Forum:Content moderators

Last month, Wikia implemented changes to some user rights groups. These changes include adding additional rights and renaming the Moderator group (which isn't used on The Sims Wiki), and creating a new user rights group called "Content Moderators." Content Moderators can be viewed as occupying a middle ground between rollbacks and administrators; Content Moderators can delete and undelete pages, protect and unprotect pages, suppress redirect on pagemoves, move and reupload files, and use the rollback tool. Notably absent from the Content Moderator's tool chest is the ability to block and unblock users, the ability to edit MediaWiki pages, the power to adjust user rights, and chat moderator rights.

I am starting this discussion to see if The Sims Wiki is interested in utilizing this new user group, either as an additional tier between rollback and sysop, or as a replacement for rollback rights. --  LiR talk • blog  •  contribs 17:41, February 17, 2016 (UTC)

Discussion
If we were going to utilise the Content Moderator user group on the Sims Wiki, then we would have to contact Wikia Staff to give Bureaucrats the ability to grant and revoke Content Moderator rights. A quick look at this list reveals that Bureaucrats currently don't have the option to grant and revoke Content Moderator rights.

I encountered this same issue on my wiki, because it has a custom user group. The member of Wikia Staff that responded to my support request said that any wikis that have a custom user group, or customised user group rights will have to ask Wikia Staff to manually update the user group rights so that Bureaucrats can grant and revoke Content Moderator rights. So the Sims wiki has this same issue, because of the customised user rights on this wiki, such as the Bureaucrats being able to grant and revoke bot rights.

I've tested the Content Moderator user group, and another difference between Content Moderators and Administrators - which largely goes unnoticed - is that Content Moderators cannot delete user pages. Overall I am supportive of this proposal to allow users to apply for Content Moderator-ship on this wiki. However I don't think we should use it to replace Rollback rights on this wiki, since I think that being able to apply for rollback rights still holds significance here.

If Content Moderator rights were going to replace Rollback rights on this wiki, would this affect any existing users with rollback rights? Would they remain roll-backers, or would they be automatically promoted to Content Moderator? I'm not sure if all rollback users on this wiki could immediately be entrusted with the abilities of a Content Moderator. ―  C.Syde  ( talk &#124;  contribs ) 01:37, February 18, 2016 (UTC)
 * From what I read on the blog, I have a fair understanding of the user group. To me, it sounds like a stepping stone between becoming an administrator. The two groups are very similar in rights. How about we introduce it as a whole new group, where only rollbacks can apply for the position? That way, administrators and bureaucrats can see if the user has it in them to use the tools? Kind of like a test, really. I'm not really sure on all the details of this idea, but it's a start. ~ Beds  (talk - blog ) 19:08, February 18, 2016 (UTC)


 * Bump — It's pretty apparent that we do not have a community consensus yet. ―  C.Syde  ( talk &#124;  contribs ) 07:01, February 25, 2016 (UTC)
 * I think if we choose to implement Content Moderators as a step between Rollback and Administrator rights, then we should loosen the requirements for obtaining rollback rights and generally make it easier for users to obtain them. This is especially the case if we choose to make Content Moderation a prerequisite for administrator rights. My main concern by adding this tier is that we make it a more daunting process to ultimately achieve administrator rights when, in my opinion, administrator rights are already challenging enough to obtain. --  LiR talk • blog  •  contribs 15:54, February 25, 2016 (UTC)
 * I can understand the feeling of it being a daunting process to be on the path to administrator rights, but I will admit that when I went from rollback to administrator that I felt somewhat overwhelmed, as in it was a huge jump. Content Moderators might have a majority of the same rights as administrators, but it doesn't have all. Having that intermediate position might make it so that the jump is less overwhelming. I do agree that we will have to reevaluate the requirements for all three groups, but I honestly don't think that adding a tier would actually be a bad thing. Not many people make it a goal to reach the top tier, but those that do will have the motivation to make it through just one more "loop". -- Icemandeaf (talk) 16:58, February 25, 2016 (UTC)
 * Neutral - Hmm, I think it may be good for users to experience this kind of thing that's in-between rollback-admin, and it may be a good practice. But other than that, I don't know what it's purpose actually is. So my question is: What are the positive aspects of this "new" position, and how could this possibly improve TSW? Sims  Plumbob.png  Player  (talk) (mistakes) 18:38, February 25, 2016 (UTC)
 * There hasn't been any activity in this forum lately, so I was wondering if we've reached a conclusion yet. ―  C.Syde  ( talk &#124;  contribs ) 02:33, March 11, 2016 (UTC)
 * Bump - This discussion may be semi or fully obsolete due to the presence of this forum. But even without the rollback prerequisite for admin candidates, having the content moderator user group would prove to have some positive aspects, such as serving as another step for users wanting to apply for more than just the rollback rights, without necessarily wanting to obtain full administrator rights.


 * I know this discussion has been dead for nearly 5 months, but the social side of the community has been very lax over the past few months and even our more recent forums like the Removing rollback requirement for admin candidates discussion and the Clairifying fanon ownership discussion haven't been running nearly as smoothly as they would have done, had they taken place when the public interest of the community was still at large. ―  C.Syde  ( talk &#124;  contribs ) 09:19, August 4, 2016 (UTC)