[Arkacia]

I've just read this thread for the first time and even though FFnut's post is an old one, I want to have my say on mod elections.

Basically they are a very bad idea.

No matter how strict the guidelines are, they will turn into a popularity contest. Backdoor forum politics and the charisma of a person running for the job will over ride whether they are capable of doing the job.

I am a firm believer in the admin and other mods of a forum choosing any new mod for the simple reason they know what the job entails and as they are usually the most active people on a forum, can readily work out by observation who would make a good mod and who wouldn't.

Then of course there is the most important aspect of any new mod from an admins point of view. Its trust. A mod has the ability to ruin/destroy a board and no admin in his/her right mind would even consider putting someone into the position unless they felt the person concerned was completly trustworthy. Choosing the new mod themselves keeps the admin in control of that, mod elections would take the issue of trust out of the admins hands and put popularity into the memberships hands instead. That I feel is way too dangerous.