratch Wiki pretty much since it ever existed, even before it migrated to the Scratch servers. At the Scratch Wiki, we edit to create an encyclopedia-like collection of articles that are a reliable source for all Scratchers to use. Part of this is not only editing the articles, but discussing what parts we should include or leave out (to prevent bias), how certain sentences should be worded, or even what features should be included in the wiki. Most of this is done on the Community Portal. Again, in the earlier days, I used to cause a bit of havoc, but through the forums and the Scratch Wiki, I know how to handle discussions well and prevent any feelings from being hurt.

Thus, for miscellaneous, I can help make it be a place where anybody can have a discussion and not feel left out, making sure everybody has a say and doesn't have to worry.   smile

Last edited by Lucario621 (2011-07-19 16:19:54)


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#11 2011-07-18 04:11:56

WindowsExplorer
Scratcher
Registered: 2011-02-25
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

I would love to be a scratch moderator, because I go on the scratch forums everyday, and whenever I see a question from someone, I try to help them and answer it as best as I can! I do scratch as a hobby, and can't go on the computer without opening the scratch window at least twice! I would like to work in the Advance Topics, because I do lots of squeak programming, and I think I would be a lot of help there! Here are some other reasons why you should vote for me:
- I go on the computer
every day, and do scratch
alot.
- I find it really easy to
take up new programming
languages.
- I currently have my own
mod, Gopher.
- I can't go by a day without
checking for updates on the
scratch forums!

Please vote for me, and scratch on!

Last edited by WindowsExplorer (2011-07-18 04:19:04)


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#12 2011-07-18 16:08:09

Harakou
Community Moderator
Registered: 2009-10-11
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Well, looks who's announcing his candidacy at the last second again! It seems the moderator elections have caught me by surprise again.

Anyway, on to business! I don't plan on writing anything too long (or formal!), but then again I've never been one for being too wordy.

*Ahem* As you probably know, I've been an active and frequent contributor on the forums for quite some time now. I always do my best to help out those who need it in All About Scratch and Troubleshooting, or give input to an idea in the suggestions forum. Now of course, I don't need to be a moderator to do that, so why is it relevant here? It proves that not only can I provide useful advice, but that I am also willing to dedicate time and energy to helping the community here on Scratch. I understand that being a moderator is hard work, and I am prepared to make time for it if need be.

Being helpful and being able to dedicate time to Scratch is great, but what would I actually do as moderator? Besides the obvious removing spam, maintenance, etc., I think it's important for moderators to be active in the community. Scratch is already a great community, but active moderators that can be seen at work and act as role models can be a catalyst for the growth and organization of the community. I promise that I will continue to be active on the forums as much as I can should I be elected moderator.

I know we all get frustrated when we see the same question or suggestion posted over and over again. A lot of work has gone into this already, given the threads posted to try to answer some of these questions. It's my hope, however, to work to see what can be done about this. While I don't think there will ever be a complete solution (you can't force people to do their research!) I think we can come up with something.

I see also that new mods should focus on the Miscellaneous forum. (I guess I don't feel so bad about spending so much time there now!) It is true that Misc can get off-topic and a little rowdy rather easily, so it will be my goal encourage people to keep their head on straight and be a good role model, as well as doing the expected moderator duties there.

I think that's pretty much all I have to say for now. I hope I haven't bored you, and appreciate your time. Good luck to all those running, and may the best candidate win!


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#13 2011-07-18 17:41:57

gettysburg11
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-06-14
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Just an add-on to my original post after reading cheddargirl's suggestion on the discussion topic.

On that topic, cheddargirl said that us nominees should talk more about what ideas we'd like to implement in the community. It is a very interesting subject that I will admit I hadn't thought much about until reading that post. I have now taken the time to think about what I might like to see implemented in the community or to have more of in the community, and have come up with two main ideas.

1. More Collab Challenges
I've seen a lot of collaborations fail in my time here, but I've also seen many succeed. The key to the ones that succeeded is that they weren't overly drawn out so people wouldn't lose interest and leave. The Collab Challenge this past year was one of those times when I saw collaboration succeed. The timeline wasn't too long, so teams were able to get their projects done in time with everyone contributing. With more examples like this set, more regular collabs might see how to work properly, and more may succeed and make some great projects.

2. A seperate forum for modifications
A while back, coolstuff made this thread about perhaps making a seperate forum for modifications of Scratch, so as to clear up the Advanced Topics forum. This was an idea that I supported then, and still support now. Sadly, the topic has a tendency to fade away, but is an idea worthy of being brought up and discussed again.


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#14 2011-07-18 22:21:09

jji7skyline
Scratcher
Registered: 2010-03-08
Posts: 1000+

Re: Summer 2011 Scratch Community Moderator Elections: Nominees

Why do I want to be a Community Moderator? Well, I think that there is a lack of mods in the +10 time zone or thereabouts. This is why I thought Jonathanpb would have been a good mod. But he's decided not to run in this election. Chrischb is pretty busy maintaining the TBG forums.

If I were you I would vote for ssss or what-the. They are both pretty active and are both in that time-zone. Although I don't think what-the is running in this election.

Sometimes, I come on and there are topics that should be removed. I report them right away of course, but then the topic has to wait until Cheddargirl or someone else comes on. This all happens at about 3:00am Central US time.

Then I thought that I could go for a mod as well! This would have been way out of my reach a few years ago (and I wasn't 13 then anyway) but I feel confident now that I can handle the job.

We need to have clean forums throughout the day and night. Don't you think so too?

I am homeschooled. This means that I can check on the forums throughout my day. I can come on even more on weekends.

Make the wise choice and vote for a mod that we really need.

I love Scratch. I would do almost anything to help make it better and maintain it.


I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello!  big_smile

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