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While looking at the about section of the site, math.se, I noted that @Robin Chapman is listed as a moderator. However he has not been on the site since Jan 10th. (and not been on meta for much longer).

Are mods allowed to be "inactive"?

Update

Now resolved through new the "absentee moderator" policy: Administrative Note on Moderator Rolls

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    $\begingroup$ A bit of an explanation can be found here (but this doesn't answer your question, of course). $\endgroup$
    – t.b.
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 6:06
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    $\begingroup$ @Theo, I did look at that thread prior to making this one. However, that seems like a very personal reason to leave (if that is the reason) as it was Robin who was not following the norm. $\endgroup$
    – picakhu
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 6:13
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    $\begingroup$ actually the more relevant link is this one meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/1582/… but I don't think Dr. Chapman has been active even on other math sites AFAIK, so I hope he's OK. $\endgroup$
    – Jeff Atwood Mod
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 8:04
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    $\begingroup$ Dr Chapman's web page (The Source of All Wisdom) has no mention of an obituary... and says he is currently teaching two courses. $\endgroup$
    – GEdgar
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 13:24
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    $\begingroup$ @Picakhu: the problem was not "the norm"; the problem was a software bug that was not fixed, and which affected others as well. And which, as I have just tested, is still not fixed. $\endgroup$
    – Carl Mummert
    Commented May 2, 2011 at 3:02
  • $\begingroup$ @Carl, perhaps it is a bug, but the deal is that for me, I have grown accustomed to using shift+enter to get it to go down. $\endgroup$
    – picakhu
    Commented May 2, 2011 at 3:50

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Yes, moderators are allowed to be inactive. Being a moderator is an elected but volunteer activity, and moderators are free to come and go as they please. Sometimes life happens; Projects come up in work, other obligations take priority, or perhaps you simply lose interest in the responsibility.

At the same time, it is incumbent on all of us to make sure the work of the community is being done. To that end, we installed the 3rd runner up to help with the workload.

If Dr. Chapman returns, he is welcome and encouraged to jump right back in where he left off. His moderatorship will be here waiting for him. But if significant time passes (a year or so?) where he remains MIA, it may make administrative sense to disable the moderator abilities on the idle account.

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  • $\begingroup$ @Robert, I am not complaining about him being MIA, I am just saying that shouldn't he be replaced or not listed as a Moderator if he is not active? (He can still have his moderator rights) $\endgroup$
    – picakhu
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 17:47
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    $\begingroup$ He is still a moderator (active or not) so he is listed as such... and he has been "replaced" to make up for the shortfall of activity: meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/1582/… $\endgroup$
    – Robert Cartaino Mod
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 17:51
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    $\begingroup$ Robin's campaign statement included "Were I elected, I would regard my appointment as for a period of not more than one year, and I would resign or seek re-election before or at the end of this time." so it would make sense to remove his moderator powers at or before the 1-year mark. I still think that if he de-facto withdrew from the election, as Jeff had said at one point, that his mod privs should have been removed. $\endgroup$
    – Isaac
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 18:28
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    $\begingroup$ @Isaac: Since Dr. Chapman did not resign, and since his status is not hurting anything or anyone, I would rather err toward affording him that bit of respect he's been awarded by the community by upholding the judgment of the election. $\endgroup$
    – Robert Cartaino Mod
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 19:19
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    $\begingroup$ @Robert: I understand your point of view and I don't expect his status to change (at least, until his stated year is up). From my perspective, though, I feel that he disrespected the community by neither taking on the responsibility of the position nor resigning or withdrawing (or stating that he was taking a leave of absence or communicating that he was not going to do any moderating for whatever reason). $\endgroup$
    – Isaac
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 21:47
  • $\begingroup$ @Issac, it's not clear where this is going. Do you want an hours per day minimum on the site to maintain moderator status? $\endgroup$
    – Ryan Budney
    Commented Apr 28, 2011 at 3:43
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    $\begingroup$ @Ryan: Do you seriously think that's what I'm talking about? $\endgroup$
    – Isaac
    Commented Apr 28, 2011 at 4:26
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    $\begingroup$ @Isaac: Please say whatever it is you have to say. $\endgroup$
    – Ryan Budney
    Commented Apr 28, 2011 at 4:30
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    $\begingroup$ @Ryan: I think that someone who chooses to become a moderator owes it to the community to either do it or let someone know that they won't be doing it (temporarily or permanently, for whatever reason or no reason at all). $\endgroup$
    – Isaac
    Commented Apr 28, 2011 at 4:40
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    $\begingroup$ @isaac the math community can be .. strange. But every community is different in its own way. As Robert said, it's not hurting anything, though I agree it's far from ideal.. so better to just carry on for now. $\endgroup$
    – Jeff Atwood Mod
    Commented Apr 28, 2011 at 6:39

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