Why Be a Miner?
Created | Updated Jan 31, 2004
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What do I get from Mining?
Bear in mind that this is completely voluntary work, but is supposed to be fun and fulfilling. The idea of fun in work may seem unlikely, but some of the mailing list emails would explain it. Please don't think of the position of miner as a completely serious role. It can be quite entertaining in reading exceptional entries and often entertaining in commenting. Here is a brief review of the benefits of mining-
You get previews of what's happening in the UG and access to the mailing list. The mailing list gives you an idea of what's coming up in the UnderGuide, and as the UnderGuide entries are supposed to be worthwhile to read, so should the mailing list. The mailing list is a very fun and entertaining place - definitely not a serious place.
You get access to the UG Editors and can give them feedback directly. You can yell at them, compliment them or complain. As a miner, it is guaranteed that the editors will respond and listen.
You get to help influence the UG's progress. Since the miners are at the core of the UnderGuide, we take their feedback seriously1.
The miners get to decide what goes into the UG. They decide what entries go on the front page. This has a certain appeal, we think.
The kudos of being one of the miners. Perhaps even respect some day.
What does Mining Get of Me?
In short, the miners run the UG. They don't all have the positions of UG Editor, but collectively, they're much more important than the UG Editors (although the thrones and private bathrooms of the Editors may indicate otherwise). They are the lifeblood of the UG2 and they decide what will and what will not make it into the UG.
Since they are entrusted with this job, it's important that they ensure the UG entries picked to be in the UG be of high quality. We expect miners to do everything that they should to ensure this quality. There are lots of ways to do this of course, all summarized here.
