Modding MadSci at &T was pretty awesome. Sometimes I would go weeks without having to do anything more than just contribute to the conversations. Those poor bastards at Bad Ideas though...
True. Depending on the board also makes a big difference, and the boards to moderator ratio is also important. Depending on the situation it can be not much different than being a regular user with the occasional thread clean-up, or a constant struggle to maintain order.
When you really think about it, one of the most difficult things about boards such as this, that appears to possess more freedom than most.. It is those that are run with a heavy hand and a sense of dictatorship that are more likely to thrive and maintain steady content.
Unfortunately, you can't do that here without ruining the idea and failing at the concept. Being a moderator here, I would say is similar to being a government official to the United States... there are people who want the power, people who get the power.. some good.. some bad.. and ultimately, the majority of us hate them all, especially the president/administrator.. It's just a theme that has been played out and ingrained in our social development, and yet.. we accept it, whether it makes sense or not.