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Comments on New site setup process?

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New site setup process?

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I proposed the new site Electrical Engineering, and I see that the basic framework has been created. Thanks.

However, there is a difference between the basic mechanics of a site, and a fully up-and-running site. Now that the dev team has worked behind the scenes to create the site, how can we now take it the rest of the way, preferably without having to involve them? Some specific issues:

1 - I want to put up a single page explaining more about the site, what is on topic, what is expected of questions, etc. Basically, I want a "Site Introduction" page I can fill in.

2 - Most, if not all, of the original core group should be moderators. How does that happen?

3 - What are the moderation tools? We'll need to delete bad/spam questions, delete comments, handle flags, etc.

I'd really like to take it from here with as little involvement of the dev team as possible. I expect they'd like the same thing.

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We need to create some better "new community" documentation, but moderators will be able to do most of what you need, so first we have to identify the initial moderators. (Eventually each community will choose its own, but to get started we'll need to appoint two or three pro-tem moderators.) The dev team doesn't want to be a blocker on site progress; that doesn't scale.

The following tools and customizations are available now:

  • Creating help topics. A starter set of help topics for all sites (for the stuff that's common or commonly-needed) is on the development to-do list but isn't there yet. Y'all should definitely create a help topic about scope; if there are any points you haven't worked out yet, you can use your meta to reach consensus.

  • Close reasons: there's a default set of reasons for closing questions. If there are site-specific considerations you can add to or edit these reasons.

  • Flags: moderators are notified of flags globally and also in-situ if they happen to visit a page with pending flags. Mods can mark flags as helpful or decline them. And, of course, mods can delete posts and comments, with or without them having been flagged.

  • Category definitions: you can add categories, change the text descriptions of them (markdown is permitted), change the default license, and define sets of special tags that are styled differently (like "proposal" and "idea" on the Site Proposals category on Meta). I believe only Codidact admins can make these changes, but if moderators request them we'll make them for you.

  • Unilateral close, reopen, delete, and undelete.

Meanwhile, one thing founding members can do right now is to start creating good questions and answers. A site introduction is important too, but the first thing visitors will look at is the list of existing questions, and that doesn't take any special privileges to start building.

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1 comment thread

General comments (7 comments)
General comments
Olin Lathrop‭ wrote over 4 years ago

Thanks for the explanation. I disagree with your last paragraph a little. You only get one chance to make a first impression. I'd like to set up the obvious basics before inviting the inquisitive hordes. A site introduction is essential. You can't expect people to follow the rules if you haven't told them the rules, or even that there are any. I'd rather take a few extra days and get things right, than have people turn away at the first look, probably not to come back.

Monica Cellio‭ wrote over 4 years ago · edited over 4 years ago

Oh, I didn't mean invite the inquisitive hordes now; you need to get set up first. I just meant that alongside developing that site introduction, also try to build some good content for them to see. Nobody wants to see an empty site on a first visit. That paragraph was addressed to the founders, the people who are already here. Sorry if I was unclear.

Olin Lathrop‭ wrote over 4 years ago

Ah, sorry for misunderstanding. I probably will put some effort into a few canonical questions, but I'm not sure how much other questions really matter to someone that has their problem. I've also never liked artificially seeded questions on SE. Traffic will largely come when the masses figure out the experts they've seen on other sites are now here. A little advertisement on our part will help, of course, once we have a site that is ready.

Canina‭ wrote over 4 years ago · edited over 4 years ago

The ability to make changes to categories is not accessible to mere moderators. Or if it is, it's awfully well hidden.

Olin Lathrop‭ wrote over 4 years ago

Apparently I said this in the wrong place before. Please make me, Dave Tweed, and Nick Alexeev moderators on the new site. Then we'll see what we can do and try to take it from there. Nick hasn't signed in yet, but I just sent him a message.

luap42‭ wrote over 4 years ago

@Olin Lathrop I have given mod status to you and Dave. Tell Nick to ping me here, when he signs up and I'll give him the status, too.

Skipping 1 deleted comment.

ArtOfCode‭ wrote over 4 years ago

Nick now has moderator status as well.