Post by Accalia on Jul 14, 2011 11:37:08 GMT
Staff, in addition to following all of the regular rules, also have to follow all of the rules below. Members do not have to follow these rules, but it is worth reading them so that you know your rights and can report staff members who break the rules.
It can often be very difficult for a member to know what to do when they feel staff have overstepped their boundaries, as it's possible for them to feel intimidated or as though they don't want to remind the staff in case the staff member punishes them. This is what we want to avoid with these rules and our site ethos - members should always be made to feel comfortable in all situations. Staff shouldn't rule through fear- it sows hurt and disrespect and goes against our site ethos.
(NOTE: "You" or "You're" in these rules refers to the staff member.)
Staff members are not better than members. They are not more entitled to their opinions than members. They do not have more rights than members. They do not have the right to win arguments. Staff members must not act superior, and if you're having an argument with a member, remember that they have as much right to their opinion as you do. So long as both sides of the argument are polite and stay within the rules, debates can be fun. If you disagree strongly with what the member is saying, don't go all huffy and ban them for being rude- either talk it out politely or change the subject.
A staff member should not use their staff powers, or even act or speak in their staff-member capacity, unless there is something they need to sort out.
Don't intimidate members- be friendly and approachable at all times.
In the cbox, don't be constantly mentioning the fact that you're staff and they're not to members- in fact, don't even mention who's staff and who isn't unless somebody asks, or needs to talk to a staff member.
Assume good faith. What this means is that, if a new member appears on the boards and does something which doesn't comply with our regulations, don't blow up and ban them. Maybe they couldn't find our rules, or didn't understand them, or are confused about something else, or another member mistakenly told them it was OK to do whatever it is they did. Most problems can be solved by talking it out. Do not warn or ban members unless they are deliberately causing problems.
Don't nitpick. Don't jump on members for every little spelling mistake on a post or every post which could have been put in a better place or every post which 'was pointless and should not have been posted'.
You can gently guide members towards the modify post button if you're repeatedly seeing this and think that they don't know what the button is/does, but honestly, mistakes happen, the members are human and so are you. Never forget that.
There are honestly some sites that will, if you make a post in the wrong place or have a spelling mistake in your post or post something that wasn't absolutely necessary to be posted, will delete your post, take away your post count and board money, and warn you. We don't want to be a site like that.
Our site ethos is aimed towards a relaxed environment where staff aren't 'scary' or 'intimidating' and banning and warning is rare. If there's a problem, it's almost always better to PM the member and explain to them what they did against the rules, politely, and encourage them to PM you back if they are confused about the rules or why what they did was against the rules. Don't use the word 'wrong'.
I don't care how long a day you had or what kind of mood you're in- don't ever, ever bite members. You're staff and you're supposed to be setting an example. Always be respectful and polite towards everybody and everybody's opinions.
If somebody does do something wrong, then don't yell about it in public- quietly PM them about it, and if necessary, punish them. Don't ban unless it's absolutely necessary to the site's well-being that the member be banned (eg. if the member is clearly here only to spam; if the member swears at or insults another member; if the member is repeatedly being hateful, racist or sexist; the member is failing to fade to black or writing explicit content in a breeding thread; trying to hack the site; and so on). In most cases, where members have broken only minor rules or where it was a mistake, the best way to solve problems is to talk it out.
You are not perfect. Accept constructive criticism. Don't ban a member just because he/she points out a flaw in the way you act; it's probably not intended as an insult, just constructive criticism. If it's clearly an insult you can remind them of the rules and punish them if they repeatedly insult you and/or other members.
Treat yourself how you would treat a member- don't punish somebody for saying something to you that you wouldn't punish them for if they said it to a regular member.
Moderating should be discreet. Don't humiliate and embarrass members in front of everybody by punishing or warning members in public, especially in the cbox. If there is a problem with a member, PM them. Quick reminders of regulations can be given in public, but, say, if you've deleted somebody's post, don't make a post yourself saying "I've deleted this post because it was inappropriate and broke X rule," PM the member and say "I deleted your post because it broke X rule." And explain why / how it broke the rules and check that they aren't confused and understand the rules, and be polite and don't bite their head off.
Any staff member who bullies a member will be demoted and severely warned. If you didn't realise that you were bullying them and merely thought you were doing your duty and that they were breaking the rules, then we will try and get everybody to talk it out and get along, and if that doesn't work, you will be demoted. Staff are not there to intimidate, bully, or boss around the members. Staff are there to be quietly helpful, supportive of everybody, and behind-the-scenes keep the site running. This doesn't mean they get to be better than everybody else- what they get is the satisfaction of seeing a site they've worked hard for running smoothly and happily.
Also, remember that if members are reminding you to get things done, that isn't them pestering and being evil. You're the one who signed up to be staff- your job is to do things, and members who remind you what needs doing are generally only trying to help. It can be very annoying when you're staring at a lovely site and are unable to RP on it because a staff member snaps at you every time you remind them to check your profile. Only if a member is constantly and impolitely telling you to get something done over and over again in the cbox are you allowed to gently remind them that you are human, too, and you will get it done as soon as possible, but you're busy right now.
Most importantly, remember that a staff member who rules through fear is a bad staff member. If members only follow the rules because if they don't they'll be punished, then the site is bad, there is no true respect- only fear- and if I was a member there, I'd leave. If members follow the rules because they see why they're there and enjoy being on the site, then the site is good.
If the site's staff are obeyed because everybody is scared of what will happen if they don't, then the site is bad. If the site's staff are obeyed because the members respect the staff member's politeness, good humour, skills and suchlike, then the site is good.
We are pretty sure these rules will never need to be used or enforced; staff members are chosen because they are sensible, responsible, mature and kind. Please remember this is just a safeguard and to treat staff with respect.
What to do if the rules are broken
It can often be very difficult for a member to know what to do when they feel staff have overstepped their boundaries, as it's possible for them to feel intimidated or as though they don't want to remind the staff in case the staff member punishes them. This is what we want to avoid with these rules and our site ethos - members should always be made to feel comfortable in all situations. Staff shouldn't rule through fear- it sows hurt and disrespect and goes against our site ethos.
- If you, as a member, see a member of staff breaking the rules, please politely remind them of the rules. You don't have to dance around the problem in an effort to be polite- a simple, "Would you mind checking over the Staff Rules, as I think what you just did broke them?" is probably the best way to go about it.
- If the staff member continues to act inappropriately, please report it. Take a screenshot if possible and PM me with details of how they broke the rules or went against site ethos. Even if it turns out that they were within the rules, it's best to sort out these things and discuss what made each person feel annoyed or uncomfortable so we can make sure it doesn't happen again. If you can't take a screenshot, then get witnesses to also PM me.
Please don't act all, "I'm going to report you now for breaking the rules, you mean horrible staff member!" It's important for everybody to be polite, even when they're annoyed- if more people say more insults, it only makes things worse. - If you are staff and another staff member breaks the rules, please do remind them. If they keep breaking the rules, please report it. Don't try and sort it out yourself. The only person authorised to deal with breakages of these rules is me.
- If anybody thinks I've broken the rules, or if somebody is uncomfortable with a decision I've made, please do tell me straight away. I've probably made a mistake, or if I've offended you, it's probably my Asperger's Syndrome showing through.
THE RULES
(NOTE: "You" or "You're" in these rules refers to the staff member.)
Staff members are not better than members. They are not more entitled to their opinions than members. They do not have more rights than members. They do not have the right to win arguments. Staff members must not act superior, and if you're having an argument with a member, remember that they have as much right to their opinion as you do. So long as both sides of the argument are polite and stay within the rules, debates can be fun. If you disagree strongly with what the member is saying, don't go all huffy and ban them for being rude- either talk it out politely or change the subject.
A staff member should not use their staff powers, or even act or speak in their staff-member capacity, unless there is something they need to sort out.
Don't intimidate members- be friendly and approachable at all times.
In the cbox, don't be constantly mentioning the fact that you're staff and they're not to members- in fact, don't even mention who's staff and who isn't unless somebody asks, or needs to talk to a staff member.
Assume good faith. What this means is that, if a new member appears on the boards and does something which doesn't comply with our regulations, don't blow up and ban them. Maybe they couldn't find our rules, or didn't understand them, or are confused about something else, or another member mistakenly told them it was OK to do whatever it is they did. Most problems can be solved by talking it out. Do not warn or ban members unless they are deliberately causing problems.
Don't nitpick. Don't jump on members for every little spelling mistake on a post or every post which could have been put in a better place or every post which 'was pointless and should not have been posted'.
You can gently guide members towards the modify post button if you're repeatedly seeing this and think that they don't know what the button is/does, but honestly, mistakes happen, the members are human and so are you. Never forget that.
There are honestly some sites that will, if you make a post in the wrong place or have a spelling mistake in your post or post something that wasn't absolutely necessary to be posted, will delete your post, take away your post count and board money, and warn you. We don't want to be a site like that.
Our site ethos is aimed towards a relaxed environment where staff aren't 'scary' or 'intimidating' and banning and warning is rare. If there's a problem, it's almost always better to PM the member and explain to them what they did against the rules, politely, and encourage them to PM you back if they are confused about the rules or why what they did was against the rules. Don't use the word 'wrong'.
I don't care how long a day you had or what kind of mood you're in- don't ever, ever bite members. You're staff and you're supposed to be setting an example. Always be respectful and polite towards everybody and everybody's opinions.
If somebody does do something wrong, then don't yell about it in public- quietly PM them about it, and if necessary, punish them. Don't ban unless it's absolutely necessary to the site's well-being that the member be banned (eg. if the member is clearly here only to spam; if the member swears at or insults another member; if the member is repeatedly being hateful, racist or sexist; the member is failing to fade to black or writing explicit content in a breeding thread; trying to hack the site; and so on). In most cases, where members have broken only minor rules or where it was a mistake, the best way to solve problems is to talk it out.
You are not perfect. Accept constructive criticism. Don't ban a member just because he/she points out a flaw in the way you act; it's probably not intended as an insult, just constructive criticism. If it's clearly an insult you can remind them of the rules and punish them if they repeatedly insult you and/or other members.
Treat yourself how you would treat a member- don't punish somebody for saying something to you that you wouldn't punish them for if they said it to a regular member.
Moderating should be discreet. Don't humiliate and embarrass members in front of everybody by punishing or warning members in public, especially in the cbox. If there is a problem with a member, PM them. Quick reminders of regulations can be given in public, but, say, if you've deleted somebody's post, don't make a post yourself saying "I've deleted this post because it was inappropriate and broke X rule," PM the member and say "I deleted your post because it broke X rule." And explain why / how it broke the rules and check that they aren't confused and understand the rules, and be polite and don't bite their head off.
Any staff member who bullies a member will be demoted and severely warned. If you didn't realise that you were bullying them and merely thought you were doing your duty and that they were breaking the rules, then we will try and get everybody to talk it out and get along, and if that doesn't work, you will be demoted. Staff are not there to intimidate, bully, or boss around the members. Staff are there to be quietly helpful, supportive of everybody, and behind-the-scenes keep the site running. This doesn't mean they get to be better than everybody else- what they get is the satisfaction of seeing a site they've worked hard for running smoothly and happily.
Also, remember that if members are reminding you to get things done, that isn't them pestering and being evil. You're the one who signed up to be staff- your job is to do things, and members who remind you what needs doing are generally only trying to help. It can be very annoying when you're staring at a lovely site and are unable to RP on it because a staff member snaps at you every time you remind them to check your profile. Only if a member is constantly and impolitely telling you to get something done over and over again in the cbox are you allowed to gently remind them that you are human, too, and you will get it done as soon as possible, but you're busy right now.
Most importantly, remember that a staff member who rules through fear is a bad staff member. If members only follow the rules because if they don't they'll be punished, then the site is bad, there is no true respect- only fear- and if I was a member there, I'd leave. If members follow the rules because they see why they're there and enjoy being on the site, then the site is good.
If the site's staff are obeyed because everybody is scared of what will happen if they don't, then the site is bad. If the site's staff are obeyed because the members respect the staff member's politeness, good humour, skills and suchlike, then the site is good.
