Hey everyone.
A few months ago, I made the decision to step down as a Twitch moderator in four channels. A few of them were happy to have discussions as to why, and even informed viewers as to the reasons. However, a couple decided against it and some people ended up contacting me asking what had happened.
Having been a moderator for over 10 years, and trusted by over 40 different streamers. I’d like to believe that I’m among some of the most experienced Twitch moderators on the platform. Not only have I moderated for small channels, but I’ve also had stints moderating for partnered streamers.
With this experience, I know a lot about working alongside Twitch streamers, and helping to ensure a friendly, safe environment. However, being a Twitch moderator is not a job, it’s purely a hobby that I enjoy. Not only do I believe in respecting the streamers. But, I also believe streamers must respect moderators in the same way.
Whenever I make the decision to step down, I believe in doing it in the most amicable way possible. I realised that the time I spent moderating, was taking a toll on my personal life. For a while, I’ve wanted to get back into making videos for my YouTube channel. With only a limited number of hours in the day, it was clear that I’d have to make up time somehow. But I had no hard feelings towards any of them, and would continue to support them where possible.
Unfortunately, there was one streamer who didn’t see things the same way. As a result, they banned me from the community and I endured both harassment and death threats for speaking out.
I’ve since explained, that none of my tweets were aimed at anyone in particular. But as I already knew with the internet, people will latch on to anything open-ended and apply it to themselves, rather than asking for context. Given that this has happened to me recently, I have noticed friendships becoming strained and some people painting me in a negative light.
So how did I pick, who I step down from?
When you’re an active moderator for around 13 streamers, it can be a difficult process of elimination. I spent a few weeks assessing each channel where I was a moderator, and considering any potential issues if I were to leave. As well as this, I also assessed how I felt treated in each, and eventually came up with a decision.
In one of the 4 channels, it was noticeable that others were treated better, and for a long time felt like the odd one out. Being completely open and transparent, I believe that communication between the streamer and moderators is key.
Will I continue moderating?
Absolutely! However, moving forward I will be a lot more selective with who I moderate for, and try to retain a certain limit at the same time.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is that I’m too eager to please, and often find it hard to say no. This kindness is often abused by people to get what they want, fortunately friends and family have educated me on this, and it’s something that needs working on.
What advice would I give to new moderators?
If you are looking to start, or have just started moderating for streamers, there are a few vital tips.
- Remember that you are human, and we all need time to de-stress
- Don’t allow streamers to dictate how active you are, it’s not a paying job
- If streamers ask you to carry out more tasks, don’t feel as if you have to!
So what’s next for me?
There is still a lot going on in my private life, most of which I have never discussed with anyone. So for my immediate future, this will take priority.
I am also aiming my sights on YouTube, with more videos to come and hopefully trying to be most consistent with uploads. If you wish to find me elsewhere, you can find links here.
Thank you for reading, hopefully this post can end some of the drama and stuff going on, and hopefully it clears up some things for people. I will be looking at posting on my blog a lot more going forward, and hopefully some of them will be a little more positive.
Kev.
