Moderator
| Synonyms: | Mod, Admin, Maintainer, moderation, moderate, moderated, listmom |
| See also: | Challenge, Concom, Category:Challenge Moderators, Zine mod |
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A moderator is a person who directs an online fannish activity. The term is used to refer to those who control challenges, journal communities, message boards, mailing lists, etc. It is common to pre-pend the type of activity to the term, when speaking of a particular person or activity, e.g. listmod, challengemod, etc.
A person is often the mod because they control the webspace or software used to host and enact the activity, or because they are the compiler of information about the participants and the direction of the activity, e.g. in a challenge, participants may submit their sign up information to the mod so they can receive a challenge assignment.
When multiple people share the moderation duties, they are referred to as co-mods. This co-moderation may or may not reflect equal status and responsibility between moderators.
Challenge and exchange mods
Exchange mods arrange nominations, collect sign up information, distribute assignments, and make sure all participants get appropriate gifts, which includes checking for DNWs, spitefic, and picklefic and sending out pinch hits if participants default on their assignment.