Staff and Helper Applications June 2020

Job Description

As a forum moderator, your job is to browse and keep on top of SMW Central's forums, keeping an eye out for instances where moderator intervention is necessary and acting upon this. The role includes:
- Issuing site warnings and, potentially, bans to users who break the site rules.
- Closing/Moving/Trashing threads where necessary.
- Removing post layouts and other user profile elements where they are not in compliance with the site rules.

You are welcome to choose specific forums to focus on more heavily, but you are still expected to moderate the rest of the forums as well. This is something we're able to discuss further once hired. You are also expected to take part in discussions relating to the site's forum structure, future operations, as well as provide ideas and feedback for changes/updates proposed to the site rules.


What We're Looking For

- You must have a good knowledge and understanding of the forum and site rules. You will be enforcing them, so knowing and following the rules is essential.
- You must have regular availability. We're not expecting you to be able to devote 10 hours/day to SMW Central or anything extreme, but you must be around often enough to efficiently monitor the forums.
- You must be able to join the SMW Central Discord server. Many of our conversations take place in our Discord server, so being able to take part in them is imperative. Much like the last point, you do not have to be available all day long, but you must be able to respond to pings where necessary.
- You must be fluent in English. The site's primary language is English, so being able to speak it is essential to take part in not only staff discussions, but to step in where instances require moderator intervention in the site forums too. English does not have to be your first language and your language abilities do not have to be perfect, but we should be able to hold a regular conversation with little difficulty.
- Good knowledge on SMW hacking is not essential, but beneficial. The basic duties of a forum moderator don't really require knowledge of SMW hacking to a great depth, but having the knowledge will benefit you when it comes to moderating the forums specifically about SMW hacking.


Your Application

Your application should explain:
- Your age
- What language(s) you are able to speak
- What days specifically you may struggle being active, or days you are more active than others
- Why you feel you are qualified for the position
- How you feel you can positively benefit SMW Central as a forum moderator
- Why you want to be a forum moderator/why the position appeals to you?



We look forward to receiving your application!

As a Discord Moderator, you are simply striving to make sure everyone is following the rules and remaining respectful. You have to keep an eye out, across the whole server, for:
-Rude, offensive, or discriminatory remarks or behaviour, including slurs.
-Spam
-Unsettling or gross images
-NSFW content
-Prolonged off-topicness
-ROM and other illegal file uploads

Neutrality
As a Discord moderator, you are expected to remain calm and neutral in all situations, even if a user frustrates you. Your position of authority should not be used to stir the pot. If you have personal bias against a user, it's alright to pass the baton onto another mod. Sloppy moderating and drama instigation will not be tolerated. If you feel that your emotions often get the best of you, then this is not the job for you.

Frequency of Activity
As a Discord Moderator, you are expected to actively participate in moderator-related discussions as much as you can. These discussions happen both within the Discord and on the forums. Beyond simply deleting messages, there is some janitorial work in keeping things logged, and participating in proposed feature/reorganization updates. As for the most hands-on part, ideally, we strive to have at least two or three moderators online at a time, so that if an issue is brought up behind the scenes, more than one person is there to give their opinion. This way, not only can we quickly take action if necessary, but we can also make sure that what we have a consensus that it's the right thing to do. This isn't to say you should lose sleep and be online 24/7. We are a team, after all! Just keep an eye on the server to make sure things are running smoothly whenever you're available. Unlike the other types of moderation on the site, moderating itself is less taxing, at the cost of requiring much higher involvement.

You should also be able to call out users on problematic behaviour, when necessary, and in doing so, be as stern as it calls for in your point of view, though without being unnecessarily rude. For example, a channel redirect shouldn't have the same tone as somebody repeatedly posting a ROM.

Teamwork
Being a Discord moderator is not a one-person job. Above all, we work together as a team to make sure that the rules are enforced properly and fairly. To ensure neutrality, you are expected to always consult with your fellow mods before taking any serious action.


The Application Itself: Show/Hide

There are two required sections to fill out for your application. Be honest and speak from the heart!
If your application is accepted, you'll be hired as a mod under a short trial period, in order to familiarize yourself with the aspects of moderation.
Contact bebn legg (@bebn legg#0086), either via site PM or Discord DM, if you have any questions. Don't be shy!

Section 1: General Information
*Username:

*Discord Tag: (example: @bebn legg#0086)

*SMW Central Site Profile Link:

*How old are you?

*What language(s) do you speak?

*What days are you most available? Any days in specific?

*Do you have issues being active on certain / most days? Why?

Section 2: Tell us about yourself!
Tell us about yourself, your history with the site, why you want the position, and so on! You can say whatever you feel is relevant and adds to your application. If you're not sure what to say, then no worries, see below!

Below is a list of reference questions to help guide your answer. These are not strictly mandatory to answer, but are instead to be used as a starting point if you're not sure what to say. Don’t feel obliged to explicitly divide your answers between these questions; we all have different thought processes, so write what naturally comes to you when thinking about these points. You’re also not obligated to answer every single question, nor to stay within their confines if there's other stuff you want to add.
Use as many words as you need to say what you need to say. Answers are not automatically better because they're longer, but make sure you are not omitting any information you want to get across either.


Reference Questions: Show/Hide

*Why do you feel that you are certified for this position? Do you believe that you would be to able to help out with moderation?
*What things do you do that make you consider yourself a positive individual? What quirks do you have that you feel you need to work on to better yourself?
*Do you have any particular goals you'd like to achieve if you were to be promoted to a moderator?
*Do you feel that you are qualified to help run the server and put friendships aside when enforcing rules? What are you looking for in return if you were promoted to a Moderator?
*How long have you been a member of SMWC? What is your history with the site? Are there any sections on the site that you are most interested in?
*Do you have prior experience being a staff member in another place? If so, what was the experience like, and how did you handle different situations as an official? Were you given this position due to having a good relationship with the person in charge, or was it an application process similar to this?

Please understand that your activity in the server up to this point may be taken into account during the application review process.

The primary job of an ASM Moderator is to verify the quality and functionality of a patch, sprite, block, or UberASM code before accepting it into the sections. In addition, ASM Moderators review the accuracy and relevance of entries to be accepted into the Memory Maps.

One seeking to become an ASM Moderator needs to:

• Possess a suitable grasp of ASM coding basics
• Know how to apply patches with Asar
• Know how to add sprites, blocks and UberASM with PIXI, GPS and UberASM Tool, respectively
• Be able to demonstrate appropriate thoroughness in testing a resource
• Be available with relative consistency

One seeking to become an ASM Moderator does not need to:

• Possess in-depth, high-level knowledge of ASM or SNES functions
• Know how to code in any language other than ASM
• Have experience with debugging tools
• Be available 24/7 without exception

You don't need to be a coding master in order to apply - far from it! Learning on the job is expected, and is considered part-and-parcel of the moderation experience. Though the bulk of moderating an individual resource tends to be a solitary effort, teamwork and communication are still a big part of the job - Discord access is very highly recommended, but can be discussed if it presents an issue.

In applying for the position of ASM Moderator, you are encouraged (but not required) to address the following questions:

• How old are you?
• Do you speak any languages other than English?
• Why do you want to become an ASM Moderator?
• What would you describe as your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ASM?
• Have you created any resources, submitted or otherwise?

By all means share anything else you think we should know!

If you're on the fence about applying, the recommendation is to go for it anyway. Worst case scenario you're passed over, and even then your name will be kept in mind for hires down the road.

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Unsure about committing to a full-time ASM Moderator position?

Consider applying for a spot as a Patch Remoderation Helper instead! This position has a narrower focus and a more relaxed time demand, and may be a good way to get a taste of the moderation process. A Remoderation Helper needs to:

• Possess a suitable grasp of ASM coding basics
• Know how to apply patches with Asar
• Know how to convert manual freespace to automatic
• Possess a rudimentary understanding of SA-1 and SA-1 hybridized patches
• Be able to demonstrate appropriate thoroughness in testing a resource

A Helper is granted a line of communication with the ASM Team on Discord, so you wouldn't be out there all on your own. Simply check in once in a while, and update a few patches here and there.

In applying for the position of Patch Remoderation Helper, you are encouraged (but not required) to address the following questions:

• How old are you?
• Do you speak any languages other than English?
• Why do you want to become a Patch Remoderation Helper?
• What would you describe as your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ASM?
• Have you created any resources, submitted or otherwise?

Please specify that you are applying for the Helper position in your application.

The Music Moderation team is looking for a helper who can assist with the incoming C3 wave of submissions. As an SMW Music helper, your primary duty is to monitor the SMW Music Section and... well, moderate! Moderation is a simple process that will be explained to you in great detail should you be accepted, so don't let the how-to of that scare you away from applying!

I'm looking for someone with the following qualities:

- Will be available for the month of July, and potentially August. This is the biggest requirement!

- Experience with AddmusicK and MML, and can discern errors and missed optimization within a submission.

- Some basic music knowledge, enough to pick up on mistakes in the arrangement of a port, mixing, and be able to provide decent critique on compositions

- Can work with the music mods effectively, as well as work with the general userbase to communicate small errors that can be fixed via a PM

- Can write coherent, constructive removal logs that can articulate all of these factors should it ever come to that.

If you have some or all of these qualities, send me a PM on the site outlining your Discord tag, how much experience you have with SMW Music/music in general, what you can bring to the table as a helper and your projected availability for July.

Leading up to C3, I'm looking for a graphics section helper to help clear the queue and keep it clear. A promotion to full staff is possible.

SMW Graphics moderators and helpers are expected to:

1) Understand what makes good pixel art and paletting, especially within SNES and SMW Hacking limitations, pinpoint general and specific flaws and mistakes, as well as suggestions for improvement

2) Know their way around the technicalities involved in custom graphics and paletting for SMW Hacking (Lunar Magic dialogs, Map16, palmask, etc.)

3) Write constructive, informative and educational removal logs

4) Dedicate some time, albeit not massive, towards a serious and not so exciting task

5) Be mature, understand voluntary teamwork, and know when matters should be brought to discussion with the rest of the staff team first

(this was last written in september 2019 and may be slightly outdated)

General qualities of an SM64 moderator:

Being active on Discord, as discussions will be centered in there. We don’t expect you to be on call 24/7, but do make us aware if you’ll be busy or cannot participate in discussions.
Being able to assist in testing tools is a plus, but not required.
Catch up with current events on SM64 hacking matters (such as the decomp project, and new tools being released)

Requirements for a SM64 Hack Helper:

Have a general knowledge of SM64 hacking and a basic understanding of the tools;
Have a good grasp of level design as a whole, down to smaller details (such as modelling, music selection, object placement, etc.);
Have a good grasp in playing Kaizo hacks (for those applying to moderate Kaizo hacks)

Requirements for a SM64 Music Helper:

Being able to import .M64 files to SM64 ROM Manager
Being able to detect any irregularities with the ports. Examples of these errors include:
Incorrect or otherwise detuned notes
-Notes that sound too high pitched and cap out at a certain range
-Proper looping (when applicable)
-Instrument choices
-Channel volumes and note velocities, as well as proper sound mixing