For example, do you need a degree in philosophy to be a moderator of the philosophy community?

If so, how do we test for that?

If not, why do we treat them as authority?

  • remon@ani.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    edit-2
    13 hours ago

    It’s certainly not required since everybody can just create a community and be a moderator if they want to.

    But I think at least with some smaller niche communities, people that have a special interest in them will tend to run them.

    At least in my case I think I do have a special understanding of the topic I’m moderating, though I certainly don’t have a degree. Feel free to test me on it, though!

    • neidu3@sh.itjust.worksM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      13 hours ago

      Now I’m curious which communities you moderate, and whether it’s a topic on which I can test you.

      • remon@ani.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        13 hours ago

        I moderate [email protected]. I quite enjoy doing identifications, though those are hard to verify if you, well … don’t know any better :D

        edit: also, If anyone does know better, I’ll happily invite them as a mod. Having second opinions is a good thing for these kind of communities!

        • neidu3@sh.itjust.worksM
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          13 hours ago

          Cool, but I have no way of testing your knowledge on the matter beyond obvious stuff sych as “how many legs does a spider have”, lol

          • remon@ani.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            12 hours ago

            True. But to proof I’m not a total hack, I do have at least 3 books! And they were actually nearby because I regularly use them.

            • neidu3@sh.itjust.worksM
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              edit-2
              11 hours ago

              I do not doubt your expertise, especially since you have an infinite multiple of books on the subject in question compared to what I have.

              • remon@ani.social
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                edit-2
                12 hours ago

                I know quite a few proper arachnologists from other communities, but none of them uses lemmy. Reddit’s r/spider community is really one of the only things I miss about that platform. It was a great community. We were like 10 people that did identifications and regularly pm’d and tagged each other in posts, because we even knew each others specific areas of expertise …

                It’s no fun being the only “authority” on a subject, because I do get shit wrong sometimes and there is no one to challenge it, really.