Do you let your mods enter your contests?

**007** · 09-12-2006, 03:01 PM

It seems like a basic question, but I think it's a valid one. If you pay your mods, then anyone can see why they shouldn't be able to win contests. They are paid employees, and it would be unfair and biased.

However, on the other hand, several forum owners do not pay their mods, but instead they just get extra perks and benefits.

This is an issue I am currently undecided on.

Do you let your mods enter your contests? Why or why not?

**Slevin** · 09-12-2006, 04:10 PM

i think if you pay them you shouldnt, but if you dont they should, otherwise you are taking away a part of the forum they obviously like to be around

**Sygon** · 09-12-2006, 04:22 PM

Its a hard one and depends soley on the prize and contest,

**Icheb** · 09-12-2006, 06:02 PM

If a staff member wins some people might accuse you of bias, which is why I don't allow it.

**007** · 09-12-2006, 06:11 PM

The other option is to have a separate prize available to mods only, and unannounced to the rest of the members. But that prize is almost never as good as the one everybody else wants.

It's a tough call to make though, since I agree that mods should not feel left out of the forum, but members should also not feel left out of the contest, since if a mod wins, they are bound to think some favoritism is going on.

**cashable** · 09-12-2006, 07:28 PM

I let my mods enter, they are unpaid. However, if it is close, I usually award the prize to the un-mod, just so it doesn't look like I am favoring them. A mod won my last constest though.

**handeyman** · 09-12-2006, 11:12 PM

If needed, you could tell your mods to register as a different user if they want in on the contest?

**Atomm** · 09-13-2006, 06:10 PM

I have struggled with this. What I finally did was to hold a contest just for them. I didn't short the prize either. If these guys take care of you, then you need to take care of them.

**Nintendo** · 09-13-2006, 07:48 PM

Yes. Why punish them for working on the boards for free?

**imported_WoodiE55** · 09-14-2006, 04:29 PM

It all depends on the contest - if it's a random drawing contest I don't let them so no one can say the contest is rigged, but if it's a contest say like "the last person to post to this thread" kind of contest then yes I let staff play as there's no way to cheat on that.

**MonkeyBiz** · 09-14-2006, 04:38 PM

If I had a forum I could answer that question I guess. But I would say 'No'

**Jerlene** · 09-24-2006, 05:00 AM

I let them. There have been cases where they won and when I tried to give them the prize they refused. Awesome staff.