2019 Moderator Election

nomination began
Apr 22, 2019 at 20:00
election began
Apr 29, 2019 at 20:00
election ended
May 7, 2019 at 20:00
candidates
3
positions
1

On Stack Exchange, we believe the core moderators should come from the community, and be elected by the community itself through popular vote. We hold regular elections to determine who these community moderators will be.

Community moderators are accorded the highest level of privilege on our community, and should themselves be exemplars of positive behavior and leaders within the community.

Our general criteria for moderators is as follows:

  • patient and fair
  • leads by example
  • shows respect for their fellow community members in their actions and words
  • open to some light but firm moderation to keep the community on track and resolve (hopefully) uncommon disputes and exceptions

Full elections have three phases and an optional fourth phase (Primary):

  1. Question Collection
  2. Nomination
  3. Primary
  4. Election

Please participate in the moderator elections by voting, and perhaps even by nominating yourself to be a community moderator!

As suggested by Chris Cunningham...

I have some experience with a number of different SE sites, though no mod experience. I try to answer and help where I can - answer, edit, vote, flag. I can handle even heated discussions and hostile online interactions calmly.

Possibly controversial opinions. Vote accordingly:

  • Comments are strictly for improving questions and answers. No partial answers.
  • Research-based answers are the best, explicit personal experience is fine too, while speculation and opinions are not valid answers.
  • Old questions, answers and comments are as deserving of attention as new ones. The website is also a repository of knowledge.

I would not start rigidly enforcing policies about these (without consensus via meta discussions), but would doubtless shift the moderation in the direction of my preferences.

Background: Mathematics postdoc, some lecturing and plenty of small group teaching experience, 60 ECTS credits of pedagogical studies, but not a researcher in education.

My strengths:

  • I am one of the earliest members of the site. I love this place. I see its potential.

  • In review queues, I work to help new users whose questions are very nearly on-topic. Often these questions become passable or even good.

  • I am happy to create value from the mundane tasks of moderation: helping with edits, deleting obvious spam.

My traits that might be important to some:

  • I am (currently) unconnected to Twitter; a lot of the math education wisdom which could appear on this site is instead being disseminated on Twitter. This is unfortunate, because Twitter is not designed to be a repository of knowledge the way that StackExchange sites are. This site needs a Twitter-connected leader to help archive some of that wisdom here.

  • I have zero patience for gatekeeping or political trolling; my stances on these are not "moderate."

I would be honored to become a moderator of this lovely place.

I have been a member of MESE for 5+ years.

I've also served as a mod on Money.SE for over 5 years and feel I can bring what I've learned from that experience to MESE. As I am retired, just out part time, I can offer the attention to members here when called to handle urgent matters, or simply the fast response of a moderator when needed. I'd look forward to being on the team to help it reach "graduation" and lose the "Beta".

I believe that my reputation on Money.SE is one of patience, inclusiveness and team building. In real life, I offer students my respect and patience, both critical to the learning process. When one explanation fails, I'll explain a topic a second or third way until I hear the magic words "Now I get it."

The most recent best things I've heard? "I got an A in math for the first time with your help" & "I got into Cornell! It was because you helped me through math these 3 years that I took BC calc, and I know that's what did it."

(I reserve the right to edit, add/delete, etc.)

This election is over.