Please welcome your newest moderator, Lilani!

[Davroth]

It's true that we were told that the Low Content rule was going to be, for lack of a better phrase "less harshly enforced". So what Topaz explained there from a past thread is still true.

Okay, thanks for that. In that case I'll join in the chorus saying that that's one very important edit that needs to go into the COC when it's next altered.

Wait, I feel like I've missed something here. Spill?

Copy-paste posts from a usergroup to another, which the latter had no access too.

That's ... it? Because I've seen that happen before, quite a bit in fact. There are plenty of examples of this happening.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/362.375133-The-Injustice-League?page=8
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/528.860762.21402874
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/528.860762.21537103

Look at all those private group messages getting screengrabbed and posted on the forums. It's hardly a rare occurrence. I've even been the victim of it myself on one occasion (I can't find it now though, I think the thread got deleted).

So forgive me for saying, but this particular misdemeanor is relatively small potatoes.

You are missing the point. Topaz wasn't in the group in question, he utilised his mod powers to look at the quotes and to share them for the purpose of ridiculing. That is a clear misuse of his moderating powers. I don't see how that's even a discussion. You are comparing apples and oranges with the examples you gave of what is supposedly acceptable (something I'd dispute since it skirts dangerously close to inciting a witch hunt, but to each their own I guess).

If someone misuses their mod powers, it just erodes any semblance of trust you could have towards them.

 

[Silence]

It's true that we were told that the Low Content rule was going to be, for lack of a better phrase "less harshly enforced". So what Topaz explained there from a past thread is still true.

Okay, thanks for that. In that case I'll join in the chorus saying that that's one very important edit that needs to go into the COC when it's next altered.

Wait, I feel like I've missed something here. Spill?

Copy-paste posts from a usergroup to another, which the latter had no access too.

That's ... it? Because I've seen that happen before, quite a bit in fact. There are plenty of examples of this happening.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/362.375133-The-Injustice-League?page=8
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/528.860762.21402874
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/528.860762.21537103

Look at all those private group messages getting screengrabbed and posted on the forums. It's hardly a rare occurrence. I've even been the victim of it myself on one occasion (I can't find it now though, I think the thread got deleted).

So forgive me for saying, but this particular misdemeanor is relatively small potatoes.

Just because it was done before, doesn't make it right.

Anyways, all in all, despite a few probably unjustified bans and unbans, the whole situation was pretty funny and ironic.
It was basically someone in the group saying "I think the Brovengers talk about us in their user group" (some believed it, some didn't). Then Topaz copied this as a conspiracy theory into their user group.
Turns out it was true, and all Topaz did was prove it right. And it led to the burning of the old Brovengers.

So yeah, all in all pretty funny stuff. But it still should not happen.

 

[Nomad]

I had a hard time deciding on whether or not I should post this here. On one hand, there's an interesting discussion to be had. On the other hand, the particular discussion I want to latch on to is almost entirely separate from the thread's purpose. We should really have another thread that's actually dedicated to the subject, so we don't keep derailing this one. I would make it myself, but I want to make direct references to posts already made here. Normally I'd advocate splitting the thread, but moderating discussions about moderation rarely ends well.

So, I found the following google doc being shared around twitter and on the aforementioned 8chan thread. (Gotta put this disclaimer here so I don't get accused of "derailing". Oh what the heck, I'll probably get accused of that anyway.)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fqQdl_crDuTdcH4dYelcMBiK1Q0T7gtaWmTPKQy6210/edit

This is some of the most pathetic shit I've seen in a long time.
The "evidence" of "open bias" is a link to a Lilani post from page 1 of the original Zoe Quinn megathread, ... from way back in August.

Clutching at straws much?

That document makes no sense - it mixes legitimate concerns about moderation transparency with registration of views. Number 1 on the list being an example of the former (albeit a really old one), and Lilani's number 6 being an example of the latter. How is that "recording staff mischief", as the twitter post refers to it? Not only are they making the case that moderators can't have opinions, but that they can't ever have had opinions, since they're jumping people for stuff they said before they became moderators. I would also note that they're only registering a very specific type of opinion and not, for instance, the reverse opinion on the same issue.

I simply can't see what point they want to make. The point is obviously not about "good governance", so to speak, since they focus so much on the moderators' personal (and in some cases prior) views of things. The point is obviously not about misrepresentation of the community in the staff or something of the sort either, since they also focus on opaque moderation. The whole thing is so lacking in direction that it's hard to even make a coherent comment on it.

You could get a quick start by cleaning up the image spam love-in that this thread has turned into. Even moderators and their lap dogs should not be above being sanctioned for it.

You know, you're probably getting some leeway for calling half a dozen people "lap dogs" just because you happened to do it in this particular thread, and they don't want to kick the hornets' nest.

 

[Andy Shandy]

snip

Shit that's good, I can do this though!

snip

Now we just need to do AoT just to step on Lilani's toes and we'll bring this thread full circle

So, I found the following google doc being shared around twitter and on the aforementioned 8chan thread. (Gotta put this disclaimer here so I don't get accused of "derailing". Oh what the heck, I'll probably get accused of that anyway.)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fqQdl_crDuTdcH4dYelcMBiK1Q0T7gtaWmTPKQy6210/edit

This is some of the most pathetic shit I've seen in a long time.
The "evidence" of "open bias" is a link to a Lilani post from page 1 of the original Zoe Quinn megathread, ... from way back in August.

Clutching at straws much?

Oh man, that same person is now going around wielding it as some attempt at of a threat at mods

[Tweet t=https://twitter.com/InvisibleJimBSH/status/599863042701164544]

[Tweet t=https://twitter.com/InvisibleJimBSH/status/599876484803784704]

Spoiler: Excuse me for a moment.

 

[Silvanus]

I simply can't see what point they want to make. The point is obviously not about "good governance", so to speak, since they focus so much on the moderators' personal (and in some cases prior) views of things. The point is obviously not about misrepresentation of the community in the staff or something of the sort either, since they also focus on opaque moderation. The whole thing is so lacking in direction that it's hard to even make a coherent comment on it.

It manages to sound bizarrely McCarthyist, too, listing under an individual's "position" the words "Dubious. Likely anti-GG". I half expected to see a referral to the House Un-Gamer Activities Committee. The failure of self-awareness is stunning.

 

[Neonit]

Congratulations, from my experience you seem like a level-headed person and from the available choices you seem like the best choice.
I do think it might be a wrong time, but frankly - i doubt it would become a good time in any foreseeable future.

I guess what im trying to say is - im surprised you accepted.

I do however have to ask, at what point does derailing and offtopic stops being ok? There are a lot of posts here that serve no other purpose that bait, annoy or "rub it in" and i do not think that helps anyone (least of all the new moderator). I know this is offtopic part of the forum but come on....

Sigh, even at this point im wondering if i want to post here, thats the kind of atmosphere we are having here right now.....

down: Thank you

 

[sky14kemea]

snip

fwip

paperclip

Okay guys, maybe take this to PMs or another topic. I know I'm hardly the best to say this but maybe we've derailed enough today?

(That includes the image editing of me. Sorry guys. :C )

 

[RicoADF]

Well, you know what they say, if you can't beat em join em I can't bring myself to leave this place for too long, so when they asked for help I couldn't help but say yes, lol. I will strive to do you all proud!

Congratulations, it's always good to read your comments as they are always well thought out and even if I don't agree with your stance on a topic I can certainly see where your coming from. So how does one become a mod anyway? lol

 

[NewClassic_v1legacy]

As much as I hate to do this, what should be a thread welcoming Lilani has completely gone off the rails. From the Code of Conduct [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/codeofconduct]:

Targeted Harassment & Bullying
Following a user from thread to thread, insulting and harassing specifically them, or sending repeated harassing private messages, is cause for elevated penalties starting with a probation.

Low Content Posts
This could be anything from simply answering a question, posting LOL, "agreed," "this," +1, or even a joking quip. These forums are used for discussion and low content posts halt discussion. In order to participate in conversation one should present an explanation of the reasoning that informs your opinion. "I like pie" isn't an argument. The fact that you like pie is well and good, but why do you like that pie? This explanation offers others an opportunity to respond to your opinion and avoids forum spam.

Pictures, Links and Videos
These will all be considered low content posts if not accompanied by a well thought out opinion, debate or reasoning. Pics, links and videos should help to strengthen your stance or opinion, not the other way around.

While it's understandable that those with which Lilani has had disagreements or arguments will be wary of this transitional period, a "welcome" thread isn't really the place to air grievances. There have been several calls to contact [user]ffronw[/user] and use the Contact Page [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/contact/] for any issues, but it still seems this thread has no shortage of discussion on topics only tangentially related to Lilani, and largely to do with a collective belief that the moderation team is biased. While such topics are important, this is not the place for them.

Further, while low content may not be heavily enforced, there is still an acceptable standard of keeping the discussion lively. Instead, the topic was split, for several pages, between image macros and moderation complaints. When there are entire pages of that sort of thing, something's gone wrong.

Ideally, I'd've loved for this thread to be calm, relaxed, and quietly gone its way into the deeper pages of the forum. Instead, it's now getting locked.

Welcome to the moderation team, Lilani. Try to keep the way off topic stuff to PMs, folks. And any issues with moderation standards should be directed to the Escapist Staff, either by way of messaging or contact page [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/contact/].