![]() ![]() Hi guys. Thanks for showing interest in being a part of our mod team for next season (and onwards)and helping us run the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition! The reason we are opening these applications to prospective moderators is because Ash (Fire The Canon) is leaving for personal reasons (see this post for more info), and the rest of us all have recently joined full-time jobs (with other real-life obstacles that are keeping us hella busy), and this has greatly affected the timeliness and efficiency with which we've been running the forum, as you've all noticed in the past few rounds. Due to this, we will be recruiting two new moderators to join our team and help us going forward. Now, before we jump into how the actual process is going to work, there are certain prerequisites that applicants need to be eligible for in order to apply. This is simply to ensure that those coming in will be less overwhelmed by everything from being experienced with how certain things work, as compared to someone brand new who has no idea at all about what they're getting themselves into. So, you can only apply if you:
Now that we've covered those, we can move on to the actual How To portion of applying. If you've been around for the previous mod selection, then you should have a general idea of how this is going to go down. If not, here's a quick and easy run-down: This will be a three-step process.
Sound simple? Awesome. Here's a few more details on how you will go about the above:
Everyone has up to 2 weeks from when this is posted to submit their applications. Everyone then has up to 2 weeks after application submissions close to vote.* *These may change based on the number of applicants or votes. If you still want to apply after reading all of the above, then please send us a PM, and we shall provide you with your application form! If you have any questions, feel free to PM us or reply to this post! Good luck, everyone! :D 11/14/2018 . Edited 12/2/2018 #1 |
![]() ![]() Hi guys! Thanks for giving us such a detailed explanation of how the mod voting system works & what it entails. Could I just ask for a reason why you don't want several applicants from the same team? Even if it's the same team, people can have very different ideas on how to help, and it seems a bit arbitrary to disclude people just with this. For example, two people on our team want to apply and they weren't on the same team last season, so why should being on the same team this season cancel that out? Thanks in advance :) Emiliya 11/14/2018 #2 |
![]() ![]() Hi Emy, You raise a valid point. Our original intention was simply to avoid a whole group of people from the same team applying (similar to the last time we ran the mod voting). We shall change the wording so two people from a team can apply, as long as they apply individually and not as a unit. Please be aware that both people need not make it through the initial screening or voting because it is done on an individual basis. :) 11/14/2018 #3 |
![]() ![]() Thank you :) I'll make sure we don't coordinate our applications :) 11/14/2018 #4 |
![]() ![]() This is a reminder that everyone has another week before the application submissions close. :) 11/20/2018 #5 |
![]() ![]() INTRODUCING YOUR NEW MODS Hello, beautiful people of QL! We'd like to introduce you to your new moderators! Emiliya Wolfe, Captain of the Magpies, and Leopard1, one of our amazing judges who's been with us since last season! Before we post their application forms here so you guys can get familiar with them, Em and I just wanted to explain why we didn't have the player voting part of the mod selection. Once we finished the initial screening, we didn't think there were enough participants to hold the voting, so we decided to pick the two best applicants... and that's basically it haha. Now, onto their actual applications!
At the moment, the reserves are listed for category 1 and 2 on the first page of the thread. But some of those reserves are now players, and it still looks as though they're reserves. It'd be good to cross out the reserves as they're used, so people don't accidentally PM them. Something that would also be good (if possible) is a list of the most common HP forums in the thread, so players can look through them if they need a reserve. Some people know all about them, but some people who are new (or semi-new) to fanfiction could find it a lot easier to look for reserves in that case. It would also be great if reserves didn't lose the bonus points if they write instead of players. It makes players not want to use reserves, and sometimes they'll prefer to wait till the end and maybe forfeit points/not submit rather than request a reserve. I also think this will make reserves feel more included. At the same time, the lack of bonuses can still be held in place for teammates writing fics for their absent player. This would encourage players to look for reserves more often.
I love the judging this season, especially with the Chaser/Beater points being a lot fairer. I don't know if it's the case at the moment, but it would be nice to have a minimum word count on the feedback, as sometimes players receive short, vague feedback, and other times fantastic, detailed feedback. Each season, it seems as though some judges go AWOL, or start giving up towards the end of the season. Even the mods (though they have good reasons) start posting feedback & update things later and later. This will probably always happen, but to me it would seem fairer to give players a bit more time to write (for example, instead of people having rounds end Friday-Sunday, have them end Sunday-Tuesday) each time the mods/judges are late in giving feedback. I know this changes the times a little, but it can be very discouraging to see that although players are held to the strictest of deadlines, the mods can't hold themselves to those same deadlines. If this isn't possible, then I'd suggest accepting late entries on occasion, for example in the case of a death in the family, or a major operation, etc. If the mods are accepted as only human, then the players should too. There should be a criteria for what isn't accepted by judges. Some players have received bad marks simply because their judge doesn't like that type of story (it's rare, but it's happened). There should be somewhere players can consult for things judges don't accept, such as incest, underage/teacher relationships, crack!fics, etc… If possible, it would be great to mention which judges can review M rated or not -- if there are 3 or more, then M rated fics can be allowed back in, so long as the player asks if their particular judge that round accepts M rated fics. (I think this has been used in previous seasons before) I think it would be interesting to give 5 extra points to the very first Seeker who posts. The Captain receives double their score (so up to 10 extra points), Keepers also can minus up to 10 points, Chasers between them receive up to 27 and Beaters receive up to 15. The Seeker only gets 5, and those 5 points are pretty hard to get. By giving the first Seeker a bonus, it would make the rush to the Snitch more interesting (since it's against 11 other people, not just 1) and it would give the Daily Prophet an extra thing to write about!
Of course, there is an issue of timing, but I've noticed that moderation of threads is a bit haphazard. It would be great if for at least the 48h following the publication of new rounds, a mod would be on hand at least every 1-2h to answer questions. Otherwise, some teams will receive information immediately, and others not.
The draw and ladder works really well. The only thing I think might be interesting to do is to repost the ladder for each round. That way, players can see how far they've come & how far other teams have come since the last round (or first round).
The Daily Prophet in season 5 was quite anticipated because it gave players an idea of how well the chaser/beaters did with their bonuses, as well as the seeker. Unfortunately, with the new rules, this was harder to implement. But if the DP came out on the Sunday before scores come out, then something like this might still be possible to do. Several judges have usually already finished grading by then, so it might be possible to mention 1 particular position each round and describe how "well" they played. For example, if the Beater 2 and Keeper scores were out, then in some matches you could write that "Alicia swivelled around and managed to hit the Bludger straight into the Quaffle!" or, "What a save from Timothy! I don't think we've seen the likes in years". Other than that, I like the idea of the competitions being every month, rather than every two weeks. It gives players time to submit something, and you can create more fun challenges :)
Although mods have their reasons for leaving only 48h to vote for JPs, it's practically impossible to read all of the fics in time to vote if you have a job/are studying/are busy. If JPs were open for 2 weeks, so until the mods edit in the new scores, then they could be added at the same time as points are tallied, so it makes it easier on the mods, and also gives time for players to read these singled out fics. I also noticed that in previous seasons, you gave out little "awards" at the end of the season before the finals. I think this would be a great idea, to have for example "most improved" or "most valuable team member". Without naming names, one player last season did amazingly in pulling a practically dead team back together before the end of the season, but it was too late for them to get into finals. I think no one would have begrudged them that recognition, and it might have made them feel proud of what they had accomplished. Some players feel left out because they aren't willing to divulge personal information or they weren't around before so aren't part of the "QL team". Maybe we can send out a friendly PM before the start of the competition to captains reminding them to accept new players and to new players reassuring them that they shouldn't feel bad if they "took" someone's spot? I know it isn't encouraged by you, but it would be nice to reassure new players. It would also be good to have mods from several timezones. At the moment, 3 out of the 4 mods are all in the same timezone, so there are large periods of time in which 3 mods are inactive (or sleeping). This doesn't seem very good for the forum, as if players aren't up and about at the same time as these mods, then they can wait for a long time for responses. The season seems a bit too long for most players, most judges, and even the mods sometimes. Why not create a QL with only 9 teams, so there are only 9 rounds instead of 13, and then you can have semi-finals and finals. This would come to a total of 11 rounds, and the season would only last half a year (24 weeks). I think less players would drop out, and the quality of stories would stay the same. Also, this would make the different QL seasons appear at different times, so someone who is busy around November/December could decide to participate in the next QL, and vice-versa for those busy around July/August. In season 5, one of the rounds was something that a player/a team had come up with. It would be nice to include one round (maybe the first round of finals?) each season with this, as people have fun writing the rounds, and it's sure to be very original, as they haven't thought up the other 13 rounds the way the mods have.
Round theme: Hunting Horcruxes This round, we thought we'd give a little help to everyone's favourite hero, the Boy-Who-Lived! For once, not only the Seeker will be hunting for something this turn, as everyone tries to get a piece of Voldemort's soul! CAPTAIN: Harry Potter -- write about someone who is very lucky KEEPER: Nagini -- write about someone cursed with the Maledictus blood curse CHASER 1: Hufflepuff's cup -- write about someone who has been forgotten CHASER 2: Ravenclaw's diadem -- write about someone who is lost CHASER 3: Slytherin's locket -- write about someone who is self-sacrificing Chasers, you have access to the optional prompts. You may pick up to 3 each. OPTIONAL PROMPTS:
BEATERS, Please remember that you also have access to the Chasers' optional prompts and must use FIVE prompts between you. Like Chasers, the prompts you choose MUST be in your A/N. BEATER 1: Tom Riddle's diary -- write about someone suddenly finding themselves young again (ie. time travel, de-aging potion) BEATER 2: The Gaunt ring -- write about someone who is dead (in your story) SEEKER: Voldemort -- write about someone who is ruthless
Dances Around the World CAPTAIN: Fandango of Spain; center the story around something a character is passionate about KEEPER: Tinikling Dance of the Philippines; write about a character who shows grace to someone who doesn't deserve it CHASER 1: The Kabuki Dance of Japan; write about a character, excluding Neville, who spends most of their time behind the scenes, but eventually gets their moment to shine CHASER 2: The Choliya of Uttarakhand; write about a character who's superstitions conflict with another CHASER 3: The Nati of Himachal Pradesh; write about a character who makes a friend that makes them peaceful Chasers, you have access to the optional prompts. You may pick up to 3 each. OPTIONAL PROMPTS:
BEATERS, Please remember that you also have access to the Chasers' optional prompts and must use FIVE prompts between you. Like Chasers, the prompts you choose MUST be in your A/N. BEATER 1: The Raqs Sharki of Egypt; write about a character who comes to respect someone they didn't previously BEATER 2: The Adumu Dance from Africa; write about a character that breaks a familial or societal tradition SEEKER: The Yoruba Dance from Nigeria; write about a character who celebrates small moments in life 12/2/2018 #6 |
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