The really important things that new moderators need to know

I love this thread @Phoenix_Rising It's all making so much more sense to this new forumite. Just one question: Is @NikNik nutella coated or is the giant nutella jar empty? Nutella is pretty good fuel so I hope she has an endless supply to keep on top of all the goings on.

To all 'New Moderators'...

As @CheerBear mentioned - across the rainbow path from The Nest is The Octagonal Room - which we here in forumland will often refer to as TOR!

TOR was set up initially for @Phoenix_Rising to come and feel safe without needing to 'socialise' or talk. It quickly grew into a 'social' hub where forumites could also come to chat, laugh or - and this is the most important reasons - to feel safe. Sometimes life on and off the forum feels too much and we need a place to go that is a safe place to be on our own (but among others).

TOR has since expanded to include a garden corner, a lego corner, a lime green corner (filled with gelato), a purple corner, a pink corner, an art corner, a meditation corner, a cat corner and of course Little Turtle's corner (I know I I have missed a few!) There is also an outdoor TOR where we have an outdoor cat run for Elsie, Cat and Alice to play. Cat is my cat (and @Former-Member's lol), Elsie is @Former-Member's and Alice is @Mazarita's. Elsie and Cat are best friends and go on wild adventures together around the world (that is another thread altogether) - and Alice is Maz's virtual cat who is very shy but is looking forward to joining Elsie and Cat on their next adventure.

We like to watch really stupid, annoying reality tv on occasions and provide commentary through the forum to other forum members who may not (will not) be able to watch - this is really only Married at First Sight or MaFS as we call it. The running commentary between @utopia and I really is the fun rather than the show itself (Utopia is still grieving over the split between Simon and Eleni and very upset that she did not have the chance to be their bridesmaid lol).

We only have 3 rules in TOR and they are very simple rules:

1. Stay out of Little Turtle's corner,
2. Stay out of Little Turtle's corner, and
3. Stay out of Little Turtle's corner!

I think that just about covers TOR for now... will add more as it comes to mind

Somewhere to the side of The Nest and TOR is @CheerBear and @Zoe7's Secret Party Planning business. This is where most forum parties are (secretly) planned. As it is a secret, we can't tell you exactly where it is located or when/how/who parties are being planned for - you will need to wait to receive an invitation!

We have a very small but extremely efficient team with us:

Cheerbear organises the catering

Zoe - venue, decorations, and sometimes the Birthday Cake

@Maggie is our cleaner (but she often sends in the fur babies to finish all the leftovers and thus does not have to clean - smart or lazy - you be the judge!)

@Former-Member is amazing at helping with catering, decorations or anything really that help is needed with

@Kurra occasionally turns up to tend bar (and @Mazarita) if needed and it isn't a week night when she has to work the next day

...and @Former-Member is the keeper of all things that float (even little turtle sometimes lol). She has all our flotation devices stored away safely until we need them. There are quite a few already taken - CB has a unicorn, I have Gen Giraffe etc. so all New Moderators will have to run by their choice of flotation device with Rockpool to make sure it is available.

@Shaz51, @Faith-and-Hope, @Former-Member (and more I cannot think of just now) have all helped out at some stage when other's of us have not been able to (that is MI for you )

Next party will be... shhhhh it's a secret..........!!!

😆🤣😂 @Phoenix_Rising .... lol .....

awwwwwww @Zoe7

Hello @Former-Member and our overnight Moderators that Idon`t seem to meet , let us know who you are and when your birthday is

Hello @Former-Member, @Former-Member, @Former-Member, @Former-Member , @Former-Member and many more , I love to know allll the moderators xx

Team non-mashed ice-cream for the WIN!

I super love all the information that people have contributed here. You see @NikNik, you really should have asked us to write the induction manual!

@utopia You asked if the moderators should go through any initiation rituals? I think they should do an exam. Of course, we would have to re-write the moderator induction manual first to include all this super important information, and then there should be an exam based on it. Oh and they also need to do a swimming trial. I'm pretty sure their swimming skills are already assessed as part of the selection criteria, aren't they @NikNik?

@frog That's a really good question about NikNik's nutella jar. My understanding is that it starts off full each day but somehow ends up empty by the end of the day and requires re-filling. I don't know where all the nutella goes...do you @NikNik...hmmmm???

Here is a picture of NikNik's nutella jar for anyone who hasn't seen it. This was when I first delivered it to her at Friday Feast soon after I arrived in Forum Land. It was SUPPOSED to be for everyone to share, but NikNik jumped into it and then flew off in it...and she has been flying around in it ever since!

@Zoe7 Awwwww, you make me sound so demanding, requesting that everyone stay out of my corner of the TOR. I'm not demanding at all. Why, I told someone just yesterday that I only ask one tiny little thing of the world; that nothing changes ever. And I don't even mean totally forever...just for the next 110 years, because I'm a 40-year-old sea turtle and everyone knows that sea turtles live to 150.

@TheVorticon and @Former-Member you are making me want to go back through the Friday Feast thread to tally up the scores for team mushed and team non-mushed ice-cream. Definitely team mushed for the win!!!!!!!

Ok, it is getting close to time for this little turtle to head to the ocean for the night, but I look forward to seeing what further information people provide to help the new moderators feel at home in Forum Land.

You are not demanding at all little turtle - they have been our rules since day 1 - just for you @Phoenix_Rising You are why we developed TOR and also why it has been such a safe/fun place to BE!

@Zoe7 Awwwww, I feel all warm and fuzzy. However, I'm pretty sure TOR existed before I landed in Forum Land - it just didn't have eight corners at that point. Do you remember how I spent an entire week in there without saying a single word, after I got a bit beaten up by big waves on the ocean? Knowing that I could be there and say nothing helped me to feel super safe. Now of course, I never shut up.

Hey @Former-Member, assuming you really are still lurking in Forum Land tonight and @Former-Member hasn't scared you away or something, this thread is some light reading for you.