ZFGC

ZFGC.com => Updates => Topic started by: 4Sword on November 10, 2010, 08:04:37 am

Title: Staff Ranks
Post by: 4Sword on November 10, 2010, 08:04:37 am

This has been subject of a little confusion due to informality and lack of explanation, but the new staff ranks are as follows:

(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/Themes/kokiri/images/badges/manager-ro.gif) - Administrator
(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/Themes/kokiri/images/badges/advisor_ro.gif) - Advisor
(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/Themes/kokiri/images/badges/gmoderator-ro.gif) - Moderator
(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/Themes/kokiri/images/badges/developer-ro.gif) - Developer

As it is currently, the only one who is identified as an Administrator is myself (4Sword). Windy (who codes the site but didn't want to have his name listed as a full Administrator), Vash (who owns the server host at the moment), and metallica48423 (who owns the domain name and the server host in the possible future) are listed as Advisors but technically are or do more. The rest of the listed Advisors are CrystalAngel04, Infini, and Mamoruアニメ. The purpose of the Advisors is due in part to how the Administrator rank is currently just helmed by myself (4Sword); i.e., the administration's decisions are not made just on my own whims, those who are Advisors help out by formulating ideas and giving input.

Additionally, Advisors can tell users here to stop a certain behavior if they feel it is against the rules or in the general interest of the forum - and this will not be considered rent-a-modding (Advisors were at one point previously Moderators or Administrators). However, as the forum/site already has Moderators, Advisors should only be doing any moderation for things which require immediacy (spam-bots on the loose) or in conjunction with the Moderators. The idea is that there will not be two moderation factions that users should be having to deal with.

Furthermore, some users who have the Developer rank, namely Niek and Martijn dh, also have secondary moderator permissions. This is so they can better manage when things are posted to the Community Project board and dealing with the Project of the Month stuff respectively. The secondary permissions do not imply that both have the right to moderate user behavior or really to tell users to not be doing something, although coincidentally Niek and Martijn dh are both more than qualified to be Moderators. There is some other stuff coming out about that but I'll say more about that later.

Also there has been some discussion in the staff boards about the moderation policy of ZFGC. In the near future there may be polls posted (likely by an Advisor) in which we will have anonymous voting (the forum modification which allows the staff to see who voted will be turned off) to gauge opinions. We want to make sure that moderation on ZFGC is both fair and just. The full explanation as to what those polls are will be mentioned when one is posted. later.

Also if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask them here or to send a PM.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Kleaver on November 10, 2010, 06:26:01 pm

Quote

The idea is that there will not be two moderation factions that users should be having to deal with.

Then why not just make all Advisors Moderators?

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Zaeranos on November 10, 2010, 06:30:59 pm

I think because you want the moderators also to be active members on the forum. And from the advisers only Mammy is an active member. The only post I have seen CrystalAngel04 seen doing is in the Moderation board.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Mamoruanime on November 10, 2010, 06:33:23 pm

Well it's not an entirely accurate depiction of the Advisor group, since it was created for one real specific purpose. It was a group made as the "moderators to the staff" but *shrugs*. It's hard to do that role fully when the other Advisors aren't really active. I'd say Windy, CA, and myself are the only three who are on at least once a day.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: CrystalAngel04 on November 10, 2010, 06:46:17 pm

Quote from: Niek on November 10, 2010, 06:30:59 pm

I think because you want the moderators also to be active members on the forum. And from the advisers only Mammy is an active member. The only post I have seen CrystalAngel04 seen doing is in the Moderation board.

Pretty much this. We do know not to (and try not to too much) step on the toes of moderators when it comes to day-to-day things; we report posts like everyone else. We come in when !@#$% gets crazy or in Windy's case when work on the site needs to be done. I also lurk on a daily basis to make sure this place hasn't exploded yet lol Kinda emotionally attached.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: 4Sword on November 10, 2010, 07:33:11 pm

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? I probably understand the philosophy different from how Vash explained it to me, but if it were moderation of the staff in the sense of a previous administration deciding to step back from the responsibility and its duties and let someone else do something only to step in and take over when they felt like it wasn't going as they had it - that would be horrible and disingenuous to the point of making whoever is in the current administration a work slave. If it is moderation in the sense of providing feedback and different opinions on how to do stuff based on experience of having done stuff that is beneficial. I actually do go through and read all of what is said; heck, even I understand the savings of distributed thought.

More importantly though, this may have gotten lost in my previous words - the Advisor group has been in existence, it is now just being publicly emphasized. More over, advice and other planning is going to be sought more from the community as a whole, in regards to moderation and development primarily.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: DJvenom on November 15, 2010, 06:38:01 am

(http://www.yoroshii.org/saxr.gif)

I honestly think the developer rank is completely unnecessary. There are plenty of developers on the forum (cause, y'know, it's a game development forum) but only like 3 people have the rank. Just because someone who programs doesn't feel like working on or whose code isn't up to snuff for the community project it isn't fair that they are denied a rank. Same goes for people whose talent lies in other aspects of game development. Music, Storywriting, Art, Character development, Conceptualization. It's a gimmick rank that I feel was just kinda tossed out to a few people. (no offense to those who have it, as I admire your coding prowess)

Just my 2 cents on that rank.

(http://www.yoroshii.org/saxl.gif)

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Wasabi on November 15, 2010, 07:48:44 am

I'd have to agree with DJ, it's the old elitism story, although I know that's not its purpose.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: 4Sword on November 15, 2010, 09:34:41 am

I partially agree with your assessment of the current implementation of the Developer rank, as both of those who have it also have global moderator permissions to help with what they are doing. The name of the rank is not meant to imply that those without it are not developers, it was just the easiest name to give the rank of those whose purpose is to officially help ZFGC out with improving its development focus by direct awareness or assistance of others. If ZFGC were in an ideal condition the rank itself might not be needed at all, but there are some areas of the forum/site which need improvement without the traditional staff doing everything and with the community members less stigmatized to want to help out in some way. Because not all developers are going to be cut out to be traditional staff and not all traditional staff are developers.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Xiphirx on November 15, 2010, 06:18:33 pm

I disagree DJ.

The way I see it, the developer rank only tells you that the person works on ZFGC projects (community engine). I don't see it as a way of saying "I'm better than you because I have a green badge!" type of thing.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Zaeranos on November 15, 2010, 07:13:16 pm

DJ, I have to agree with Xiphirx. And there is no reason why there can't be a ZFGC 2D Graphics Library community project (and maybe 3D models and artwork) as well. I think if someone thinks up a good plan of organization for it and is dedicated to work for and take the lead, 4Sword would not mind setting up a board for it.

Hell, we even had a ZFGC style project once going. However the one who started it went away and no one picked it up to continue. People didn't use it because it wasn't finished nor had it any potential of getting finished. We even had a grandscale 2D graphics ripping project. However that failed because there was no one that was rowing the boat.

It is even possible to have a ZFGC style Zelda music for those that want to compose. But it only works if someone is willing to lead it and regularly develop for it himself.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Mirby on November 15, 2010, 11:03:44 pm

Hey, I worked on the CP!

Just with story stuff but still...

Also, I think the Advisor rank is a great idea!!

And now Mammy can't ninja-mod things. :P

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: DJvenom on November 16, 2010, 05:14:13 am

I never said it was a rank used to say anyone better than anyone else, but just because a programmer doesn't feel like working on the community project but is still a developer it just feels like they are getting left out in the cold. Since it's so few-and-far-between, I just don't see why it can't be given out as a badge or whatever they're called...

(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/awards/b8582f0272c15b2393b148bc10fbd951_fsword_28413.gif)(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/awards/088dc7093031d28a6c0faa549d93cce5_award_star_gold_3.png)(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/awards/57cf37e47c0f330febd03f5b0105db0f_rosette.png)(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/awards/a85b8edb6c08b2b560d65b9d9e492700_rup.png)(http://www.zfgc.com/forum/awards/a7bd9f677b95e083dd0820c4d91d5e93_pie.gif) <-- these things. Plenty of people have gimmick ones, so why not utilize them for something serious like people who actively participate in forum goings-on, rather than make completely new user ranks?

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Xiphirx on November 16, 2010, 05:20:57 am

Then there's the problem of figuring out who develops things, and what they develop, then actively managing it...

I don't have a project here, but I do a lot of programming :P

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: 4Sword on November 16, 2010, 05:38:43 am

As I stated earlier the Developer rank is not meant to imply that those who do not have the rank are not developers, but the rank is meant for those who are put in an official position to help out directly with ZFGC's development focus. While those who are Developers now are qualified to be global moderators, the use of rank in the future is justified in that there will be some who may want to help out with development stuff but they wouldn't be qualified to be a global moderator.

To that end, simply rolling the Developer rank into the global moderator would be alright if the ideal condition were that everyone was focused on improving development on ZFGC - but keeping it separate allows development to be emphasized, some of those who may later have the rank would be easier to consider for a global moderator vacancy, and it will allow community members more control over the development rather than relying on traditional staff to do everything (or promoting users to traditional staff and expecting them to also do the traditional staff duties).

The Award system is used for the Project of the Month and was used for thinks like Member of the Month and contest winnings in the past. I would be alright with the nonsensical stuff being removed from user profiles (including that Four Sword in my own), but the Award system in itself can't effectively replace the system of permissions that a set user rank can offer.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Mamoruanime on November 16, 2010, 05:41:45 am

Quote from: 4Sword on November 16, 2010, 05:38:43 am

As I stated earlier the Developer rank is meant to imply that those who do not have the rank are not developers

^Might wanna fix that XD

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: DJvenom on November 16, 2010, 05:50:28 am

^^ that made me chuckle :P ^^ I guess it is what it is. I'll just look at it as it's old "Local mod" title. Basically developers are local mods for the community project board.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: 4Sword on November 16, 2010, 06:07:09 am

Ha, I get tied up when constructed sentences contain a lot of negatives. Since the Site Staff will likely have no real future role as its purpose was to promote development stuff indirectly rather than just focusing on letting developers do stuff directly, I could alter the color of the rank to be purple. It would be a quick fix really. At the moment yes, the Development rank mostly focuses on what is in the Sponsored board but in the future those who are Developers will also be allowed to make changes to policy in the Project and Resource categories - the disorganization and inefficiency of the individual boards in Resources category isn't being properly addressed.

Title: Re: Staff Ranks
Post by: Zaeranos on November 16, 2010, 11:29:40 am

Quote from: Mirby on November 15, 2010, 11:03:44 pm

Hey, I worked on the CP!

Just with story stuff but still...

For the MCS Engine?