moderator [Accepted] Shenaanigans' Moderator Application (oh god why)

[Shenaanigans]

Basic Information

Byond Account: Shenaanigans
Character Name(s): In rough order of most to least used... 
- Valeriya Samsara (Head of Personnel)
- Sloane Goldhirsch (Security Officer)
- Aisha Viswan (Chief Medical Officer)
- Finley Green (Cargo Technician)
- Sreznai Guwan (Shaft Miner)
- Halkikijr Zaydan (Cook)
- Zo'iksa Szek'hakh (Head of Security/Security Officer)
- Nalyurrna Mrraz'hran (Gardener/Priest)
AI Name(s): n/a
Discord username + tag: Shenanigans#9440
Age: 23
Timezone: Eastern Standard Time (UTC-4)
When are you on Aurora?: Generally I'm able to play all throughout the day, but I'll most often be online ghosting/in round in the evenings. From around 8 PM to 2 AM. I just work a part time job for a few hours a day Sunday through Wednesday and am in a few DnD games in the evenings.

Experience

How long have you played SS13?: My account was created on October 9th, 2019, so it's been almost a year now.
How long have you played on Aurora: Aside from the first day or two where I played a few rounds on Beestation to learn the game controls (not a fun experience), I've spent all my time playing Space Station 13 on Aurora.
How much do you know about SS13 (Baystation build) game mechanics?: I would say I have a good understanding of the basic mechanics of all departments and nearly all jobs. I wouldn't exactly call myself "robust", as I tend to shy away somewhat from throwing myself into combat and don't care much for min-maxing mechanics, but I have enough knowledge to figure things out through trial and error and am familiar enough with the Github codebase to go fishing around for information I don't already know. 
Do you have any experience moderating for an SS13 server?: No. I've moderated plenty of RPs before, but I've never been staff for a SS13 server.
Have you read through the criteria thread; https://forums.aurorastation.org/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4198 - and believe that you mark off all the criteria?: Yes and yes!
Have you ever been banned, and if so, how long and why?: Nope.

Personality

Why do you play SS13?: At the time that I decided to start playing SS13, it was because I'd recently been turned off of a game where I got most of my RPing fix and was craving a new space where I could take part in the hobby again. I initially found the actual gameplay aspect very intimidating, since I was coming off of forum RP and a platform that was basically just a chatbox with no expectation to really have any skill, but once I got my bearings it became really fun to learn all the different jobs and get involved with the community. Now here I am nearly a year later. SS13 serves as a (generally) very enjoyable hobby for me where I can stretch my creativity in creating characters, enjoy interacting with the others who play, and have fun bettering my understanding and skill at the game.
Why do you play on Aurora?: I initially chose the Aurora to play on because it was where my girlfriend plays (and still does). The HRP tag was something I knew I'd prefer from the get go, since I was more interested in lore and storytelling over gameplay, and since getting comfortable here I've generally just not had an urge to try out other servers. I like the community here, I like the available jobs and the characters who play in them, and I love the expansive lore that seems to be rather unique to the Aurora. It gives so much more material for creating engrossing characters that are part of a setting that actual has impact on the way you play.
What do moderators do?: Moderators are, as the name suggests, there to moderate the game by watching what players do and stepping in to offer guidance or a gentle nudge if someone is stepping outside of the bounds of the rules. They're tasked with making sure that the game remains a (relatively) calm place where people can play knowing that they won't just randomly have their experience ruined by someone looking to grief or have all the fun at the expense of others. They're equal parts enforcer as well as teacher for people who might not have as much experience with how the game works.
What does it mean to be a moderator for our server?: Obviously a moderator for the Aurora, specifically, would be expected to handle the above two points that I mentioned, but with a HRP server I feel that there are extra responsibilities to also be keeping an eye out for behavior that compromises the HRP status of the server. Someone might not be breaking one of the more clear cut rules, such as coming in with a meme character name or wordlessly attacking people, though they are still negatively impacting other people experiences by misrepresenting lore, shutting down antag gimmicks, or taking on tasks that a character should not ICly have knowledge of in their job. These are somewhat more nebulous things to moderate and can require careful, well thought out decision making on what is and isn't healthy behavior for the server.
Why do you want to be a moderator?: I have a long track record of finding myself with the urge to get involved in the staff side of things when I really start to enjoy a RP, and thus far I was mostly content doing that on just the lore side of things as a Deputy. Now, though, I feel that I've reached a point in my understanding of and comfort with SS13 that I can test the waters on the moderation side of things, further offering my help to keep the server up and running with an active staff team. I just get this itch to become involved with the administrative side of things and would say that that's how I express my like for a RP platform that I've become dedicated to.
What qualities do you possess that would make you a good moderator?: I've always felt that my level head and very low temper are two of my greatest strengths, likewise things that translate well to the... unique stresses of moderating a social group online. I am very slow to anger, open to hearing multiple sides of a disagreement, and patient enough to sort through all the information in front of me before I jump into making decisions. I will always do my best to respond to aggravation with a cool head, since a breakdown into hostilities is pretty much a guaranteed way to derail any conversation and make sure that nothing positive comes from it.
How well do you handle stress, anger, or insults?: Quite well. As I just mentioned, I would call myself an extremely difficult person to anger (over small things) and I've dealt with the stress of moderating RPs that ended up falling apart due to simple grudges and a lack of willingness to just talk things out, so I value that skill very highly. In the case of personal attacks, I vastly prefer to step back and disengage from that rather than trying to argue back. I try my best to stop and self-evaluate if someone is bringing up valid points on what I've done wrong, but there's a difference between that and someone railing at you and berating you over text.
Anything Else You Want to Add: 
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[Hepatica]

+1. Shen is a wonderful, genuine person. Their great to RP with, great to talk with, and I have no doubt in my mind they would do excellent in the position of moderator.

 

Godspeed and good luck if you get trial. You're gonna need it,

[Zundy]

Shenaanigans has always been great to talk to, polite and well mannered. Though I haven't really had a chance to roleplay with any of the characters on that list (as far as I'm aware) I think they'd make a great mod.

[Cnaym]

Really enjoyed you IC and OOCly, no issue at all. I think you will make a good moderator. Don't worry about being unrobust, you will get so many things thrown at you just by the questions others ask and the stuff you witness as moderator. I just hope you keep playing Samsara, during the trial most shy away from demanding roles and hide in maint too much ^_^

+1, much love, amazing player

[Flamingo]

Interview: https://pastebin.com/NmEXiwvb

[Bear]

Everything written already about Shen is what I'd have to add. They're a fantastic person, a wonderful RP'r, and a genuine joy to interact with. Very calm and collected in all things. They would do fine.

+1

[Doxxmedearly]

"Oh god why" indeed. You're crazy.

Anyway normal bias disclaimer etc. etc. but in short +1

Mostly because I know how she's moderated other RP sites/settings off of SS13 and always felt like she's done a great job. She's a very fair and even-tempered person but her past experience shows to me that she knows when it's time to issue punishments, as much as she would rather avoid them. She pulls her weight on moderation teams and knows how to work as a group. I definitely feel like she's a good fit for the role. 

[Flamingo]

Trial begun as of September 11th, 2020. It will conclude in one month's time, on October 11th, 2020.

[Yonnimer]

Trial has been accepted! Welcome to the team.