The Newly Departed thread: announcements (departures)

[Jackalope]

If we did enforce the rules depending on whether we like the person or not, there are certain people - fortunatley, none of them currently posting in this thread - who I might call to hammer.

Not only that, but there are people who are now gone who would not be.

FFS, I handed *Luckie* a week-long ban before she joined the staff.

[c172]

Kudos and see you one.

A kudorgasm is in the works! I think I have 3 IOUs for the posts leading to thisshiitestorm

[rexbeccarox]

I'm a nice person.

No one has questioned that.  Well, until now.

I don't understand how pointing out something is this big of a deal.

Seriously?  It's not a big deal to call us unfair?  Our job here is to be fair, and I think we do a damn good job at it.  If we didn't, Drich would have been permanently banned years ago.

I care about people and I like to see things be as fair as possible for everyone. Even people that you may not like.

I've disliked a lot of people over my time here, so has every other staff member.  Not once have I tried to take action on them for that fact alone (neither has anyone else on staff, from what I can tell), and you suggesting otherwise is making you the one who is unfair.  

As human beings, it's only natural that you're going to let how you feel about people affect you. You can't deny that. To do so would be ridiculous. It's sad that a little bit of criticism turns the whole world upside down. Why so defensive?

It's common practice to defend ourselves when we've been falsely accused of things.

As to Last Poet, what am I willing to sacrifice to make this forum more fair? Absolutely nothing. I have, in the past, sacrificed my popularity for changes I felt were important in another forum. That you guys would respond so extremely to such a small thing tells me everything I need to know. I will sacrifice a place I really loved and cared for, I would have never said anything if I didn't care, so that you guys can be happy without me.

Cool.  Have a nice life.  You will be able to come back if you want though, because despite my recent dislike for you, I won't be trying to get you banned. 

[Losty]

  but my point was and remains that the staff tend to enforce rules differently depending on whether or not they like the person involved. 

We're only human...
We try not to be too much biased... that's why we have to meet quorum for certain tasks... but, sometimes, many of us tend to the same side.

It always makes me sad when a long time member starts behaving in such a manner that may get him/her banned... and we all try to keep them around, telling them what's going on... each mod/admin in his/her own way... some are more successful, others less...

People who start off as trolls will hardly come around... it's like their only goal in registering is to troll... the older members have been behaving properly for too long for us to assume that a new bad behavior can continue leading to a ban.

I wish I could kudos this.

@CD constructive suggestion meh.
It's hard not to let how you feel about a person affect how you treat them. It seems like human nature. I remember a post by you personally explainin exactly what flaming is. Saying it's repetitive insults and followin people to different threads to insult them. Things like that. So maybe when sending someone a friendly reminder about rules, stop and think, did this one single shitty rude comment count as flaming or am I tacking it on because I don't like this guy?

I don't know. Honestly, I love you guys and I generally think you do at wonderful job at what you do. When I pointed out what I thought was unfair, I honestly expected you to just think about it. Fix it if you can, or ignore it if it's only an issue in my head. I've been at this forum long enough and posting long enough, and thinking some of you were my friends long enough, that I never expected everyone would assume the worst of me. I thought you guys knew me well enough to know that I wasn't trying to attack any of you personally.

And I can be wrong about things and I'm only human too. So if you think I'm just completely flat out wrong, you can still tell me in a less over the top and hurtful way.

[Jackalope]

So maybe when sending someone a friendly reminder about rules, stop and think, did this one single shitty rude comment count as flaming or am I tacking it on because I don't like this guy?

Do you think we don't do this?  We discuss every single report and come to a consensus before doing anything. 

Nobody here (including admins) is empowered to do what you're suggesting.

[Faith No More]

Losty, you may have somewhat of a valid point about biases. Given the staff are human beings, that much is to be expected. I know first hand they do their best to minimize them, but they're always going to be there.

That being said, however, being critical of the staff when you aren't privy to all the information is obviously going to rub the staff the wrong way, and accusing them of harboring biases when you don't see the lengths they go to to minimize those biases is extremely unfair. Being a staff member is a demanding job and requires lots of patience to deal with people like Drich, and the fact that he has lasted this long just proves that this site is as unbiased as they come.

As a staff member, every move you make is scrutinized and criticized, and nearly every decision you make is a damned if you, damned if you don't action. Being overly critical as you are when you haven't walked a mile in their shoes and don't understand the patience it takes to cope with the sheer amount of bullshit the staff has to deal with is unjustified.

Sure, there are always going to be biases, but I'm not sure why you feel the need to harp on it when this is probably the most fairly run site you'll find on the net.

[Cyberman]

I will just add that the absolute worst thing one Staff member can do, acting unilaterally, to a non-spammer/non-identified sock is to abstain from deliberation and voting. Anything else can and most likely will be reversed by the Staff as a body, and the rogue cannon brought to book. This needs to be taken into account when charges of bias and unfairness are flying around.

[Minimalist]

Drippy is not worth all this angst.

[Little lunch]

Kudos that.

[Whateverist]

So this is what all the unpleasantness stems from. How did I miss it?

So the Dripster insults Rob's character .. and gawd only knows what else, sends PMs out to garner allies, Losty reads same, Losty expresses concern over evenhandedness toward newer/less popular members, Rebecca and many other mods/admins feel hurt and unappreciated by Losty's criticism and there is tension in the air so thick you could eat it with a fork.

Losty is just like my wife, thought in the head becomes word out of the mouth. I love that about both of them. I would be way too thin skinned to do what the staff here does and I would chafe big time to criticism having gone through the angst and time consuming process they endure. Love Losty for being a blurty mouth. Love and hugs to Rebecca for being hurt and feeling misunderstood/unappreciated. You, Rebeccarox, are very much appreciated and respected by me for what you bring to the forum - both before you took on the onerous task of moderating and after.

Frankly, if it were up to me, I would be a hell of a lot less fair. I have no use for Drich. I'd toss his ass out for being on an obvious mission to preach and convert rather than to interact honestly. AlphaMale would feel my boot too for roasting marshmallows over the hurt feelings in this thread and cheering it on. Obvious cancer to the forum? Gone. No process for you. Fr0d0 I still miss having around but I can still keep in touch on Facebook so I'll survive. I do think we could use more opposing points of view, but I see no reason to keep around cancerous personalities or those that are here to say whatever it takes to change people's beliefs.

If I could I'd patch things up between Rebecca and Losty but of course I can't. Still like them both.