Eventually, every new member wants to move up the staff ladder. At YWS, we have six different general positions: Greeter, Instructor, Junior Moderator, Moderator, Junior Admin, and me. As you move up the ladder, fewer and fewer positions are available whether by accident or by design.
In YWS' not too distant past, it was not unusual for someone to become a Moderator after only two months on the site. Those days are long gone. Nowadays, it takes at least a year to become a Moderator, and we stopped taking applications for the position in 2005.
But being a Moderator isn't the only position, and if you're interested in helping out YWS, there are other ways to do so.
Greeters and Instructors
The positions of Greeter and Instructor are vastly important and we treat them very seriously. A Greeter does what is the most important task on YWS, which is welcoming new members. A Greeter needs to be friendly, always willing to help out a new member, and needs to be well-versed in how YWS operates.
An Instructor, on the other hand, fulfills the other vital aspect of YWS, which is reviewing. An Instructor is someone who has proven themself to be able to consistently provide great critiques over a period of months. One or two great critiques does not an Instructor make! Moreover, an instructor must consistently use good grammar across the site.
The Instructor and Greeter positions are also the only positions you can apply for (see the Applications forum). With the new YWS, there'll even be a test that you have to pass.
Junior Moderators
Junior Moderator are those individuals who moderate specific areas of the site, and to accomplish this, the JM squad is split into five crews: Discussion, Resources, Literary Misc., Fiction, and Poetry. Any JM is a member of just one of these five crews.
To become a JM, you have to be nominated by your peers on the JM squad. Usually, although not always, I provide a list of recommendations. Any JM can then endorse one of those recommendations, or nominate someone else. Since we often end up with 10 nominations, it can take a while to whittle it down. The nominations are held about three to four times a year, with two-three added at a time. However, we also don't whittle for the sake of whittling; if there are 10 great nominations, then all ten will be made JM. The record so far is seven new JMs at one time (out of, I think, seven nominations).
Moderators
Moderators are organized under the group called, ironically, Big Brother. Over the years, their job has changed substantially.
Nowadays, a mod can moderate any forum on the site, except for group forums. They also take on huge roles throughout the site, whether that means organizing an event or hosting a radio show. They approve/deny all group & user applications, and are responsible for overall civility across the site.
More than all that, the mod squad also serves a vital policy function of YWS. Whenever you see a new policy, it's been vented through the mod squad first. After them, the JMs get a whack at it, and then it goes to the membership at large. No new policy gets made unless it achieves a consensus beforehand.
To become a mod, you absolutely have to be a JM first for at least six months. Nominations are made by the mod squad in a manner similar to how the nominations are done for JMs. Currently, there are only six mods, and it's very rare you'll see more than 10 at a time.
Junior Admins
Junior Admins have authority second only to myself, and at that moment, the only Junior Admin is Meshugenah. Sometimes, there'll be two Junior Admins, and only three people total have ever been a JA (Galatea, Firestarter, and Meshugenah).
In addition to the roles a moderator serves, the most important function a JA fulfills is the ability to ban people. They can also access all admin areas of the site, which means a Junior Admin could technically do all sorts of things from changing the name of YWS to locking me out.
To become a Junior Admin, both myself and any currently serving Junior Admins must unanimously approve the decision.
Me
Obviously, you can't take my position! I have access to all areas of the site, which includes the underlying database and the code. If you wish to apply for my position, it's actually very easy: create your own web site.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I also hopes this helps you in figuring out what everyone does, and how to go from one position to another. In the end, if you wish to become a YWS staffer you have to have good grammar, you have to be a civil person, and you have to demonstrate that you respect others even when you disagree. Good critiquing skills are a must, although the ability to write a good story/poem is not necessary. You also have to be reasonably well-versed in how YWS operates, and be a visible member.
*is ashamed*
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