Ask an Admin, v2.

[Ruby]

One of the coolest moments I ever had on the Guild was when I got a chance to chat with Contra Fates. She even kinda knew who I was, or at least was polite enough to lie about it. All I did was RP, I didn't like the blood sport of Spam and the OOC sections of the forum. There wasn't really a safe place for such members to just go up and chat with one of the Admins if the Admin was available.

I'd like for this thread to be such a place.

This will have similar rules to the Ask a Mod thread. For a refresher of those rules:

• Talk to me, don't address anyone else. At best I will delete the violating posts. At worst you will earn an automatic 24 hour site ban.
• Don't shitpost, don't try to turn it into a meme-fest. At best I will delete the violating posts. At worst you will earn an automatic 24 hour site ban.
• Don't openly criticize specific users. Don't even veiled/generally criticize specific users. Wanna do that, PM me.
• Rules still apply, most specifically don't openly discuss bans, past or present. You can ask about them in PMs if you like.

Unlike last time you can ask me pretty much anything appropriate for a public discussion. Naturally this isn't just me; Mahz or Hank may drop in and provide some answers themselves.

So have at it. I don't expect a huge amount of posts here, so I'll try to keep on top of this thread and answer in a timely manner.

[somnolence]

Ruby,

I don't find RPG a safe place. It's almost dictatorial in the way that members of the Guild are not allowed to have an opinion that in anyway criticizes the moderators. Moderators are ruining the fun of the place, and the only people it is not ruining the fun for are on your good side.

[Ruby]

Ruby,

I don't find RPG a safe place. It's almost dictatorial in the way that members of the Guild are not allowed to have an opinion that in anyway criticizes the moderators. Moderators are ruining the fun of the place, and the only people it is not ruining the fun for are on your good side.

@somnolence

You just had an opinion that criticized the moderators.

Not what the purpose of this thread is for but I don't see any bans coming at you for this post, so...

[somnolence]

<Snipped quote by somnolence>

You just had an opinion that criticized the moderators.

Not what the purpose of this thread is for but I don't see any bans coming at you for this post, so...

@Ruby

So you don't ban me the one time to prove a point, but you banned me several days ago when I criticized the moderators? An admin's purpose is to serve us, not the other way around. If I want to question a ban, I should be allowed to. If I want to criticize PW because I want to enjoy it but can't, I should be allowed to. I shouldn't have to write all this on a fucking alt so I don't have to worry about getting the ban hammer on my original account.

If you don't want me to criticize the moderators in this thread, I'll gladly take it back to the status bar. And if you ban me, I'm sure others will do so in my place.

[Celsius]

Ruby, I am currently running a RP here, and from a couple weeks ago, I find some of my players getting banned. Core players, at that. They were the mood setter for my juvenile RP, and the ban fest on 20 Apr was a huge blow to me.

When I asked the involved players about why they are banned, they said they were just talking about stuff in the status bar.
At first I thought, OK maybe they are problem boys, or maybe they troll the mods too hard. 24 hr of no post should be OK.
But no, 1 of the player got perma-banned, and I need to drop 1 subplot from my RP and scramble to course-correct.

And then today I saw what my player posted in status bar first-hand, and how seemingly arbitrary the banhammer falls.
So I don't know if the admins has some beef with certain players or something, but I don't see why asking about legitimate concerns such as sudden thread deletion (on purpose or otherwise) considered an offense worthy of ban?

I like RPG. They have by far the best layout, and segregation for different writing level is a definitive win for RPG.
But the way this site is run, as some other people has stated before me, I don't feel safe continuing to write here.

[Ruby]

<Snipped quote by Ruby>

So you don't ban me the one time to prove a point, but you banned me several days ago when I criticized the moderators? An admin's purpose is to serve us, not the other way around. If I want to question a ban, I should be allowed to. If I want to criticize PW because I want to enjoy it but can't, I should be allowed to. I shouldn't have to write all this on a fucking alt so I don't have to worry about getting the ban hammer on my original account.

If you don't want me to criticize the moderators in this thread, I'll gladly take it back to the status bar. And if you ban me, I'm sure others will do so in my place.

@somnolence

If you want to discuss bans do it in PMs.

Honestly I can't find anything productive to engage with here. Maybe the address bans bit? Again you can: in PMs with Mahz, or Hank, or myself. That just isn't true that you can't.

[Skullwombat]

Full transparancy: This is Ammokkx. I got banned on my main account for making a status, but I feel like my opinion in all this is relevant because I kicked this off.

I'm going to be frank: I don't like the way Ruby has been moderating these past two weeks. She has banned Odin permanently and Moss for a month, both times for personal reasons despite claiming it's for reasons like "Scaring newcomers" and "Impersonating staff."

The truth of the matter is that neither of these users did anything wrong at the time of their ban and were only targeted because Ruby was particularly irate at that moment. Further, any attempt at disputing this with the current staff will have them vehemently defend her at all costs, including our one other co-Admin.

I fundamnetally disagree with the removal or lock of the discussion thread, because even if it was premature, it fulfilled the purpose of the RP discussion board. The topic was about asking what people want to see in a PW after a perceived shut down, and new points were brought up that hadn't been in previous, similar threads. I, too, made a post in it.

However, my issues with Ruby go far beyond these recent incidents. Most locked discussion threads are directly her doing. She's been the consistent, driving force in stifling the community by making us unable to truly speak our minds. Yes, old threads could get a little toxic, but we tried our best not to let them be. I defended the mods once in past because I thought they were not doing a bad job, but recent events have caused me to think otherwise.

I do not think Ruby is fit to be a mod, much less a co-admin. She is much too emotionally driven, and while bias is always inevitable, she is ruled by it.

I'll be screenshotting this post and passing it around in case it gets deleted, yeet.

[Aqua Regis]

Considering how much of an issue correctly using statuses seem to be to some users, can we just remove them from the front page so that you only see them under a user's profile pic.

This might encourage them to be posts of how people actually are, rather than an RPG twitter for complaints.

[Ruby]

Ruby, I am currently running a RP here, and from a couple weeks ago, I find some of my players getting banned. Core players, at that. They were the mood setter for my juvenile RP, and the ban fest on 20 Apr was a huge blow to me.

When I asked the involved players about why they are banned, they said they were just talking about stuff in the status bar.
At first I thought, OK maybe they are problem boys, or maybe they troll the mods too hard. 24 hr of no post should be OK.
But no, 1 of the player got perma-banned, and I need to drop 1 subplot from my RP and scramble to course-correct.

And then today I saw what my player posted in status bar first-hand, and how seemingly arbitrary the banhammer falls.
So I don't know if the admins has some beef with certain players or something, but I don't see why asking about legitimate concerns such as sudden thread deletion (on purpose or otherwise) considered an offense worthy of ban?

I like RPG. They have by far the best layout, and segregation for different writing level is a definitive win for RPG.
But the way this site is run, as some other people has stated before me, I don't feel safe continuing to write here.

@Celsius

We don't care if people talk about things in the status bar but there are exceptions. Don't talk about bans because the vast majority want to RP and enjoy the site without having to witness someone litigate a ban in public or try to drag site staff into public conflict.

If you want to talk specific bans feel free to PM me. More than happy to discuss them there.

The thread...people asked and they got an answer. In the status bar. If they want to rip into me for that decision that shouldn't happen in the status bar. But to ask a question and get an answer? That happened.

[somnolence]

Productive List of Things I Would Like to Be Implemented:

• Members of the guild should be able to start an anonymous vote to de-moderator a moderator that they think is unfair (about half of the people that participate in the vote)
• Moderators are required to give a three verbal warnings before sniping someone
• We are allowed to question bans publicly, as PMing moderators accomplishes next to nothing
• If the thread isn't a spam thread, then moderators can't delete it unless they have received enough complaints to warrant it

if anyone else has suggestions on how to improve RPG's broken moderating system, i will gladly add it to my list

[Ruby]

Full transparancy: This is Ammokkx. I got banned on my main account for making a status, but I feel like my opinion in all this is relevant because I kicked this off.

I'm going to be frank: I don't like the way Ruby has been moderating these past two weeks. She has banned Odin permanently and Moss for a month, both times for personal reasons despite claiming it's for reasons like "Scaring newcomers" and "Impersonating staff."

The truth of the matter is that neither of these users did anything wrong at the time of their ban and were only targeted because Ruby was particularly irate at that moment. Further, any attempt at disputing this with the current staff will have them vehemently defend her at all costs, including our one other co-Admin.

I fundamnetally disagree with the removal or lock of the discussion thread, because even if it was premature, it fulfilled the purpose of the RP discussion board. The topic was about asking what people want to see in a PW after a perceived shut down, and new points were brought up that hadn't been in previous, similar threads. I, too, made a post in it.

However, my issues with Ruby go far beyond these recent incidents. Most locked discussion threads are directly her doing. She's been the consistent, driving force in stifling the community by making us unable to truly speak our minds. Yes, old threads could get a little toxic, but we tried our best not to let them be. I defended the mods once in past because I thought they were not doing a bad job, but recent events have caused me to think otherwise.

I do not think Ruby is fit to be a mod, much less a co-admin. She is much too emotionally driven, and while bias is always inevitable, she is ruled by it.

I'll be screenshotting this post and passing it around in case it gets deleted, yeet.

@Skullwombat

This entire post is crap. I've never spoken to you before so I'm guessing the people banned were your friends and you're angry about it. Great reason to harass someone you've never spoken to.

[somnolence]

<Snipped quote by Skullwombat>

This entire post is crap. I've never spoken to you before so I'm guessing the people banned were your friends and you're angry about it. Great reason to harass someone you've never spoken to.

@Ruby

So you never spoken to them before, but they were banned? So you banned them without warning them first so they have a chance to cease their actions? Even teachers in kindergarten give warnings.

[Ruby]

Productive List of Things I Would Like to Be Implemented:

• Members of the guild should be able to start an anonymous vote to de-moderator a moderator that they think is unfair (about half of the people that participate in the vote)
• Moderators are required to give a three verbal warnings before sniping someone
• We are allowed to question bans publicly, as PMing moderators accomplishes next to nothing
• If the thread isn't a spam thread, then moderators can't delete it unless they have received enough complaints to warrant it

if anyone else has suggestions on how to improve RPG's broken moderating system, i will gladly add it to my list

@somnolence

Considering how much of an issue correctly using statuses seem to be to some users, can we just remove them from the front page so that you only see them under a user's profile pic.

This might encourage them to be posts of how people actually are, rather than an RPG twitter for complaints.

@Aqua Regis

It's been discussed but the same group would just start going after RP threads. The status bar is just their favorite stage.

[Sep]

I understand frustrations, I've had my own with @Ruby but still, love her.

But perhaps some of these more personal issues should be directed in a PM, screenshot if you want and leave this thread for people bringing up different points rather than the same argumentative points.

[somnolence]

<Snipped quote by somnolence>

<Snipped quote by Aqua Regis>

It's been discussed but the same group would just start going after RP threads. The status bar is just their favorite stage.

@Ruby

I literally never had problems with moderators, breaking rules, or any of that shit until I got banned for making harmless, child-friendly jokes in the status bar WITHOUT WARNING.

[Skullwombat]

<Snipped quote by Skullwombat>

This entire post is crap. I've never spoken to you before so I'm guessing the people banned were your friends and you're angry about it. Great reason to harass someone you've never spoken to.

@Ruby

Literally all I've ever done was shitpost in the status bar. I have not gotten into trouble with a single mod before this point, and I have only gotten into trouble now because I think you are being unjust and unfair to a lot of the userbase. I have not made any attempt at directly harassing you and this is my first alt because I literally could not post on my main account when my opinion on the matter is incredibly poignant.

I have had amicable conversations with both Nutts and Poo about moderation. I think those two do their job in a reasonable and level-headed manner. I do not know enough about Legend, Hank or Stark to make a judgement call on those.

I have, however, seen you moderate. And I do not like it.

I am not trying to "harass" you in any way; I am saying you are unfit for a moderating position. You are too much of an emotional person, and the only reason you started this is because people have given significant pushback on the grounds of not only mine, but Moss' ban as well.

I am also the first person to stick up for Odin as I was the only one who noticed at the time. I think he does deserve a ban, because he has gone out of his way to spam the site with alts and absolutely destroy the bridges with the moderation team, but not permanent, and not for the reasons you banned him. He should be allowed to return to the site, and further, you should have no say in any moderation practices regarding him since it is clear you cannot put aside your bias and moderate him in a reasonable manner.

[Ruby]

<Snipped quote by Ruby>

So you never spoken to them before, but they were banned? So you banned them without warning them first so they have a chance to cease their actions? Even teachers in kindergarten give warnings.

@somnolence

They got a warning.

I meant speak personally.

[Ruby]

<Snipped quote by Ruby>

Literally all I've ever done was shitpost in the status bar. I have not gotten into trouble with a single mod before this point, and I have only gotten into trouble now because I think you are being unjust and unfair to a lot of the userbase. I have not made any attempt at directly harassing you and this is my first alt because I literally could not post on my main account when my opinion on the matter is incredibly poignant.

I have had amicable conversations with both Nutts and Poo about moderation. I think those two do their job in a reasonable and level-headed manner. I do not know enough about Legend, Hank or Stark to make a judgement call on those.

I have, however, seen you moderate. And I do not like it.

I am not trying to "harass" you in any way; I am saying you are unfit for a moderating position. You are too much of an emotional person, and the only reason you started this is because people have given significant pushback on the grounds of not only mine, but Moss' ban as well.

I am also the first person to stick up for Odin as I was the only one who noticed at the time. I think he does deserve a ban, because he has gone out of his way to spam the site with alts and absolutely destroy the bridges with the moderation team, but not permanent, and not for the reasons you banned him. He should be allowed to return to the site, and further, you should have no say in any moderation practices regarding him since it is clear you cannot put aside your bias and moderate him in a reasonable manner.

@Skullwombat

Cool. Nice version of reality.