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Become a Forum host! Sign up today!
Ever wanted to know why some threads are locked? Ever wanted to help make DU a great place to spend time, and discuss relevant issues... well today you can!
Sign up to be a Forum host today, there is currently no one on the waiting list!
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Here are the simple duties of a Forum Host:
Forum Hosts are regular DU members who meet certain eligibility requirements. Any DU member who meets these requirements may volunteer to serve as a Forum Host. If no Hosts are assigned to a particular forum, the DU Administrators serve as Hosts. Forum Hosts have one responsibility: They lock threads which they believe violate a forum's Statement of Purpose.
Here are some frequently asked questions:
Q. Who is eligible to serve as a forum Host?
A. You are eligible to serve as a Forum Host if you have a 100% chance of serving on a Jury. This means that you must:
Have posted more than 2,000 times
Have 200 or more days of membership
Have posted more than 20 times in the last 90 days
Have had zero hidden posts in the last 90 days
Be a Star Member
Q. What do forum Hosts do?
A. Forum Hosts have one very simple job: they lock threads which violate the Statement of Purpose in the forum they are hosting.
Q. How do Hosts decide what to lock?
A. Every forum has a Statement of Purpose which is used to determine what kind of threads are permitted. You can find the Statement Of Purpose by clicking the "About this forum" button at the top of the forum.
Q. Do Hosts have to read every single thread?
A. No. Members can alert on threads that they consider to be a violation of the Statement Of Purpose, and those alerts are made available in the access-restricted Hosts Forum. So even if Hosts don't read every thread they are notified whenever there is a potential problem.
Q. Can I become a Forum Host right now?
A. That depends on whether we have a full quota of 30 Hosts. If we don't have a full quota and you meet the eligibility requirements then yes, you can become a Host right now. If we have a full quota, your name will be placed on the Wait List and as long as you remain eligible to serve, you'll be called up when there is a vacancy.
Q. Do Hosts have to learn lots of computer jargon?
A. No, the process is incredibly simple. At the bottom of every OP (Original Post -- the first post in a thread) Forum Hosts can see a link called Super powers. After clicking that link Forum Hosts are presented with a single option, which is, Lock thread (Reason: does not belong in this forum).
When a Forum Host uses this option the thread will be locked and an automated message will posted at the top of the OP explaining a) who performed the lock, b) the time the thread was locked, c) the reason that the thread did not meet the Statement Of Purpose, and d) the text of the Statement Of Purpose. When viewed by the author of the thread, the automated message will also contain an option to make an official appeal to the Host who locked the thread.
Q. If I become a Host, how much time and effort do I have to put in?
A. That's up to you. Please note, however, that you must maintain a 100% Jury chance in order to continue serving as a Host which means that you must post at least 20 times in the previous 90 days, and you cannot have any posts hidden by Jury. If you fail to meet these minimum requirements, you'll be automatically removed as a Host (you will be notified if this happens).
Q. Are there term limits?
A. Yes. Forum Hosts can serve for no more than 90 consecutive days, after which they must re-apply if they want to become a Host again.
Q. Are there any checks on the actions that Hosts perform?
A. Forum Hosts are responsible for their decisions to lock threads -- their usernames are made public on any threads that they lock. In addition, only the Host who locks a thread is capable of unlocking it again. Any time a thread is locked, the person who started the thread is permitted to make an official appeal to the Host who locked it, explaining why they believe the thread should be unlocked. On certain rare occasions, the Administrators may overturn the actions of a Forum Host.
Q. What if I try to be a good Host but I'm no good at it and keep locking the wrong stuff?
A. Everyone makes mistakes. As mentioned above, Forum Hosts have the option to unlock any thread that they have locked, so there is always a way to undo errors. That said, if you are consistently locking threads which do not violate a forum's Statement Of Purpose, the DU Administrators may decide to cut your term short (you will be notified if this happens).
Q. What if I'm a troll and just go around locking everything on purpose?
A. The DU Administrators have the power to remove Hosts at any time for any reason, as well as the power to fix any problems that a Host may cause. Hosts who deliberately cause trouble may find themselves in violation of our Terms of Service and have their accounts deactivated.
Q. If I decide I don't like being a Host, can I quit?
A. Absolutely. Hosts have the option to resign at any time, without penalty. If you resign, a new Host will be called up from the Wait List.
Q. Is there anything else I need to know?
As a Forum Host, you have access to some additional information on the About page of your forum, which includes a "cheat sheet" on how to use your Host super powers, as well as a way to resign if you no longer wish to serve as a Host.
In addition, if you have any questions about your role as a Forum Host there are several places where you can get help. If you wish to contact any of your fellow Hosts individually, you can find links to their Profiles on the About page of the forum you are hosting.
Also, Forum Hosts can make use of a special access-restricted forum, provided for Forum Hosts only -- a link to the forum will appear in your list of Main Forums when you become a Forum Host. (While this forum cannot be viewed by DU members who are not Forum Hosts, discussions that take place in the forum are not considered privileged information and Forum Hosts are not forbidden from talking about them elsewhere. However, Forum Hosts should use their best judgment when doing so.)
You may also contact one of the DU Administrators -- for general questions contact Skinner or EarlG, for technical issues contact Elad . And for other general discussions of Hosting -- or to find discussions where people may already be talking about your decisions as a Host -- visit the Help & Meta-discussion forum.
Q. Okay, I'm interested! How do I sign up?
A. Just click here!
A. You are eligible to serve as a Forum Host if you have a 100% chance of serving on a Jury. This means that you must:
Have posted more than 2,000 times
Have 200 or more days of membership
Have posted more than 20 times in the last 90 days
Have had zero hidden posts in the last 90 days
Be a Star Member
Q. What do forum Hosts do?
A. Forum Hosts have one very simple job: they lock threads which violate the Statement of Purpose in the forum they are hosting.
Q. How do Hosts decide what to lock?
A. Every forum has a Statement of Purpose which is used to determine what kind of threads are permitted. You can find the Statement Of Purpose by clicking the "About this forum" button at the top of the forum.
Q. Do Hosts have to read every single thread?
A. No. Members can alert on threads that they consider to be a violation of the Statement Of Purpose, and those alerts are made available in the access-restricted Hosts Forum. So even if Hosts don't read every thread they are notified whenever there is a potential problem.
Q. Can I become a Forum Host right now?
A. That depends on whether we have a full quota of 30 Hosts. If we don't have a full quota and you meet the eligibility requirements then yes, you can become a Host right now. If we have a full quota, your name will be placed on the Wait List and as long as you remain eligible to serve, you'll be called up when there is a vacancy.
Q. Do Hosts have to learn lots of computer jargon?
A. No, the process is incredibly simple. At the bottom of every OP (Original Post -- the first post in a thread) Forum Hosts can see a link called Super powers. After clicking that link Forum Hosts are presented with a single option, which is, Lock thread (Reason: does not belong in this forum).
When a Forum Host uses this option the thread will be locked and an automated message will posted at the top of the OP explaining a) who performed the lock, b) the time the thread was locked, c) the reason that the thread did not meet the Statement Of Purpose, and d) the text of the Statement Of Purpose. When viewed by the author of the thread, the automated message will also contain an option to make an official appeal to the Host who locked the thread.
Q. If I become a Host, how much time and effort do I have to put in?
A. That's up to you. Please note, however, that you must maintain a 100% Jury chance in order to continue serving as a Host which means that you must post at least 20 times in the previous 90 days, and you cannot have any posts hidden by Jury. If you fail to meet these minimum requirements, you'll be automatically removed as a Host (you will be notified if this happens).
Q. Are there term limits?
A. Yes. Forum Hosts can serve for no more than 90 consecutive days, after which they must re-apply if they want to become a Host again.
Q. Are there any checks on the actions that Hosts perform?
A. Forum Hosts are responsible for their decisions to lock threads -- their usernames are made public on any threads that they lock. In addition, only the Host who locks a thread is capable of unlocking it again. Any time a thread is locked, the person who started the thread is permitted to make an official appeal to the Host who locked it, explaining why they believe the thread should be unlocked. On certain rare occasions, the Administrators may overturn the actions of a Forum Host.
Q. What if I try to be a good Host but I'm no good at it and keep locking the wrong stuff?
A. Everyone makes mistakes. As mentioned above, Forum Hosts have the option to unlock any thread that they have locked, so there is always a way to undo errors. That said, if you are consistently locking threads which do not violate a forum's Statement Of Purpose, the DU Administrators may decide to cut your term short (you will be notified if this happens).
Q. What if I'm a troll and just go around locking everything on purpose?
A. The DU Administrators have the power to remove Hosts at any time for any reason, as well as the power to fix any problems that a Host may cause. Hosts who deliberately cause trouble may find themselves in violation of our Terms of Service and have their accounts deactivated.
Q. If I decide I don't like being a Host, can I quit?
A. Absolutely. Hosts have the option to resign at any time, without penalty. If you resign, a new Host will be called up from the Wait List.
Q. Is there anything else I need to know?
As a Forum Host, you have access to some additional information on the About page of your forum, which includes a "cheat sheet" on how to use your Host super powers, as well as a way to resign if you no longer wish to serve as a Host.
In addition, if you have any questions about your role as a Forum Host there are several places where you can get help. If you wish to contact any of your fellow Hosts individually, you can find links to their Profiles on the About page of the forum you are hosting.
Also, Forum Hosts can make use of a special access-restricted forum, provided for Forum Hosts only -- a link to the forum will appear in your list of Main Forums when you become a Forum Host. (While this forum cannot be viewed by DU members who are not Forum Hosts, discussions that take place in the forum are not considered privileged information and Forum Hosts are not forbidden from talking about them elsewhere. However, Forum Hosts should use their best judgment when doing so.)
You may also contact one of the DU Administrators -- for general questions contact Skinner or EarlG, for technical issues contact Elad . And for other general discussions of Hosting -- or to find discussions where people may already be talking about your decisions as a Host -- visit the Help & Meta-discussion forum.
Q. Okay, I'm interested! How do I sign up?
A. Just click here!
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Try it out see if you like it!
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