I decided to not only blog my thoughts on Admin's performance but also welcome the TG public to comment what you think Admin is doing right and what they could improve on.
Positives:
1. Really stepped up in regard to getting rid and banning multis. I know there were concerns about allowing Brazilian multis, but they were recently banned today. Multis corrupt voting in Stars and discourage new players to play in games, so I'm glad Admin has been strong in this discipline.
2. I think the Admin Transparency group is a brilliant idea because it shows the work that Admin actually is putting in. Plus, it gives a brief description on why they were banned which helps the TG public understand.
3. Communication. I think it's great to have a group where people can report multis rather than the many accusations (from me) being sent to your mail to flood your inbox. Also, blogging and making group threads about rule updates and your decisions has made it easier for the public to understand some decisions that have been made.
Improvements:
1. Communication. I know that Admin must be getting dozens of mails each day and that it is overwhelming, especially since this isn't a paid job. HOWEVER, it would be beneficial for Admin to at least respond to each mail they read, even if it's "I will look into this" or some verification that the mail was seen. I know users complain that Admin may ignore them and this would allow users to know they are heard.
2. Consistency. I understand there are multi people behind the Admin account, but this has seemed to cause trouble, such as #iScotty getting permission from Admin but then getting banned (perhaps by someone else on the Admin panel). I have no idea what the process is when it comes to banning, but maybe make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to controversial issues. ESPECIALLY when it comes to shops and a ban could result in a shop dropping or not being able to fully sell its stock
3. Survivor Cheating. Now that multis are getting thinned out, this brings up to the other type of cheating: Doing challenges on other accounts. I know that this is hard to check without IP addresses, but it would be great if the Admin panel would be able to get together and discuss a process to handle this situation. I know last week i sent proof of someone trying to get people to do their comps and it was ignored unfortunately.
OVERALL, I believe Admin is doing very well for the tools they have. They often get a lot of public criticism but they truly are trying to clean TG up and make it more friendly to new users and hopefully the users who have been on the site for years.
I agree with many of the things you said. This seems to be a learning experience for Admin in some situations and I think the organization through the groups is a very good idea. I can't wait for more topics in the Tengaged Discussion group. They listen to criticism too so that's good :)
If only randomize cared about this site as much as Admin does
tbh you should tag Anas and Slice too. I know they have said a lot about Admin
I was the 1st victim of Admin鈥檚 problematic censoring when they first started due to them deleting a blog for slander when it wasn鈥檛. Since then till now there鈥檚 been a huge growth in moderation, like you said transparency group is breath of fresh air and also another pro should be their commitment to TRS. There are some inconsistencies which need to be addressed but on the whole, I鈥檓 very satisfied
I鈥檝e been told they won鈥檛 ban certain people because they are friends with them (such as my OT) which if it is true is my biggest problem. There鈥檚 clear evidence of cheating even without seeing IPs so I鈥檓 not sure why it鈥檚 not being dealt with. I think they鈥檝e done a good job on most other things but I just hope they aren鈥檛 going to be a bias mod like we鈥檝e had in the past. The transparency and banning of multis has been good.
I truly don't believe they care about this website. I have been vocal about Admin for a while, one of the most vocal on the website.
They like the fact that they have power, which is why they take action on minimal offenses like designs. But they were a cheater on their original account and do not care about cheating, so I don't have high hopes for the future.
It sounds like Admin is really stepping it up lately. I'm glad to see moderation getting attention, and bans being placed on users breaking the rules. Some rules may be getting more weight than others, but all these kinks get worked out. I am thankful that something is being done. As a player, it's disheartening when you're stuck in a game with cheaters.
From my own moderator experience, what I've learned is that no matter HOW good a job you do, the little people on the site will always pick you apart and say you're doing it wrong. You can't reward or punish anyone without hearing about it.
Thanks Smoothstalker12 for this blog, and I hope more users come to support and respect admin and their moderation work.
I agree that the groups are great ideas by them. The main criticisms I have correspond with your consistency improvement, and the fact that they seem too impulsive.
I think that we finally have mods and its what all we were waiting so Idk why ppl complain so much. Who is going to be mod for free? I couldn't deal with all your shit tbh. Of course there are things that they need to make better but I guess randomize has to move his ass too (Ips'check, payouts..
I think the hardest things for a moderator is to think in terms of what is best for the site, to not be biased and to have a ton of patience. It is a thankless job and I appreciate anyone who puts the effort into it to make this site fair for everyone.
however i am reserving my judgment until i see how my lavaworks situation is handled