The Advisory Council Update June-July

Comrades, my heartfelt apologies go out to you all, we have tarried in our duty to inform you, the People of the events and discussions that have taken place in the gilded prison that is the Advisory Council. So without further ado, here it is:


Things have been relatively slow in the Council, perhaps due to the departure of the first intake of rotating members, and the arrival of the new kids on the block. These being the following:

Genghis12,
Jeff 42,
Cigam Retah,
Darth_AYBABTU,
And myself, Humble Extra.

Incidently, the departure of the previous author, Tellesto is one of the reasons for the delay in this update, that and my innate laziness.

Reviews and Colours

The main issue confronting the AC so far, since our arrival has been the Moderator Evaluation Scheme.
The first evaluation, of Liz Skywalker has been completed, and we are now dealing with issues that have arisen because of our experiences in participating in this exercise. Specifically:

1. How can the process be speeded up?
2. Is the current format acceptable?
3. How do we present the results to the community at large?

Following this, we have decided to invite former Advisory Council Members to participate in the process. Suggestions have also been made about the actual structure of the evaluation, but nothing concrete has yet been decided about how to publish the results.

The next candidate is Gandolf the Grey.


Moderator colouration schemes enjoyed their moment in the sun, specifically over the issue of whether the ability to colour the username was a privilege or a duty. It was decided eventually that it in fact was a badge of office, and as such should be worn in some revealing fashion by all moderators.
There was some question about whether colours should be restricted to moderators because of this functional requirement, but that has, as yet not progressed any further. Leaving Darth Dark Helmet to launch an attack on the originality of some colours, till he himself realised that he was the main perpetrator.

Trolls and Security

The next issue was that of pre-meditated trolling. The moderators wanted to know what our opinion was of certain groups deliberately planning trolling expeditions. The general response being to take it as it comes, but from there it denigrated into lurid story telling, finally ending in Darth_AYBABTU giving us his recipe for Aluminium thought protector hats. It was good to see that a free and frank exchange of ideas could occur.


Security was again an issue, it seems we have once again become the target of a certain repeat offender, and so, after certain measures were taken it was agreed that in fact this person was a tool, and should perhaps devote his powers to good not evil. Suggestions Welcome.

Other Issues

Commander Antilles raised the issue of tensions between Fan force and Jedi Council moderators. This has apparently become quite an issue, given the diverse range of communities and fan structures within the boards as a whole. An apparent point of conflict being the large numbers of VIPS and such that populate Fan force. Both sides participated in this discussion, with the main suggestion being that both sets of moderators have access to the moderator boards. This issue will probably resurface.


The End


PS I apologise for the lack of pretty colours and fancy bullet pointing, however if you like next time I will post some of my engravings, my latest work, titled "the fat tabby cat" is nearing completion.

 

I want to say on behalf of the Blue Yoda Society that trolling, using "socks" while banned, and spamming will not be tolerated by us. We have worked hard within our group and with certain Mods to rid ourselves of this problem.

We have been guilty of this in the past but those people have been thrown out of our society and the JC. The ones of us that are left have seen the light, so to speak. We will continue to do our best at cleaning up our reputation.

 

Hmmm, finally. I was just about to start a thread to get you lot out of the AC

OK, now that this thread is my primary input to the AC, I shall make some points here.

Reviews....
1)I dont know if you can really speed up the process...the reviewer shouldnt have to spend too long on this...they should be able to give an adequate assessment of a mod by fishing around for a 2-3 hours. Looking up their latest posts etc, checking their forum of interest for their presence, etc.
2) Yup, its ok....I found some questions somewhat repetetive, and maybe it can be streamlined a bit, however there isnt anything overly bad...if a reviewer doesnt know and answer, and cant find anything relevant about the question, then there is no need to say anything. It isnt an exam where you have to say get full marks...sometimes not giving an answer is better than giving one half-arsed.
3) This is a difficult question...the JC should be made aware of the results, however sensitive information should be kept out of the spotlight. I prefer for the full evaluation to be given to the AC, and the AC can then decide exactly how what information might be better off being kept quiet. This way the mod in question sees the info (in the AC), the JC gets all information relevant, and sensitive information can be kept confidential.

Colours....
Mods should have easily distinguishable names. They must be easy to spot on the Users Online page. No ifs ands or buts.
I dont mind various VIPs (ex-mods, FF reps etc etc etc) having special colours, because they have earned this status because of their contribution to the JC/FF/SW community.

Trolling....
If a groups deliberately trolls, then I dont see why any members taking part should get anything less than a 48hr spank...more for repeat offences. We exist in a community here, and have to respect one another. By trolling, you show you have no respect for your fellow users. As such, you have no place here.

Security....
I dont see why you guys couldnt get a private (off-JC) messageboard or something...dont let anyone know....perhaps change the board every time the temp ACers switch over (to keep the place secret)? If noone knows where you are, then people will have a hard time finding you, let alone hacking.

Of course, logistically speaking, it would be difficult.

Other issues....
I heard that there were rumblings between JC and FF mods. My opinion is that FF mods should have a say in JC business that affects them. Vice versa, JC mods should have a say in FF busines than involves them. The best and easiest way for this, is to give all mods access to both the ModSquad, and the FF Headquarters. I think you can basically trust each groups of mods not to screw around with the other, because, lets face it, they are mods because they have shown they have respect for the JC and FF. No mod should even have a thought in their head of division.

Humble, did you guys take up my suggestion of random PMs?

Heh, as you can all see by my lengthy post, I havent quite gotten the AC out of my system yet

 

thanks for the input DD, please refresh me about those random PMs

 

DD's brainchild of an idea about PM random users out of the blue and asking them how they felt about the JC.

Which actually, could be a good idea, if not a source of amusement.

 

My idea for random PMs was put forward in the Welcome thread, I think, just before I left.

Its quite simple...once a week or so, you hop onto the Users Online page, and find a random user, PM him/her, and just find out what he/she think of the place....the goods, the bads, the uglys. You can pose questions about policy changes, and see what they think of it. Anything, really.

To make sure it is completely random, rather than going into the UO page and then deciding, you could, say, decide to PM the 16th user on page 2. This way you arent influenced by who you see on the list. The user could be a newbie, oldbie, disgruntled ex-mod, anyone really.

It really is simple, but it keeps you all in touch with members, and gives you a great untapped resource for complaints, suggestions, anything relevant to the JC.

 

By trolling, you show you have no respect for your fellow users. As such, you have no place here.

I couldn't agree more. However, it is somewhat implausible that because one posts before a bannable post or posts, one is bannable onesself.

 

Well, you shouldnt be banned for simply posting in the same thread as someone trolling. As always, you should only be banned if you do something wrong, not because someone else did something wrong.

Btw, ACers, can you remember to 'up' the thread in the Welcome forum?

 

Well, you shouldnt be banned for simply posting in the same thread as someone trolling. As always, you should only be banned if you do something wrong, not because someone else did something wrong.

Excellent point. Let's hope it works that way in the future.

EDIT: The random PM idea is interesting. Sort of bringing Comms to the people, instead of the people coming to Comms.

 

I know what the masses are clamoring for. They want to see what Darth_AYBABTU has been doing in the AC. They also want him to stop ending his sentences with prepositions. One thing at a time, please.

Here's a list that I like to call...

The Best of AYBABTU's AC Quotes So Far

On titles...

I think "be informative" is the only appropriate use. Do the mods not get enough opportunites to tell a joke with their icons and general power? It just perpetuates divisiveness.

I've said my piece and I hope you guys will use this new feature as a tool rather than a toy.

On dinks...

Clearly, the uproar is over nothing. DP is at the very least a dink, and at worst a criminal. Those coming to his defense are either woefully uninformed, or people who aim to cause trouble and chaos at the JC.

On Blue Yoda...

That thread deserved to be shut down on the simple principle that it was stupid as hell.

On colors...

One can reflect his attachment to and association with 'regular' members in the way he conducts himself on the boards and still use a helpful feature such as colors, even if it's just a subtle shade that brings the mod's name out on the users online list.

On the Welcome Forum...

omg!11! im on the ac! call me 4 help
k thx bye

On nonsense spellings...

Besides, '"ghey" is an incredibly stupid word, and anyone using it should be banned immediately. This also applies to the use of the words "kewl," "teh," "thanx," and "l33t."

More on nonsense...

All Your Base... = teh funny

On YOTS...

Too many tools go through life having never been informed of their Tool status. YOTS no longer has that excuse. He has been advised.

On milestones...

Post # 5000! Woohoo! Notice how I didn't create a milestone thread, yet the sun still rises?

On internet conspiracies...

Did someone say conspiracy? Everyone get out your Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanies to help block the mind control. Remember, the shiny side always goes on the outside.

On polls in the movie forums...

Who is Anakin's father?

A. Count Dooku
B. Qui-Gon Jinn
C. Darth Sidious
D. Palpatine (because he's not Sidious, you know)
E. Boss Nass
F. Random spice miner
G. Yoda
H. Mace Windu
I. Kitster's uncle
J. Other

Yikes! I think we're better off without polls.

Next, you'll get to see what everyone says about me in the AC!

AYBABTU?

 

On Blue Yoda...
That thread deserved to be shut down on the simple principle that it was stupid as hell.

That's what makes the thread that much better. We are not idiots as some would believe. We know Yoda is green. We've evolved into a social group, which is why the second thread and the group still exist.

 

What others are saying about Darth_AYBABTU...

Josh Griffin -- "AYBABTU, we're thinking of coming to you first on all future policy decisions. Will you be available for that? Can we rename the forums after you? Can I wash your car?"

Vertical -- "Pretty much everything you've said is right on. If there's anyone here more intelligent than you, I've sure never met him, or her for that matter. Her? Ha! Girls are stupid!"

jp30 -- "Your contribution here is immeasurable, AYBABTU. You should be King of the JC."

cbjedi -- "You're American, right? Screw Canada! Wherever you are, I've gotta be there!"

DarthSapient -- "Redundancy... in AOTC... can't breathe... must escape..."

Cigam Retah -- "It is truly an honor to serve with you, AYBABTU. I think I'll set you up with my sister. And if I don't have a sister, I'm sure we'll find you someone."

All the rest are pretty much the same. To post more would be redundant.

AYBABTU?

 

AYBABTU has been taking a lot of drugs lately, don't mind him.

 

You forgot one:

Darth_Dagsy: AYBABTU? Never heard of him, but I'd like to beat the snot out of him anyway.

 

Thanks for the timely update.

...finally ending in Darth_AYBABTU giving us his recipe for Aluminium thought protector hats.

See, you guys knew you made AYBABTU a member of the AC for a reason.

Seriously, I like the idea of the random PM's.

Have a nice day.

Kat

 

instead of "random" PM's, why not send a PM to every user who has at least 5,000 posts... you'd still get a good cross section, and from people who have been around a while, and know the JC..



AYBABTU??? , yeah, I want to have his children.... in fact, I fell for his "Lando-smooth" routine.. I believed him when he said he loved me. So, I let him have his wicked way with me, and now he never returns my calls, or answers my emails, the scum... Don't get me started on the subject of AYBABTU ...

 

You narrow down the field too much if you only send to those with plenty of posts.

If its completely random, you can hear from oldbies, midbies, and newbies.

Everyone voice is important, not just those that have been around for longest, or those that havent been around long, but post like theres no tomorrow.

 

AYBABTU =

 

LMAO at AYBABTU.

 

random pm could be a good idea, using big posters as a barometre of the JC= crap idea.......alot of us spammers are not as wise as yoda, despite common belief

 

Right on, guys

 

AYBABTU rules! lol

 

I like the random PM idea. However, some explaining of what the random PM is for might have to be done to users who don't come to Communications often.

Hopefully there'll be more frequent updates, so that we don't start wondering what happened in June and what in July!

 

I dont think random PMs would be that hard...the ACer just needs to say that he/she is on the AC and just wants to ask a few questions about their experiences here.

 

*peeks into thread*

hmmmmmmm, random PMs; sounds.........like something's brewing.

*quietly leaves and moves on to next thread*