Goodbye.

[Mensrea]

I'm an evil, megalomaniacal (female dog) who has neither right nor need to run an online community. Getting a little bit of justice for a wrong done me is, apparently, wrong. I shouldn't care about crap that happens on the net, but I do care about crap that happens here. When so-called "friends" or gaming buddies, rather, backstab you and call you every sort of nasty, snide thing they can for no other reason than that they wish to, it is time to leave. Peace, fellows. Shiva is over and out.

I made an account to say one thing, pretty much. You guys should have just left me banned. I did come back to let you know that you were at least partially right about low forms of life, though it wasn't fair for you to make a blanket statement like that because a lot of those low forms of life liked and respected you. I uncovered several radar users over the past two weeks and determined that the programs they were using could not be reliably detected, let alone stopped. I would rather not have a server than have a server filled with liars and cheaters. So yeah, on top of your experience with the 'arthoks, I can see your point to an extent.

Though I would say that washington, DC ought to be the place "lowest forms of life in the galaxy" is applied to.

Just to clarify, Shiva was involved with a dispute with a high ranked player (actually like 5 guys with practically the same name) from day one when he killed her for no reason at all. Judging by this chicks temper, that is not a wise move cause from then on it was just a constant back and forth between the two of them. It escalated to the point where I had told either that they could ban the other for team killing/griefing/stealing. Shiva had too much honor and sense to do that to the arthoks, but arthoks jumped at the chance to get rid of the only person who challanged their/his authority. So they banned her, snitched on her even, over a single fahking diode...I begged and pleaded with the guy but contrary to timetogo's beliefs on fweedom, I am not a dictator and do not simply push people around when I dont get my way. I did it all with a really heavy heart too because I knew she neither deserved it or that it would be good for her team (it wasnt).

Anyway, I totally understand why she banned me from here and I don't care. I think she is a cool person and I enjoyed her company and I think you guys do too, so don't let her anger over this one, small issue influence your opinion of her. Shiva you obviously have a lot of people who care about you here so don't give up your position because of some misunderstanding. If banning me somehow made you feel better I'm glad because I felt bad enough over what happened on my server that I feel you deserve at least one free shot to mah gut.

I'm sorry that the arthoks treated you the way they did and I'm sorry that you didn't ban them first, but I must say, I have much more respect for you for it. You may have a temper but you are neither a snitch or a coward and you had more honor than all of them combined.

You guys really shouldnt let what happened on some random aspholes obscure server effect the dynamic you have here. All this is just water under the bridge anyway. Whats important is the relationships you have built and the connections you have, and those are far greater then any of this petty stuff.

EDIT: And this forum is abusing powder! All my swear words get changed into PC stuff! My fweedom! Nooooo...!!!

[Iv121]

Well you shouldn't get banned because of it nor she should feel bad for it. That deed didn't change our opinion about her at all and we are all glad she is here, just you do need to know there are other ways besides banning people, this doesn't get anyone to anywhere good. I wish each time we hold such discussions it wouldn't blow out of proportions like that with heads flying and people leaving ...

[Prototype]

Dammit, we can't afford to lose anybody over this...
I don't care how it started or whose fault it was, but it needs to stop, nobody should be either made to leave, or made to feel that they have to leave.

[fr0stbyte124]

@Mensrea
I insert the strikethrough tag when I want to use grown-up words.

It sucks that she was the victim of abused powers. The FC forum has had trouble with that in the past, despite taking tons of measures to avoid it. It's never fun having to decide between being a tyrant and letting people fall through the cracks. I've mostly hidden from the responsibility myself, so I don't have a whole lot of room to pass judgement over other people's choices.

Anyway, the problem wasn't that she banned you. It was that she did so without consulting with any other moderator, a rule we established a long time ago to mitigate moderators using their power in personal disputes.
But even then, the consequences would have amounted to at most a stern lecture, so there is no reason it should have gotten out of hand. Objectively, it still hasn't. Nothing has actually been done to Shiva's account or authority and she can still come and go as she pleases. If she's not here, it is because she is choosing not to be here. I believe she'll be back once she's cooled her head.

Everyone on this board values her presence and the job she does. And even if there is a stressful atmosphere right now, I can pretty much guarantee there are no hard feelings from any of us here.

*EDIT*
Oh, and Shiva, you are still on the hook for that ROAM product key. You're not allowed to leave until 2014.

[Chairman_Tiel]

Maybe we need to hold admin elections...

I'm not taking either side here, although to be fair the extent of admin powers was never really drawn. If you're running the contemporary forum, one would think that you could ban people without issue. However, the concept of the community more radically impacting site decisions has been something that's become a good portion of the forum's identity.

So, proposal: With the exception of developer rank, every title goes through the election process.

Judges moderate the Judicial section of the forums and interpret the rules.

Moderators patrol the board for rule violations and unscrupulous things like spambots.

Developers, as before, have moderator powers but aren't obligated to use them.

*the* Admin oversees position elections, decides pressing matters in the Judicial area, proposes new rules that are decided on by the Judges, supervises moderator behavior, and eats the sacrificial aye-ayes generally keeps the forum in working order.

Judges are voted on monthly, Mods every two months, and the Admin every six.

I'd also like to have a rank called 'Janitor', the person who handles the technical side of the board (and thus appoints members to positions when the polls are over) but has no authority outside of that. Not voted on, but rather transferrable to another trusted member if the original runs into a rough spot of life or something similar. This isn't a power grab by me, so much as insurance that the forum continues to function in working order.

[Iv121]

About the elections:

Spoiler:

Having elections every month is a bit destabilizing and becomes pointless if the results of those elections remain the same leaving no point in making them in any case. It is possible to select them initially and then maybe hold a vote when the judgment of the person that is elected is questioned. That doesn't mean that for each mistake heads roll and it is MEANT to be the opposite. With the need to satisfy the public every month the judges and moderators will be afraid to do the right thing or do something at all as if they are going to be executed if they make a mistake. Mistakes are fine just when someone does them all the time then there is a need to decide maybe the role doesn't fit him.

BTW between us holding a discussion about headrolling in this thread doesn't help the cause O.o

[joykler]

wait and what about my new obtained title
forum-poet ?

[Avenger_7]

Every other place on the internet appoints it's mods. There's a reason for that.

[Iv121]

There is also a reason why many places in the internet suffer from different moderator abuse (like happened to Shiva), and BTW those two reasons match ...

[fr0stbyte124]

We don't have so many people that we need to establish democracy to run the place. I am opposed to regular elections. They are unnecessary.

[hyperlite]

Hyperlite 2013!

[Tunnelthunder]

Tiel look a like 2013

[Avenger_7]

My point was actually that a popularity contest is not a good way to pick mods.

@Iv, the reason you get rampant badmins on some sites is because the people who were there to start with were badmins. It wouldn't make a difference either way.

[Iv121]

I don't think Mensrea or Shiva ar bad admins.

[Avenger_7]

No one said you did...