MOD ANNOUNCEMENT

[theearth]

As many of you are aware, there has been a recent incident involving ourselves and a few players. We wish to address this matter here.

Firstly, we apologize not only for our delay in speaking on this, but for our own behavior during this. We do take fault for having been too inflexible on the matter which started everything. All of us are to blame for this inflexibility and we all take responsibility for it; not just one mod is fully to blame for anything which happened. The plot the player desired should not have been dealt with in the way that it was. Our reasoning had been that we had not seen evidence that the plot had been set in stone, we had not been given reason why change was necessary to reconcile the plots, and that the details behind this plot/what was needed to occur to bring it to fruition were not brought to us. We offered one compromise, it was not taken, and we should have been more flexible about offering further compromises. We are, again, sorry for that inflexibility on our end.

Secondly, to prevent any risk of this sort of situation ever happening again, we are discussing a frankly overdue new system of accounting for, organizing, and simplifying coordination between planned plots, both meta and player. Details on it will be coming soon.

And thirdly, the mod with the most concerns voiced about her has been issued a warning, and will be taking far less of a stance involving plot-related issues for the time being. We will monitor her behavior to ensure a repeat of this kind of situation does not occur again and, should it, she will be dealt with. In line with those concerns, while she will still be involved in plotting and whatever issues may come to us, the other mods will have far greater a say, and will be considered the figures of authority where directly addressing player concerns and needs is concerned.

However, what we stand firm about is that ganging up on a person while refusing their own comfort is not permissible. The mod in question had become extremely uncomfortable having so many people, including one not in the game, on her all at once while she was not feeling well. This was the reason warnings were issued. We do, however, concede to having been too impulsive in issuing warnings to all involved, and once more, we do apologize to the parties who had been warned without having acted severely enough to warrant a warning. All but one of the warnings has been lifted.

Finally, not all the mods are experienced mods, and even the more experienced mods will acknowledge they can always use some help. So please, we ask that if any of you have any suggestions on how we might improve to come and tell us.

Thank you and, once again, we all apologize for our respective parts in this situation.

Comments to this post are enabled. At request, they have been unscreened. If you have left a screened comment and would like it unscreened, please indicate so! As per the suggestion of Guin, if you would prefer to leave us a screened comment, please do so on the Mod Contact post.

We will make a second post addressing those concerns, resolutions, and invitation of a second round of feedback as soon as we're able.

UPDATE - 5/3:

The StE modteam is currently planning to come together as a group and discuss all the issues brought to them on this post. Linda and Guin will be present while we are all on to continue discussion as a full team in order to ensure that all points and issues are thoroughly addressed.

This discussion will be happening as soon as possible - but coordinating schedules has proven difficult, so please bear with us.

This post will be edited accordingly once the discussion's day and time have been set.

UPDATE - 5/3:

The discussion will begin Sunday, May 4th, 5:00 P.M. CDT/3:00 P.M. PST.

UPDATE - 5/4:

The discussion has begun and is underway; it's proven to be more intensive than anticipated and hasn't yet ended, but will resume tomorrow and continue until concluded.

In the meantime, screencaps of the discussion thus far are posted at Linda's public Plurk; further updates will be made on this post and the linked Plurk, including the date, once set, of the second post.

UPDATE - 5/5:

Discussion has now concluded - we're sorry for having been quiet for so long!

Formal address of the points brought to this post as well as a second OOC post and a mod apps announcement will be coming by the end of tomorrow - Tuesday, 5/6.

- THE STE MODS: Anduin, Blue, Mini, and Olga

Comments

[heyya]

This is not an apology. You are the ones entirely in the wrong here, don't go "but but but look at what those players did!"

Furthermore, people aren't as concerned with your inflexibility as they are the blatant abuse of mod power ala issuing ban threats to people who come to you with issues, in addition to the gross mod favoritism as demonstrated by a) mod (as players) plots being prioritized b) mod friends not needing to pass ac.

Personally, when I've communicated with the mod team in the past, I've always felt as though I was being treated in a manner that would not be considered remotely acceptable if brought to the public eye, precisely because I was in a position where I could not do so. That, to me, is revolting.

"-the mod with the most concerns voiced about her" Mini? Anduin? Olga? This is the opposite of transparency. Tell us what is actually going on - mentioning that the ban warnings have been rescinded (minus Batty?) would be a good place to start.

Finally, nobody was "ganging up on" a mod, as you keep insisting. Nobody was demanding that their concerns be addressed there and then while Olga was ill and Anduin was absent. Olga was the one who persisted, when a simple "I'll get back to you tomorrow when I've talked this over with the others" would have been readily accepted. Olga did not attempt this. What she did attempt was the making of a new plurk involving the two mods whom the complaints were being brought against, with no regard for the repeated mentions of discomfort from the players and worries that such a thing would not be productive.

Do not screen.

[pianistofraielin]

Personally, when I've communicated with the mod team in the past, I've always felt as though I was being treated in a manner that would not be considered remotely acceptable if brought to the public eye, precisely because I was in a position where I could not do so.

This has been my experience as well.

[sirsocking]

I've had the same experiences. I've had questions outright ignored and any polite requests for clarification met with outright hostility, it's made me really uncomfortable with the mods and having any dealings with them.

I just don't feel comfortable in this game anymore.

[sockemanons]

I will be honest, I've talked with at least Blue on several occasions, and when communicating with her, I've never thought that I was being treated in an unprofessional or unacceptable manner. While it's true that Blue lost her cool with Fran, I've never really seen any other incidents of Blue "airing dirty laundry" or anything being leveled against them. Anytime I've talked with Blue she's been more than willing to chat with me, if admittedly slow (which I don't fault, because everyone has their own lives to deal with.)

If nothing else, I think the complaints against Blue should be taken with a grain of salt. And in defense of Olga (who, you're right, should have backed off and is at fault for staying in the conversation), iirc someone who wasn't even part of the game at this point was brought in for "moral support", and that's at least as much of a faux pas as Olga not backing off. If players have concerns, that's fine, but the fact that there was an unnecessary cheerleader in the mix can definitely have added to feelings of being ganged up on. :/

[detectivetroll]

For the most part I'm staying out of this, because I've had good dealings and fun plotting with the majority of the mods but am not interested in discounting what's obviously evidence to the contrary.

But I do want to second this, because I've never felt anything but comfortable with Blue. Her responses to my plotting/questions/etc and what I've seen of her responses to others (Fran issue aside) have been helpful, informative, and openly inviting of discussion.