Loow Moderator Interview

Hi.
Loow - Today at 3:20 PM
Hello there!
Is today the day?
Serveris - Today at 3:20 PM
You tell me!
Loow - Today at 3:20 PM
I think it is!
Serveris - Today at 3:21 PM
Awesome. We can begin now, then?
Loow - Today at 3:21 PM
Sounds good! Let us engage in jolly cooperation!
Serveris - Today at 3:22 PM
Alright. First question. A new player joins with the character name "Ted Cruz", a bald 30 year old assistant. The account is flagged at two days old. How do you proceed?
Loow - Today at 3:24 PM
Drop him a bwoink. Ask him if he knows about our name rules and HRP. Chat with him about the OOC bits o Aurora and tie it off nice and clean with whatever Mod magic results in him picking a less immersion-breaking name.
Serveris - Today at 3:25 PM
Noted, good. Next question.
You get an ahelp from a player you do not recognize saying that they have been permabrigged for no reason, and drop the name of a well-known player whom is currently a security officer, but not much else in the way of details You are the only modmin online, and no assistance or guidance is available. What do you do?
Loow - Today at 3:32 PM
First off, respond and let 'em know that I'm looking into it. That way they're less apt to think they're being ignored. Next, I'd use mod magic to investigate logs, see what the situation is, check if there's general antaggery going on, then possibly drop a "guys help i have no idea what I'm doing" in staff discord if I am way lost. Also there's the good old option of bwoinking the well known player and asking for their side of the story. Talking issues out is always a good time.
Serveris - Today at 3:32 PM
Alright, good, good.
Third question. Oncemore, you are the only member of staff online. You are sitting in the lobby, when suddenly, you're flooded with attack logs. A well-known player is engaged in a firefight with another regular player, but you don't know them terribly well. Both are using lethal ammunition against each other, and have landed several hits, according to logs. You have no information aside from this at the time. How do you proceed?
Loow - Today at 3:41 PM
More magnificent Mod magic! See if it's an antag round, if the people are antags, check and see if I have any access to logs. Here's the kicker, let these people do their fight if it seems like it had appropriate build up. I love me some good RP. If it seems like it's just a needless pew-pew match between players in a tizzy, wind those two and talk out their differences. Like an after school special. Or Barney. Also drop a "guys please there's a death-battle on extended" SOS message in the staff discord.  Communication is key, and I am apparently Doctor Phil.
Serveris - Today at 3:42 PM
So many analogies! Love it!
Next question?
Loow - Today at 3:43 PM
Analogies are especially analogous to aiming at average angles for active actualization of angles.
And yes.
I am in the zone.
Serveris - Today at 3:46 PM
You recieve an adminhelp from a player reporting that another player, whom you know well, but have never had to speak with as a moderator, is currently powergaming. You quickly check to confirm this, and deduce that they are a quartermaster, and have managed to heavily arm themselves with a crossbow, a laser rifle, and several incendiary grenades, all of which were acquired through cargo resources. They are currently engaging a team of nuke ops, numbering 5. They are winning, with 4 of the operatives already having been killed or knocked into crit, and the last barely holding them off and attempting to retreat. What do you do?
Loow - Today at 3:57 PM
First of all, that's an impressive amount of hardware. If someone's gone to that point and is currently involved in a firefight with the local antag element, it's gone too far to just wind the guy and say "no u shouldn't do that" and read them the rulebook. Alternatively, I say /don't/ wind the guy and actually talk to him about his escalation. Maybe he's gotten some of that gear because he's seen some horrid civvie-shooting and hostage murder happen this round and has entered the purest stages of the fight or flight instinct. That's just a rough excuse, but the point is that they may have some sort of decent IC reasoning. Either way, the guy's gonna get a bwoink about "pretty please don't powergame. You're not powergaming right now, are you?" There's a chance the guy's had some decent buildup and has more or less fallen into the current situation, but if he's ramboing hardcore and shouting about how he is the operator "harbinger of doom" or "the prince of all saiyans", there's a higher likelihood that his talking to will be more stern. TL;DR see if he's doing bad, talk to him about it, don't wind him unless he's just being nuts and shooting up everyone.
And y'know. Necessary communication steps with staff.
Loow - Today at 4:00 PM
Discord, msay, smoke signals.
Generally make sure things are understood/talked about.
Serveris - Today at 4:02 PM
Alright. Neeeeext.
You have been a moderator for several weeks. You notice that one of the administrators, whom has held his rank for roughly six months as one of the oldest-standing staffmembers, has a tendancy to spawn items for himself, and occasionally use his abilities to discreetly affect the course of the round, usually in favor of his character(s), or whatever faction they are aligned with. This is something he does often, however no other staff ever seem to comment on it. What do you do?
Loow - Today at 4:16 PM
Talks about it with the staff of course. Not just the whisper whisper, but some actual discussion. If it proves to be a real problem and not just my paranoid musings, then make sure we have a nice talk about it via staff channels with the staff. This includes speaking with "The Badmin". There's a chance that actually talking about it will result in a change of behavior. Worst case scenario one: They refuse to stop and end up being asked to leave. Worst case scenario two: Nobody else says anything and I get voted off the island by the badmin and whomever they call in as backup. Either way, at least the issue gets talked about.  Plus the best case is the conflict gets resolved by a change in attitude and some nice personal growth! Only a 66% chance of getting ignored or told I'm crazy? That's better odds than usual. TL;DR talk about our differences with the staff and encourage a change in behavior.
Serveris - Today at 4:19 PM
Very good.
Final question. What do you, as a player, feel the moderation team needs to improve on? How do you suggest these improvements be approached?
Loow - Today at 4:24 PM
TBH, the mod team has gotten a lot better in my time here. Team seems to actually help people and put the effort into resolving issues. If any one thing needs to be worked on, I'd have to say the way they talk to people who are actually making the trouble. I've not been that guy in a while, so I can't testify that they're doing a poor job, but it never hurts to be careful. If I had to some it up with two words or a movie quote, I'd have to say "Be nice."
Serveris - Today at 4:28 PM
Alright, good. Finally, your turn.
Do you have any questions or comments for me? Any inquiries concerning staff you would like to know about? Possible misconceptions?
Loow - Today at 4:30 PM
Is this the part where I say something incriminating so everyone has something to pick apart on the app?
Serveris - Today at 4:30 PM
Mm.
Your choice. This interview can be posted on your application, or only shared with those moderators/administrators involved in the recruitment committee.
Which would you prefer?
Another applicant asked that I cut his comments/questions out of the public post.
So that only the questions were shown on his applications.
Rest assured, the modmins will see the entire conversation, unless you explicitly tell me you want something to stay between you and I.
What regular players see, though, is up to you.
Loow - Today at 4:32 PM
I say we let it all go to the people!
Also is it true that the only way to get on staff is to "do stuff" for the current staff? I take issue if so.
Serveris - Today at 4:34 PM
No, and this is a common misconception. Even this cycle, we've pulled several trials up out of the ground with no prior moderation experience anywhere, nor any association with any of our staff departments up until that point.
Having been involved with staff in the past, however, usually provides us with a good indicator of your work ethnic, etc.
Loow - Today at 4:34 PM
See, that's the best misconception I could think of.
Serveris - Today at 4:34 PM
Lubricates the whole 'can we trust you to do this,' factor.
Nope. As people may say in a job interview, "Experience preferred, but not prerequisite."
Anything more?
Loow - Today at 4:37 PM
I think that's about it. I can't think of anything that particularly confuses me at this time. I asked around before applying in the first place, so I think the majority of my noobish questions have been answered. Glad we could finally get this interview good and done.