# New moderators are needed for Discourse
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155
**Category:** Site Feedback
**Created:** [October 8, 2022, 9:29am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155 "2022-10-08T09:29:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@josephh](https://discourse.processing.org/u/josephh)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 7:51am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/21 "2022-10-11T07:51:55Z")
Thanks everyone for this interesting discussion! I am glad the forum is quite active those days š
Do moderators need to be present often on the forum? Letās say you are not āactiveā for months or weeksā¦
Itās like the `Regular` badge which we can loose if not active, it happened to me some time ago because of my studies, activitiesā¦
Also is it possible to become a moderator for a limited period of time? (one year for example)
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### Author:  [@quark](https://discourse.processing.org/u/quark)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 11:05am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/22 "2022-10-11T11:05:23Z")
> [@josephh](#):
>
> Do moderators need to be present often on the forum?
A good idea otherwise they arenāt much use š. Any moderator that is absent from the forum for a couple of months should have their status revoked.
Moderators require Level 4 trust status and this can only be given or revoked by senior members of the Processing Foundation. At the moment the Discourse forum does not have a mechanism for awarding the āLeadersā badge (level 4) automatically, unlike level 1-3 where you have to meet certain criteria.
> [@josephh](#):
>
> Also is it possible to become a moderator for a limited period of time? (one year for example)
Provided the moderator is actual moderating the forum and is happy to continue I donāt see why a time limit is necessary. If the moderatorās circumstances change, she/he can always ask to have their level 4 status removed.
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### Author:  [@sableraph](https://discourse.processing.org/u/sableraph)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 11:55am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/23 "2022-10-11T11:55:31Z")
> [@josephh](#):
>
> Also is it possible to become a moderator for a limited period of time? (one year for example)
Absolutely. Itās totally ok to have or want to focus on something else, maybe come back later if that feels right. My opinion on this is that you should only volunteer however much you can while staying physically and mentally healthy š¤
Edit: I do agree with @quark about revoking moderator status after a delay, especially because we have a limited number of moderation seats on our current Discourse plan.
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### Author:  [@sableraph](https://discourse.processing.org/u/sableraph)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 12:00pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/24 "2022-10-11T12:00:37Z")
> [@javagar](#):
>
> @sableraph, would you or someone else in the position to do so be willing to formalize the process of making this decision? This might include officially soliciting further nominations from the Processing Community, and then conducting discussions and a vote, or some other mechanism of engaging the Community in proposing and finalizing the choices.
Yes Iāll be happy to help where needed. Iād suggest we keep this conversation going for this week so that people can chime in about the process in this freeform way, make suggestions and/or raise any concerns they may have about the process. Then we can launch a more formal nomination/voting thread if thatās ok with you all. How does that sound?
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### Author:  [@jafal](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jafal)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 12:28pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/25 "2022-10-11T12:28:42Z")
Hi
16 and more categories ā¦ Please take into consideration that more than moderator is needed ā¦
Other issues for example , there is a severe lack of answers to the section processing for Android and there is many members They have experience in Android Processing and not in a regular list
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### Author:  [@javagar](https://discourse.processing.org/u/javagar)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/26 "2022-10-11T19:49:28Z")
> [@sableraph](#):
>
> How does that sound?
It all sounds good.š
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### Author:  [@javagar](https://discourse.processing.org/u/javagar)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2022, 10:24pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/27 "2022-10-11T22:24:58Z")
> [@sableraph](#):
>
> ā¦ we have a limited number of moderation seats on our current Discourse plan.
How many moderation seats are in the Discourse plan?
The limited number of seats is indeed a good reason for Moderators to retire or be removed when they become inactive, and for potential Moderators to make sure they will be able to put in the necessary effort before they accept a nomination.
We should assemble a list of the responsibilities that are assigned to Moderators. That will enable potential candidates to consider whether they will be able meet those responsibilities. It would also provide some metrics for the Processing Community and governance to consider when evaluating candidates.
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### Author:  [@sableraph](https://discourse.processing.org/u/sableraph)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/28 "2022-10-12T10:54:38Z")
> [@javagar](#):
>
> How many moderation seats are in the Discourse plan?
The plan has 5 staff users. Currently those are @ProcessingOrg (needed for admin access), @sableraph (myself), @montoyamoraga and @jeremydouglass. Jeremy seems inactive right now. If someone knows how to reach him let me know, Iād love to have a chat.
That leaves one (or possibly two) free seats for new moderator(s).
> [@javagar](#):
>
> We should assemble a list of the responsibilities that are assigned to Moderators.
That is a good idea. Here are a few references that might be helpful:
- [Discourse Moderation Guide](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-moderation-guide/63116)
- [Guidelines - FAQ / Code of Conduct](https://discourse.processing.org/faq)
- [Guidelines - Asking Questions](https://discourse.processing.org/t/guidelines-asking-questions/2147/4)
- [Guidelines - Answering Questions](https://discourse.processing.org/t/guidelines-answering-questions/2145/1)
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### Author:  [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 11:37am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/29 "2022-10-12T11:37:57Z")
> [@mnse](#):
>
> Also the issue that on changing the category or tags leads to spam classification and make the topic invisible therefore is a messā¦
This forum has been behaving very well and doesnāt actually need quick-to-act moderators that much.
What we desperately need is a sufficient number of personnel who can restore ASAP topics which has been caught by the SPAM filter by mistake!
> [@sableraph](#):
>
> That leaves one (or possibly two) free seats for new moderator(s).
Is admin level the only 1 which can restore SPAM hidden topics?
Is Leader level 4 trust enough for that by any chance?
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### Author:  [@sableraph](https://discourse.processing.org/u/sableraph)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 11:54am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/30 "2022-10-12T11:54:14Z")
Hi GoToLoop š
> [@GoToLoop](#):
>
> Is admin level the only 1 which can restore SPAM hidden topics?
> Is Leader level 4 trust enough for that by any chance?
I could not find a definite answer on this. The spam filter settings only mention mods though. I donāt know how frequent false positives are but I havenāt seen any messages stuck in review when I got mod role. Maybe @montoyamoraga has been taking care of it? Either way Iāll keep an eye out for those.
> [@mnse](#):
>
> Also the issue that on changing the category or tags leads to spam classification and make the topic invisible therefore is a messā¦
Iād like to check if I can fix this in the settings. Could you please make a separate topic about this and describe the steps to reproduce the issue?
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### Author:  [@montoyamoraga](https://discourse.processing.org/u/montoyamoraga)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/31 "2022-10-12T14:11:53Z")
hey yeah i have been taking care of the spam filter, which is really good at detecting spam users and posts, but sometimes it gets false positives and i restore those
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### Author:  [@javagar](https://discourse.processing.org/u/javagar)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/32 "2022-10-12T19:30:12Z")
> [@sableraph](#):
>
> That leaves one (or possibly two) free seats for new moderator(s).
> [@jafal](#):
>
> ā¦ the best choice :
>
> @quark
> @GoToLoop
> @javagar
> @mnse
> @Chrisir
> @josephh
@jafal,
Thanks for including me in that list. My own opinion is that the one or two available seats should go to people other than myself. However, I would like to continue to help with maintaining Processing Discourse as an enjoyable and safe venue for learning about creative coding.
For a number of years beginning in 2013, I was a Moderator for the [Codecademy Forums](https://discuss.codecademy.com/) and officially, still hold that position, however I have not been active there for the past several years. The role of Moderators there has been somewhat reduced, however they did create an official Super Users role, and those users have been enormously helpful. The Super Users have some of the superpowers that are associated with Moderators. Perhaps Processing Discourse might consider whether some such role would be beneficial for the discussions.
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### Author:  [@jafal](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jafal)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/33 "2022-10-12T22:50:13Z")
@javagar hi Sir
This is a beautiful sympathy from you and proof that you deserve to be at the top of the list
People are degrees in science, knowledge, morals, and the letters we write indicate our personalities, regardless of color or race
It is good from you to think that you do not want to compete and you deserve to be on top , And some other people compete and push those who deserve it in rude ways, and in all ways, they strive for success, even if at the expense of others.
There is no good in a person if he has knowledge and is arrogant
You are mastering the rule that says the more a person increases in knowledge, he increases in manners and good manners
And whoever thinks as you thinkā¦ Success will always be with him
I think all the list recommended by me and many other members not listed of this wonderful forum. They have the same characteristics as you
Greetings to all the kind-hearted people we learn from and respect, no matter where they are
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### Author:  [@javagar](https://discourse.processing.org/u/javagar)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2022, 11:39pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/34 "2022-10-12T23:39:15Z")
Thanks for your wonderful words, @jafal.
Users contribute to Processing Discourse in a variety of ways, and you as well as those in your list of recommended choices for the Moderator seats have done much to elevate the quality of the discussions here. Your, as well as their efforts, serve as proof that it is quite possible to contribute much to the community even without being designated as a Moderator. For me, the best seat from which to contribute is in my current role. That is best seen not as a lesser role than that of a Moderator, but rather as a different one.
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### Author:  [@jafal](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jafal)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/35 "2022-10-13T01:08:24Z")
> [@javagar](#):
>
> the best seat from which to contribute is in my current role
Hi Sir
You are absolutely right Sir
About two years ago, I was new to the forum. I posted a topic and did not put the source link. Your response to me was very tactful and elegant and guided me to do the right thing in a way that indicates your ability to guide professionally
(( @josephh also behave with me as you did ))
On the other hand, someone whose style is rude in response to others causes the exit of members who were very influential and effective
Compare the two methods with response and result.
But there is still something beautiful about the forum and it is remarkable that the forum continues spontaneously, harmoniously and automatically, even in the absence of moderator for some time, and this is an exceptional thing.
Your words are correct, giving does not require a position
> [@No limits just imagine](https://discourse.processing.org/t/no-limits-just-imagine/28127):
>
> int penx = 0; int peny = 0; int de = 2; cLista lista = new cLista(); int el0 = 0; int by; // ------------------------------------------------------------ void setup() { size(800, 600); // size(1024, 768); // size(screen.width, screen.height); smooth(); frameRate(30); colorMode(HSB, 1); ellipseMode(CENTER); stroke(0, 0, 0, 0.7); background(0, 0, 1); // strokeWeight(0.3 \* de + 1); strokeWeight(2); city(); } // ---------------------------------------------------------ā¦
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### Author:  [@josephh](https://discourse.processing.org/u/josephh)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2022, 7:26am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/36 "2022-10-13T07:26:30Z")
> [@jafal](#):
>
> About two years ago, I was new to the forum. I posted a topic and did not put the source link. Your response to me was very tactful and elegant and guided me to do the right thing in a way that indicates your ability to guide professionally
Thanks a lot @jafal for this feedback, seeing that you didnāt take it personally and improved the way you post and answer to others is great example of how this forum brings aware people together and contribute to a global knowledge! š
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### Author:  [@vkbr](https://discourse.processing.org/u/vkbr)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/37 "2022-10-13T14:15:51Z")
If the world were like this forumā¦ this communityā¦ š
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### Author:  [@jb4x](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jb4x)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/38 "2022-10-13T20:04:44Z")
Happy to see this question being raised.
@Chrisir, @javagar and myself needed moderators beginning of this year to handle wrongly flagged message if I remember correctly and we were not able to reach out to anyone. At the end of the day, all our messages got erased without us being able to do anything about it.
@GoToLoop is right, I donāt think we need quick-to-act moderators but we definitely do need available ones that can answer moderation messages/questions from users.
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### Author:  [@javagar](https://discourse.processing.org/u/javagar)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2022, 10:25pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/39 "2022-10-13T22:25:08Z")
> [@jb4x](#):
>
> @Chrisir, @javagar and myself needed moderators beginning of this year to handle wrongly flagged message if I remember correctly ā¦
A month after the flags were imposed, they evidently expired, with the posts automatically removed, so we were never given a verdict. Granted, a user has a right to flag a post if they feel that the post is inappropriate. Subsequently, both the author and the flagger of the post deserve to receive word of a decision. This is one among a number of reasons why we need to select some new Moderators at this time.
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### Author:  [@javagar](https://discourse.processing.org/u/javagar)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/new-moderators-are-needed-for-discourse/39155/40 "2022-10-19T13:13:53Z")
@sableraph, is there anything we can do to assist with this process at the current time?
If you feel it would be helpful, you could propose, for our comments, some mechanisms for the following:
- A formal nomination process
- How to evaluate nominees for specific minimal standards of activity level within the discussions, and regarding other possible criteria
- Whether and how the Processing Foundation might vet each nominee
- A specific process for discussing merits of candidates
- A system for voting
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