Elf Moe is something of an enigma. He works here on SantaTrackers.net and yet many do not completely understand his role. In this chat, Elf Moe discusses his job in helping elves to become elves. It is a wide-ranging discussion about the challenges of starting an elf career as a tracker elf:
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Hi everyone, my name is Elf Frank Myrrh of North Pole Radio News. We’re chatting today with Elf Moe of SantaTrackers fame. Moe, Max and I were talking earlier and we’re trying to figure out who your boss is. |
| Elf Moe | Uh-oh. Did I do something wrong? |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Hahaha. No, not at all. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | You see, I thought Elf Max was your boss and he said no, that you’re his backup. |
| Elf Ulan | Lol! |
| Elf Moe | Hahaha, I see. Yeah, I could see the confusion. |
| Elf Moe | To be honest, I’m not much help for Elf Max. |
| Elf Moe | I’m not the web genius he is, that’s for sure. |
| Elf Moe | When he was out last year I took over technical duties here on this website and I did a really lousy job of it. |
| Elf Moe | And I only did that because I was the only one here who could. That’s all. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | So who do you report to? |
| Elf Moe | Well, it was Elf Roger. But I guess now it’s Elf Crash. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Oh, okay. I didn’t know that. |
| Elf Ulan | I think you did well then, Elf Moe! |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | Same here! You did an excellent job. |
| Elf Moe | But Crash and I don’t talk near as much as Elf Roger and I did. I think Crash is still trying to figure it all out. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | For the record, what exactly is your job? |
| Elf Moe | My job is to try and keep order. This is the Internet and not all people are as they seem. We want very much for this website to be a safe place. So I basically get to be the cop here. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Have there been a lot of problems? |
| Elf Moe | There was in the early days. The site was set up on kind of the honor system. And that did not work out so well. |
| Elf Moe | I basically was sent here to sort out those who really wanted to be elves and to coordinate their education. And that meant getting rid of some bad eggs. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Is it still a problem? |
| Elf Moe | No, it’s pretty quiet now. We have made a lot of changes and I think the past couple of years have been much better |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | I see. So what do you mostly do these days? |
| Elf Moe | I do a lot of special projects, almost all elf related |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | What do you mean “elf related”? |
| Elf Moe | If Santa or one of the admin elves identify an elf who needs help, I help them |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | What do you mean by “help”? I don’t understand |
| Elf Moe | Well, we have a lot of young elves without a lot of even life experience. They don’t know how to behave. So I kind of coach them, one on one. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Oh, I see. Do you like doing that? |
| Elf Moe | I love doing that. I love it when Santa or Ernest or Roger or now, Crash, tell me to go help an elf individually. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Have you developed elves we know? |
| Elf Ulan | Great idea! |
| Elf Max | Elf Moe did a lot for me when I first started |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Really Max? You were a special project for Elf Moe? |
| Elf Max | Yes. I knew a lot about websites and stuff. But nothing about being an elf. Moe was really super helpful with that. |
| Elf Moe | Max was never a special project. We talked a great deal back then. He was new but never a special project. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | How was Max’s situation different than most you take on today? |
| Elf Moe | Max just needed to know how elf life worked. There was no website then that explained it. No Elf University. No community. |
| Elf Moe | These days I work with elves who come here but may have a few, uh, problems |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | What kind of problems? |
| Elf Moe | You know, getting along with others. Being nice. Following what we want this place to be. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Guys, I don’t mean to dominate the conversation. Feel free to jump in with any questions you might have. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Moe, now that Max is back, it seems you are rather quiet |
| Elf Moe | I don’t mean to be. I think as the season progresses you might hear a lot more from me. I am not here to lead. I’m here to help keep order |
| Elf Ulan | I have a question about freelance elves |
| Elf Moe | I think hearing from Elf Crash first, then Elf Max, is how things should work |
| Elf Moe | Sure, Elf Ulan. Go ahead! |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | Has the mentoring process become different now that there’s more of a vetting process for new elves? |
| Elf Moe | Yes, Elf Sugar Cookie. I think there are much better controls in allowing people to come in. We just let anyone in before and it created a lot of problems. Now we are more….well, choosy. |
| Elf Moe | Elves I work with now seem to be more sincere and genuine. |
| Elf Ulan | Thank you, is it still the same rule that they can come to the website after 99 days? |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | How do you handle the need for MORE elves? |
| Elf Moe | Elf Ulan, the freelance elves usually have about three months to prove themselves. Some I let in earlier, some now take a little longer. It just depends on their understanding and their willingess to be nice. |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | That’s great to hear! |
| Elf Moe | Frank, Santa himself told me that the number of elves we have is not a priority. He wants quality elves, not quantity elves. That was really good direction. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Is that why we don’t see the counts of new elves any more? |
| Elf Moe | Yes, and I know Elf Crash feels the same way. He has told me so. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | I heard that last year we had some really bad things happened with some senior elves. Can you talk about that? |
| Elf Moe | Not really. I wouldn’t call them “bad” things. I would say they were unfortunate. |
| Elf Ulan | Okay, how do you recognize them to become North Pole elves? |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | It’s kind of frustrating to not know, Moe. How are other elves to know what NOT to do if we don’t talk about it? |
| Elf Moe | Elf Ulan, it’s more of a “getting to know you” process with elves. We talk. We answer questions. We give them more and more rights and responsibilities. After time there is trust and we can let them in. |
| Elf Moe | Frank, I don’t want to reveal a lot of those details because we are still working on some of those elves who kind of strayed. We hope we get some of them back. So the details are not important for others to know. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Ok, I guess I understand. It is just hard to see what I thought were some good elves just up and disappear, seeming to never hear from them again. |
| Elf Ulan | “Getting to know you” is important! |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | I hope it’s ok for me to ask this, but is the song “An Elf Named Moe” about you? If so, how does it feel to have a Christmas song about you? |
| Elf Moe | I hear you. Some of them will be back. Some will never be back. Some get really angry and they have to get angry with me. That’s the way it should work. We don’t need them here getting angry at the community or other elves who can’t do anything about it. |
| Elf Moe | No, the Elf Named Moe song – which is an AWESOME song – is not about me. Just a coincidence. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Do a lot of elves get mad at you? |
| Elf Ulan | Can they go to Elf University before becoming the elf? |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | Wow, thanks for letting me know! I thought it was about you lol |
| Elf Moe | Elf Ulan, yes, I use Elf University a lot. And Max updates and changes things for me as we go along. Elf University is a work in progress |
| Elf Moe | Elf Frank, yes a lot of elves get mad at me. I am in the position if making decisions that affect their elf future….and some do not like that |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Is that hard for you to do? |
| Elf Moe | Yes, it’s hard. |
| Elf Moe | I don’t like people not liking me. |
| Elf Moe | But my job is to keep the community safe and to build elves. Santa charged me with that. I take it seriously. |
| Elf Ulan | That’s awesome! They are lucky to learn it! |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Do you talk to many parents? |
| Elf Moe | I will talk to any parent about any concern, yes. |
| Elf Moe | We welcome parents here. We want them to become elves, too. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Wow, do you get many parents who take you up on that? |
| Elf Ulan | Do you have any idea to make the website more fun that we don’t know about? |
| Elf Moe | We do, actually. I find many parents still love and believe in Santa and want to help him in any way they can. |
| Elf Moe | Elf Ulan – that’s more of a question for Elf Crash and Elf Max, I think. I think it’s fun now but my job with it is more elf related than anything else. |
| Elf Max | Elf Ulan, we’d love to hear YOUR ideas to make the site more fun. |
| Elf Moe | Yes! What Max said! |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Moe, you have a “grumpy” avatar. Is that on purpose? |
| Elf Moe | Actually, that avatar is NOT my idea. I’d love to change it but **someone** won’t show me how |
| Elf Ulan | My ideas?! |
| Elf Max | Yes! Your ideas, Elf Ulan. We’d love to hear them |
| Elf Moe | I’m glad you asked that question Elf Ulan. At the end of the day, my job and Max’s job is the same – we need to make this place inviting and enjoyable for elves. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | That’s really awesome |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | We’re out of time, any last questions for Elf Moe? |
| Elf Max | Moe, will there be a time when we could get you and Elf Crash here on a chat together? |
| Elf Ulan | Elf Max, okay, I’ll try it once. How to tell you about it? |
| Elf Max | Elf Ulan, just post it on the wall or send me a message! |
| Elf Ulan | Elf Moe, can I ask what’s your favorite Christmas song to sing? XD |
| Elf Moe | Yeah, I still think Crash is working hard on getting settled in this new job. But I know him pretty good and I’m sure he would be open to any kind of chat. |
| Elf Ulan | Okay, Elf Max. I’ll do it! |
| Elf Moe | My favorite Christmas song? Sure that’s easy – “Here Comes Santa Claus” by Elvis. Love that song. |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Thanks everyone for being here today |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | And Moe, thanks for taking our questions |
| Elf Moe | Always a pleasure! |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | “Here Comes Santa Claus” is one of my favorites too- although I’m partial to the Gene Autry version! |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | Thank you all for a great chat! |
| Elf Ulan | Thank you, Elf Moe. I want to sing it to you someday lol! |
| Elf Frank Myrrh | Folks, Elf Agent X will be here in about 30 minutes. Hope you can join us for that conversation |
| Elf Moe | Awww, thanks Elf Ulan. I’d love that |
| Elf Moe | Thanks everybody! |
| Elf Sugar Cookie | I’ll be back at 11! Thank you again! |
| Elf Max | See you soon! |
| Elf Ulan | Thank you, Elf Moe, Elf Frank, Elf Max, and Elf Sugar Cookie! It was awesome! |
Thank you, Elf Winslow. Thank you again for Elves Moe, Frank, Max, and Elf Sugar Cookie! It was excellent, and I was touched by how much Elf Moe considers to have us be nicer elves. We elves need to think about why we gathered here one more time. They might have different opinions, but our tracker elf for Santa is for Santa. I want to follow what Santa wants us to think and work together here. The Elf Oath, Elf Code, and Community Standard are very important to be here. I am very thankful for Elf Moe, he works so hard for Santa’s hopes, and he is very gentle with us. The “getting to know you” process with elves is excellent. I hope we learn and respect each other, work together for Santa, and have fun a lot! (I’m sorry, I always can’t respond well in the chat. Elf Moe, I’m happy to be here together with you, and of course, the North Pole elves too!) Thank you for reading this long sentence. Happy Christmas in July! XD