Having a staff position intimidates people. It's not wrong to feel that way.

Most people don't make friends here for amusement. That's a sick and twisted thing to do. Also he probably doesn't believe he's awesome himself. A LOT of people don't think very high of themselves. For example: Me. I get called awesome and such but I have a hard time believing it.

You are an awesome person Makusu! People are your friends for more than just finding you amusing!

And I know that feeling, feeling like someone who you were once friends with now has this position of power to maintain, and this appearance of non bias and fairness towards all.

But at the same time, this is just being a internet mod. In the big game out there, it really doesn't mean diddly squat. Sure they may be extra busy, but if you want to be friends with them you gotta understand man. They will be a tad bit more busy, and a tad more hardened. But you can still be friends with them, I work as a reserve police officer, and I still maintain a friendship with my highschool buddy who was a drop out. Sure, certain moderators will stop being friends once they give you warning points, perhaps due to this falsified sense of "cleaning the mean streets" of a minor web forum, or because they don't want to be seen around someone who got banned on a web forum.

Basically, rambling aside, power don't mean squat on the 'net unless you got government/legal backup, and a true friend will try to be there for you despite their position in life, they may just be a little more busy than before.

Dude, me being a moderator or an admin doesn't affect how I view you or anyone else or my friendships with people at all. I'm a member like everyone else.

There's some extra shit I do now but that doesn't mean I'm suddenly incapable of being your friend or anything. I will always want to be your friend.

Not exactly sure if you were talking about me or someone else, but I know this is true for whoever you're talking about.

Dude, me being a moderator or an admin doesn't affect how I view you or anyone else or my friendships with people at all. I'm a member like everyone else.

 

There's some extra shit I do now but that doesn't mean I'm suddenly incapable of being your friend or anything. I will always want to be your friend.

 

Not exactly sure if you were talking about me or someone else, but I know this is true for whoever you're talking about.

Yeah, it was you. You may be right. Maybe I should just give it some time. 

I'm honestly surprised that you guys agree with me. I thought I was alone in feeling this. Thanks

I'm the first who says that having a mod/admin friend is pretty hard,and even more when you have a friend who is promoted.

I've had problems here on the past,when i've got banned,and when i've saw two friends of mine from before the ban,Sugar Cube and Wingnut,ascending to Moderators,i've felt quite scared.Not because they didn't deserved it,if not because I felt that maybe,after those problems,I wouldn't be able to keep those friendships like before.

And putting a more extreme case,a few years ago,on a private WoW server,i had a friend that got ascended to GM,and,after 3 months,he had to permaban me,because I had problems with the community.

We'll always have fear if one of our friends is a mod,or even if a friend becomes a mod,but that shouldn't avoid from still being friends,because,if MLP taugh us something,it was that Friendship is Magic,and I'm not joking.

The friendship Normal User/Mod,specially when the first had problems on the past,is hard(why to deny it),but if you think "My Friend is a Moderator/Admin" all the time,then it's normal that you can't still be his friend.

I'm talking with experience,and I say,don't have fear of them just for their position.

I found it rather intimidating at first when ~Chaotic Discord~ and I started chatting to each other., though once I got to know him. I realized, he's just another dude that likes ponies. We talk about random crap.from ponies to NSFW stuff...to whatever else happens to come up in topic. I'm hoping we become a couple good friends.

I've also been in that position. I was a regular member on another forum (it's still active, and I'm still a mod after 2-3 years), then the admin asked if I wanted to be a mod, I said sure, I'll gladly help out. Couple of my friends were weirded out that I became a Moderator. I told them I"d be the same dude as before. I've had to make a few rash decisions,but it had to be done. It wasn't easy. You gotta take into account that you know them but at the same time you have to look at them like just another member that also broke the rules. Makes it a sorta hard decision, but you tend to go easy on them. especially if it's their first infraction. Admins and Mods arn't heartless cruel robotic bastards. They're still human.

And I'm rambling...lol But yea. Even with the title and powers they have over the forum, they're still a regular dude or gal on the other side.

Yeah. I can... really relate to this.

There's some extra shit I do now

And remember kids! That's the main and only difference between each and every higher staff position !

Anywho, I like this entry. A lot. It raises a pretty valid point and tackles an issue which is quite common for... well, at least majority of people whom I have known. And I like the honesty in it even more.

I doubt I'd like to, or even can, comment on it a lot. It's a very easily understandable point of view.

Unfortunately, I don't have many stories to tell, or experiences to show. Simply because I'm a diplomatic person who tries to solve everything through conversation, analyzing all the arguments according to my own standards

So I fear I can just 'brohoof' this entry and stand aside without any greater input. A shame, really. I feel I should comment on it somehow