They called it 'the worst job in the world' – my life as a Guardian moderator

Comments on the website can exceed 70,000 a day. Yes, there are trolls, but there is also wit, wisdom and a community worth fighting for, says a former moderator

A couple of years ago somebody sent me a link to a tweet. It said: "Moderating comments at the Guardian must be the worst job in the world." Anyone who has spent enough time "below the line" of articles on the Guardian's website will understand the sentiment - you will find rants, bile, insults and plenty of trolling.

You will also find genuine insight and brilliant jokes but, somehow, that is not what people take away. They notice the dark stuff, the words that draw blood. Someone telling you that you are wrong is always going to make a bigger impression than someone who agrees with you. Someone telling you that you are both wrong and, to pick a random example, "an utter fuckwit" will have even more impact.