Regarding this weekends events

[_Gunnar]

I'm worried that then every thread would devolve into ***** about bugs/exploits/modabuse.

So what? You could still read the thread until you see the trend where it ceases to be relevant and then just simply wait for the next thread with fresh info/topics. I lose more time trying to find where posts have been moved to and seperated off from etc. etc. then it would take for me to just skim the highlights through the trash. Keep in mind that major game like WoW server forums etc have 0 derailing rules. Imagine that, 11 million people and no derailing issues. Does every topic stay on point? No. But on a forum where your there to see what the community is talking about more than any one specific topic who gives a ()#$*? The HoB is a forum where people are there to research and feel out the community and politics. Nobody goes to HoB LOOKING for one specific topic or answer to their question so once again derailing in general should stay out of that arena (along with 99% of the rest of moderation).

Chief PeePooKaKa
MM Tribe

What Merciless Midgets count as drama on the WoW forums doesn't compare to the great dramas that are possible in this game. I'd rather have threads kept clean of trash and make it possible to read about actual meaningful in game politics and feuds, and not just pages of bs about whether its "exploiting" to live in the darkness.

[Vermilioncoyote]

Why ARE the mods so worried about derails and topics that have already been discussed? There hasn't been any new content in the game for months so of course people are going to talk about the same things. It's not like the forums are so flooded with posts that people can't read everything that has been posted the last day. I would hazard a guess that there are only around 20-30 people who post in an average week and 80% of the posts come from less than 10 people.

[Makestro]

This is the New World. Perhaps our forum moderators, or some portion of the forum moderators, should be elected to give the common man a voice. For better or worse, the moderators currently seem to be limited to HnH aristocracy.

There are some details on implementation (method of voting, frequency of elections, and how to ensure the elected are judiciously carrying out their duties) which would remain to be worked out. Here are two high-level suggestions:
-TotalyMoo would still need to appoint a hand-picked skeleton crew of moderators in case the elected representatives fail in their duties. Likewise, retain the right to remove moderators before the end of their term if they are found to abuse their power or fail to carry out their responsibilities.
-Initially carried out by poll on the forums, voting could eventually be integrated into the game proper, with ballots cast in Boston (prevention of widespread alt-abuse a concern to still address)

No moderation without representation!

Interesting concept. I have to say that "No Moderation without Representation" made me smile.

We have a few potential problems with this, though they can be solved by considering me a benevolent dictator. Mods get access to a bunch of more sensitive information, mod forums and super-secret-omg-devforums. They are hidden for a reason so an elected moderator would need to be someone with a decent sense of integrity. Can of course be solved by having me be the final judge after the elections (as MM said, all mods have to be approved by PDX).

There's also the problem of the actual learning period to be a mod. Even if the person has modding experience beforehand there's a time of adjustment to get to know the rules, the forum and the systems.

Actually, wouldn't it be a better idea to simply have a community representative like they do in EVE with the CSM -- but for forum matters?

As for the ratio of mods to forumites we are at an extreme right now. But that is simply in preparation of the playerbase growing. I set up the team of five global moderators to have us prepared for the eventual onslaught of open beta.

The mods should not have access to information the other players don't... that's pretty ***** up tbh.

[staxjax]

There are other players that have access to information that you don't have access to...is that ***** up as well?

[colesie]

The mods should not have access to information the other players don't... that's pretty ***** up tbh.

It's the same as working any other job... Would you like the people who work at your local super market not to know what the upcoming sales were? Not to know how to prepare for up-coming rushes in business? Where else would they discuss these things aside from in the lunch room? It's far better than talking on the work floor. That's essentially what the mod forums are.

[Makestro]

There are other players that have access to information that you don't have access to...is that ***** up as well?

Yes.

EDIT: lol pretty funny how fast a mod jumps on me for this comment, ironic or what?

The mods should not have access to information the other players don't... that's pretty ***** up tbh.

It's the same as working any other job... Would you like the people who work at your local super market not to know what the upcoming sales were? Not to know how to prepare for up-coming rushes in business? Where else would they discuss these things aside from in the lunch room? It's far better than talking on the work floor. That's essentially what the mod forums are.

Your analogy is ****. I'd compare it more to insider trading in politics. Do you think it would be fair to others to warn someone that a stock is going to drop so they dump it or that a politician can(and does) invest in stock because a regulation on toilet bowl water limits is going to force people to spend money on a specific product? Maybe it's since you're still kinda new to this game but you probably do not realize why all the mods were seeking high quality mines to boost their fields and it probably was because they had inside info the devs were eventually going to make it so dross doesn't raise field quality.

[TeckXKnight]

The mod forums are primarily used to discuss disrespectful actions, rule amendments, and problem users. This is nothing like insider trading; your analogy is attempting to make the situation seem heinous when it is not. It's a safe environment where we will not be flamed for mentioning that we disagreed with another moderator or think that a user is crossing a line.

Edit: That's not what ironic means. Ironic defines an unlikely situation; one where what you did not expect to occur did. A mod responding to an attack on mods in a thread discussing moderation is a very linear course of actions that should have been expected.

[sabinati]

There are other players that have access to information that you don't have access to...is that ***** up as well?

Yes.

EDIT: lol pretty funny how fast a mod jumps on me for this comment, ironic or what?

The mods should not have access to information the other players don't... that's pretty ***** up tbh.

It's the same as working any other job... Would you like the people who work at your local super market not to know what the upcoming sales were? Not to know how to prepare for up-coming rushes in business? Where else would they discuss these things aside from in the lunch room? It's far better than talking on the work floor. That's essentially what the mod forums are.

Your analogy is ****. I'd compare it more to insider trading in politics. Do you think it would be fair to others to warn someone that a stock is going to drop so they dump it or that a politician can(and does) invest in stock because a regulation on toilet bowl water limits is going to force people to spend money on a specific product? Maybe it's since you're still kinda new to this game but you probably do not realize why all the mods were seeking high quality mines to boost their fields and it probably was because they had inside info the devs were eventually going to make it so dross doesn't raise field quality.

hey. hey. HEY. HEY. HEY. HEY. HEY. No. Get a grip.

[colesie]

I fail to see how my analogy is ****. It's the same for Haven and I've been involved there much longer than I have here and big surprise, nearly all of the mods here are the same as in Haven. Sure your example sucks if the dev forums were actually being used that way but I'm more inclined to believe that it is for posting changes to rules, bringing up issues with the current setup and so on as Teck said. (I've never been given a reason to not believe Teck in the year+ I've been reading his posts)

[darnokpl]

Maybe it's since you're still kinda new to this game but you probably do not realize why all the mods were seeking high quality mines to boost their fields and it probably was because they had inside info the devs...

And thx to mod Sevenless we got nice post about that?