Accepted Toughsox' Application - Part Deux

1) SteamRep ID block pasted from your SR profile.
| steamname: Toughsox
| steam3ID: [U:1:3684310]
| steamID32: STEAM_0:0:1842155
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197963950038
| customURL: http://steamcommunity.com/id/toughsox
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561197963950038

2) Are you at least 18 years of age? Timezone and nation of residence?
53 - New Jersey (East Coast USA)

3) Please tell us about yourself (job, school, hobbies, etc)?
Gov't Employee, my wife, gaming, our dogs, gaming, my TF2 collection, gaming.

4) Why do you want to become a SteamRep moderator?
I felt it was time to give back to the community in a way that would benefit alot of people. I have a strong affinity to expose and get scammers off the trading sites as fast as possible. I am not naive to think all scamming can be stopped but, if it can prevent some from being scammed themselves, then I have the time and dedication to do whatever is possible.

5) How much time can you devote to SteamRep per week?
I will state that I can definitely meet the SR requirements at the bare minimum. Typically I have about 6 free hours a day. More on the weekends, a little less during the week if I am working overtime (especially in snow season)

6) Do you have any prior administrative experience, or similar (please elaborate)?
In addition to what was in my previous application, I am a Moderator on TF2 Outpost for a year as of May 30th. I started out doing TRADE REPORTS and was graduated to USER REPORTS some months ago.

7) What challenges do you foresee if you become a moderator?
My total lack of anything related to CS:GO and DOTA2 trading and the values for their items. However, a scam is a scam is a scam. Thus while I would see my lack of knowledge of those 2 games as being a small hindrance, overall I believe I can handle those types of reports regardless of what game a report is involved in.

8) Can you accept the fact that you must enforce SteamRep rules and guidelines?
Most definitely.

9) Do you feel you will have any issues denying / accepting reports and appeals?
If it involves a close friend of mine, naturally I would want someone else to handle it so there would be no hint of favoritism being shown. Otherwise, not at all.

10) Do you handle instruction and direction well?
I feel I do. I am definitely opinionated and those that know me know I will definitely voice it, especially if I do not agree. However, if it is explained to me that this is the way a decision is going to go which I did not agree with, I completely honor it. You can not get 100% of people to agree with anything 100% all the time, but with dialog, you can see where the other people that have a different opinion are coming from.

11) What do you feel are your personal shortcomings or attributes you can improve on?
I do admit that my attitude when dealing with people I have had to speak with in chat due to a pending report has always been predicated on their attitudes. I have been known to sit with someone for an hour to explain why they did wrong, yet at the same time when I know for a fact I am being lied to my face, I can be short and snappy with my replies to them. I have zero tolerance for scammers and their BS lies and will not listen to them twist the rules around looking for a loophole. Yet, I can not recall ever being chastised for being unprofessional in any dealings I have ever had with people.

12) What contributions do you believe you will be able to make to SteamRep?
I feel I have a solid background in doing my homework when dealing with a report. I look at all factors involving all the parties involved. I am not afraid to add people outside of a report for any additional evidence if needed. If nothing else, I have learned that you can not take whatever evidence you are seeing at 100% face value. Thus, I do take my time in fully checking all my facts before I make any decisions. I would rather err on the side of leaving a report as innocent, versus banning someone wrongfully or with insufficient proof.

13) Do you have any interest in eventually becoming an SR Admin? If so, what kinds of things would you like to do? (Example- community relations, appeals, scam reports, etc.)
I am not going to lie about this one bit. I am doing this and going through the motions ONLY to be an SR Admin. While I know you have to work your way up the ladder anywhere, I am not looking to spend my life moderating forums. It is an important job for sure but I am much better suited and happy doing long, drawn out investigations and connecting the dots to take down a scammer or scammer ring. It seems the more you cut off their head, the more that pop up. The task of the entire trading community relies on SteamRep and other sites to track and identify scammers, and I am willing to help any way I can.

14) Please list all alternate Steam accounts using SteamRep ID blocks.
I will post my wifes (not my alt, she trades, I play)
| steamname: Mrs Toughsox
| steamID32: STEAM_0:0:29411941
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198019089610
| customURL:
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198019089610

and the 3 main alts we use for farming
| steamname: maryhairy609
| steamID32: STEAM_0:1:46793661
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198053853051
| customURL:
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198053853051

| steamname: joeymomma5
| steamID32: STEAM_0:0:46730058
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198053725844
| customURL:
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198053725844

| steamname: satturdaywarrior
| steamID32: STEAM_0:1:46790891
| steamID64: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198053847511
| customURL:
| steamrep: http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561198053847511

In addition, we do have roughly 180 alts we idle. If this application moves forward, I am more than willing to list each one in a private setting, not public.

15) Do you agree to the Code of Conduct and agree to abide by it?
Naturally.

16) Have you read the Duties of SR Moderators post and understand it?
Yes I have, and I have no problem with those.

17) (If applicable) List Steam trading communities you are / have been active on and in what capacity (user, mod, admin), also give a link to the account(s) there.
TF2 Outpost User Report Moderator - http://www.tf2outpost.com/user/14713

18) Do you have any questions?
No questions, but a statement. When I 1st applied to SR over a year ago,
http://forums.steamrep.com/threads/toughsox-application.54293/ I was denied for lack of anyone vouching for me. That was partially my own fault as I did (and still do) have friends that could have vouched for me. In actuality, I did not WANT anyone to vouch for me as I wanted my application to be looked at on its merits, not on who I knew.

Looking back and realizing the impact SR has on the trading lives in the community, I now see the vital importance for the trading community as a whole to KNOW who is doing their reports, their appeals, etc. Thus, instead of asking the people I feel could have helped my last application along to NOT vouch for me, I see how that hurt my last application. Hopefully I will get a couple nods this time around.

Hope I have not made too boring of an application and, thank you for considering this.

besides his obvious role in tf2op i would vouch for toughsox. hes a great person overall and knows the ins and outs of daily scam reports and appeals. Handles are reports professionally as well.
Good luck Mr Sox.

Not a problem that can't be fixed. We have people on staff that could help you with that. Scams are usually self-explanatory, but there are some exceptions (knives being the trickiest).

Your application is under review.

+rep +vouch Does great work at TF2OP.

This gentleman has done more to combat scams / scam attempts than any single person in the entire TF2 community in the last year (thankfully he has another amazing worker in Ploko to help him now). A tireless worker. I handle the majority of scam reports and ban appeals on bp.tf and I remember having a conversation a year ago telling him that there's no way he'd be able to keep up the same energy for a full year - that he needed to pace himself so he wouldn't burn out. Boy was I wrong. If anything his passion for helping the community in his way has only grown stronger. What a man. I know he doesn't need me to comment here, but it would be remiss of me not to recognize all he has done for this community and for me personally. Did I mention that he's a great guy and great friend?

I was going to post here yesterday already and vouch for Toughsox but I wasn't in any condition of making any kind of normal readable text. Now I can also see that others have been vouching...but well...I'll do it too
He has been very helpful and professional, always happy to help and we could sure as hell use a guy like him here.

As I have only told 2 people that I was applying, the replies here are very refreshing to know I am recognized by my peers on different trading sites/communities.
I do thank you all for the kind words.
As I am on constantly, if anyone wishes to ask or discuss any part of my application, just say the word.

I think I should be surprised to see this application up again? (or maybe not?)

I'm no longer staff at TF2OP but I think it's fair to leave a few words here about him.

Anyway, as former head of staff I processed his TF2OP application last year - including the application interview - and was his "boss" (as he would call me) that "makes the big bucks" since he was accepted as site moderator. I also guided him through the cracks at doing scam/shark reports after he got promoted, event that brought us a bit closer due to the required admin-mod collaboration reports usually demand. Comparing what he told you guys here with what I've seen from him in the past year, I can say everything he stated here is true; he was not afraid to voice his opinions/concerns but has always respected his peers', along with ultimate respect to the hierarchy and established procedures/processes we had in place. He did spend several hours a day doing reports, sometimes way too many, and was one of the few that put that many hours on the site that I know of. He was also a great "group" person - with his playful personality you can easily spend a few hours talking and making fun of random things you can think of.

This is as far as I can go - verify and add to his application. Vouching is something I reserve to my family only.

@Toughsox : Good luck man, if this is your choice I hope your meet your goals here.

I am only a lowly mod at TF2Outpost, but I want to chime in here as well. Toughsox and me joined Outpost at the same time last year and he has quickly become a very trusted and dependable friend of mine. His dedication is second to none and he is always willing to help you out and offer his opinion. Often times he recognized crucial information I overlooked when I was working on a report, due to his diligence and willingness to go the extra mile looking for information, even if a case seems obvious.

We have been working together closely for a year and I can truly say that he is an outstanding friend, moderator and investigator, who will never let you down. I strongly urge you to give this application a serious consideration, as I can not imagine that you will have any candidates more suitable for the job than he is.

Good luck mate , i wish you to be accepted -- i didnt use TF2Outpost for long time but when i was active there .. you were doing a good job.

Keep the good work , good luck again

Congratulations!

Your application has been accepted, welcome to the staff!