Dredd Hangs up the Badge- a Love Story

There are two misconceptions that have persisted and over time, eroded the enjoyment I've gotten out of this position. 

Misconception #1. We are customer service. 

Like 「fluffernutter」 we are. We're everyday posters, just like everyone here, who care enough about something to dedicate loads of effort to making sure the trains run on time. Volunteers. And whether it's being ordered to solve a problem at 4am or some other entitled nitwit ordering "Yeah, get that [image I find objectionable but can't stop looking at] the ?firetruck? off of there," they're equal measures risible and tiring. Same with the armchair anarchists, who suspect everything is some grandiose power play that it's their job to spit in the eye of. "Non serviam!" they cry, trembling with righteous indignation. The dregs and scourings of filthy slumdom, unwashed yahoos, jailbirds, night hawks, won't-works, 'burroo barnacles', and pavement pirates, all, or nearly all, in the scarecrow stage of verminous trampdom.*

Who wants to put up with that crap? Jeez o'Pete!

Misconception #2. I'm a moderator who posts on the side. 

Now this one, mileage may vary. But I've been very clear that I'm a guy who posts here because I like it here, and on the side I pitch in to moderate. And yet, periodically I get someone who feels the need to tell me how I'm supposed to be acting "as a moderator." And this really, really matters to them. I've consistently been a poster who moderates on the side- and now I'll quite happily be a blogger who posts on the side. 

Remember, this is 5% stuff, not the 95% stuff of people who- while we may not often (if ever) see eye to eye on, still quite happily make a positive contribution and impact on this place. Hats off to you guys. You made it worth doing, and it was my privilege to serve. I accepted the job to give something back to the community that had given me so much when I was new to the game, and I'd like to think I have. 

But just like the policeman whose job keeps them in constant, steady contact with the dregs of society, so too does this position require us to ingest a regular and unceasing diet of individuals whose conduct and contribution skew towards the dubious. Regular posters? They can click through if they see a thread go off the rails. They can pick and choose what they read as their interests and desires take them. They don't have to deal with the folks here who grass one another up with the Report Post feature over and over again, hoping something will stick so they can "win." 

The mods and admins, on the other hand....



So make sure you tip your server, ladies and gentlemen. And by tip, I mean make a quick post supporting the right call when it's controversial. It really does help chisel off some of the burnout when we have the support of folks we're volunteering to help. There's a lot of crust in our existing volunteer pool, and these guys get huge marks for continuing to do it even after much of the joy has fled. 

As for me? I know where this is heading. When I found myself not wanting to play a game of War Robots not because of anything to do with the game itself, but because I needed a break from the nonsense surrounding it, that was the mind made up. I'm getting out while I still enjoy everything. I have a tremendously fulfilling clan I'm a part of, a blog I love to do- and I've even been recruited to be part of the community admin team for the forthcoming Battle Titans. 

Who's got time for the negativity? 







* can't take credit for this glorious last sentence. It's taken from the Glasgow Observer in 1921 to describe Rangers fans.