How Does Becoming An Admin Work?

[xwinuser]

"...if you are not sure how something works."

 

 

I see there is a quota on the amount of post and that it relates to your rank here on Helios. It appears we are all strapped for time but the more admins the lighter the load. I am a team player and would like to help. I don't mind working my way up the ladder. Let me know if you need any volunteer help. I would be glad to offer sound advice based on my experience and education. - John L. Carlisle a.k.a Xwinuser

 

 

360DegreeNetworking Hosted by HelioHost

[Wizard]

Post count is not an explicit requirement. You can become an moderator or administrator whenever. It just so happens that the people who have stuck around for a long time have been appointed moderators or administrators. This isn't a glamorous job, so the best way to find out if you'd like it is to start answering questions/support posts with meaningful information (which you can learn by poking around HelioHost/Net), just like what I'm doing now. That's also the best way to become a candidate for the next mod/admin position. However, while it's true that more hands make less work, a bloated staff is worse than a slower response time. So there's no guarantee that you will get promoted, even if you show due dedication and expertise, since there's no guarantee that we'll have the need for another person on staff.

[xwinuser]

Well I would like to help as an admin if ever you need another. I don't claim to know it all but I have had some experience over the past 15 years.

 

I have managed two tech support call centers. One was for an ISP where we supported thousands of dial-up customers, helping them setup their connection, email and browsers. We used proxy servers to filter inappropriate sites so we always had to help customers configure their proxy settings.

 

I also setup virtual domains using IIS on our Windows box and Apache on our Linux box. That was about 10 years ago but since then I have been the Systems Admin for a large bank. I managed pretty much everything: PBX, Ts, switches, routers, Internet appliances, backups, disaster recovery, service contracts, workstations, cell phones, etc. Like I said I still don't know it all but I like to learn and help out.

 

I also have my own side business doing networking and consulting for local businesses and doctors offices.

 

I am CompTIA A+ certified, have an Associates in electronics and should have my Bachelors in IT by next April. I'm kinda old but I still love PC gaming from Unreal Tournament back in the day to COD MW2.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlcarlisle

[Krydos]

My advice, if you wish to be a moderator/administrator, is just to read the forum and find questions that haven't been answered yet and if you know how to help them or you suspect you know what the problem is just post and help out. Obviously, you won't have access to all the tools that we do to begin with, but that doesn't mean you can't use the publicly available tools such as whois, dig and stuff like that to help solve issues.

 

Also, a large number of posts are regarding someone thinking their site is broken because they haven't cleared their browser cache too. Anything like that that you can answer and help with will reduce the amount of work that the admins/moderators have to do and we can spend more time with our more specialized access and tools to solve the problems that aren't as simple. If you prove that you are active for an extended amount of time, possess the ability to express yourself in a professional manner through text, and are helpful to the community you won't have to ask for a promotion. Futhermore, there is sometimes an internal debate amongst us as to whether we need more admins or not. By finding posts to reply to and helping out you will be proving that there is room for at least one more.

 

(I know a lot of this information quite intimately because all of the above is basically my story of how I became an admin not so very long ago.)

[xwinuser]

Been trying to help out in the forum. I think I have actually helped a couple of folks. I'm still learning about HelioHost. Would it be possible to give me some read-only access to see what is going on with accounts as far as suspensions and such? I already use the DIG and HelioHost Server Monitor. Are there other sites or logins you guys wouldn't mind me using?

 

Of course I also already use the non Helio stuffs like Ping, NSLOOKUP, Whois, etc.

 

Thanks!

 

 

My advice, if you wish to be a moderator/administrator, is just to read the forum and find questions that haven't been answered yet and if you know how to help them or you suspect you know what the problem is just post and help out. Obviously, you won't have access to all the tools that we do to begin with, but that doesn't mean you can't use the publicly available tools such as whois, dig and stuff like that to help solve issues.

 

Also, a large number of posts are regarding someone thinking their site is broken because they haven't cleared their browser cache too. Anything like that that you can answer and help with will reduce the amount of work that the admins/moderators have to do and we can spend more time with our more specialized access and tools to solve the problems that aren't as simple. If you prove that you are active for an extended amount of time, possess the ability to express yourself in a professional manner through text, and are helpful to the community you won't have to ask for a promotion. Futhermore, there is sometimes an internal debate amongst us as to whether we need more admins or not. By finding posts to reply to and helping out you will be proving that there is room for at least one more.

 

(I know a lot of this information quite intimately because all of the above is basically my story of how I became an admin not so very long ago.)

My advice, if you wish to be a moderator/administrator, is just to read the forum and find questions that haven't been answered yet and if you know how to help them or you suspect you know what the problem is just post and help out. Obviously, you won't have access to all the tools that we do to begin with, but that doesn't mean you can't use the publicly available tools such as whois, dig and stuff like that to help solve issues.

 

Also, a large number of posts are regarding someone thinking their site is broken because they haven't cleared their browser cache too. Anything like that that you can answer and help with will reduce the amount of work that the admins/moderators have to do and we can spend more time with our more specialized access and tools to solve the problems that aren't as simple. If you prove that you are active for an extended amount of time, possess the ability to express yourself in a professional manner through text, and are helpful to the community you won't have to ask for a promotion. Futhermore, there is sometimes an internal debate amongst us as to whether we need more admins or not. By finding posts to reply to and helping out you will be proving that there is room for at least one more.

 

(I know a lot of this information quite intimately because all of the above is basically my story of how I became an admin not so very long ago.)

[cl58]

As far as I know, there is no way to give you read-only access to the user database (even if there was, I don't think we would be able to anyway). As Wizard said, you can be extremely active and helpful and still not become a moderator/admin simply because they are not currently needed. I personally think that we are staffed fine for the time being, but other admin(s) may feel otherwise, so don't go only by me.

 

Also, always remember that the worst way to become an admin is to ask for it...

[xwinuser]

Ok. I think you do have to ask for some things or people may never realize what you want. In this case, a desire to help. Thanks.

[xwinuser]

Very glad and thankful to be a contributor!