Transparency Threads Proposition

[Kazooie]

So! The first thing I had an idea for, before I even got the position, was this topic. The first thing I want to do is create a pair of threads in a section, either News, C/S, or General. If it's placed in General, Dad has offered to help out with the thread as well!

 

One thread would be a locked thread that contains information about mod topics, an example would be what happened with the PR mod election, thoughts about certain bans that may have happened recently, along with giving information about things that certain mods may be going through. Ideally, it's for a little bit of everything that happens, news-wise.

 

The second thread would be an unlocked discussion thread. This would be where members could voice concerns over the topics previously mentioned, along with bringing up new ones that might be needing consideration. It wouldn't take the place of comments and suggestions, the topics being brought up would be brought directly to the mod forum, then the discussions that happened there would be laid out in the locked thread, creating a cycle that would hopefully make the transparency feel less like an issue!

 

There are a couple other things to keep in mind, such as if moderator positions should be kept anonymous until actual decisions are made.

 

What this thread is about is getting your feedback! I want to know what you all would want to see in this thread, along with the viability of a thread like this in your opinion. 

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

There are a couple other things to keep in mind, such as if moderator positions should be kept anonymous until actual decisions are made.

I disagree with this one. The whole PR mod scandal could have been averted if the mods had told us that Hina never stood a chance, Yui had been backstabbed, Giga shot his foot. We could have had alt noms if that was the case. But the mod team did keep it anon and that hurt

[Kazooie]

I disagree with this one. The whole PR mod scandal could have been averted if the mods had told us that Hina never stood a chance, Yui had been backstabbed, Giga shot his foot. We could have had alt noms if that was the case. But the mod team did keep it anon and that hurt

 

I should have been more clear on that one, I worded it poorly... It's not the positions themselves should be kept secret, but if the moderator who has that view should be kept anonymous.

 

Just as a quick example, if one moderator thought that a certain member would be perfect for the job, it could be presented as

 

Moderator 1's Stance: *What they believe here.*

 

Moderator 2's Stance: *Same as above*

 

Obviously keeping the stance itself a secret is a disaster, that's what we're trying to avoid here! What this is about is keeping prejudice against moderators out of the question by not having them named along with the stance when possible. It's something to discuss, not something I'm saying should automatically be included, I want to know opinions on it.

 

My apologies Winter, I thought I worded that properly and I obviously didn't. ^^''

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

So, just to be clear, the second thread exists so that discussion wouldn't dilute the first, correct?

 

In any case, this is a wonderful idea. Giving members an idea of what goes on in the mod forum is important to creating the transparency everyone wants.

[Kazooie]

So, just to be clear, the second thread exists so that discussion wouldn't dilute the first, correct?

 

In any case, this is a wonderful idea. Giving members an idea of what goes on in the mod forum is important to creating the transparency everyone wants.

 

Correct! The first thread would be updated with what discussions were going on in the Mod Forum along with what the stances at the time are, while discussion happens in the second thread. This keeps the first thread from getting cluttered, and the posts can be updated with news on those topics as it happens!

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

I really like this. Not only does it make the team more accountable as a whole, it helps users understand exactly what is going on, so previous issues with members being blindsided by moderator action (recent changes in creative writing, minor site events, and staffing changes all immediately come to mind) are remedied preventatively, rather than explaining things after the fact or in the heat of the moment. It also gives members a block to stand on so they may weigh in on moderator decisions and discussions, without appearing nearly as aggressive or as if they are 'calling out' a certain member, as an independent thread could be interpreted.

 

The degree of anonymity you mentioned is a must, as I see it, since it prevents users from campaigning against a member of staff purely based on their opinions, rather than activity, qualification, and dedication, which are the standards we should judge the team by.

[cr47t]

I like this idea. I wish I knew what the PR scandal was but from what I gather it generated a lot of issues about mod transparency. I feel like this would be a good first step or first try at solving this problem.

[Flash Flyer - Sakura]

I like this idea. I wish I knew what the PR scandal was but from what I gather it generated a lot of issues about mod transparency. I feel like this would be a good first step or first try at solving this problem.

 

You can read the thread yourself, but to sum things up:

 

We set up a thread for you guys to suggest PR mod candidates in which some of you did offer members to be considered, and we talked about them amongst ourselves. While Bree was generally accepted as the new PR mod because of heavy support, some members were upset that we picked Zai [who didn't get much support] over the other candidates who did, even though Black explained to you all on WHY they were not considered and how Zai was chosen (despite his own flaws).

 

(I believe he also gave an evaluation of certain candidates who requested his opinion before promotions happened.)

 

Perhaps we should've just gone with promoting 1 PR mod, then move on to a second one if the need arose, but at this point, we just have to see how Zai turns out. Remember that both he and Bree are on a trial period to see how they work out; if things work out, they can stay and get promoted to full mod (possibly) or they revert to regular status.

[Kazooie]

Since the reception to this has been mostly positive once I cleared up the misunderstanding, I've begun working on a rough draft of this set of threads.

 

It may take some time to get it all worked out in a satisfactory manner, along with compiling current topics and views completely, so I do appreciate your patience guys! In the meantime, absolutely feel free to continue voicing your opinions on it in this thread, and as things get brought up, I'll respond to it and, if needed, work it into the drafts of the threads as I work!

[Catterjune]

What's the point of any of this?

 

an example would be what happened with the PR mod election

Why would any forum allow an election for it's mods? Like, it's so easy to split the vote when you get a small group of people together.

 

thoughts about certain bans that may have happened recently

In my opinion (though this may have changed since I was on YCM staff) other than posting porn or some blatantly bannable offense, nobody gets banned on YCM for any one single reason. There's no straw that broke the camel's back here. "Be a dick 9 times and you're fine but the tenth time!? OH NO! That's a perm!"

You get banned from YCM for a repeated pattern of negative behaviour.

 

along with giving information about things that certain mods may be going through

Your personal life and what you do as mod should be completely divorced from themselves. "i'm taking a brief leave of absence". The end. We don't need a whole big show about it.


But then again, I'm barely part of this community anyway so feel free to ignore me.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

What's the point of any of this?

To increase transparency to hold staff more accountable..? Birdie's PR work has already greatly assisted in mod-member relations, at least as I have seen it.

Why would any forum allow an election for it's mods? Like, it's so easy to split the vote when you get a small group of people together.

Election wasn't really the right word, but people who were involved know what she was referring to. And, considering the position, member relations were integral to the role.

In my opinion (though this may have changed since I was on YCM staff) other than posting porn or some blatantly bannable offense, nobody gets banned on YCM for any one single reason. There's no straw that broke the camel's back here. "Be a dick 9 times and you're fine but the tenth time!? OH NO! That's a perm!"

You get banned from YCM for a repeated pattern of negative behaviour.

It was an example. Not to mention your two statements directly contradicted each other.

Your personal life and what you do as mod should be completely divorced from themselves. "i'm taking a brief leave of absence". The end. We don't need a whole big show about it.

Obviously? In any case, small amounts of details help to ensure that the mod in question is dedicated to their role, and isn't just not posting. A good example of this is Smear being busy with overtime, or Sakura during finals. Obviously personal matters remain personal.

 

I'm not staff, but it seems your concerns were unnoticed, and I thought I'd be able to answer. Of course, if any staff sees something I was wrong about, feel free to correct me.

 

 

In any case, is there any sort of update regarding these threads? How soon can I expect them, as a ballpark estimate?

[Kazooie]

What's the point of any of this?

Why would any forum allow an election for it's mods? Like, it's so easy to split the vote when you get a small group of people together.

 

In my opinion (though this may have changed since I was on YCM staff) other than posting porn or some blatantly bannable offense, nobody gets banned on YCM for any one single reason. There's no straw that broke the camel's back here. "Be a dick 9 times and you're fine but the tenth time!? OH NO! That's a perm!"

 

You get banned from YCM for a repeated pattern of negative behaviour.

 

Your personal life and what you do as mod should be completely divorced from themselves. "i'm taking a brief leave of absence". The end. We don't need a whole big show about it.

 

But then again, I'm barely part of this community anyway so feel free to ignore me.

 

 

The point is that the member base feels extremely strongly about the way the mod team has functioned up until now. It's caused a lot of strife between the team and the members, and the entire point of it is to try and repair the relationship between the team as a whole and the members.

 

It was less of an election and more of a nomination type system. There weren't actual votes put in, but members were able to weigh in heavily on the prospective considerations.

 

Permanent bans have always been heavily contested things and sometimes they were found to be overly harsh when looked back on. More than anything, that was an example though.

 

Yeah, I don't think going into detail about why they are away is needed, when it's personal matters, but it's easier to put the current hiatuses into one thread, so that the members know which moderators they can't really contact consistently at the moment.

 

In any case, is there any sort of update regarding these threads? How soon can I expect them, as a ballpark estimate?

 

Threads will be up tomorrow, if there are no more comments about them. It took a little longer than expected, it's been a busy week and a lot of stuff happened that made me have to slow down my work on them.