Author Topic: We Need Leadership  (Read 16897 times)

Offline G4RG0YLE

  • Elder Grey Pelt
  • ****
  • Posts: 3,431
  • Country: gb
  • Floof-O-Meter: 170
  • Avatar © Felicia on Discord ♡
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #60 on: April 16, 2021, 04:33:56 pm »
Don't apologise! I'm glad I could elaborate for you to better understand. <3
How unfortunate that they declined the Administrator role... why that is, is none of my business of course. Hopefully someone will take it up very soon.

© short ' cakes on Discord ♡

SpicyDirt

  • Guest
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #61 on: April 16, 2021, 04:38:04 pm »
Quote
I have my own personal recommendations on who I would love to see as an Admin, but sadly they have already declined.

I thought only [current] staff members are promoted to become Global Mods/Admins?

Can members vote on who can be our next Admin? Or at least, give names who can be the next Admin?

Honestly I'd love the community to have a hand in that - but I am not sure how everyone else would like to see that happen. I'll bring it up to the others though!

Ironic

  • Guest
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #62 on: April 16, 2021, 04:40:19 pm »
Quote
I have my own personal recommendations on who I would love to see as an Admin, but sadly they have already declined.

I thought only [current] staff members are promoted to become Global Mods/Admins?

Can members vote on who can be our next Admin? Or at least, give names who can be the next Admin?

Honestly I'd love the community to have a hand in that - but I am not sure how everyone else would like to see that happen. I'll bring it up to the others though!
Thank you again, Spicy c:

Offline DylanCheetah

  • The Ice Prince
  • Dedicated Supporter
  • ***
  • Posts: 467
  • Country: us
  • Floof-O-Meter: 73
  • Stand up for what is right!
    • DylanCheetah
    • channel/UCqd67NThdXJwpXimwYb3kaQ
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #63 on: April 16, 2021, 08:02:52 pm »
Perhaps we can all take the time to be more respectful of everyone and be more clear about what we are actually talking about. And not be so quick to lash out with personal attacks on people that we disagree with or misunderstand like what has happened in the past.

Offline G4RG0YLE

  • Elder Grey Pelt
  • ****
  • Posts: 3,431
  • Country: gb
  • Floof-O-Meter: 170
  • Avatar © Felicia on Discord ♡
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #64 on: April 16, 2021, 08:06:40 pm »
No personal attacks have been launched and doesn't seem to be any rudeness going on?
This thread is probably the most civilised as we can make it as the waters of the topic are wild due to the variation of opinions and views.

I've not seen anyone lash out. Only people being a little more elaborative is we can all understand where we're coming from when we make specific points.

© short ' cakes on Discord ♡

Offline DylanCheetah

  • The Ice Prince
  • Dedicated Supporter
  • ***
  • Posts: 467
  • Country: us
  • Floof-O-Meter: 73
  • Stand up for what is right!
    • DylanCheetah
    • channel/UCqd67NThdXJwpXimwYb3kaQ
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #65 on: April 16, 2021, 08:21:22 pm »
I said "in the past". Not "now". XD

Offline Ame88

  • ❄✧❄✧❄✧❄✧❄✧❄✧❄✧❄ Winter is a .' - ` , ' - . ` timeless ' , ` - '. ` , - ' . season. - ', - ` , ' - . ` , Everything ' , ` - . ' , ` . freezes. `_,_'_-_._`_,_-
  • Admin
  • Elder Grey Pelt
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,139
  • Country: us
  • Floof-O-Meter: 216
  • Yeah I believe in Bigfoot. Nessi and Kovu too!
    • Ame88thewolf
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #66 on: April 16, 2021, 08:21:53 pm »
I don't have much to say as the other staffers have stated/explained a lot of things very well. There are a few things I'd like to clear up, however

There have been claims of wrongful bans being handed out, as well as in-game kicks, etc. and there was even plenty of pages of evidence to prove this, Tumblr/deviantArt being the most popular. Of course, these situations were denied & ignored.

Users have claimed to be banned for "no reason" from the start of the game. Staff always save screenshot evidence whenever a user is punished for breaking rules. We encourage users to contact us to clarify any questions they may have. However, many players never contact us and go straight to telling their friends or mention it on their dA, Tumblr, etc. These posts rarely include legitimate evidence. The reason why staff don't respond to them is due to our punishment policy: we do not share any information with anyone except privately with the affected player. We want to help our players, but it is not our responsibility to scour the internet for these claims and explain the reasoning to the user. Not only is it impossible to find every single one, but the player should have received their reasoning as they got booted from the game to begin with. If a player has questions, our inboxes are always open and we are happy to assist
These policies have been in effect since the beginning of the game and have been enforced until today, and will continue to be enforced

This is because there have been wrongful punishments handed out & this has been an ongoing issue for several years.
You state that your inboxes are open but again, I'd like to point out that a lot of Staff over the years have not made themselves sound approachable - while I'm certain they attempt to encourage communicative behaviour. Not all Staff come across this way but FH's audience is typically very young and they easily misunderstand the tone behind text and the sudden ban/kick messages that pop up... for some, it's quite scary (although I accept the fact that it's necessary).

It's not the policies being enforced that's the problem.

We're not saying wrongful bans haven't happened, we are not denying it by any means. There is a very probable chance that it has happened in the past, however as Kiki had already explained earlier, if the case is brought to us, we will all talk about it and look over the evidence to see if their ban was wrongfully placed or not. It is entirely up the the player to approach us about their issue, regardless of if they may feel intimidated or not. No matter what we do, no matter how nice we try to come across, there will still be players out there who will feel intimidated and not want to contact us. No this is not an excuse to not be friendly/approachable, it's simply just the nature of being a member of staff of any place.



Quote
I have my own personal recommendations on who I would love to see as an Admin, but sadly they have already declined.

I thought only [current] staff members are promoted to become Global Mods/Admins?

Can members vote on who can be our next Admin? Or at least, give names who can be the next Admin?

First I'mma quote a little snippet from out MOD FAQ + Information thread~

⁃ Staff promotion to positions with higher responsibility (such as admin & or global moderator) are most often progressive and granted upon the individual’s ability to manage the increased responsibilities expected within these positions. Regardless of seniority admin and or global moderator positions should not be expected as a given as they are roles assigned due to certain qualities not a reward.

Generally when it comes to an admin position, Raz will more than likely be the one to choose who will be placed into this position. Gaining an admin position, as stated above, comes from an individual's skills on managing the added responsibilities of said roles, be it through setting up annual community parties, events, contests, seasonal MOTS votings/nominations n all that lovely shtuffs, as well as being able to help lead their fellow moderators and assess situations that may come up within the team.

It would be very lovely to see the community play a part in picking a new admin, however this position needs to be considered carefully as it comes with great responsibility and power. A choice like this does take time and I really appreciate everyone's patience. It means a lot.



Perhaps we can all take the time to be more respectful of everyone and be more clear about what we are actually talking about. And not be so quick to lash out with personal attacks on people that we disagree with or misunderstand like what has happened in the past.


No personal attacks have been launched and doesn't seem to be any rudeness going on?
This thread is probably the most civilised as we can make it as the waters of the topic are wild due to the variation of opinions and views.

I've not seen anyone lash out. Only people being a little more elaborative is we can all understand where we're coming from when we make specific points.

Ye we're all just discussing things. Thank you Dylan for the reminder, though. It is always important to take a moment before responding in a way that could come off as rude or harsh- not saying that anyone here has.

Profile picture by Telluric
Thank you ;u;
Bio | My Creations
Renegade Row | FeralHeart Resort

Offline G4RG0YLE

  • Elder Grey Pelt
  • ****
  • Posts: 3,431
  • Country: gb
  • Floof-O-Meter: 170
  • Avatar © Felicia on Discord ♡
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #67 on: April 16, 2021, 08:22:16 pm »
OH. SORRY!
My bad my bad, I misread what you were trying to say.

© short ' cakes on Discord ♡

Offline DylanCheetah

  • The Ice Prince
  • Dedicated Supporter
  • ***
  • Posts: 467
  • Country: us
  • Floof-O-Meter: 73
  • Stand up for what is right!
    • DylanCheetah
    • channel/UCqd67NThdXJwpXimwYb3kaQ
    • View Profile
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #68 on: April 16, 2021, 08:26:50 pm »
OH. SORRY!
My bad my bad, I misread what you were trying to say.

It is fine. Nobody is perfect.

Offline Kerriki

  • Band Geek
  • Immortal Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,670
  • Country: us
  • Floof-O-Meter: 371
  • Who needs furniture when you have the floor?
    • Kikiorylandia
    • View Profile
    • DeviantART
Re: We Need Leadership
« Reply #69 on: April 19, 2021, 01:56:09 am »
I don't have much to say as the other staffers have stated/explained a lot of things very well. There are a few things I'd like to clear up, however

There have been claims of wrongful bans being handed out, as well as in-game kicks, etc. and there was even plenty of pages of evidence to prove this, Tumblr/deviantArt being the most popular. Of course, these situations were denied & ignored.

Users have claimed to be banned for "no reason" from the start of the game. Staff always save screenshot evidence whenever a user is punished for breaking rules. We encourage users to contact us to clarify any questions they may have. However, many players never contact us and go straight to telling their friends or mention it on their dA, Tumblr, etc. These posts rarely include legitimate evidence. The reason why staff don't respond to them is due to our punishment policy: we do not share any information with anyone except privately with the affected player. We want to help our players, but it is not our responsibility to scour the internet for these claims and explain the reasoning to the user. Not only is it impossible to find every single one, but the player should have received their reasoning as they got booted from the game to begin with. If a player has questions, our inboxes are always open and we are happy to assist
These policies have been in effect since the beginning of the game and have been enforced until today, and will continue to be enforced

This is because there have been wrongful punishments handed out & this has been an ongoing issue for several years.
...
It's not the policies being enforced that's the problem.

The point I was trying to make with stating our policies is that behind every punishment, staff have screenshot evidence to back it up. If a user approaches us stating their ban is wrongfully placed, we are able to show them their actions that led to the ban. Not only that, but users rarely provide legitimate evidence to support their claims. It is for these reasons cases are closed. Unless a user supplies sufficient evidence, their punishment will remain in place as we cannot go off of word of mouth or otherwise illegitimate evidence alone
You were on the staff team for a very short portion of FH's history -- you cannot verify your claim that this has been happening for a long time. I can assure you cases of wrongfully placed bans are very rare. You're exaggerating this to look like a bigger issue than it really is, or has been
If our policies aren't the problem, I encourage you to tell us what it is


When I talk about wrongful kicks & bans being handed out, I had to speak generally. I don't think the specific members of Staff that I know and have seen evidence of them doing this, would appreciate being named, as some people that linger in these forums for hateful purposes may slander them elsewhere.

Staff are people, just like the rest of the community. We do make mistakes. In the event that it does happen, it is reviewed, discussed, and fixed within the staff, and the affected player is contacted about any decisions and other new information
Outright wrongfully placed bans are rare. However, if a user strongly feels their case is an exception, they are to contact staff with evidence, and it will be handled privately

You & I both know that this isn't the entire truth.
During my time on the Team, bans were placed against players that then went on to challenge the case & that case was entirely ignored or met with a 'they're always a trouble-maker, just ignore them, kicking up a fuss as always' amongst the Team themselves.

Again, you're making this out that this is a bigger issue than it is. While you were on the team, all punishments issued should have had evidence to support them just as staff had always done. Not once during that time did a user provide legitimate evidence against their issued punishment
New staff are taught to uphold respect and professionalism when interacting with any member of the community. If it's a case of handling a repetitive troublemaker trying to cause problems or prematurely get back to the game, we are simply stricter with them. It's these types of cases you may be remembering -- you're also aware we do not tolerate users attempting to get out of their ban before it expires


This hasn't been a continuous cycle and I'm sure this has changed over the past 2-3 years, but the fact that it was a thing in the first place is what causes concern on my end.

If you truly believe it's not a current issue, why keep bringing it up? This thread is about the present

This is also a Leadership issue (to keep it related to the original topic). While we were all trained in some way, some of us were trained by one person with a specific way of doing things, while others were trained by someone else. & To add, they trained by what they thought was the best way to train, there was no step-by-step training guide for them to follow to ensure everyone received the same training.
I don't know if this has changed or will change, but I sincerely hope so if not done already.

Our policies have been passed down from staffer to staffer, and an eligible staffer will be taught how to train incoming MITs. All training every MIT has received, regardless of who taught them, stems back to one person's teachings at the end of the day. If staff feel a specific policy/approach is no longer effective, it will be reviewed by the team and a new "guide" will be decided and effective immediately

I will quote this idea that I'd placed, as I've nothing else to say on the matter and, the point still stands:

Another issue I'd like to bring to the table is Training of Staff.
I don't doubt that Staff receive a very professional method of training. But I, for one, didn't during my time of appointment. The training itself was decent but, when I was working with other Staffers, it was clear that someone had been taught one thing and I'd been taught another, so decisions & actions were causing communicative issues & arguments to occur.

I already addressed what happened when you were appointed as a member of staff:

This MIT training system is designed to only have one or two MITs at any given time. This allows for the admins to have the necessary time with their MIT/s to fully educate them in all of our policies/knowledge/etc. Any more than two, and more information may begin to slip between the cracks for some MITs. When you joined the staff team there were more people trying to learn than available to teach. There were policies or other explanations that may have never been fully clarified, despite that we were there to answer questions. It was simply a fault of straining the system.

I'm sure this has been improved since and I've no doubt our current Staff Team are now all on the same boat but, I'd simply like to personally recommend that One specific person is assigned the role of Training new mods. A document should be made regarding topics to cover (i.e When to move threads (giving scenarios for MiTs to practice with, etc.), lock threads, when to warrant a warning via PM in-game or simply just kick/ban and how the context/use of profanity/or other things will equate to ban length) & this document should only be accessible to that person doing the Training, simply to avoid the spread of false information via other Admins/Global/Moderators. That way when things fall out of line, it is down to that Trainer to correct or relay the information back to this document and, you get the jist (hopefully).

If the Trainer later steps down from their position on the Staff team, then this document should be sent to the person taking their place. They should also receive a briefing as to what exactly to say, how to say it, etc.
Recording the training of each MiT could be worth the while, but I wouldn't suggest it be a requirement. More of like an optional recording, so that Administrators & the Server Master can confirm that individual was definitely trained. Just in case they take the wrong steps, yudda yudda.

Reason why the document should only be accessible to that specific Trainer is because I wouldn't want to see it edited by others and it becoming confusing, out of order or deleted by accident, or end up in the hands of the wrong people and then publicised.
Obviously, the Server Master needs to be the only ideal other one to have access to the document, just so Razmirz can overlook exactly what's being said & done, given the fact that he typically approves/disapproves of most if not everything and he also lacks the time to be able to train MiTs himself.
If there are going to be two Administrators again, maybe they can both play a part, but I don't see it being very fitting as they'll have different things to say. Sticking to one is kind of the go-to for now whilst the Team itself is very small.

This is really similar to the system we've had in place for years. Raz doesn't do any training -- it is up to the admins to train MITs. They communicate with one another to make sure they're on the same page with their teachings. When one admin steps down, a new one is appointed and taught how to train. MITs are given practice
As for a document, we did have a thread that was available to all staff with basic guides and explanations. (I cannot recall if it was ever made available to you and the others while you were on the team.) These threads are something I want to keep in practice. They are something all staff are able to view and look back on whenever they need a refresher on a topic. They shouldn't be unavailable to the team, and staffers are aware to not edit/change anything written
Farewell everyone<3