x_X_Emily_X_x wrote:
I can understand that it makes them feel nervous when they have to crack down on friends...But, usually if they are your friends they will understand, that is, if they are your real friends. And besides, if they ARE their friends, the mod should know how to speak to them and help them understand what they did wrong.
As for the "popular" thing...Well, I don't see the point...It's not about popularity, it's about being as fair and just as possible. A mods job is to help members with remembering the rules, helping them understand the rules and really banning should be a last resort. They should try to explain things to them over PM instead of just a short little warning. Sometimes it takes alot more than just a short sentence for members to completely understand what they did wrong and why it's wrong.
For example, a new member writes in sms. The mod says not to, but the member continues because he doesn't understand. A PM should be sent. It think it should say something along the lines of :
"SMS is when you shorten words when you write. For example : You would write B4 instead of before or U instead of you. The reason SMS isn't allowed is because it can sometimes be hard to understand and read. So, it was made a rule that members (And staff) cannot use SMS when writing on the site. So, please stop writing in SMS language, it's against the rules. ;D
If you have any other questions about this, please feel free to PM me or another mod.
Thank you."
It should be made clear in the PM that the mod isn't being mean or offensive. As we have all learned...many people on this site take offense easily.
I agree with you that plenty of people do get nervous when it comes to deciding on things about friends, but that's normal. What really matters is how they deal with it... What I dislike is that usually people take mod-to-member instruction as something totally personal, not the way it should be seen. They should actually be proud that they have such a friend, who, for their own good, will not sink themselves and the member into corruption.
As for the explanations and warnings:
I do agree with the explanations, but really, I've always seen mods to explain it. I haven't seen three immediate warnings given to a member who is asking what 'it' means. Not to mention three other members giving examples as well.
And of course, being polite always comes first in gaining any sort of respect or good authority.
However, at times other members can simply misunderstand. Very frequently, there are members who pretend they do not know what SMS or other things are, although they get plenty of examples and plenty of time. And, naturally, later they tell us so. When they have been banned.
As for the moderator mishaps that have been mentioned, it would only be good to give moderators feedback about such things, instead of making allusions and having the mods involved not even know that they might be spoken about. Feedback and interaction between the members and the staff are essential to creating the best environment for all members.
