How do you find a moderator for your community? Do you pay moderators? Do you reward frequent posters with the title? How much power do you give mods?

Moderators can make for break a forum -- if they do their job good, they keep the site in order -- if they go on a power trip -- it will alienate (and scare away) members.

What do you do if a moderator is doing something you don't like, but they are also a frequent poster? :o

No. of posts is the last thing I look for when I appoint a new moderator. Usually I look for the respect commanded by the moderator, knowledge in the field and most importantly maturety level, how level headed he/she is. I have got some great members on my site but unfortunately none of them are moderator material.
As far as power is concerned I give them all the powers except admin actions. They can suspend users, delete, edit and move posts. I do not have any specific forum moderators currently. All the 3 mods at present are global moderators.

Some sites make a big deal of who are moderators, and I've seen sites make a call for mods {yuck} looking for moderators.

My theory has always been find the guys and gals that keep their head in the heated debates.

Hello,

Some of us got DRAFTED into moderation. And I am glad that I was asked. And then promoted.

Moderation requires a blending of skills. You have to be dedicated to visit the forum on a regular basis, and handle both the skill questions, and the attitude / presence questions. You have to know when to shoot a dart, or fire photon torpedos. Sometimes, I find my greatest challenge here creating carefully-worded notice letters to members on what they are doing wrong, and offering corrective actions.

As for the Admin telling me what is happening -- I see the Community as a business. I prefer to be confronted directly if my conduct is in question, or needs adjustment. It is important that Admins and monitors keep the proper communications lines open... no surprises. They have to be honest with each other, and a moderator cannot be afraid to persue an admin who needs adjustment. It happens. Do not be afraid of losing someone who has a high post count... if s/he is disturbing the harmony of the site, loose the one than the many.

As a Super Moderator here, I work at keeping a positive mental attitude and offering hope to those who challenge the community here. No one is perfect, but we are all capable of working hard and behaving in the cyber sandbox.

Christian

I think finding people willing to be moderators is not all that difficult. A title is a nice thing to have. But many of the volunteers end up not having the interest or the skills to make a good moderator. So, it is a winnowing process. Ask twenty people and you'll probably find five who end up actually doing their job, or doing it the way you'd like to see it done.

Pay them.

(The message is to short so I have to write this foot note.)