Post by Shoju on Aug 31, 2011 10:59:33 GMT -5
This is going to be a massive wall of text.
Yes. I expect you to read it.
In recent weeks, there has been an influx of here-say rumors and relatively negative things directed at the staff of the boards here. As an admin, I believe it is my responsibility to set the record straight.
First. Some background
(you don't have to read this part, but it will give you some perspective)
Do you know how I became an Admin? It wasn't because I'm RL friends with ANYONE. I actually, don't know a single person on this board IRL. So, lets dispel that notion right now. I didn't end up as an admin because "I know someone". I got here, as a testament to my love for these forums.
When these forums started out, i was just a lowly Spider member. I didn't start as a mod. Actually, when these boards started out, and for a little while in the beginning we (the spider) didn't have a mod. I kept waiting for something to happen to get a spider mod, and nothing did. So I started bugging Setsuro about it. When I was satisfied with what I needed to do, I put the ball into motion with the Spider Members to get a mod.
I PM'd every single spider member who had an account at the time, and told them, we need a mod. We need someone to speak up for us. I had compiled a short list of 3-4 people who were the most active on the boards as spider, then I checked in my private forum to see if there was anyone else interested. With my list complete, I again PM'd every single spider member, and put it to a vote. In the end, I won by a single vote, while abstaining from the voting process completely. I PM'd Setsuro, let him know the results, with a link to the results of the poll to show that I had in no way shape or form voted in the poll.
My first week as Mod, I wasn't sure it was something I should be doing. I had a completely different opinion of what I thought should happen in the first "thing" to happen after I was appointed 2 star mod status than the rest of the mods.
A couple months, and a thousand posts later, Setsuro felt that I would make a good admin for the boards I'm on here a lot, I RP a ton, and I love the community. A voila! a new admin was born.
I have from that point on been a little hesitant, and not really pushed my admin status. I tend to listen and be patient unless the need arises, and at this point, The need for me to stand up and put my foot down is apparent.
What a Moderator is:
This is the point where you need to read on from if you wanted to skip the background info
Click Here for an understanding on the ranks of Moderators here on the boards
We are the "rules enforcement" of the boards. We are not narrators. We are not Story Tellers. We are players, just like you. I have an EE account on the Facebook game just like you. Before I was a mod / admin here on the boards, I had a one star account, just like you. We are here to make sure that this board runs smoothly, that rules are followed, that people aren't cheating, and that people aren't god moding / metagaming.
We are RPing on this board the same as you. We aren't in charge of the game. We don't have Jay's ear bent to our whims and desires. I have no more pull with Jay on the story or setting than you do. Trust me.
Some of you may think that we are narrators and story tellers because you see moderators leading RP's. Several of us are just very active members of the community. This is part of the reason that we ended up in the roles that we are in. We LOVE this community. We are allowed (and I think to an extent expected) to RP, to be active in the community. We aren't the secret police trying to take you away. We are average joes and janes like you guys, wanting to RP and have some fun. We are here to advance our character through RP just like everyone else.
Some of you may think that we PM to much with other players. I'm here to tell you. In my RP's, if I think something needs discussed with a player, I'm going to PM them. I don't RP in PM's, but I will ask you for favors, questions, plot plans, etc... in PM's. Case in Point, in my first major "combat" RP involving other players, I pm'd Shinjo Roku and asked him if I could injure him as part of the story. That was talked about. That way it wasn't a surprise twist to the player.
Some people on the boards are actually RL Friends. I don't expect mods to just not "talk" with their friend because they are friends and one is or isn't a Mod. That is ridiculous to even think. RL > EE Board.
What a Moderator IS NOT
This is pretty important
We are not
What Moderators / Admins Expect from you.
We expect players to read. We expect you to read rules, read posts, etc...
We expect you to understand that while the forums "officially" are english speaking, English is not everyone's "primary" language and at times, things may be misunderstood due to this.
We expect you to
I don't expect you to "post X amount of times" I don't expect you to RP. I would REALLY like it if you did RP, but it isn't a requirement to be a part of this forum community.
I don't expect you to cause problems. I don't expect you to throw a fit when I explain a decision to you. I don't expect that you will go storm off and pout.
DISCLAIMER
If a situation has come up in this Post that seems similar to an interaction you had with an me, chances are, your situation was used as an "example". Sorry, this is a small community, I have to use the examples I have. I don't mean anything negative by it. If you take it negatively, I do apologize. It is not my intent. I don't mean to single you out.
To this end, I have left all names, references to names / clans, etc... out of the examples used in this post on purpose If, someone finds out that it was "you", well... its not because I told them, or anyone else.
EDIT:
I plan to leave this post open for discussion, but if that discussion gets out of hand, posts will be deleted and the thread locked. This is primarily for information purposes only.
Yes. I expect you to read it.
In recent weeks, there has been an influx of here-say rumors and relatively negative things directed at the staff of the boards here. As an admin, I believe it is my responsibility to set the record straight.
First. Some background
(you don't have to read this part, but it will give you some perspective)
Do you know how I became an Admin? It wasn't because I'm RL friends with ANYONE. I actually, don't know a single person on this board IRL. So, lets dispel that notion right now. I didn't end up as an admin because "I know someone". I got here, as a testament to my love for these forums.
When these forums started out, i was just a lowly Spider member. I didn't start as a mod. Actually, when these boards started out, and for a little while in the beginning we (the spider) didn't have a mod. I kept waiting for something to happen to get a spider mod, and nothing did. So I started bugging Setsuro about it. When I was satisfied with what I needed to do, I put the ball into motion with the Spider Members to get a mod.
I PM'd every single spider member who had an account at the time, and told them, we need a mod. We need someone to speak up for us. I had compiled a short list of 3-4 people who were the most active on the boards as spider, then I checked in my private forum to see if there was anyone else interested. With my list complete, I again PM'd every single spider member, and put it to a vote. In the end, I won by a single vote, while abstaining from the voting process completely. I PM'd Setsuro, let him know the results, with a link to the results of the poll to show that I had in no way shape or form voted in the poll.
My first week as Mod, I wasn't sure it was something I should be doing. I had a completely different opinion of what I thought should happen in the first "thing" to happen after I was appointed 2 star mod status than the rest of the mods.
A couple months, and a thousand posts later, Setsuro felt that I would make a good admin for the boards I'm on here a lot, I RP a ton, and I love the community. A voila! a new admin was born.
I have from that point on been a little hesitant, and not really pushed my admin status. I tend to listen and be patient unless the need arises, and at this point, The need for me to stand up and put my foot down is apparent.
What a Moderator is:
This is the point where you need to read on from if you wanted to skip the background info
Click Here for an understanding on the ranks of Moderators here on the boards
We are the "rules enforcement" of the boards. We are not narrators. We are not Story Tellers. We are players, just like you. I have an EE account on the Facebook game just like you. Before I was a mod / admin here on the boards, I had a one star account, just like you. We are here to make sure that this board runs smoothly, that rules are followed, that people aren't cheating, and that people aren't god moding / metagaming.
We are RPing on this board the same as you. We aren't in charge of the game. We don't have Jay's ear bent to our whims and desires. I have no more pull with Jay on the story or setting than you do. Trust me.
Some of you may think that we are narrators and story tellers because you see moderators leading RP's. Several of us are just very active members of the community. This is part of the reason that we ended up in the roles that we are in. We LOVE this community. We are allowed (and I think to an extent expected) to RP, to be active in the community. We aren't the secret police trying to take you away. We are average joes and janes like you guys, wanting to RP and have some fun. We are here to advance our character through RP just like everyone else.
Some of you may think that we PM to much with other players. I'm here to tell you. In my RP's, if I think something needs discussed with a player, I'm going to PM them. I don't RP in PM's, but I will ask you for favors, questions, plot plans, etc... in PM's. Case in Point, in my first major "combat" RP involving other players, I pm'd Shinjo Roku and asked him if I could injure him as part of the story. That was talked about. That way it wasn't a surprise twist to the player.
Some people on the boards are actually RL Friends. I don't expect mods to just not "talk" with their friend because they are friends and one is or isn't a Mod. That is ridiculous to even think. RL > EE Board.
What a Moderator IS NOT
This is pretty important
We are not
- Biased AGAINST clans.
Every single clan is entitled to a 2 star mod. We have made this point clear. If your clan doesn't have a 2 star mod, and you need help figuring out how to get one, then PM ME I can go into more detail for you on how to do that, and we can get it started for you. If your clan doesn't have a voice in moderation, I understand why you would think that there is some bias against you. The truth is, there is NO BIAS, and the only way to prove that is for you to get your 2 star clan mod appointed, and into the process. - Biased FOR Clans
Every Clan is entitled to a 2 star mod. The mods and admins above and beyond that are chosen at Setsuro's discretion. Why do the Scorpion have 3 mods? Because Senshi and Haruka are 3 star mods that were picked for the job by Setsuro. Kiso is their clan mod. - Strictly Storytellers who aren't allowed to be included in the game
I covered this above to a degree, but I want to really drive this point home. We are regular players, who have been chosen either by our peers, or by Setsuro as players who will represent and uphold the ideals of the board. We have been asked to step up and take a more active role in the community, and help ensure that there are no problems. We get no 'pay' or 'compensation' or 'extra fun stuff' for being a mod or admin. I do however dedicate more of my time to other parts of the forums than just the parts that I'm interested in / RPing in currently now that I'm a mod / admin. I do have to make sure that I answer all the questions that are asked of me, investigate all the claims of impropriety made. - Some Evil Force out to ruin your fun
Some people have claimed that the mods here brandish their power in a way that you don't like. If you receive a response from a Mod / Admin that you don't appreciate / like / find offensive, there are things you can do to rectify this situation. None of them involve pming other members of the board who are not involved and complaining about it. That will actually make the situation worse.
If you receive a PM from a Mod / Admin that you think is inappropriate, the first thing you should do, is try to discuss it with the mod. If that doesn't work, you need to look at the chain of command. If it was a 2 star mod and you feel that the problem isn't being addressed, you go to a 3 star mod, and then an admin if that doesn't work. If it is an admin, then you would need to talk to another admin.
If you ask me a question, and I respond by saying that isn't allowed because of rule X and will not be tolerated, the reason is pretty simple. I don't want you to think I meant anything different. I'm not threatening you. I'm not saying "RAWR!!!!!!! I"M A BIG GIANT JERK WAVING MAH POWERS TO BAN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm not even saying "I'm going to ban you." I'm simply saying, based on the information you have given me, what you are asking to do is unacceptable, and you should not do that. I'm just saying it in a way that makes sure you don't have any questions. In a community that encompasses players from at least 4 continents, 7 countries, and 4 different primary languages, of which, I only speak English and Spanish (mediocre at best) I need to make sure when I say No, it is understood.
What Moderators / Admins Expect from you.
We expect players to read. We expect you to read rules, read posts, etc...
We expect you to understand that while the forums "officially" are english speaking, English is not everyone's "primary" language and at times, things may be misunderstood due to this.
We expect you to
- Follow the rules.
- Respect the other players, even if you don't agree with them.
- Follow the Mod Chain if and when you do have a problem.
- Talk things over with people, and try to keep things civil.
- Have Fun.
I don't expect you to "post X amount of times" I don't expect you to RP. I would REALLY like it if you did RP, but it isn't a requirement to be a part of this forum community.
I don't expect you to cause problems. I don't expect you to throw a fit when I explain a decision to you. I don't expect that you will go storm off and pout.
DISCLAIMER
If a situation has come up in this Post that seems similar to an interaction you had with an me, chances are, your situation was used as an "example". Sorry, this is a small community, I have to use the examples I have. I don't mean anything negative by it. If you take it negatively, I do apologize. It is not my intent. I don't mean to single you out.
To this end, I have left all names, references to names / clans, etc... out of the examples used in this post on purpose If, someone finds out that it was "you", well... its not because I told them, or anyone else.
EDIT:
I plan to leave this post open for discussion, but if that discussion gets out of hand, posts will be deleted and the thread locked. This is primarily for information purposes only.
