Administrators Amethyst Posted March 1, 2012 Administrators Share Posted March 1, 2012 Hi everyone~ I know every other announcement being about behavior and such is getting a bit tedious, and I would like to curb it soon before the entire Mews board is just 'BEHAVE NOW OR ELSE' however, it is important that we continue to be diligent about our conduct on both the server and website! Today I'd like to address one thing that I've seen coming up a number of times lately, and that is the concept of "mini-modding." So that we're all clear on what a "minimod" is, it's used to refer to a normal user (non-auth) who tells other users how to behave according to the server rules. The term is often used likening them to a tattle-tale, and it is presumed that "minimods" are doing it only to gain favor with the auth, and do not contribute anything else to the community. In other words, it's thrown out as an insult. ...And I don't get it. True, some internet communities do discourage, or even in their rules prohibit mini-modding. This isn't one of them. Lately I have seen some users reminding each other of how they ought to behave, only to be disregarded and then insulted as a "minimod." Minimod's use a counter is going to stop now. As far as I'm concerned, normal users not only are allowed to politely keep each other in check, but should. Go ahead! Make the mods job easier, please! Not only that, but it's going to be better for the offending party to be reminded by a normal user, rather than a mod, which then counts for their warning and they're one step closer to having to be muted. Everyone wins~ On the contrary, if you are breaking the rules and someone points that out to you, calling them a minimod is not only not an excuse, but is annoying and makes it appear as if you don't care about the community rules (in which case, what are you doing here?). However, as all things, there is a limit. As normal users, feel free to remind others of how they ought (not) to act. What I would not like to see, however, is normal users threatening to take matters into their own hands, by whatever means that may be. If you feel someone is in violation of the rules, notify a moderator (with logs whenever possible), and let them deal with it. Do not try to crash them/get them banned/etc- just remind me them that they need to mind themselves, and pass it along to a mod if it continues. I think, and hope, that we can all agree that that is a perfectly reasonable expectations, yes? ...Yes. Moving on! Reborn has a few new affiliates, although one of them is not yet listed, and therefore will be announced separately. The other two include Nintendo Gaming, a general gaming forum run by Bluedemon, the webmaster of one of our former affiliates, and The Battle Palace, another Pokemon forum run by Majin Buu, which a few of our server-regulars frequent. If you're so inclined, check them out~ ...I have a new thing for you all pretty soon; just working on the final touches... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Well said. I never found a problem with minimodding in the first place; why not have members show that they know something about the community? Anyway, yay, new affs. :3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 There is a point when minimodding does become just down right annoying if it is once in a while then its ok,but if it is the same user pinging/pming me numerous times for things like chatspeak or trolling thats when I start to feel the person that is mininmodding is abusing that power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 But if they're PMing you, isn't more of a plea to get the users that are trolling or not abiding by the rules out of the server? ._. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 That would be true if I get pmed about trolls instead of getting my name spammed an giving the troll enough time to flee before I can kick/mute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noivy Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 (edited) Im just gonna be honest, sometimes I really dont like to even be in main because I just cant stand what goes on in it. I get this urge to bitch at people if it gets too bad. Lets face it, If I were an auth, I'd /rules everyone who got on my nerves, and issue a warning. On the third strike, I'd mute or kick. It would depend on 1: How short my infamously short temper is; and 2: How serious the offense is. Edited March 2, 2012 by Owen V. Seattle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anethia Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I, personally, have no problem with this and am glad that Ame is allowing this. Honestly, alot of people fool around when there are no mod's on so allowing us to tell them what they are doing wrong is great. True, we can not stop them but when a mod comes on and they did not know they will know to follow them and listen to the rules. I hate it when there are people who know the rules but just ignore them! If it's somebody new and they do something wrong it's good to know we have a right to point it out. Thanks Ame for pointing this out to everyone. I hate it when I get called a "mini-mod" for showing somebody new if they have done wrong.-. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 (edited) I agree that mini-mods can get annoying. What is especially annoying for me to see is people throwing out rule numbers as if that explains everything. Which it does, but is an extremely brusque way of telling people they're doing something we frown upon. Seriously guys, think of it like this: Cop A pulls over a person for speeding. It's just a warning, so he explains that, "Hey, you were going over the limit here so we'd like you to slow down because we have lots of children playing in the streets around here and really, maybe you should slow down and enjoy the view. Have a nice day." Cop B pulls over a person for speeding and says, "That's the speed limit" and points to the speed limit sign down the road and glares at the driver. This is also just a warning. Which cop would you respond to favorably? Does one just MAKE you want to rub infractions in the auth's face? In between the lines of Cop A's speech is a calm rationality that says "look, you're new here so I understand but that's not how we like things done around here. It's not a big deal (yet) but try to keep it in mind." He's in control and doesn't make things personal and is willing to gently work with the person to correct things. Now Cop B, on the other hand. His approach is a bit like a slap in the face, "You're doing shit wrong and breaking the rules. Fix it now." This is very confrontational and implies purposeful rule-breaking on the part of the offender and explicit blame for such infractions. This is a rigid, hard-line stance that implies zero amount of tolerance or understanding for this behavior and really, who would like to see this jerk again? The 'offender' will likely take it personally and get angry, and perhaps flaunt the rules to spite the authy or get defensive and argumentative- none of which is conducive to the atmosphere we'd like to foster here in Reborn. I've seen this a lot from both mods and regular members and I don't like it. There's a lot to be said about HOW you approach someone engaged in prohibited behavior. If you remember seeing me speak on behalf on someone who's been muted, kicked, Geo, or telling people to chill out, it is because I disagreed with the way the situation was handled and have probably managed to have a more meaningful conversation with the offender in a side chat. Seriously guys, do MORE than simply throw a rule number at people. Maybe one day I will get off my lazy posterior and write a guide to authoritative etiquette, but I'll simply leave these examples here for you to ponder in the meantime. If you really need more examples, Ame is a study of deft effective authority. Edited March 2, 2012 by Maelstrom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godot Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 also... we kinda gotta mod ourselves... its kinda hard to tell people right from wrong.... when we are breaking the rules and being like "they won't kick me the mods like me"... i personally am guilty of this >> << Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokemonfreak786 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Mini-modding is acceptable to me in the 1st place . But it should not be overdone , and should only be done if required . If there is no auth online and someone is continuously arguing over a stupid matter , mini-modding SHOULD be done to maintain peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Amethyst Posted March 2, 2012 Author Administrators Share Posted March 2, 2012 You raise a good point, Mael, and I'm quite guilty of CopB-ism myself sometimes. Especially when it's a new person who I don't feel has any real intention of even trying to coexist peacefully, I tend to become rather short with them, unfortunately. Thank you for illuminating this for us, though; I think even I will try do better keep this in mind in the future. As for the annoying part, if it becomes excessive, we have a rule for that, too~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Mael raises good points, but my feet stand firm in the sand that we, as users, should really limit ourselves to simply saying ./rules, rule1 or something similar to such so the new member has the decency and direction focus to look if they really want to follow the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) I feel that's rather lazy on our part if we do that. It makes perfect sense to do that to someone who has been here long enough to know better, but for a brand new person coming in... it strikes me as a little demanding that you want them to read all the rules right off the back. For the most part, many rules are common but reading through everything auth has to say about each particular rule and all that is NOT what I do if I jump into some place new. I'd test out the waters and gauge the activity and atmosphere before I'd settle in and read the rules. It's like reading the whole user agreement before clicking "I accept." Who does that? I'd let the server or forum prove itself to me as being worth my time before I bother looking at the red tape, not the other way around. The idea that you have to put in this much effort to just to be new here doesn't sit right with me. Again, I believe it is better to explain the nuances to newer people than to make them sit down and read through everything right off the bat. Give 'em a little what's what and then /rule 'em. They'll be more receptive to reading the other rules if you let 'em know something isn't kosher and that there may be other things they need to keep in mind that are different from the average server. This will have them reading everything, hunting for the details that make us different. mind ninja We are not the average server. It is up to each of us to help keep it that way and let others know what kind of standards we keep. I say, break 'em in gently. Edited March 3, 2012 by Maelstrom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I absolutely hate mini modding. i called mashew a loser over main chat because we call each other that. i had 6 different people, i kid you not, say that is rude please don't disrespect the auth like that. probably the most annoying thing ever. I don't think I've ever disagreed with something more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Exactly, thanks Conor. I'd rather have the mods tell me, and than have some Greenhorn tell me that I've broken a rule. I play around a lot with y'all, and and nothing pisses me more than being told I'm breaking a rule. Tbh minimizing is a double edged sword. On one hand you have someone doing it, and because they care. While on the other hand you have those who abuse it, and and use it in order to make themselves feel more important than the other users. The Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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