10. Never mod up posts that attempt to shift the topic at hand into a classic flame war. Take an article about Microsoft improving a product. A post of this type would sayg that MS is only making this improvement to drive their competitors out of business. This post will only lead to a bitch session about Microsoft's unethical business tactics and nothing about the original topic. While there are exceptions to this rule, try to mod up posts that you find novel or funny and not just well stated versions of arguments that appear in every other discussion.

11. Know the difference between informative, interesting, and insightful. Informative means that the poster is giving facts about the topic, typically from referenced, outside sources. Informative posts should not contain opinions. Interesting posts contain personal anecdotes about the topic or suggestions for other uses of the ideas described. Insightful posts present well-reasoned opinions about the topic at hand.

12. Don't waste time modding down posts that are below +3. Most people won't see the posts so you're not substantially helping editorially which is the purpose of the moderation system. If you think a post urgently needs downward moderation, relax, some one else will certainly do it.

13. Finally, if it made you laugh, it's funny. If it makes fun of chinese/black/jewish/french/christian/islamic/hindu/whatever people, who cares-- if you're easily offended, internet message boards are not the place for you. If it's funny and offensive, it's still funny. Don't be like this asshole.

These are my thoughts on how to use your mod points effectively:

1. Look first to moderate up good posts at +1 or +2-- if a post gets to +3, far more people will read it than at +2... Most people don't set display limit higher than +3 unless there are multiple pages of posts. In that case, look first to mod up the good +3 posts. This will make your mod points the most effective.

2. Never moderate up a pro-Apple or a pro-Linux post. These posts will probably be modded up quickly by someone else. Seek posts that have a viewpoint that goes slightly against the grain that most mods will overlook. This makes Slashdot far more interesting to read. It is highly unlikely that you'll be punished in meta mod.

3. Always mod up funny, on-topic jokes that make fun of races/ethnicities/religions. Everybody likes to have their blood pressure raised and read a well written, on topic flame war.

4. Look to mod up the missing Cowboyneal options in the poll comments. You're doing a service to those of us who miss them.

5. Let other people worry about moderating down trolls. It's not the best use of your time.

6. Give low uids the benefit of the doubt.

7. Don't mod down plagiarized posts. These are often the best posts on a particular topic although you never want to be caught modding a post up.

8. Add user's whose posts you moderate up to your friends list. You probably want to hear what they have to say in the future.

9. Surf at -1, nested, newest comments first. You'll see the comments that most moderators haven't seen yet.