First of all, I feel it important that I state this before you read this post. In no way am I "telling you all as it is", rather saying it how I see it. I am in no form trying to step out of line, or making the tone that "I am better then you". My comments are simple, and meant as a point of observational stand. I do not speak on behalf of the site owners, nor the site staff/mods or members. This is independent, and a basic level of understanding of how I believe a community functions. Problems with in and outside have been taken into my own definition of consideration to the points I am stating. Again, I speak freely and openly since this has been brought up for discussion.
Some things I would like to say in general on this topic, thoughts, and a different point of view from a perspective as a mod and a member:
This is a discussion forum. A resource. Many different topics ranging from Trading to the Anime. What more can be brought to the site? That would depend on you members upon request. And also depending on what us mods can bring in here that is of interest. What we mods do not think of, the members are free to contribute or suggest.
If any one has an idea on how to improve something or to expand an area of interest, feel free to ask. It never hurts to ask. Some issues in that are things like presentation, approach, and support.
Take the time to really look at what you are asking before asking. Provide examples or solutions. Do not demand. That will not go over well, and it does feed into the negative side of things. Staff/mods asking questions is not "rude"- asking questions is attempting to get a better understanding of what you are asking, and a way to assist in getting the lines of what is possible and impossible set to either end or continue the discussion.
Example: The latest up-grade allowance of the total number of PM's a member can have increased from 50 to 100. It happened, but some of the post's with in are.......uh............really people?
Do not compare this site with other sites. Please. Think about it. In a way, it can come off as being whiny. Sure, everyone would like to be treated "fair" across the internet, but in reality- not possible. The best a site can do is to be "fair" across the board with in it's own system. Also, your goal is to "improve" this site by your suggestion. If you compare this site to another site, what is to say that the compared site is not also looking to improve with in their own environment?
That site might make a change, and decide later that it does/did not work out as well as they had hoped. Do not expect that your request/suggestion is going to be accepted. Things do not happen over night unless there has been time put in before hand. Plus, the amount of consideration that goes into the process of either accepting or denying the idea/change from the site owners and staff.
Any one can ask a question. It is how you ask that question. If you give little information or add in ideas: I am sure you will encounter replies in question form from the site staff.
Look at it this way: You and some friends are driving around town, and your stopping at a red light next to a car dealership. One person calls out "Hay! Check out that red car!" And, there are 3 red cars sitting there.
I challenge anyone to say that no one in the car is going to ask "Which one?", UNLESS it is obvious that of those 3 red cars that one stands out due to having something that makes it stand out above the other 2. Your suggestion/question post should contain a good amount of information that depletes the need for members or staff to reply with questions that can make the topic lengthy or even forgotten. If it is that important to you, and you believe it will be an improvement- try to be as thorough in the vary start of the presentation process. Members will also post comments (depending on where you make your post), expect that they are not always going to agree or disagree, and are also trying to perhaps support your idea/improvement. Stick to the topic at hand, it is distracting. 20 people in a room talking about Pizza, and then some one drops in and wants to talk about how to program a VCR. It is ok to have a comparison topic if it relates to the main subject, since not everyone understands things in the same way. But to go off course, that is stalling the process of moving forward. It derails the main topic. To me personally, it opens the door for more complaints that "nothing ever changes around here"- when the discussion can not continue to completion. How is it a "site fault" if nothing can come to completion?
Mods on discussion forums get a good amount of abuse from the members. I expect it only because members look at mods as the people in charge of the site. The member in a way over looks the fact that most mods do not own the site. That is normal for people to see it that way and easily by pass that those mods can't do what it is they request at times because those mods do not own the site.
I will focus on the term "in charge" for a moment. It can be taken in different ways as to it's meaning.
I am "in charge" of the VG forum area as to what is in there, what is posted, and the sort. I am not "in charge" of the site that allows my area of modding is able to stick around if it no longer continues to be of use for the members or the site. At any time- the VGC area could be dropped completely. I would be upset of course, but- I am a volunteer after all. It does not mean that in the future the area could make a come back, it could only mean that for the time being, it is in the interest of the owners to not have it as a current option for their own reasons. I would have to accept it, and it would be in my best interest to not "retaliate" if I want to leave it open for a future thing to be on this site ever again. Who is going to take my "retaliation" or me seriously, or even look at my demeanor as something acceptable? I do not want to look like a fool, nor should I make a fool of myself if I want to be taken as a contributor, let alone some one serious with my "wants"
Sheesh- some sites where you ask a question and they reply with "How does it feel to want?" attitude. Either directly from the site owner(s) or delivered from the staff/mods. I do not think this site has ever done that, at least to my knowledge of what I have seen since 2009 as a member and a mod.
To say that site owner(s), staff and mods do not listen: we do. I stop "listening" when it becomes out of hand, getting bashed on, members unwanted remarks, ect..... perhaps that is why some things never happen is because the discussion went downhill. ( The part I said about "at least to my knowledge"- I viewed the RTC and VG forums (which up graded into the VGC area) and rarely ventured out in to the vast areas of the site until after becoming a mod, so my "vision" was hindered to those areas, lol. I wont speak on what I do not know if I never looked.)
Mods are members too. We can post opinions, thoughts, points of views, ect....... I started out as a member, do I instantly lose my right to be a regular poster as well? The level and content in my posts should be an example that reflects the tone and atmosphere of how this site should be: a great place to discuss what the site is about. My sources of information I bring in should be from a reliable source, and as accurate as possible. It is not my intention to mislead or provide false information. I am human after all, and I do make mistakes. No different then any one else who is trying to be a part of something or contributing to the design and purpose of this site.
Members make a post. Is it a good post? Is it a post that is going to catch on fire and just bring in a tone that not everyone is going to be happy to see? Mods can make a post like that as well. Whether intentional or unintentional, unintentional is the preferred of the two. Unintentional is more accepting due to the fact that it is an error of some sort. I am in no way saying that unintentional is widely accepted and over looked. It is different in that unintentional has room for explanation and reasoning. Unintentional is also easier to repair, versus intentional.
Intentional has consequences, unintentional has reminders. Unintentional can turn into consequences if it displays the quality of the aspects of it leaning more towards purposeful then mistakenly done.
Your post is your post. I have been a member since 2009. I "own" my postings. I accept and admit my mistakes. NO ONE has ever forced me to post anything that is not mine to own. To own up to something can be hard at times. The thing is: you can always look over, re-read your post, make certain that is what you want to post, make sure your intentions are in check. Own your posts. You make a mistake: apologize. Then move forward with the attempt to not repeat the same mistake.
People agree and disagree everyday. Not everyone can control themselves. This is everywhere, not just on discussion forums/sites. That is why mods/staff are in place. We volunteer time to make sure that a discussion is happening, not a bashing contest or just out of control negative remarks. Sure, toss in the "freedom of speech" belief, but by doing that you are trying to enforce others to step out of their comfort zone and moral side just to feed into negative impacts that give people the impression that you just might be a complete Mr./Mrs grumpy cat.
You have a complaint? Do you know how to make a complaint? Do you know how to turn a complaint into something other then a "whine"? It is not like there are tools, guidebooks, articles, resources that you can read into on how to be taken seriously if that is what you desire. We all would like to take each other seriously. It is ok to not be satisfied and to express it. It is how it is expressed that is of concern.
On arguments:
Please check this out:
http://pokegym.net/forums/showthread.php?t=152929
Really great points and helpful information. I do not see how this could NOT be of help to any member, new or old.
The site rules:
Please check here:
http://pokegym.net/forums/showthread.php?t=104399
A really good read. Why? Ever try to put a modal car together without instructions?
The idea that "Rules are meant to be broken" does not mean that some sort of consequence will not ensue. Rules change, and with that change comes improvement. You can be a part of that change if you would like. That depends on you. If you feel no need for change is to be made, then it is understood that you accept what is in place already. We can not change what we do not know what needs to change. Simple as that.
Once in a while, re-read the rules. As the rules may or may not have changed. This is only a suggestion. Idealistically, changes are not made when there is no reason to make a change, as it it believed that what is already implemented is working and satisfying the majority.
Things are as simple as you make them to be. If it for some reason is complicated, look into why it is complicated. Ask for help. Why else is there willing staff/mods who can be of help to you if you do not ask? Sure, time needs to be taken into the factor, that is if you are willing to give that time.
Look, I am in no better position as a member on here as per my membership when it comes to the rules and the what not. My time in volunteering is nothing other then what I personally like to contribute to this community. In fact- as a mod, I accept an even higher consequence if I blow it when I do goof. Just do not overlook my human side if/when I go beyond the "unintentional" sometimes. Same as I look into you members for considering how to handle situations with members who goof unintentionally.
I am not a "preacher", nor a stickler for being a "power abusing" type of person in real life, and I hope that I present myself to be that same person on here. As I would hope that everyone on here does the same. It is what is unique about us all, and it would be wrong to not include this area in trying to know anyone without this special part of human nature.
If "push comes to shove"- I do the best I can to not take it personally, but I do have a responsibility to this community to "keep it clean" due to my desire to contribute my skills are services (articles, posting news, making sure no one is posting in an uncool manner, the list goes on.....) and I do not do this alone. I have help, the same as you all have access to. When something needs to stop- it has to stop. This is a two way street. It is functional, not perfect, but systematically done to continue to provide
everyone something to do while they visit here. I do want to see that the vast majority of the combined people who are on this site has a good time being on here for what this site currently has to offer.
I am done speaking my thoughts, and again I will stress that this is just an over all self motivated post to share my observations since I have become a member here. Honestly, my opinion and comments are not "mod" induced. No one has told me to post this. I felt the need to post this since in some hope that everyone can see how improvement can be the responsibilities of everyone involved on here.
I like this site as it is, and I do look at how some areas could/might improve. I have no current ideas as to how the site itself can improve, only the way the members and staff can mange to get along the best through communication at times is all.
(I have re-read this 5 times now, and I do hope my intentions and what I have posted is taken as a general over all post to helping this site advance and stay "peaceful" (< lack of better word there maybe, sorry.)
Show me a site that does not have issues, or the top of the line "posters" and the best of members. I think that this site does have a higher percentage of the "best community members/staff" due to the fact that most of you display this quality at Pokemon events. There is a display of high levels of respect for everyone on this site among members/staff, and granted- some negative stuff flows in. The negative is not kept out right off- when it shows up, it is handled to the best we can get it out. Feel free to not bring in the negative, all that can be asked by everyone. Still be "yourself", and just take the good with the sometimes negative. Do not spread the negative, another "all we can ask from you" matter.
If I wanted to see "negative"- I could Google that, I just do not want to see "Pokegym" show up in the Google results. Do you?
Thank you all for your time, and just keep in mind that I do appreciate everyone on the same levels and simply would like to see any steps made are for the positive for here on this site. Everyone has their "bad days", but only you can change or make attempts at making sure tomorrow is "not another bad day" to the best of your abilities.
