Quote:
We've added a number of new moderators over the past several months, and partly
because of that, and partly because of some general drifting that's happened
over time, there's been a trend that I'd like to put an end to.

If you've been assigned to a specific forum, then your moderation should be
mostly limited to that forum. You were probably picked because you demonstrated
a certain level of aptitude in the topic(s) covered by your forum, and you
probably had earned the respect of other people in your forum. You weren't
necessarily evaluated by the same standards that rovers are evaluated.

Rovers *are* expected to moderate in many forums, so when I choose them, the way
they interact with the community is my primary consideration.

The trend has been that many "assigned" moderators are acting as roving
moderators. In the past, this has been acceptable, and even encouraged, but we
now have a number of new rovers and better moderation tools, so I'd like to ask
the assigned moderators to avoid moderating in forums outside of your own. This
isn't to say you can't do it at all - if you see someone spamming or posting
porn for example, feel free to step in - but be very conservative about it. If
in doubt, don't do anything. Wait for the assigned moderator, rovers, or staff
to come along, and post an alert if you feel the need.

There are exceptions to this rule - in particular, moderators who started off as
rovers and later were assigned to a forum. You probably already know who you
are. If not, feel free to ask.