1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

Such users are also valuable to the platform. They shall be advised/requested to stay on topic politely without confronting them to prevent any further arguments and they shall be advised to stay professional. If they have a difference of opinion, they should explain it logically and politely without disrespecting others opinions. They should be advised to make people aware about the pros and cons of their suggestions so that readers can understand their point and not get into arguments.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

I will go through the information added by another mod on question to understand his reasons for closing/deleted/etc. a question. If the reasoning is not sufficient or there are more reasons for question to remain open, a discussion can be initiated with other mode and based on mutual agreement, question can be restored/opened and explanation can be added to question on why the question need to stay opened.

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

Moderators shall ensure healthy discussions on questions related which are related to topic only, guide newcomers to be able to present their problem to the community so that community understands their question correctly, encourage engagement on all questions and check any unjust/unprofessional behavior. Moderators need to ensure that users are unbiased, clear and logical in their explanations. Moderators shall also ensure the quality of content in the answers posted so that it is meaningful to all.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

This will enable me to help new people in the community to get best out of it. It will also enable me to promote discussions based on the topic only and check any discussions which get diverted from the topic. Based on my knowledge, I may also be able to advise users to organize their content/answers so that they are easy to understand and meaningful to all.

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

Being a moderator is a more responsible job and needs not just technical understanding of a problem, but also requires ability to encourage healthy discussion on a problem and keep the platform usable to all, even the newcomers. Being a moderator ensures quality content on the platform.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

In most cases, users who are providing valuable answers are taking the time to contribute to the community. These users are the people who keep Stack Exchange alive. However, with valuable answers come strong opinions and not everyone has the same tact. For this user, I would probably have a side conversation with them and let them know about the amount of flags and see if there's a way to improve their commenting contributions without generating as many. Obviously, if the flags are severe and content in comments abusive and discriminating, and definitely those that violate the TOS, it is on the moderation team to ensure that type of bad actor is prevented from continuing bad inexcusable behavior, regardless of the quality of their content.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

This is a classic moderation race condition. Even moderators have different lenses that they look through. In this particular case, I would probably just have an informal chat with the other moderator to gain insight and see if I can come to a shared understanding of why it was closed. At the same time, it's possible in my doing so, the other moderator may realize they made a mistake and opt to reopen the question. It's important to remember that like users, moderators are humans to and we are capable of making mistakes. Myself included.

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

As I said in my statement, a moderator's job is to ensure that the core principle of sharing knowledge is not hindered by misuse (whether intentional or not) by bad actors or the uninitiated. It's also about mentoring new users who might not be used to the Stack Exchange platform and helping guide them with gentle nudges. For example, when an answer should be a comment, or a comment an answer. These are typical new user mistakes that moderators can help new people get the most out of this platform. Moderators are here to keep the conversations flowing, ensure format and process is followed, and be the guardrails for members.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

I think it's the burden that comes with the job. I feel comfortable with my contributions to this community thus far, the questions and answers I've made in the past, and what I expect to contribute in the future. It does add a bit of gravity to my participation though, and it will only solidify my dedication to the community at large.

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

When I jumped into Stack Exchange when Mark created it, the focus had always been about adding content, improving content, and ensuring that we succeeded in building the proper Q&A space for Sitecore developers, marketers, and community members alike. So for me, it's never been about the rep. And in doing so, I'm proud of the reputation I've gained on this site, but it's never been about the rep. And for others out there reading this, while gamifying the reputation scores is fun, and can help be a measure of your contributions on this site, the goal shouldn't just be to get points. The primary goal should always be to enrich the knowledge of the community, help others with their problems, and generally be a good digital citizen. If you're doing all of that, the reputation score will come.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

If a user is very constant to provide valuable answers, he/she is valuable to SSE and valuable to the Sitecore community. I'd let the community benefitted from this user's expertise. However, if this user is involved in generating a large number of arguments/flags, I'd follow a two-step approach:

• The first step would be an unofficial request to moderate the behavior/language. I would be reminding them of the expected behavior of the site's users. . Many people do calm down when asked to do so politely.

• Afterward, if the situation doesn't improve, I'd discuss it with other moderators and will take more strict action.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

Communication is the only key. I'd Discuss the case with the other moderator, stating my reasons why I object to the action, and asking for the reasons that led to the action. I'd also double-check if the question is meeting the standard criteria of SSE. I would not overrule another mod's decision without consultation.

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

I see the role of the moderator as that of a Mentor. They guide a community towards expected behaviors through consistency and communication. They can guide and make aware users about any additional info to the answer or any community-related behavior and best practices.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

Diamond, for me, is a badge of trust and responsibility. With this, I would always try to give valuable contributions (just like before) and make sure the content posted is factually true and free from any bias.

I already have my real name next to my posts and comments, I feel confident in that regard. I stand by my opinions and own up to my mistakes.

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

There are plenty of things that moderators can do that even 20k users cannot, such as handling custom flags, deleting and undeleting comments, merging duplicate questions and migrating questions to arbitrary sites. I do hope that I will be able to contribute to the smooth operation of SSE just by taking care of such chores. I would only use moderator tools when necessary, preferring to let community action be the main driver of actions such as closing, editing, re-tagging, etc.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

For transparency and respect, I will initially publicly contribute and respond to any on-going conversations on the topic. The aim is to give user chance to close the matter amicably. I will then escalate to have private conversations with the user, even if this means having difficult conversations. If the situation isn't resolved, I will engage fellow Moderators and collectively agree/vote on resolving the matter. Also part of my role as Moderator is to remind users of our code of conduct, and this sometimes works magic

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

We have tools at our disposal to express our opinions, including commenting, voting down or voting up. There will always be room for difference in opinion dependent on scenarios or context of issue at hand. I will always approach such situations with an "open mind" as opposed to "closed mind". I will not take it "personally" nor let "bias" blur my judgements.

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

"as little as possible!", now that is what I call moderation. The community should be self-running. We have tools to help us achieve that. As moderator, keep an eye on conversations only intervening when it is absolutely necessary.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

Of course the diamond amplifies everything I will be doing on our community going forward. I will have a sense of responsibility bestowed on me, and I will execute that fairly and respectively. Besides that, I will still be the same Julius, loving and passionately contributing to our community as ever

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

As answered in 3. above, moderators do as little as possible. It is about looking out for the edge cases, intervening in exceptional situations. This can be done by anyone with true passion to the community (even if they haven't reached threshold rep). I am ready to do this now. With passion, let us do this together, now.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

I would check with the other moderators to see who is best placed to contact that user to see how we can improve the situation to make sure that user can keep on contributing but we also get less flags (or contact the user myself if this process would take too long - although it shouldn't). I'm quite sure we can learn users on how to use the platform in a way the community feels it should be used.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

I believe moderators work as a team, so contacting that mod and asking why that action was taking is always a first step. We can discuss the question and come to an understanding or ask the other mods how they feel about it. If the mods stay divided about a question I would prefer to keep it open and let the community decide (with close votes).

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

Moderators should only act when really needed - making sure the site grows and have it grow in a way the Sitecore community wants it to grow. Mods should make sure there are no conflicts, no spam and handle flags. They should not be the persons to edit and review everything, although they will do their share.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

I'm human so I also make mistakes but have no problem admitting that. Everything I do or say on this site is public and may be read as it is, so I have no problem if all my contributions are marked. If someone has questions or remarks to something I wrote on the site they are free to contact me to discuss it if they want.

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

I think moderators have a few more tools compared to normal users to achieve the goals of the site, to monitor what is happening and do the job as described above. This has nothing to do with more power, reputation or badges - this is me (and the other nominees) trying to do my/our share to keep Sitecore StackExchange a magnificent platform.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

My approach would be to involve others to ensure that I do not act unilaterally. This translates to commenting on the specific transgressions and treating the comments as opportunities to educate the problematic user as well as others who aren't yet familiar with the rules / conventions. If the user continued with the problematic behavior, I would consult with the other admins.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

Talk to them about it. Ask them why they performed the action in case they didn't already make it clear, contemplate, and state my counter-argument if necessary. No hard feelings.

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

First and foremost, they act as stewards to the community. Secondly, they help people help themselves by facilitating the flow of information.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

No different than if I didn't have the diamond. Even as a regular user I understand that I need to bring my "A" game to each question, answer, and comment.

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

The additional responsibility is a great incentive to engage with the community more than just being a casual user who primarily visits the site when information is needed or when there's a bit of spare time to browse.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

   This happens from time to time, usually a private nudge in the right direction is all it takes. We don't want controversy on the site, but also we want to encourage discussions and opinions. If the initial nudge does not work, then we can use the moderator tools.to contact users and help them understand any issues.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

[This should always happen in private and be a discussion. Over my last year's as moderator, this has happened. We have a discussion and voice opinions,but we always make sure to present a unified opinion in public. Majority rules where we don't get agreement with everyone. It is important to always support the other mods in public.]

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

[Encourage growth and gate keep the site to make sure that we produce high quality content that can will be available to the community for years to come. Moderators also make sure that the members break the community guidelines and we never accept bullying, abusive language or actions to anyone else.]

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

As a moderator for the last 6 years, this wouldn't change for me. I believe my actions as a mod give evidence of my integrity and dedication to the role.

4. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

[Again, as I am already in this role and have almost 19k rep, I thi k you can be effective in both areas. As a mod, you can also help grow the site, help make sure the quality of questions and answers is maintained and also make sure this community welcomes everyone and does not become toxic.

1. How would you deal with a user who produced a steady stream of valuable answers, but tends to generate a large number of arguments/flags from comments?

I would plan a private conversation with that user to show them selected of the arguments/flags and discuss if there is a good way we can avoid such a situation in the future, or at least try to lower the number of arguments and flags. Before having that conversation, I would discuss with the rest of the moderation team if they agree with my approach.

2. How would you handle a situation where another mod closed/deleted/etc. a question that you feel shouldn’t have been?

I would ask that moderator about their reasons. Maybe I'm wrong and they can convince me. And if not, I would try to convince them. If we cannot agree, I would ask the other moderators what is their opinion and follow with what the majority of us decide.

3. In your opinion, what do moderators do?

They make sure that the site grows and generates valuable content. What does it mean? It means that there are no conflicts between users, that there is no artificial upvoting of posts, there is no spam, link only answers, any questions that should be closed are closed and what should be reopened is reopened, and that any flagged content is handled appropriately.

4. A diamond will be attached to everything you say and have said in the past, including questions, answers and comments. Everything you will do will be seen under a different light. How do you feel about that?

I always try to be fair and transparent in my actions. And I can admit that I was wrong when I made a mistake. I don't mind being always in a spotlight and that all my actions will be seen differently now.

5. In what way do you feel that being a moderator will make you more effective as opposed to simply reaching 10k or 20k rep?

I don't feel like being a moderator is about being more effective. I think it's rather about helping the community which uses stack exchange sites to help and get help. It's work that has to be done by someone and I'm ready to spend my time on helping our community to grow and get better.