Chapter 35 - Moderator (2)
7 min read ·
The forum's staff generally consisted of the admin and moderators—managers granted the authority to run the forum.
That might sound as though they had to work hard at managing it, but that wasn't true at all. They could actually afford to be lax about it. Everyone had their own circumstances, after all. In such cases, the admin could appoint assistant managers, or moderators, and share their authority.
What's good about being a mod?
Genuinely don't know
└You can delete forum posts and ban users.
└And?
└That's it lol
└Then why be a mod?
└Exactly. That's why nobody does it.
└And if you do a shit job, you get fired lmao
└Isn't that true for the admin too?
└Nah, admins are fine as long as they log in. Mods don't even get that lol
└That's how serfdom worked lmaooo
The problem was that the rewards were meager compared to the authority. Moderators were practically volunteers. That was why users wanted to avoid being appointed at all costs. Even when they disliked the admin, a simple "Want to turn blue?" was enough to shut them up.
This admin really doesn't hand out mod badges, though
Isn't it rough managing everything alone?
└Yeah, that's why everyone keeps saying to appoint mods. Anyone but them lol
└The sheer selfishness lmaooo
└Would YOU want to be a mod?
└If they paid me lol
└Basically, mod = group project leader. Get it?
└Ah fuck, group projects remind me of the academy. Being a commoner was miserable.
└These days nobles are practically forced to lead the groups. They're supposed to set an example lol
└Now that's a society doing things right.
In short, moderators were essential, but everyone wanted someone else to do the job. The power to delete forum content and ban users? Even that wasn't enough. Doing a good job didn't earn you so much as a scrap.
This takes me back
Remember when the admin and a mod fought IRL and both died?
└Oh, I remember lmao. Funny as fuck lmao
└The amazing thing is, one of them was a noble lol
└Why'd they fight?
└I think the mod demanded the admin badge? Said they did more work while the admin did nothing.
└Fair enough.
└So the admin said they'd hand it over if the mod won an IRL fight lmao
└Except they both croaked lol
What powers does the admin have?
Title
└An upgraded version of a mod. Plus they can trade whenever they want. I think they can chat one-on-one too?
└Can't they track users' locations too?
└Yeah, someone threatened to attack the emperor once, and the admin gave away their location, so the culprit got executed. Pretty sure the admin got a reward too?
└That sounds seriously dangerous.
└Yeah, an admin stalked some noble lady and got their eyes gouged out and thrown in prison lmaooo
└It really WAS dangerous lmaooo
The admin's authority, on the other hand, was considerable. They weren't subject to the rule that prohibited further trades for twenty-four hours after a transaction, and they could tinker with various systems. Consequently, the forum's atmosphere and direction tended to depend on whoever was admin at the time.
The current admin, Don't Abandon the Hero, had a screw loose but stuck to principles and had a strong sense of justice. Less charitably put, they were rigid and preachy. At least they had a little flexibility.
For some reason, though, they sometimes went quiet, and the forum frequently descended into chaos. Moderators were needed to prepare for just that sort of situation, but the admin hadn't appointed any.
Why doesn't the admin appoint mods?
Title
└Don't Abandon the Hero: I can do the hard work on my own! Mods don't even get paid!
└Isn't it the same for you?
└Don't Abandon the Hero: I get the fees! I'm using them to improve the forum!
└What kind of improvements are we talking about?
└Don't Abandon the Hero: I should be able to add minigames soon!
└Admins get all sorts of cool stuff. So you're not appointing mods?
└Don't Abandon the Hero: What perfect timing! There's a candidate right above me!
└I'm not a registered user though? lol
└Don't Abandon the Hero: I can use the fees to buy the power to appoint people against their will!
└I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry
└LMAOOOOOO
└LMAOOOO
└LMAOOOOO
How do admins get appointed?
The admin appoints mods, sure, but who appoints the admin?
└Past admins say it just happened out of nowhere? They were told they'd become administrator of the Continent-Wide Forum.
└So it's totally random?
└Yep, that's right
└Then when does someone else become admin?
└When they haven't logged into the forum for a while. Or they die.
└One thing's for sure, going to prison gets your badge revoked.
Interest in the staff never faded, but no one knew anything for certain. Even the current admin admitted to not knowing much about the forum's system. That said it all.
That was how the forum worked: most authority lay with the admin, while moderators were little more than slaves. Who would want to be both a group project leader and a slave under serfdom? Do well, and you merely broke even. Do badly, and you got every insult imaginable thrown at you.
Anyone who wanted the position had to be one of two things: either extraordinarily thick-skinned, or bored with an utterly excessive amount of free time. As it happened, someone fit those criteria.
Don't Abandon the Hero
Are you really sure about this?! I can handle the hard work myself!
I have already decided. Provided you agree to my condition.
Aren't you busy yourself, anyway?
You seem to have had trouble visiting the forum lately.
Don't Abandon the Hero
I've shaken off my pursuers, so I'm fine for now!
Besides, if I agree to that condition, the others will criticize you!
Do not worry. I do not care.
This was a conversation between the admin, Don't Abandon the Hero, and the Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol. She waited patiently for the admin to speak again.
At a glance, it looked as though they were making a trade, and it was indeed similar. The only difference was that this was a one-on-one chat rather than a trade window.
The admin possessed all the restricted privileges. That meant a one-on-one conversation was possible if the admin initiated it. To make that happen, Heavenly Demon had repeatedly sent the admin trade requests. With so many coming in, the admin had no choice but to take notice.
Rather than conceal it, I intend to reveal it openly.
If I am to be cursed for it, better sooner than later.
Don't Abandon the Hero
I see! I understand what you mean!
Then will you give me the badge?
Yu Sowol waited expectantly. Would the admin grant her the position? She had two goals. The first was to chat one-on-one with Grylls. Whenever she left a comment, some fly of a bitch (Wild Grylls) came buzzing around, so she had decided a private conversation would be better.
The second was to gain a clearer understanding of the forum's structure. A moderator's authority might be narrower than the admin's, but it still existed. If she slowly delved into those privileges, she was sure to find an opening.
Don't Abandon the Hero
All right! I'll give you the badge!
But if you abuse your powers, I'll take it back immediately!
Do not worry. I shall manage things with a generous spirit.
Besides, you can see even one-on-one conversations, can you not?
All private conversations on the forum were visible to the admin. Normally, that meant trades between registered users, but Heavenly Demon was about to receive new privileges. In other words, the profound formulas of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art might be exposed to the admin. Still, she wasn't particularly concerned about that.
'The admin has already had access to them once.'
The admin had the privilege of reading even private posts. There were no secrets one could hide from them. In that case, she might as well speak openly in a one-on-one chat.
Don't Abandon the Hero
That's right!
It's necessary to prevent crime!
Is that a problem?!
It matters not.
In return, I shall grant you the honor of contemplating the profound meaning of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art as well.
Don't Abandon the Hero
I'm fine, thank you!
I have a blessing from the goddess!
Besides, the admin wouldn't believe her anyway. Yu Sowol knew very well how the forum regarded her: a famous registered user who churned out nothing but nonsense and shitposts every day. The crucial point was that those supposed nonsense posts contained the Heavenly Demon's enlightenment.
No one would believe it. The admin was no exception. Yu Sowol had already factored that in.
Don't Abandon the Hero
I look forward to working with you, Moderator!
And I with you.
When the conversation ended, Heavenly Demon gained a blue badge beside her username. As soon as she had it, she checked Grylls's posts first. Apparently, something had happened while she was persuading the admin. With an eager smile, she left a comment.
└Heavenly Demon: Ah. I forgot. From now on, address me as Moderator.