A moderator has 2 tasks:

1) Keep the game moving, don't let votes drag, request replacements
for players who have been too late with moves.

2) Update the game information with the deckserver.

Consult the house rules and JOL policy to help out with the first
task.  The second task requires interacting with the deckserver using
moderator commands.

Here is a step-through of the moderation process:

0. Play in a JOL game or two and get a reputation for reliability and
prompt response.

1. Sign up for the moderator list.

2. The deckserver manager (George Fink) issues a MAKEGAME to the
deckserver.  The deckserver then sends a game forming message to the
moderator of the game containing the moderator password.

X. Simultaneously, the deckserver manager sends out a game forming
message to the top 8 players on the waiting list.

3. I'm now making the above the responsibility of the moderator.
A suggested game forming message is attached to the bottom of this
page.

4. The moderator answers questions from the players, and monitors
registration using the DECKINFO and BINSIZE commands.  If a player has
an incorrect registration for any reason (no library, crypt too small,
etc.), the moderator informs the player of that fact so the player can
re-register the deck.  If the 48 hour time limit elapses without full
registration and no RSVP indicating imminent registration, the
moderator should consult the waiting list and inform the top members
of the list not already assigned to a game of the open spot in the game.

5. Once all the registrations are complete, the moderator issues the
CLOSEGAME command, which locks all decks in place and re-shuffles all
the decks.

6. Then, the moderator randomly generates starting order and sends a
game start message to all the players in the game.

6.5 The moderator sets up the frame-based web page with the
PLAYEREMAIL, PLAYERNAME, and PLAYERINFO commands.

7. Moderate the game, monitor correct card play using GETLOG, and
update the state and history with SETSTATE and ADDMOVE.

8. Update the email list for the game (jolxxx@deckserver.net) with
ADDLIST REMOVELIST and SHOWLIST

Here is a summary of the deckserver commands used in moderation:

ADDLIST meth  pass email@address

Example:  ADDLIST master  password gfink@deckserver.net
Don't use any special characters like < or "  the deckserver will
reject those.

REMOVELIST meth pass email@address

Always check with SHOWLIST after doing this command.  This command is
extremely fragile you must spell (and capitalize ) the email address
exactly as it appears in the list.

SHOWLIST meth pass

Emails back to the sender the list of people  who receive forwarded
mail from gameid@deckserver.net

GETLOG(or GETFULLLOG) meth pass

Also available to players, gets a thorough history of deck activity
for the game.  This should be checked occasionally to ensure that
players are making correct card plays.

DECKINFO meth pass

This gets information about the decks registered for a game.

BINSIZE meth pass whom which

This retrieves the size of bins for methuselahs in the game.  This is
useful to see if original deck sizes are correct, and also updating
the crypt and library sizes as cards are drawn throughout the game.
The "whom" argument indicates for what Methuselah bin sizes are requested.
The "which" argument indicates what bin is being queried.
The keyword "all" can be used to get information on all Methuselahs
and/or all bins.
The defaults for "whom" and "which" are "all".

PLAYEREMAIL master password num <email>
PLAYERNAME master password num <player's name>
PLAYERINFO master password num <information about player's deck>

the 'num' is the methuselah number (1 through 8)
email is the email address of the player
player's name and information about a player's deck can be more than one
word, but be sure to stay within the one line limit.

SETSTATE meth pass
State...
ENDSTATE

This sends in the state to the server, sets it up on the web page, and also is 
available for anybody in the game to retrieve with a GETSTATE command.  The 
state must be in a special format which I will describe.  The current source 
for the state can be retrieved with the GETSTATESRC command.  Its
probably best to just retreive it once at the beginning and then keep
the state source locally on your disk.

ADDMOVE meth pass
Move...
ENDMOVE

Any text sent by the ADDMOVE command is appended to the game history on the 
web page. (this is available to players with GETHIST).  Since text is 
appended, and theres no way of editing, be careful of what you sent, because 
its permanently stored.

Some moderators are including the current move status at the beginning
of the game state source (after the Edge:), and only when the current
move is done (without chance of change), using ADDMOVE to add it to
the permanent move record.

STATETEMP meth pass

This gets an empty state template, without any game data.
This is only useful if things really go wrong.  Typically the state is
going to be pre-initialized by me with deck sizes and meth names, so
GETSOURCE will be the command used.

GETSOURCE meth pass

This gets the source for the state of the game.

Here's what source for the state looks like.
The following three things are interpreted specially 

1.  Lines that end in a colon (:) with no space afterwards are section headers.
Empty sections should contain a blank line, but otherwise blank lines are as 
shown.

2.  Lines that begin with * are indented as an itemized list.  Lines that 
begin with ** are double-indented.  

3.  A line containing "--" only is interpreted as a separator, and generates 
the full separator line between Meths that is shown in the state.
Note that any line beginning with a "-" is a separator, so be careful.

Note that you should use a mail program that doesn't wrap lines,
because you want lines to be their full 80 characters, otherwise bad
things can happen (like the -3 bleed getting thrown to the beginning
of the next line and thereby being misinterpreted).

Methuselah #1: Demos <taggart.7@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu>

Blood pool: 11 (-13 xfer, -2 masters, -1 jack, -1 scorn, -3 bleed, +1 bribes)

MASTERS & OTHER CARDS:
*Elysium, the Palace Versailles
ACTIVE REGION:
*Arika, untapped, 11/11 blood
**Ventrue Inner Circle, auspex, celerity, DOMINATE, FORTITUDE, OBFUSCATE, 
PRESEN
CE
**+2 bleed
**Prey's locations cost prey 1 pool during untap
INACTIVE REGION:
*Vampire #1. 0 blood
*Vampire #2. 2 blood
*Vampire #4. 0 blood
Size of Crypt: 8

Size of Library: 48

Ash Heap: Blood Doll, Parity Shift, Disputed Territory, Information
Highway
--

Suggested Game Forming message:

Hi all!  A new game of JOL is forming.  Register your decks within 2
days (or send the moderator your RSVP if you can't make the 2 day
deadline), so we can start up as soon as possible.  Register your decks
by mailing them to the deckserver, as described on the web page below.

Deck construction rules(cards allowed, etc.) and house rules are also
described on the web page.

As soon as everyone is registered the moderator will randomize the
start positions and away we go.

Many of your questions are answered at the JOL web page:
http://deckserver.net/jol/

Your gameid for the deckserver is:  {fill in game id here}
Your moderator is: {fill in your address here}

--George {feel free to change the signature}