What is the criteria?

This is a question to all the current bartenders of this magnificient site.What is the criteria for becoming a Bartender?

Promotion from Greenhorn to Ranchhand happens automatically after 35 or so posts.
To become a bartender you need to be recommended by another Bartender/Sheriff ... if someone seconds the recommendation you're in!

To earn a recommendation you need to be seen to be a great contributor to the Saloon, both in asking and answering questions. We generally look at people who have over 100 posts, this shows they have a genuine interest in the ranch.
As a bartender you get to moderate 1 or 2 forums, you have the power to edit/delete/move any posts in that forum and close theads if necessary. Also you have access to the Moderators only forum where we get to talk about all you guys behind your back

and discuss all the projects we have running. (you'd be amazed at the stuff that goes on behind the scenes of this site ... and the people responsible are scattered all over the world most have never met another moderator!)
Sheriff's are Bartenders who have been deemed worthy of promotion to the top-ranks by our noble leader Paul Wheaton

We have absolute power and can do just about anything we like in any forum ... but of course because we are good well-behaved people we don't abuse the power (well at least not too often

)
[This message has been edited by Angela Poynton (edited February 19, 2001).]

Hey ,not fair.I have been contributing to this site for the past 1 year now.In between,JavaRanch changed it's naming policy and now currently i have less than 100 posts.I want to apply for the post of Bartender of the Programmer Certification forum.How do i do that?

You need to be nominated ... the 100 posts thing isn't a strict rule, it's just a guideline .. anyway you're not too far off! We generally look for people who stand out as being extremely helpful. There's always a big battle for moderator of SCJP forum, also it's lot of work because it actually means you moderate 3 forums. Programmer Certifcation Study, Programmer Certification Results and Mock Exam Errata. It takes a lot of time out of my day! (that's why we have multiple moderators) Also most moderators take extra time out of their days to work on Javaranch projects, all voluntarily ... I'm sure if you keep on posting and are curtious and helpful your time will come and one day you might get an e-mail from one of the Sheriffs asking if you would like to be a Bartender!

What was your previous user name, anyway?

Well,my previous username was a simple 'Udayan'.Then i had to change it to 'Udayan Naik'.

Udayan,
Are you sure you know what you're asking for? JavaRanch takes a lot of work to keep it running. What you're getting now is the audience view of a great playing being acted out. Behind the scenes you have directors (Sheriffs) and stage hands (Bartenders) running around making sure everything is working flawlessly, and one act follows another without missing a beat. I didn't realize how much work went into running JavaRanch until I got my first glimpse into the "mysterious inner-workings." All the work to keep the JavaRanch cogs running smoothly are done by selfless volunteers.
-Peter
[This message has been edited by Peter Tran (edited February 20, 2001).]

Yeah Peter.You are right.I guess i'll apply when i'll be more experienced and i can devote more time to volunteer projects.For now I will just stick to contributing more to JavaRanch in an indirect manner.

Peter you're so right. A lot of effort not only goes into keeping what we have in good working order but also into adding new things, or making exisiting things better .. such as the current Bunkhouse project. Ideas are cropping up all the time, sometimes we get them from guys and gals who post in the Javaranch forum sometimes they come from moderators... for as long as I've been a part of the "behind the scenes" part of the ranch new projects have been happening! it's very