Staff Suggestions

[Raz]

This thread is not to be mistaken with the Forum Suggestions thread, this is more for posts directed specifically toward the staff to improve future staff-user relations. It's been brought up that some users find staff untrustworthy, lazy, or overall just not communicating with the users. This thread is one of two threads I'll be posting to help repair this. Remember before you post that this thread is not for asking for updates (that's for the other thread i'll be making shortly), but this is for posting suggestions for future updates for our events, and our staff members, and also how we handle things on the forum.
Also also, remember to not forget that we are people too. It's stated in the rules, but there's a difference between being constructive and being a ♥♥♥♥.

[Oranjui]

I hereby nominate Raz and Ven for moderator 2014

[-BY]

From my side asking people to actually make use of this topic. If both sides get their stuff together and work as one, we can see changes taking place much faster. It's about time that this connection was made and am grateful to see Tsu, taking the first step in forming the connection between staff and community.

In short. Applause to anyone.

[Venexis]

Yes. This should have existed a long time ago, heh. But first things first, sticky for this maybe?

Alright, so a pretty big issue is that User Reps are more just.... Us Reps. I know where I stand on an issue, but can I really say I know how the site in general feels about it? To be honest, not really. I think this is because:

• Our interaction with users is casual, and rarely about pressing site matters-
  
  • This only concerns UR responsibilities. Casual conversation on the IRC chat is definitely encouraged, but there's been multiple incidents where a UR could have identified a problem, stepped in, and figured out what both sides want. An example of this would be the LDC arguments of a little while ago, which frankly should never have required a global mod to intervene. I would ask all URs to be more mindful of situations like these, and attempt to mediate the situation in order to present the rest of the staff team with solutions that satisfy both sides.
• Pressing site matters are almost always F23 business and are therefore off limits to talk freely about-
  
  • What a paradox, it effectively prevents a UR from collecting opinions on anything... which is kinda what we're here for, right? I've pushed for this before, and my argument is unchanged- many topics there do not need to be hidden, and would likely do more good if they weren't. It is impossible for a UR to bring any more than his own opinion to the table while also honoring the absolute secrecy of the staff forums. In this case, I would ask staff to seriously consider what really needs to stay hidden and accept that in order to get any kind of user feedback, some things will need to be made common knowledge.
• There's only a few of us, compared to many users across a variety of platforms-
  
  • There's actually very few staff here, compared to the thousands of users who pass through. Most of us have a job or friends or life to deal with in addition to a staff position, and it's just not possible for us to ask what everyone would like to see happen with regards to the site's future. Especially when some users only drop by chat, or the forums, or through various offsite media like Steam. Here, I would like to ask everyone to be more vocal about issues like this, because communication is not just a one way street.

On a different note, I'd really like more accountable staff. There's a Skype chat, an IRC chat, the forums, Steam... let us know what's going on. We'd rather know that you're on vacation or busy with work or just plain lazy than have to guess what happened when you stop interacting with us for a week.

[Raz]

Oh and BTW to the people I promised the other thread today, I'm waiting for the trello to be presentable (which Doram appears to be doing perfectly well at) for me to start the post with something to work off of.

[Supershroom]

An example of this would be the LDC arguments of a little while ago, which frankly should never have required a global mod to intervene.

Well, that stuff only got out of hand as soon as MoD shouted some blunt provocative hostile lines against me and heated up the fire, with the inglorious climax being "wasn't he supposed to be banned if blahblahblah...". In fact, it's good that staff members intervene if arguments get too fervid, because provoking and namecalling and destructive comments really effects nothing good, and therefore I don't do it in any way.

Back on-topic: I've always wondered why regular users aren't allowed to even read what goes on in F23. Maybe that's a good option.

[Raz]

This post by Raz was thumbed up by:

NanTheDark (November 21st, 2014, 8:59 am)

[NanTheDark]

So you guys need another User Rep?

[*Emelia K. Fletcher]

Nah, last I heard no promotions were planned since the issue was less "we need more URs so stuff happens" and more "we need our URs to DO the stuff that happens".

[WickedOreo]

This post by WickedOreo was thumbed up by:

Oranjui (November 26th, 2014, 12:30 pm)