Mod Squad Update for the Week Ending 2/16/03

Is the ModBot 2.5 available from download.com? If so, do I get colours and possible banning powers from the software?

 

farrie, regarding the contact thing, there is an updated version, and I thought it was linked to in the FAQ thread, but if it isn't, that's easy to fix.

And while there is spam on the admins e-mail (like every e-mail address), I still forward all unban requests that appear via that to either the proper moderator, or I deal with them myself.

 

Sorry, the ModBot software is licensed to the Mod Squad, and my use of it would be revoked if I tried to distribute copies with a license.

 

Very well done update Sapient

 

Good update, Sapient. Straight, clear and to the point.

 

You take your board too seriously.

 

I actually take that as a compliment. It means we're doing good and keeping the board running smoothly.

 

"You take your board too seriously."

Better to have intelligent and caring people in charge of looking after this place than have this place become a pit for troublemakers and hate.

 

Or a hive of melodramatic overstatements.

 

You're a curious little creature.

 

Or a hive of melodramatic overstatements.

[DRAMA!1!]That has to be the single-most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard in my tragic existence as an overperforming, underpaid, malnourished tech employee![/DRAMA!1!]

//bows

 

Wonderful Update, Sapient

I must say, that is is nice to see a list of Moderators that will help out in Episode III: Spoilers. A pain in the neck with all of the redundant threads there

 

The link in the FAQ is still dead and the guide for banend users is still horrendously out of date.

 

Could you give some specific examples of how it's out of date?

 

Is it possible to erase old Private Messages?


No, it is not. Private Messages will be stored for 6 months, after which they will automatically be deleted.

If I have a problem, who should I contact?


If you have a technical problem, contact NathanDahlin, our technical admin, through PM or the admins e-mail address. If you have a JC-related problem, contact the admins at jc-admins@theforce.net or at their personal e-mail address. The list of admins and contact information is available here. Alternatively, look through the Users Online list for an admin and PM an admin who is online.

Both are wrong obviously. PM's are pruned when the system feels like it apparently.

¤Night

 

1. All four of the previous FAQ's are broken links.

2. Why does Attack of the Clones (Spoilers) also contain speculation about Episode III?
There is no Aotc spoiler forum.

3. What is the difference between Your JC Community and The Senate Floor?
No menion of Amphitheatre.

4. Editing times... again mentions Attack of the Clones (Spoilers) and please reverify the information is correct about which forums have which edit times.

5. Census forum please use Ideas for polls. broken link.

6. What happened to the thread I posted months ago? Pruning has changed throughout the JC, please rewrite to clarify thi.

7. Thread Splinching broken link.

8. VIP status is reserved for well-known Star Wars personnel and FanForce City Reps.
Imcomplete list of who might have VIP status or colours.

9. JC rules state that a member is only allowed to have a maximum of 3 socks.
Supremely unenforced rule.

10.However, the clock is about 15 minutes fast. No longer true

11. Custom Icons Submission Thread Links to oldest version of thread, not newest.

12. . The list of admins and contact information is available here Broken link.

13. Literature forum index by Kadue. Broken Link

14. If you have a JC-related problem, contact the admins at jc-admins@theforce.net
Email address not widely used.

I ignored the ones that were mentioned by Night.

 

I was asking about the Banned Users Guide, actually. Could you give some examples on how it's out of date?

 

Undertsand I'm doing the one in Informational threads.


All this relates to if you know what you did and it is considered bannable.

What you should be trying to relate on this (Unban request form) is that you understand the rules, respect the rules, have no intention of breaking them again, and that you understand that if you do break them again, you will be permanently banned from the Jedi Council forums.

The majority of bans are for a set time or are 'forever'. Very few require the bannee to make a huge statment of apology and contrition before allowing them back.

Once you have filled out an unban request, you should hear back from the administration within 1-3 days.

No mention of the problem with email.

If, after 2-3 days you still haven't gotten a response, drop the administration a line at jc-admins@theforce.net, explaining your situation, and enquire why you haven't received a response to your unban request. Please include your banned username at the JC. That's all that's necessary.

Following the guidelines the admin email would be inundated with emails for which it is compeltely unsuited given it's current situation and useage.

or check the Interactive Moderator List for a list of all the mods
Links to wrong list.

Now, if you don't know what you did.

1) Send an email to jc-admins@theforce.net, informing us of your situation. Please be sure and include your username that is banned at the JC. If you don't tell us who you are, we can't help.

Again the admin email is almost completely useless.

This does not apply to a situation where you (as a banned member) say "I don't think what I said was flaming/trolling/spamming". That's not your call. If a mod thinks it was, you're banned.

THIS NEEDS REFORM. Mods are not perfect so don't pretend they are.



Inconsistancies.

-Do not talk privately to an admin other than the one who banned you.
-You may not use this alias to post with. Use it only to send Private Messages to moderators. If you post with this alias, the length of your ban will be doubled.

If the Moderator fails to reply, try again with another moderator. By this time, you will hopefully have already received a response, so it should never come to this, but in the event of some strange phenomenon, where all of these steps do not get you a response, simply keep trying different mods. Someone will answer you.

?

-If you... feel that he/she has some kind of bias or misjudgment, and would wish to inform the admins in general, please e-mail jc-admins@theforce.net

-That's not your call. If a mod thinks it was, you're banned.

?

-And naturally, if you don't know which admin banned you and would like to inquire, use e-mail as well.

- Fill out an unban request form, and state that you do not know why you are banned, and could someone please help.

If you don't know why you were banned, how can you know who banend you?

?


And once again the admin email is useless.

 

The majority of bans are for a set time or are 'forever'. Very few require the bannee to make a huge statment of apology and contrition before allowing them back.


I think it's good if a banned member can understand why they were banned, and not just wait out the time. Putting in an unban request helps that, in my view.

No mention of the problem with email/i]

I agree, a mention of the Hotmail problem should be added in.

Following the guidelines the admin email would be inundated with emails for which it is compeltely unsuited given it's current situation and useage.


I disagree, as most of the unban requests I see are responded to in that time frame. If not, then there are a few moderators who do watch the admin e-mail list, although I agree it could be a lot more.

Links to wrong list.


Easily fixable, and should be.

Again the admin email is almost completely useless.

I don't think that's quite true, although as I said, there could easily be a lot more. The spam is what keeps most moderators away. I know Kadue keeps a close eye on the list, however.

THIS NEEDS REFORM. Mods are not perfect so don't pretend they are.


I think that's more of a baseline to start with. If a moderator bans someone, then we assume that it was legitimate. That doesn't mean things can't be investigated and found to be otherwise.

If you don't know why you were banned, how can you know who banend you?

Sometimes looking in a thread that you know you said something questionable in can find the person who did the banning. I think the unban request should always be able to let someone know, and if not, there's always a private message to take care of that.

 

I think it's good if a banned member can understand why they were banned, and not just wait out the time. Putting in an unban request helps that, in my view.

Yes, but what the guide tells you toput in an unban request is useless as most unbans have a set time limit, not a requirement that the user crawl through glass.

I disagree, as most of the unban requests I see are responded to in that time frame. If not, then there are a few moderators who do watch the admin e-mail list, although I agree it could be a lot more.

Most of the unban requests are responded to within three days while most spanks last less time then that... not a good thing KW.
A few mods? Well thats great, except how often do they respond to a ban not their own?


Easily fixable, and should be.
Until the mods forget about it again?


I don't think that's quite true, although as I said, there could easily be a lot more. The spam is what keeps most moderators away. I know Kadue keeps a close eye on the list, however.
So? I've sent email to the admin account and never had it responded to. Face it, it's broken.

I think that's more of a baseline to start with. If a moderator bans someone, then we assume that it was legitimate. That doesn't mean things can't be investigated and found to be otherwise.

compared to... the only situation where you will be unbanned immediately is if it's proven that you were not the person that the ban was intended for.

You seem not to agree with it or to not understand it.

Sometimes looking in a thread that you know you said something questionable in can find the person who did the banning.
Not always.

I think the unban request should always be able to let someone know
Right, within three days probably you'll get a response... although you may be unbanned by then.
But it doesn't matter if they were innocent right? They get unbanned anyways so if a mod screwed up it doens't matter.

and if not, there's always a private message to take care of that.
Except you not supposed to talk to any admin but the one that banned you. And if you can't get a response from the unban request and the mod was so inconsiderate as to not make it clear in thread, then you're screwed according to the rules.

Rewrite them.