wow. how are they fucking up so badly?It seems like Yukiko™ may have been unbanned, absolutely cowardly, pathetic, and disgusting that they were ever banned to begin with
wow. how are they fucking up so badly?It seems like Yukiko™ may have been unbanned, absolutely cowardly, pathetic, and disgusting that they were ever banned to begin with
more than anything the symbolism of all this falling on Trans Awareness Week is almost ShakespeareanThat this is happening on this week of all weeks is not ok.
IT IS NOT OK.
I stand in solidarity with my trans sisters and brothers as a cis gay man.
If there is a discord anyone has, if it's alright I would not mind being invited
As post #673 so articulately points out, the issue goes higher up the ladder than just the mod team. IMO, and pardon me for resorting to this term, likely an entire reset is in order if we wish some semblance of reform here.Mod rotation desperately needs to happen. With what happened on NeoGAF you'd think maybe there would be some foresight with that
Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime and offer my two cents on the ongoing situation. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a former administrator for this website, and a transgender person myself. I also own and co-run the TransEra community discord. With that context out of the way, let's dig into things.
First of all, I think the mod post in this thread misunderstands what the actual issue is from the community's perspective. The community's issue is not with leaks. The community's issue is not with investigations. The community's issue is with how the situation was handled.
It is one thing to ban a member for leaking something that was private. I think most people can understand that logic, even if they don't necessarily agree with the decision. Where you lost people is when you decide to start talking about investigating the issue seriously, as if there was ever going to be any kind of chat log or read receipt in Discord that provided a smoking gun. The entire 'investigation' could never be more than he said, she said, for that's all that Discord provides you.
I am very frustrated to see that the staff has a willingness to take a swing at a banned member who can no longer speak for herself here in a thread about transgender awareness, no less. The sheer lack of awareness is mind boggling. To take a shot by saying, 'Ketkat understood the importance of privacy in safe spaces, as she has championed this herself,' isn't just low, it is quite frankly pathetic. Why would ever think it is ok to take a snide shot at someone like this in an official capacity? I cannot believe that there is an administrator on staff who approved this. It makes staff look like the pettiest people on the planet, taking a shot at a former trans member of the community loved by the community in a thread about the trans community.
The community doesn't care about how the ResetEra staff feels right now. It isn't about the ResetEra staff feeling comfortable, it is about the ResetEra community feeling comfortable. Ultimately, the staff serves the community, not the other way around. When I was on staff, I was always willing to make myself uncomfortable if it meant making the community more comfortable, even if it meant having hard conversations that lasted long hours. That's part of being a volunteer, and that is part of serving. It isn't about you, the staff, it is about us, the community. That is something that has absolutely been lost as time has gone on.
There's a lot more I could say on my feelings, but my feelings are ultimately moot at this point, and so are words. What really matters at this point is actions. ResetEra staff, whether you agree with them or not (and I hope you do), the community feels extremely wronged right now. People are hurting, and they're hurting because you've hurt them. Now is the time to show that y'all really are the good people I know and worked alongside for years. Do the right thing, and show it with your words, not with your actions.
I would suggest the following:
- The moderator who made the post that has been linked around this thread needs to resign. In order for the community to move on and to heal, sometimes it is necessary for oneself to step aside. In this case, it is time for you to step aside and allow the healing process to begin.
- An apology should be posted for this whole situation. In this apology, you should clearly outline the steps that you take when evaluating transphobic content or other content that is anti-LGBT. There are plenty of us in the community that are former staff and could as easily articulate these rules, but you need to step forward and tell the community what they are. And then, you have to let the community hold you accountable to them. That's how you will open the door for the community to restore trust in you, by enforcing this policy (that you already have) not with your words, but with your actions.
- There needs to be a greater diversification in the administration table. This is something that has been great in the past, but after most of the original administration left, is severely lacking now. Please correct this decision with serious administration changes that will result in better conversations in the administration room with voices who are more concerned about doing right by the community than doing right by the moderation rulebook.
- And, this really should be a given, but at this point, Ketkat should be unbanned. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter how you feel about it. It will be a good starting sign to restorting the trust between the community and staff. If Ketkat breaks the rules again, that's on her, but right now, it doesn't really matter. What matters is keeping the community together and restoring the trust that has been broken.
This is by no means the only things that have to happen or the only things that can happen, but I would call this a good start. It is hard. It is going to not be particularly fun for anyone involved. But, at the end of the day, it is worth it because this community and ResetEra are worth it. I urge this to be done at all haste.
If you have any questions for me, my inboxes are always open. If others have suggestions or additions to this list they'd like to see, please feel free to mention them, this was simply the first few big points that came to my mind.
Thanks,
Nicole
edit: fixed a typo
Seconded, and we can do even better:
- Sanction board: per-user thread that collates their history of warnings, bans, why, and the reasoning behind extensions. Don't obfuscate behind a shell account.
- Formal ban appeals: to be attended to not by the mod that instituted the ban, particularly when considering long or permanent bans, as a hedge against cronyism, over-reaction, or plain error. Include appeals to the sanction board.
- Mod nominations: you want better coverage of the forum's corners, more diverse voices, and a less adversarial relationship? Here's a way how. Nominate on a regular cycle such that existing mods can also feel free to step down without shortchanging anyone.
- Mod recalls: because, let's be honest. Sometimes we get some stinkers and that's just mundane reality when it comes to running a place like this. Make nominations for recall anonymous through a bot akin to the Giftbot, and set a percentile threshold to carry the recall or not.
- No blanket staff posts: Append each name individually to an advisory post, not in aggregate. If you want to be regarded as like us, post like us instead of erecting a procedural wall of perfect mod unity (it mostly serves to stifle discussion and cement the perspective that you're not our peers).
- Forget moderation of console warring/port begging/store warz that falls below the point of personal attacks. It's all trivial consumerist faff and coming down on it so hard is a solution in search of a problem. It's busywork, not valuable work.
- Shed the Gaf vestiges: seriously, so much of this crud is just hanging on because of simple inertia. Do we need member castes? Do we need four canonical subforums? Do we need to mandate OTs that expire at 20k posts?
- No more heavy-handed, "This is the last word on that, the united, formless, shapeless, and undivided mod mass decrees it" tosh. Discussions taper off and end. Don't throw weight around just to have the last word.
- More openness: discussion of the site's culture, future, and problems can't solely remain the prerogative of the mod team. Open discussion is the only reasonable way to make things better, work conciliation, and invest the entire forum in better outcomes.
- Proportion: accusations of bigotry can't be simply played off with stonewalling and blanket accusations of a criminal offense committed by the sanctioned member. It's irresponsible, it's insulting, and perfectly underlines the cultural problem that is driving people away and embittering members against a mod team that increasingly looks out of touch and out of hand.
- Conciliation: full and open discussions of crises like this one, including giving the accused and their witnesses the chance to speak for and defend themselves, and full ownership of mistakes, blind-spots, failings (both on the account of the mods and the accused). The social expectation to cop to fuckups should be expected of mods too, and not just as something that is nice to have when it happens.
If you don't find something more specific and helpful, the dating era discord is mostly just a chill place for talking about our days and sharing thoughts. Feel free to pop in, link is in the thread OP I believe. If you don't find the link or it doesn't work, shoot me a PM.
This is a great post.
Wait, is that how the saying goes, or are you joshing with me ?
There is absolutely no acephobic mod among staff, and the mod post is on behalf of the entire team.
I feel like if you have time to lock threads you have time to explain what the fuck is going on
Amazing. Thank you.Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime and offer my two cents on the ongoing situation. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a former administrator for this website, and a transgender person myself. I also own and co-run the TransEra community discord. With that context out of the way, let's dig into things.
First of all, I think the mod post in this thread misunderstands what the actual issue is from the community's perspective. The community's issue is not with leaks. The community's issue is not with investigations. The community's issue is with how the situation was handled.
It is one thing to ban a member for leaking something that was private. I think most people can understand that logic, even if they don't necessarily agree with the decision. Where you lost people is when you decide to start talking about investigating the issue seriously, as if there was ever going to be any kind of chat log or read receipt in Discord that provided a smoking gun. The entire 'investigation' could never be more than he said, she said, for that's all that Discord provides you.
I am very frustrated to see that the staff has a willingness to take a swing at a banned member who can no longer speak for herself here in a thread about transgender awareness, no less. The sheer lack of awareness is mind boggling. To take a shot by saying, 'Ketkat understood the importance of privacy in safe spaces, as she has championed this herself,' isn't just low, it is quite frankly pathetic. Why would ever think it is ok to take a snide shot at someone like this in an official capacity? I cannot believe that there is an administrator on staff who approved this. It makes staff look like the pettiest people on the planet, taking a shot at a former trans member of the community loved by the community in a thread about the trans community.
The community doesn't care about how the ResetEra staff feels right now. It isn't about the ResetEra staff feeling comfortable, it is about the ResetEra community feeling comfortable. Ultimately, the staff serves the community, not the other way around. When I was on staff, I was always willing to make myself uncomfortable if it meant making the community more comfortable, even if it meant having hard conversations that lasted long hours. That's part of being a volunteer, and that is part of serving. It isn't about you, the staff, it is about us, the community. That is something that has absolutely been lost as time has gone on.
There's a lot more I could say on my feelings, but my feelings are ultimately moot at this point, and so are words. What really matters at this point is actions. ResetEra staff, whether you agree with them or not (and I hope you do), the community feels extremely wronged right now. People are hurting, and they're hurting because you've hurt them. Now is the time to show that y'all really are the good people I know and worked alongside for years. Do the right thing, and show it with your words, not with your actions.
I would suggest the following:
- The moderator who made the post that has been linked around this thread needs to resign. In order for the community to move on and to heal, sometimes it is necessary for oneself to step aside. In this case, it is time for you to step aside and allow the healing process to begin.
- An apology should be posted for this whole situation. In this apology, you should clearly outline the steps that you take when evaluating transphobic content or other content that is anti-LGBT. There are plenty of us in the community that are former staff and could as easily articulate these rules, but you need to step forward and tell the community what they are. And then, you have to let the community hold you accountable to them. That's how you will open the door for the community to restore trust in you, by enforcing this policy (that you already have) not with your words, but with your actions.
- There needs to be a greater diversification in the administration table. This is something that has been great in the past, but after most of the original administration left, is severely lacking now. Please correct this decision with serious administration changes that will result in better conversations in the administration room with voices who are more concerned about doing right by the community than doing right by the moderation rulebook.
- And, this really should be a given, but at this point, Ketkat should be unbanned. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter how you feel about it. It will be a good starting sign to restorting the trust between the community and staff. If Ketkat breaks the rules again, that's on her, but right now, it doesn't really matter. What matters is keeping the community together and restoring the trust that has been broken.
This is by no means the only things that have to happen or the only things that can happen, but I would call this a good start. It is hard. It is going to not be particularly fun for anyone involved. But, at the end of the day, it is worth it because this community and ResetEra are worth it. I urge this to be done at all haste.
If you have any questions for me, my inboxes are always open. If others have suggestions or additions to this list they'd like to see, please feel free to mention them, this was simply the first few big points that came to my mind.
Thanks,
Nicole
edit: fixed a typo
Fantastically said it rest highlights everything that has happened with a reasonable solutions. Any of these steps would be welcome and we can Foster our community further into a better one.Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime and offer my two cents on the ongoing situation. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a former administrator for this website, and a transgender person myself. I also own and co-run the TransEra community discord. With that context out of the way, let's dig into things.
First of all, I think the mod post in this thread misunderstands what the actual issue is from the community's perspective. The community's issue is not with leaks. The community's issue is not with investigations. The community's issue is with how the situation was handled.
It is one thing to ban a member for leaking something that was private. I think most people can understand that logic, even if they don't necessarily agree with the decision. Where you lost people is when you decide to start talking about investigating the issue seriously, as if there was ever going to be any kind of chat log or read receipt in Discord that provided a smoking gun. The entire 'investigation' could never be more than he said, she said, for that's all that Discord provides you.
I am very frustrated to see that the staff has a willingness to take a swing at a banned member who can no longer speak for herself here in a thread about transgender awareness, no less. The sheer lack of awareness is mind boggling. To take a shot by saying, 'Ketkat understood the importance of privacy in safe spaces, as she has championed this herself,' isn't just low, it is quite frankly pathetic. Why would ever think it is ok to take a snide shot at someone like this in an official capacity? I cannot believe that there is an administrator on staff who approved this. It makes staff look like the pettiest people on the planet, taking a shot at a former trans member of the community loved by the community in a thread about the trans community.
The community doesn't care about how the ResetEra staff feels right now. It isn't about the ResetEra staff feeling comfortable, it is about the ResetEra community feeling comfortable. Ultimately, the staff serves the community, not the other way around. When I was on staff, I was always willing to make myself uncomfortable if it meant making the community more comfortable, even if it meant having hard conversations that lasted long hours. That's part of being a volunteer, and that is part of serving. It isn't about you, the staff, it is about us, the community. That is something that has absolutely been lost as time has gone on.
There's a lot more I could say on my feelings, but my feelings are ultimately moot at this point, and so are words. What really matters at this point is actions. ResetEra staff, whether you agree with them or not (and I hope you do), the community feels extremely wronged right now. People are hurting, and they're hurting because you've hurt them. Now is the time to show that y'all really are the good people I know and worked alongside for years. Do the right thing, and show it with your words, not with your actions.
I would suggest the following:
- The moderator who made the post that has been linked around this thread needs to resign. In order for the community to move on and to heal, sometimes it is necessary for oneself to step aside. In this case, it is time for you to step aside and allow the healing process to begin.
- An apology should be posted for this whole situation. In this apology, you should clearly outline the steps that you take when evaluating transphobic content or other content that is anti-LGBT. There are plenty of us in the community that are former staff and could as easily articulate these rules, but you need to step forward and tell the community what they are. And then, you have to let the community hold you accountable to them. That's how you will open the door for the community to restore trust in you, by enforcing this policy (that you already have) not with your words, but with your actions.
- There needs to be a greater diversification in the administration table. This is something that has been great in the past, but after most of the original administration left, is severely lacking now. Please correct this decision with serious administration changes that will result in better conversations in the administration room with voices who are more concerned about doing right by the community than doing right by the moderation rulebook.
- And, this really should be a given, but at this point, Ketkat should be unbanned. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter how you feel about it. It will be a good starting sign to restorting the trust between the community and staff. If Ketkat breaks the rules again, that's on her, but right now, it doesn't really matter. What matters is keeping the community together and restoring the trust that has been broken.
This is by no means the only things that have to happen or the only things that can happen, but I would call this a good start. It is hard. It is going to not be particularly fun for anyone involved. But, at the end of the day, it is worth it because this community and ResetEra are worth it. I urge this to be done at all haste.
If you have any questions for me, my inboxes are always open. If others have suggestions or additions to this list they'd like to see, please feel free to mention them, this was simply the first few big points that came to my mind.
Thanks,
Nicole
edit: fixed a typo
You'd think so, but then why did they just lock THIS thread:
Thanks, I might do that!
Honestly part of me is asking in case we go deeper and bans start getting handed out...
SecondedIf there is a discord anyone has, if it's alright I would not mind being invited
Yep, the whole situation is hugely disheartening. If anyone needs a supportive place to hang out, the RPG Club discord is always open. It's my progressive community anchor of choice outside of Era.
[Hidden content]
This is a great post, and I think the suggestions would go a long way.
Hoping that won't be the case, but if history repeats itself then being part of a good discord is probably worth it.
Amen. How anyone with a heart could stand behind that frankly dehumanizing post is beyond me. Some folks just think they're allies.
Like a fart in the wind...Funny how towards the end of the other thread, after Ket got banned, there were like 80 mods who I hadn't ever even heard of who had to give their 2 cents on the situation. Now we are asking for them to say literally anything and not one to be found.
I feel like if you have time to lock threads you have time to explain what the fuck is going on
Funny how towards the end of the other thread, after Ket got banned, there were like 80 mods who I hadn't ever even heard of who had to give their 2 cents on the situation. Now we are asking for them to say literally anything and not one to be found.
Hey everyone, I'm part of the Mafia (the party game) community here on ERA; Ket would regularly play games with us and we're supporting her on this (many have posted here already).
In case you're ever interested in playing with us, or really just hanging out in our discord, a place where all are welcome, come on in (we barely talk about Mafia in the discord lol, it's just a place where us friends can be together and talk about whatever else):
[Hidden content]
Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime and offer my two cents on the ongoing situation. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a former administrator for this website, and a transgender person myself. I also own and co-run the TransEra community discord. With that context out of the way, let's dig into things.
First of all, I think the mod post in this thread misunderstands what the actual issue is from the community's perspective. The community's issue is not with leaks. The community's issue is not with investigations. The community's issue is with how the situation was handled.
It is one thing to ban a member for leaking something that was private. I think most people can understand that logic, even if they don't necessarily agree with the decision. Where you lost people is when you decide to start talking about investigating the issue seriously, as if there was ever going to be any kind of chat log or read receipt in Discord that provided a smoking gun. The entire 'investigation' could never be more than he said, she said, for that's all that Discord provides you.
I am very frustrated to see that the staff has a willingness to take a swing at a banned member who can no longer speak for herself here in a thread about transgender awareness, no less. The sheer lack of awareness is mind boggling. To take a shot by saying, 'Ketkat understood the importance of privacy in safe spaces, as she has championed this herself,' isn't just low, it is quite frankly pathetic. Why would ever think it is ok to take a snide shot at someone like this in an official capacity? I cannot believe that there is an administrator on staff who approved this. It makes staff look like the pettiest people on the planet, taking a shot at a former trans member of the community loved by the community in a thread about the trans community.
The community doesn't care about how the ResetEra staff feels right now. It isn't about the ResetEra staff feeling comfortable, it is about the ResetEra community feeling comfortable. Ultimately, the staff serves the community, not the other way around. When I was on staff, I was always willing to make myself uncomfortable if it meant making the community more comfortable, even if it meant having hard conversations that lasted long hours. That's part of being a volunteer, and that is part of serving. It isn't about you, the staff, it is about us, the community. That is something that has absolutely been lost as time has gone on.
There's a lot more I could say on my feelings, but my feelings are ultimately moot at this point, and so are words. What really matters at this point is actions. ResetEra staff, whether you agree with them or not (and I hope you do), the community feels extremely wronged right now. People are hurting, and they're hurting because you've hurt them. Now is the time to show that y'all really are the good people I know and worked alongside for years. Do the right thing, and show it with your words, not with your actions.
I would suggest the following:
- The moderator who made the post that has been linked around this thread needs to resign. In order for the community to move on and to heal, sometimes it is necessary for oneself to step aside. In this case, it is time for you to step aside and allow the healing process to begin.
- An apology should be posted for this whole situation. In this apology, you should clearly outline the steps that you take when evaluating transphobic content or other content that is anti-LGBT. There are plenty of us in the community that are former staff and could as easily articulate these rules, but you need to step forward and tell the community what they are. And then, you have to let the community hold you accountable to them. That's how you will open the door for the community to restore trust in you, by enforcing this policy (that you already have) not with your words, but with your actions.
- There needs to be a greater diversification in the administration table. This is something that has been great in the past, but after most of the original administration left, is severely lacking now. Please correct this decision with serious administration changes that will result in better conversations in the administration room with voices who are more concerned about doing right by the community than doing right by the moderation rulebook.
- And, this really should be a given, but at this point, Ketkat should be unbanned. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter how you feel about it. It will be a good starting sign to restorting the trust between the community and staff. If Ketkat breaks the rules again, that's on her, but right now, it doesn't really matter. What matters is keeping the community together and restoring the trust that has been broken.
This is by no means the only things that have to happen or the only things that can happen, but I would call this a good start. It is hard. It is going to not be particularly fun for anyone involved. But, at the end of the day, it is worth it because this community and ResetEra are worth it. I urge this to be done at all haste.
If you have any questions for me, my inboxes are always open. If others have suggestions or additions to this list they'd like to see, please feel free to mention them, this was simply the first few big points that came to my mind.
Thanks,
Nicole
edit: fixed a typo
good post. it is truly maddening how every staff response so far has taken such an adversarial tone. ending these posts with variations on "this now a private matter not open for discussion" is so mind-bogglingly tone deaf, amplified only be how long it's taken between those responses.Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime and offer my two cents on the ongoing situation. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a former administrator for this website, and a transgender person myself. I also own and co-run the TransEra community discord. With that context out of the way, let's dig into things.
First of all, I think the mod post in this thread misunderstands what the actual issue is from the community's perspective. The community's issue is not with leaks. The community's issue is not with investigations. The community's issue is with how the situation was handled.
It is one thing to ban a member for leaking something that was private. I think most people can understand that logic, even if they don't necessarily agree with the decision. Where you lost people is when you decide to start talking about investigating the issue seriously, as if there was ever going to be any kind of chat log or read receipt in Discord that provided a smoking gun. The entire 'investigation' could never be more than he said, she said, for that's all that Discord provides you.
I am very frustrated to see that the staff has a willingness to take a swing at a banned member who can no longer speak for herself here in a thread about transgender awareness, no less. The sheer lack of awareness is mind boggling. To take a shot by saying, 'Ketkat understood the importance of privacy in safe spaces, as she has championed this herself,' isn't just low, it is quite frankly pathetic. Why would ever think it is ok to take a snide shot at someone like this in an official capacity? I cannot believe that there is an administrator on staff who approved this. It makes staff look like the pettiest people on the planet, taking a shot at a former trans member of the community loved by the community in a thread about the trans community.
The community doesn't care about how the ResetEra staff feels right now. It isn't about the ResetEra staff feeling comfortable, it is about the ResetEra community feeling comfortable. Ultimately, the staff serves the community, not the other way around. When I was on staff, I was always willing to make myself uncomfortable if it meant making the community more comfortable, even if it meant having hard conversations that lasted long hours. That's part of being a volunteer, and that is part of serving. It isn't about you, the staff, it is about us, the community. That is something that has absolutely been lost as time has gone on.
There's a lot more I could say on my feelings, but my feelings are ultimately moot at this point, and so are words. What really matters at this point is actions. ResetEra staff, whether you agree with them or not (and I hope you do), the community feels extremely wronged right now. People are hurting, and they're hurting because you've hurt them. Now is the time to show that y'all really are the good people I know and worked alongside for years. Do the right thing, and show it with your words, not with your actions.
I would suggest the following:
- The moderator who made the post that has been linked around this thread needs to resign. In order for the community to move on and to heal, sometimes it is necessary for oneself to step aside. In this case, it is time for you to step aside and allow the healing process to begin.
- An apology should be posted for this whole situation. In this apology, you should clearly outline the steps that you take when evaluating transphobic content or other content that is anti-LGBT. There are plenty of us in the community that are former staff and could as easily articulate these rules, but you need to step forward and tell the community what they are. And then, you have to let the community hold you accountable to them. That's how you will open the door for the community to restore trust in you, by enforcing this policy (that you already have) not with your words, but with your actions.
- There needs to be a greater diversification in the administration table. This is something that has been great in the past, but after most of the original administration left, is severely lacking now. Please correct this decision with serious administration changes that will result in better conversations in the administration room with voices who are more concerned about doing right by the community than doing right by the moderation rulebook.
- And, this really should be a given, but at this point, Ketkat should be unbanned. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter how you feel about it. It will be a good starting sign to restorting the trust between the community and staff. If Ketkat breaks the rules again, that's on her, but right now, it doesn't really matter. What matters is keeping the community together and restoring the trust that has been broken.
This is by no means the only things that have to happen or the only things that can happen, but I would call this a good start. It is hard. It is going to not be particularly fun for anyone involved. But, at the end of the day, it is worth it because this community and ResetEra are worth it. I urge this to be done at all haste.
If you have any questions for me, my inboxes are always open. If others have suggestions or additions to this list they'd like to see, please feel free to mention them, this was simply the first few big points that came to my mind.
Thanks,
Nicole
edit: fixed a typo
Oh yeah!
*nervous laughter*There is absolutely no acephobic mod among staff, and the mod post is on behalf of the entire team.
Ah the wonderful, constant reminders that "allies" will sell you out for a pinch of cornbread. Just what we all needed.