Man, sometimes it seems like the general tone of the internet exists just to rain on someone's parade.
Alright, let's have a nice discussion about moderation standards, moderator status, and moderation issues really quickly. I'm not going to delve too deeply into the topic right now, because there's a lot more to the issue even an older volunteer like myself can really know about.
What I can say, however, is that moderators are pretty strictly monitored. That's never not been a thing. I actually know more users who've been quietly let go, discarded during vetting, burnt out on moderating, or simply didn't accept the position than those that have taken it, kept it, and kept the mantle going. It's a quietly regulated position, and one whose inner workings are near enough to invisible to the average passerby that it's hard to tell there are any at all.
If a moderator's behavior is ever untoward or in issue, they will simply cease being a moderator. That's been the case since I've known various members of the mod team. No one moderator is going to destroy or upset the full balance of the forums, nor is any collective moderator opinion going to change the face of moderation. In fact, if anything, having more mods on board with more knowledge of the inner workings of passionate threads can only help improve the general mod team's awareness of the users' passions and issues. It should make the team better rather than worse. Context is important, and new mods can will increase the understanding of that context, especially knowledgeable users like Lilani.
So, for those who believe this will spell doom for the Escapist, I would take it as a personal favor if you all would like to give it a week or two. Feel free to be very liberal with the Moderation Appeals (via the Contact Page [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/contact/], subject: "Forum Posting/Moderation Issues") during that time. However, I think it's more likely that more moderators will ultimately help level the forums at large. More minds working together are always better.
Further, if you really feel this is an issue that cannot possibly persist, feel free to contact [user]ffronw[/user] with a brief, polite message as to why. As community manager, he is the conduit through which users can voice their opinions, and helping him (and by extension, us) understand your issues can only help the Code of Conduct and moderation practices improve over the grand course of the forums.
For those of you that have been patient and kind to Lilani in this thread, thank you. I remember my first few days as a mod were terrifying. As if every possible decision could be a wrong one, and I thankfully had a much more gentle response to getting moderator status.
This isn't rocket surgery. Just about every mod, on any platform, at any time only chose to do what we do to help make the forums a more happy, healthy, and productive place. We want to see the place become better, and the last thing most of us want to do is change the forums to better suit our tastes or grand vision.
As for my personal take? Welcome to the team, Lilani. Hopefully it hasn't been too rocky a transition for you.
To everyone, we're here to help. If you ever need any help or have any questions, I'm nearly always available on IRC [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/chat/], Skype, Twitter, or Steam. (Check my profile, that has several contact accounts.) I'm always happy to answer questions, and more than willing to work with you if needed.
Cheers, and welcome again Lilani. Happy to have you aboard.