Open Letter From the Mentor Team, Re: Security Council

[Aeratia]

I believe I was missed. I wish to sign.

[Landenburg]

I wish to sign.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

I think I got missed too.
What's the magic phrase? "I wish to sign"?
Yeah, that.

[The Batorys]

I think I got missed too.
What's the magic phrase? "I wish to sign"?
Yeah, that.

What's this that we're signing?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

I think I got missed too.
What's the magic phrase? "I wish to sign"?
Yeah, that.

What's this that we're signing?

The OP thingy.

[The Batorys]

What's this that we're signing?

The OP thingy.

But we're not mentors. I'm confused.

[Rich and Corporations]

Where's a mentor when you need 'em?

[The Tiger Kingdom]

The OP thingy.

But we're not mentors. I'm confused.

You don't need to be, apparently.
At least, now you don't.

[Bunkeranlage]

The OP thingy.

But we're not mentors. I'm confused.

Anyone who agrees with the message of the letter and supports it can sign

[The Batorys]

But we're not mentors. I'm confused.

You don't need to be, apparently.
At least, now you don't.

Oh.

Well, add me then, I guess?

[Corrian]

Out of curiosity, has Mallorea, beyond in the thing that has caused all of this controversy in the first place, said absolutely anything on the situation? Like that he feels guilty for starting a shit storm? Anything at all? Or is he just leaving the other mods to clean up his mess for him instead?

Anyone who agrees with the message of the letter and supports it can sign

Which is pretty obvious if you read the OP...

[Yasuragi]

Out of curiosity, has Mallorea, beyond in the thing that has caused all of this controversy in the first place, said absolutely anything on the situation? Like that he feels guilty for starting a shit storm? Anything at all? Or is he just leaving the other mods to clean up his mess for him instead?

Anyone who agrees with the message of the letter and supports it can sign

Which is pretty obvious if you read the OP...

He continues to discuss and argue about it in the SC thread about the proposal, so... I guess no guilt there.

[Nierr]

Out of curiosity, has Mallorea, beyond in the thing that has caused all of this controversy in the first place, said absolutely anything on the situation? Like that he feels guilty for starting a shit storm? Anything at all? Or is he just leaving the other mods to clean up his mess for him instead?

He's not campaigning for the Liberation which could be taken as perhaps feeling guilty - maybe not over the resolution itself but for underestimating the level of reaction it got.

Edit: this is pure speculation on the part of someone who knows him very well.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

After seeing remarks on this, I want to point out to everyone that the recent crash of the website is very unlikely to have been related to this (on either side), and that we should not resort to conspiracy theories, despite the fact those can be fun.

Where's a mentor when you need 'em?

Yes?

[Oaledonia]

Just because something is possible doesn't mean it needs to be permissible. Why not make it so you can apply for "protected region" status? Let the Mentors approve/deny it on an ongoing basis or something, and then hand out warnings to those who infringe on that?

You're about the fourth person to have that idea in the last year. I'm not even being mean, I'm being entirely truthful. Hell, I even suggested something like it 7 months ago, and ironically Role Players in that thread told me that idea was awful.

RP tends to suggest the same "fixes" for Military Gameplay over and over again and then wonders why no one listens to their wonderful and original ideas.

The obvious difference being that you don't have to RP.

[Holstria]

So, mod posted a proposal, arguments flare, mods seem to agree he/she isn't doing anything out of line. So...where is this issue exactly headed for?

[The Orson Empire]

[redacted]

[Wisconsin9]

So, mod posted a proposal, arguments flare, mods seem to agree he/she isn't doing anything out of line. So...where is this issue exactly headed for?

Nowhere. This will be dead within a week.

Do you have anything useful to post?

[Rich and Corporations]

So, mod posted a proposal, arguments flare, mods seem to agree he/she isn't doing anything out of line. So...where is this issue exactly headed for?

Nowhere. This will be dead within a week.

No, it won't be dead until at least about six people are DEATed and they start their own offsite community.

[The Grand World Order]

Nowhere. This will be dead within a week.

Do you have anything useful to post?

it's usual "if I agree with the mods on everything, maybe I'll be one, one day" mentality.

I also seem to have forgotten to sign this. Hurm.

[Tiltjuice]

Please add my name to the list in regard to upholding the belief that RP regions shouldn't be subject to RD nonsense.

My name as well.

That said...

An open letter to Mall,

First off, I am not going to call for your resignation. You came out the gate swiftly and with purpose when first appointed as a Moderator and your decisions were fair and thought out. I can appreciate that as well as appreciate the stern-yet-neutral mindset you brought with you; this attitude did much to dispel doubts I fostered due to your position within the raider community.

That said, it is an egregious thing to return after a week away and see the chaos which is churning across the forums here. I am disappointed, Mall, but not in your proffered opinion regarding Haven (for you are entitled to have an opinion!)

Rather, it is that you chose to express this opinion while serving as a public official. I, too, serve as such on this site. We are held to a higher standard although our duties are significantly different. We are expected to perform obligatory duties while adopting and utilizing a standardized “professional” behavior due to the fact that we cease to represent ourselves once we slip that jacket on. We are mindful of what we say and do because we realize that the coat colors, be they red or blue or green, are seen as a reflection of Max, [Violet] and Nation States itself. We are held to a higher standard by the players and thus a breach of trust of any kind on our part quickly turns to acrimony that spreads through the masses like an invasive cancer. This rancor is eternally brewing and, as we’ve witnessed time and time again, one perceived “bad Mod decision” tends to reflect upon the Mod and Admin team entirely; it turns into snark, bitterness and hostility towards all Mods.

Various people have harped on all the reasons why your post (which seems to be plastered everywhere and burns like a snarky hemorrhoid) is an issue. I won’t touch upon the content with you. I share similar views regarding the many of the issues others have brought up.

I do not call for you to step down, despite this. What I do ask is that you revoke what you’ve written for the sake of Admin, Moderators and Mentors. Issue an apology… not for your sake, but for the sake of the Moderator Team which is now (once again) finding itself on the receiving end of some nasty attitudes. Eating humble pie is unpleasant yet necessary when the greater good calls for it. I’m asking that you publish your attempt under a puppet.

We shouldn’t promote our own causes while jacketed – we are appointed to a higher purpose. It will take time for people to forget this mess (and some insist on carrying that damn torch until they become DEAT, DOS or leave in disgust) but it will pass in time.

I don’t believe this is unfair to ask. My husband and I are both P2TM Mentors. We realize that we must be very careful when on forums because our stated opinions will be seen as “An Official NS opinion” by those who feel poorly done by our words. You should not use your jacketed account either. As a Moderator, you are held to a much higher standard. This eliminates any perception of acting on personal matters or of taking actions that might be viewed as “Admin-approved”. It wouldn’t have mattered much if you’d used a puppet to put forth your issue, even if that puppet was clearly marked as belonging to you.

Sheila Jackson Lee once said, “As Members of Congress, we should not be using public office for private gain.” Her opinion lines up with Mark McKinnon’s. He stated, “I don't claim any moral or ethical high ground, but I also have chosen not to run for public office. Shouldn't there be a higher standard of conduct for public officials?”

There is a higher standard, Mall, as you’ve seen by the voiced objections of the people. Again, I feel that you conduct yourself very well when Moderating. I dislike seeing you go through this (although you have only yourself to blame *nods*); I’m reluctant to see you removed because you really do outstanding work when functioning as a Mod.

And open letter to my fellow Mentors,

Very few are aware of how outspoken (read: seething mad) I am when it comes to RP regions being abused by the RD game. Mall’s proposition is ludicrous. Yes, we need to unite and express our grievances and those grievances will carry significantly more weight due to our appointment as Mentors. However, we must also bear in mind that we are expected to conduct ourselves in a specific manner. We must remain calm and seethe behind the scenes; we must stand strong and united, remaining a voice of reason, but while in public we stay calm in order to get our point across.

Unofficial speaking (ergo this is my personal opinion rather than that of a Mentor), I would like to see Mall’s balls floating in a cup of lemon water on my bedside table. This would serve no other purpose than to temporarily alleviate my animosity towards the proposal and, at the end of the day, I know Mall would prefer to keep his nuts and I, being human, am only venting frustrations in a very rude manner. However, stripping him of his position is very similar to clipping his testicles. His removal from office won’t change the unfair proposal at hand or negate the damage already done to the community and Mod Team.

I think by now he’s seen that he’s lost a lot of face on NS with those outside of the RD community. That is punishment enough. The loss of trust he has caused is more ominous than anything else… each time a member screams “unfair” at a Mod, rest assured that the puss comes from the wound Mall inflicted on the team itself by his actions. Again, my personal opinion which was formed by the copious emails and OSF IMs I viewed during the plane ride home this morning.

I’d much rather we unite to see that proposal defeated. We Mentors have the ability to rally our people. We have words we can use to sway public opinion and we can campaign to see Mall’s asinine proposal thrown out or else voted down. Rather than petition for Mall’s castration, let us petition for a rules change. RD is not more important than RP, nor is RP more important that RD. Both are equally necessary components in the blood that flows through this site. Let’s put our heads together and come up with something. The raiders will balk, as always. Let us take the high ground and use the system in our favor.

To the general public,

I realize that some of you are still very young. Teens and twenty-somethings behave a lot differently than someone who has been seasoned by three or more decades of life. It’s alright to be pissed off. It’s not alright to have a temper tantrum and do things such as protesting with rude flags or posting snark. That only makes us look bad as a group. Those who throw dirt lose ground and we can not afford to lose ground when the odds are so heavily stacked against us (meaning the site supports the damned RD game aspect).

“Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up,” according to Gandhi.

Please don’t allow Mall’s action to cloud your opinion of Mods as a group. These are volunteers and not a hive mind. They do have a right to defend themselves from personal attacks leveled against them but, because they are appointed officials, they can’t vent frustrations or flame or troll or a host of others things. They have to maintain neutrality.

Please remember: not all X are Y. Not all Mods support RD. Not all Mods support Mall’s personal opinions. Not all Mods want to see RP regions raided.

Swith, I remain convinced RD regards us as Johnny-come-latelies (with a certain degree of justification) and then turn around and use that perceived "We were here first" status as the be-all, end-all rationale for why they should take precedence. The solutions they offer us are tailored for their convenience, not ours. And then we (RPers) turn it around on them, and it becomes a whole mess.

The site staff, from the top down, do a decent job of balancing interests - but the majority of their actions are isolated, in a sense, from the general community. (All of you people reading this, be honest. How many of the actions tallied in the Mod Olympics did you personally witness? If the answer is more than 10/month, you need a life.

Wait, this is NS.)

Anyway, there's a perceived lack of transparency - and then the general community turns around and pins it on the staff. And because they're largely a faceless group by virtue of the Internet, all Mods appear the same.

So all in all, there's too much going around in circles. The root cause, I submit, is the lack of transparency. The question of how to fix it remains on the agenda of the site staff, but I would strongly encourage those at the top to hear input from all its members.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

So, mod posted a proposal, arguments flare, mods seem to agree he/she isn't doing anything out of line. So...where is this issue exactly headed for?

Nowhere. This will be dead within a week.

In other news, the Orson Empire's thirst to be a mod remains incredibly real.

[The Templar High Council]

I wish to sign.

I'm not even in a protected region, and the region mechanic in general does next to nothing for me. I'm not even one who belongs in the II. My home is the P2TM, and it's glorious, limitless possibilities. But as a roleplayer, I feel it is my duty to do what I can to help my brethren. To help those who don't want to be forced into something they don't want to do. If I were more involved with the issue than a random roleplayer, I'd give anything to prevent this.

And I feel that I should continue with more inspirational rabble, but sadly it's 3AM and my brain is slowing. But I wouldn't not get on after the DoS attack. I have to make sure everything's fine.

[The Orson Empire]

Nowhere. This will be dead within a week.

In other news, the Orson Empire's thirst to be a mod remains incredibly real.

What the hell are you talking about? I have no desire to be a mod.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

In other news, the Orson Empire's thirst to be a mod remains incredibly real.

What the hell are you talking about? I have no desire to be a mod.

Sure.