Happy 2 years!

To Britt, MA (Poet on the Piano)& Meena

2 years ago you accepted the moderator position
It's been a great time
I have always kept thinking what a great team "this" is.
Now it just keeps getting better

Happy 2 years guys and gals. You make the site great

Happy two years *hugs*

How the hell has it been two years already?

Congratulations! And wow, that is amazing. I'm so glad to know we are in such good hands :)

Thanks Larry!!

I wonder how long my nonmodship was? I have been a mod longer than member and now you guys won't even let me leave, bwahaha. We're all suckers.

Damn right you can't leave!

happy two years :)

Happy two years :)

In total length, you have probably been mod the longest, Britt. It would be cool to figure all that out... I couldn't tell you when I became a mod. I still feel like the newest addition. It all feels so recent and at the same time eons ago. Funny.

Congrats making it to two years, you guys. Time flies. We have an excellent team.
I haven't heard any complaints in a long time. Someone complain already :P

I haven't heard any complaints in a long time. Someone complain already :P

^^^

Raises hand!!! Well..it was always going to be me right???

Not a complaint...just a question to each of you...what do you personally think you've achieved being a mod here on p&q these past 2 years???

^^

YEAH YOU GUYS, WHAT HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS??

i think I get a pass from this question, because I've only been a mod since february (:

edit: woops reading stuff wrong, i'm tired, clearly need sleep .

Mark...you ABSOLUTELY get a pass from me...

I know you have not been a mod for THAT long and yet...I do note that you have made/are trying your best to make, long needed changes to this site :)

Who are these people.

LOL ABBY.

Lol Abby hahahahaah.

Mark has done amazing things so he forever gets a pass. King PnQ!

What have I accomplished...well I don't know that I have any personal accomplishments but we definitely have many team acconplishments. Unfortunately you guys don't get to see most of them, but this is the smoothest team we've had I feel. We pick up slack for one another when they're unavailable for the time, we're quick to communicate times we aren't available.. this is all a big change for the mod squad as it hadn't always been that way. We've also managed to get through this last election with no edits or lock downs, so that's a win, ha. I guess we're truly in my eyes such an United team, that we all compromise when necessary to try and make the boards an easier place. We aren't as strict as we had been, myself included, and understand time and place. We've cleaned up a lot of spammers too.. so.many.spammers. really with the site being so slow and not having any ability to change a lot of things, just maintaining without meltdown is a personal win for me hahaha

Bahaha, Abby.

This is so hard to believe... 2 years?! Larry, thank you always for your amazing character. Someone who gives support, makes us laugh when needed, and is such a caring and open communicator. Can I just repeat what Britt said? I think she put it best.

Hellon, was waiting for your comment :)
Don't think I have had any specific or personal accomplishments, it's just been great having a group of people we can learn from, get advice, share opinions. It's all still a learning process and it's just solidified how much PnQ has made an impact on me. How much you all have given me just with these small gems. It makes me further want to do more of the little things, looking at new poems and highlighting new poets, contributing more, etc. Is it funny that I used to dream about being a mod? I would tell my brother and parents ALL about this poetry site and that I was still "too young" to be a mod. Anyway, I look up to so many of you, not just past or current mods. It's unlike anything I've ever had and some of these friendships "on-line" are far more genuine than ones in real life. So thank you.

Also would like to shout out to the others for always being open if something comes up personally, we all cover for each other. And I remember waking up one morning to Larry's message that I can call him if I had questions about dealing with the site when it was the weekend contest. How awesome is that?

GO TEAM!

Hellon, was waiting for your comment :)

^^

Glad I didn't disappoint you or your cute Baxter...might have to sneak up and steal him sometime :)

When I first joined I vaguely remember the mods as being...Ann Marie, Sher, Amanda, Sean Allen...some strange member called Arkan Sole or something...Kevin...and possibly Bob...maybe Bob came a tad later (not sure). I do like the more laid back approach of the current mods but I have to admit....I do (sometimes) miss the excitement of the 'old days' when you didn't know if you'd pushed you luck too far and you would wake up no longer being able to sign into you account :)

Jane...you were always chewing someone's ass back then...what happened???

We gave her enough cookies... We've never shared our secret ingredients hahaha

I was mostly chewing the old moderators' asses haha!
I've mellowed out I guess. Become nice, as Abby put it in another thread, which is code for boring :P
This is embarrassing, but from what I gather not too unusual: I spent a large part of my teens thinking I was special and had hidden, undiscovered greatness. That's no longer an aspect of my personality. If anything, I feel insecure and inadequate. But I try to be a good person... so there's that.
Enough about me, yeesh. Also, have you TRIED these cookies? omg so good.

What have I done as a mod in the last 2 years? I have a horrible concept of time, but here's what I think has happened: I've made a few new PnQ friendships, continued to be a fair moderator, usually held my own as part of the team (admittedly dropped the ball a few times), and tried to be even more of a person who every PnQ member feels comfortable approaching, whether for advice, help, or a "hey, how's it going?" I am working on commenting more on poetry, nominating poems for the weekly, and taking part in site-wide contests/activities.

An important and relevant question going forward is how can we each improve as moderators?

I think some of you would recommend a double dose of the cookies for me haha!!

I find some of you more approachable than others..some more on the site than others...at least on the main boards. I feel that, the more the mods make themselves known to us, simply by making their presence known the more comfortable we will feel about approaching them...just my thoughts of course.

No cookies for you, Hellon, we like you just the way you are!! (I'll sneak you some later, shh)

Good point about how making our presence known makes us more approachable. Although I do recall a member or two saying they thought I was intimidating in the past, so it can't all be about presence. I think in my case I needed to tone down the sarcasm.

I concur with my fellows:

1) the most important accomplishment is that we work together so well: stepping up for each other, doing what needs to be done without waiting, innovating solutions (incredible kudos to Mark!) MA & Meena have been so eager that I rarely find complaints or praises to deal with.

2) as for attitude, I think we've all had a gentling effect on each other. I know I came on like a lion at first, but I've learned patience & tolerance from the others, as well as from various members. I especially have benefitted from one member who has never hesitated to PM me when I'm out of line.

3) Britt must be the most experienced Mod of all time cumulatively, followed by Jane. I believe Jane was there over a year before me, maybe two years. Mark is right: Neither of you can ever leave! It would be interesting to do a timeline of mods from 2003 to the present.

Hellon, I've said it many times & mean it: your scrutiny not only keeps us on our toes, it also usually raises issues none of us think about. Keep it up.

Steady on Larry...I might just think you're serious haha!!!

It would be interesting to do a timeline of mods
from 2003 to the present.

^^^

The ones I've mentioned above...Also...Jane, Illuminati, Britt (twice that I remember) Anna Stevens, AJ, Sibs, Italian Stallion, Colm, the current mods, of course. I'm sure I've missed some and for that I apologise :)

Janis had an 'assistant' named Dankz or something...don't know what happened to him but I do remember playing an April Fool's joke saying Janis had asked me to replace him as his right hand man and....people actually believed me...LOL!!! Needless to say...there were no happy campers on P&Q that day :)

Hellon, I am serious.

Dante is active on Facebook and has gotten messages to Janis when the site went down.

If ever I have idle time I may compile that timeline.

I bet Mark would compile it if we asked real nice. Maaaarrrrrkkkk? Just kidding, asking the newbie to compile a mod timeline would be cruel.

Elizabeth Holdal was also a mod for a short time.

Mods start to end dates (MM/DD/YY):
Ann Marie: At least 1/22/05* - ?
Michelle: At least 1/22/05 - ?
Sean Allen: At least 1/22/05 - ?
Kevin: At least 1/22/05 - ?
Aken Sol: ? - ?
Andrea: 2005(?)- 2006(?)
Joe: ? - 4/8/11
Bob: 7/16/05 - 2010(?)
Sherry: 4/12/07 - 2013(?), 1/4/14 - 11/7/14
Britt: 2007(?) - 4/8/11, 11/7/14 - current
Amanda: 10/19/07 - ?
Illum: 10/19/07 - ?
Natalie84: 10/20/07 - ?
Jane: 9/2/10 - current
Sibs: 11/8/10 - 12/25/13
Anna Stephens: 3/1/11 - ?
AJ: 3/1/11 - 4/12/11
Larry: 6/5/11 - current
Elizabeth: 8/7/11 - ?
Mel: 11/26/11 - current
Colm: 12/29/12 - 10/5/15
MaryAnn: 11/7/14 - current
Meena: 11/7/14 - current
Mark: 2/13/16 - current
*This is the farthest the mod forum discussion goes back.

I forgot about Liz...oops...I didn't really forget about Mel though...she lives here in Ozz..so feels like my neighbour :)

I'd be more interested in the history of mods who suspended members than how long they 'served' us???

Hmmm. Good question. Wouldn't know where to begin with that. For now I'm going to work on mod start dates for my personal interest :)

Stop being so diplomatic...it's BORING!!! You know the answer just as much as I do!!!

Bahaha, you can't stop me.

What about end dates?

I'll see what I can find.

My first mod term was in 2007, I remember that. Maybe 2006... but seems 2007 is closer.

Added. All these deleted accounts make the task more difficult, grr.

I probably appear very unapproachable by new members these days. I feel like I'm a ghost actually. Although, I don't think you've ever had any problem with approaching me Hellon.

Wait, is that a joke? I have not been a mod since 2011 have I? Time really has gotten away from me. I think the biggest achievement the mod squad has had is that we all genuinely get along. I haven't had any personal achievements, I became a mod and everything got quiet and boring here :P

I don't think you've ever had any problem with approaching me Hellon
^^^

Not, not at all...I've enjoyed our little chats but..I was happy to see a mod being elected who was in my own time zone but...really I don't find you signed in at the same time as me a whole lot...

I've not been signed on here much at all lately. I'm currently struggling to balance my work life with my own personal life and it is having quite an impact on my health and happiness. Something I'm working on at the moment. I have thought about stepping down quite a bit lately, I love this site but feel as though I am not giving enough back to it.

Mel,

You are a mod that seems to be popular and commands respect from other members of the site. Simply because you are running into personal problems - as so many of us on here seem to - is in no way a reason to step down. You are a mod, you are not invincible and deserve as much support as anyone else on this site.
I cannot speak for the other mods, but I'm sure none of them would want you stepping down because you have 'personal problems' - this is a poetry site!
My advice is step down if you actually want to, but not because life is getting in the way at the moment. That happens to the best of us and unless I miss my guess, will happen to the other mods at some time, too.

Take care and all the best,

Ben

Mel...I'm sure you will Know that I was just being 'fair dinkum' here??? When you first became a mod I remember asking you...why are you not at the 'Sunday Sesh girly"

Anyway..I don't wish for you or any of the other mods to step down...you do an OK job (for now LOL) ..your probably all tell each other when you have plans and can't be around but...for us morons...when we don't see activity we (well I) begin to wonder....

Thanks Ben, you're a champ.

I do remember that conversation! I love that you call me out on things like that Hellon, i'd be concerned if you didn't. I'm pretty sure that you're one of the most perceptive people on this site and I take the fact that you've noticed my absence a compliment haha. I'll be the first to admit I'm slack lately with duties here, I never tell the mods when I can't be around because it feels like I haven't actually been able to be around at all. I'm attempting to do more of what I love though, so you're going to see a fair bit of my mug popping up.

Mel, I let the mods know you're crazy busy with work and such ages ago, so the rest of the team knew lol. I'm a busy body, I do things like that ahahah.

I will admit I tried to step down a few months ago, because chaos has ensued in my life - we're building a house, starting a business, and both work full time. The mod squad wouldn't let me leave and graciously filled in my spots for the contest that I was unable to fulfill. I pop in when I can and keep 'em updated (though most see the updates on FB).

I wish PnQ had an app. It seems easier with notifications like FB, but I'm also glad for the ancient site we have. If anything is pressing, they get me through text or FB and all is well again.. but you lot have been easy and quiet.

Better yet, what the heck is wrong with all of you? WHERE ARE YOU!?!?!?!?