Tony Mawad has left as mod of General Discussions and the mod team.

[TONY!]

The reason why I became a mod was for the wrongest reason from what I can see now.
"whats it take to moderate"
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1748&highlight=community
I thought you would get appreciation from the members. Generally, mods don't get that on forums. As shaeff and ma71supraturbo said to me, your reward will be to see the forum move in a better direction...or something to that effect. On many forums, the admins and mods are never even thought of as those that help run the site, and are taken for granted. Yes, it did please me to see that I did reduce some flaming. Lam and other members can make posts and threads without being flamed, and I felt all should have that common courtesy. That is a reward for me but my main reason was the: I'll help you in this way (as I modded or contributed) for exchange of some info or replies to some threads I may make while building my car. As my friends have told me, you don't have to earn the right to ask question, all you have to do is ask good ones. I guess I just wanted to earn the help that I might ask from members, and because I would appreciated it that much that I would go to the lengths (in my mind) to contribute. But then I also felt I had to defend myself against some things that I felt were very untrue. I am a VERY defensive person and false accusations are a big taboo in my beliefs. I am not trying at all to start arguments but only to say that the "thick skin" that is required or my TOO great willingness to stand up every time for myself was not a feature that a mod should have.

Possibly for me:
On SF I battled trolls & spoke for what is best for the forum or for other members many times, when no one else said anything. I showed that I would be willing to speak when necessary. From the way I post, I never troll or post whore & I write clearly too. IMO, if you can't post well, you should not mod.

I don't moderate because it gives me a higher status.
I don't think it does at all.
The highest status people are the ones that are the most helpful & knowledgeable & ACCURATE--the contributors.

The reason why I moderate is because it is another way I can help the community -- that I may need help from one day.
I really wonder if people think of it that way, because if they don't, why do I even bother? I am not doing it for myself because I see it as giving & not getting.

To me, "mod power" (as I once heard on SF) makes no sense at all. I feel like I have more power at SF than here at SM because I can say what at I want at SF & don't have to represent something that the admin will always approve of over there. You get more freedom as a regular member & when you're solo. You get power when you can back up what you say, speak well, carry your idea & argument, & know what is right. Knowledge & the ability to sell your idea = forum power. It takes no title or being a mod to have it.

Also, I know the admin & they know me from the chat room & IM. It helps if people know you or who you are vs. someone less known.

As you know it is not as a high paying job (or any pay for that matter) that may have 3 interviews & a month or so of that process. Basically when the admin tried to get the site up, a big concern was to get it up & running in a very timely manner. So don't assume that it took months of careful analysis in that decision making. I may have been the first to ask & got it because there is no basis for me not to be a mod.

People have asked me a couple of times "how did you get to be a mod?"
I think that is a weird question because as I already stated, it is a position that you give & not get. You give your time. What do you really get if people don't see you as someone who is helping the forum/community?
Also, it is a position that can lead to conflicts when you are just doing your job.

Many don't see it that way as I have just described. They are under the false impression that you get to sit on a throne. A good mod would not be one if he/she had that misconception.

I will miss my friends in the mod team. I have already recommended someone to replace me immediately when I proved that I was all too willing to stand up for myself. That thread was made by me and posted June 27, 2005 at 03:26 PM eastern time.

Sincerely,

Tony Mawad

P.S. I only hope that this is received as it was intended.

Also I wish this to stay and be locked in General Discussions as one last courtesy to me.