Internet moderation serves the important role of providing fake jobs to people who might otherwise cause serious damage in the real world.

Imagine briefly if your run-of-the-mill mod were in charge of something that could actually affect the lives of real people, say a home owner's association. I for one cringe at the thought. Rules would be randomly enforced and self-perceived enemies of that person would find themselves subject to all manner of harassment. Women on the other hand would probably prosper thanks to a healthy dose of white-knighting (unless the mod in question is a woman, in which case everyone would suffer, particularly the other women in the complex).

If there is one great thing about 4chan it's that the mods are low-key. They don't boast about being mods and if there is drama amongst them or between them and particular users (made difficult by Anonymous) it's very hard to actually see. In the world of say SA, it's pretty well the first thing you notice. It's like having the heads of your enemies on pikes outside your castle/mom's basement.