Questions for indio

[Veilan]

Thought I'd start a thread for you... lemme start by shooting you the first thing I did zic.

Right onto the hot topic.

From my standpoint - and experience in the field - I've certain ideas about how moderation should work and what qualities good moderation, and moderators, should have. I'm just going to hit you with it, can you tell me whether, and if yes, to what extent you agree?

First of all, I think that anonymity plus power is always a dangerous combination. Moderation is a form of power, and one that should be used temperately and, yes, in moderation. A good moderator needs to be accessible, consistent and fair. Also, he needs the self-assuredness to accept criticism - you are never going to make it right for all people, and it is thus important for one to agree to disagree with someone. As moderation cannot work along perfect, digital rules - this is okay and that isn't - we need people to arbitrate the fine lines along some principles we set for our community.

Of course, feel free to expand on what basic principles you think moderation should have.

Of course, also thanks for stepping up and the best of luck to you.

Cheers,

[indio]

Any qestion asked I'll respond to, but I'll post my responses shortly before the election starts. I'd rather do that than become part of some forum tennis match that in my experience does a poor job of representing truth, and a good job of upsetting people.

The one thing I think we need to avoid is causing people more grief than their lives have already got. As an online community we ought to factor as a low priority on any emotional scale, apart from fun, so I hope anyone put out by my decision to campaign this way understands my reasons.

[Nalo Jade]

I understand what you are trying to avoid indio, but in this case, I think part of the "ask and tell" is to get a feel for the canidate in case the potential voter is not familiar with the canidate...though I suspect that most are familiar with you both...so I guess the point is moot.

anyway ...

What responsibility do you believe the IA has in regards to the general "tidyness" of the forums?

Can the DM Event Scheduler be cloned for players to post scheduled events for their groups and/or matchmaking? If this can happen are you in favor of that?

Would you be in favor of creating an e-mail address for each server and then creating an account for them on the NWConnections? (I understand this is sort of doing their "job" for them, however maybe we just have to "get-r-done")

Keeping with the status quo, if you are asked to do something by the majority and do not believe it is the right thing to do, how would you deal with that? (it is inevitable that in an Admin position you will at some point be needed to do something you don't personally agree with, how well do you believe you can separate your personal interest from the will of the people?)

Do you think it is the IA and PA/PR's responsibility to set up accounts for our servers such as NWConnections, Bioware Guilds, email addy's ect? (mind you not maintain them just get the accounts set up.)

Thanks for volunteering

[indio]

Relevant Experience
I run a film club and photo club at the school I teach and I maintain websites for both. The film site has 33 active members (all senior kids), all of whom store all their own filming on the site, and the photo club has over 100 members, all of whom store their photos. So I’m used to maintaining websites. I do it every day. It’s not my job though…I’m a school teacher. But I’m in and around computers, networks, websites and web design pretty regularly. I love it in truth. My best mate at work is a Multimedia teacher, specializing in Flash and 3ds Max (mine are Premiere and Final Cut) and so we’re usually found in our lab with students making or maintaining movies and websites most days.

Website Management
One the goals for my tenure as IA (a position I hope to retain for at least a year or two) will be forum enhancement, working with Senor T. His site here is a good start point: http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u271/Senor_T/

Whilst I love the look of the new ALFA forum style, I don’t like the way it loads, so I don’t use it. I’d very much like to quicken it up. The wiki is something I use regularly, so I’ve become quite used to it, but from what I understand it’s hard to manage, so I’d also very much like to make that process easier.

I'd really like to work on the ALFA Downloads page, especially the DM/Builders one, to make it easier to navigate. And there are some simplifications that can be made to our main forum links as well that will aid newcomers and such. Open to suggestions.

ALFA Cartography
I’d like to add a new section to our Wiki called ALFA Cartography. A huge part of my interest in D&D stems from maps, and I’d like to compile all of our custom maps in one place, *especially* the historic server maps. A few players over the years have compiled their own server maps from exploration screens, and it would be an incredible resource to have access to.

ALFA Lists
I’ve watched a few members recently compile lists of things (DMs, voting members, chronologies and such) that invariably remain isolated and are ultimately forgotten or lost. I’d like a wiki page dedicated to our lists.

Forum Moderating & Maintenance
The majority have spoken in their support of our most recent Player Admin, whose opponent relied solely on the removal of forum moderating as their platform. While the winner of this vote stands for many things, they stood in support of moderation. I support the majority view of all ALFA members and thus support the ongoing role of prudent forum moderating. I see the IA role in this as follows:

• - complete technical support of the Player Admin’s moderating team
  - monitoring patterns of moderating
  - compiling data for review by all of admin regarding the efficacy of moderating
  - working with the PA toward the improvement of moderating from the point of view of both moderators and forum members

As for maintenance, Infra has complete responsibility to quickly process any request for forum adjustments or additions, obviously enough. I'm on the boards morning, lunch and night on a day to day basis in the main, so this won't represent a problem.

Session Scheduling
Anything that makes scheduling eaier is a no-brainer, so if opening up the DM Scheduler to players helps, I'd ask SJ what he thinks and barring no problems proceed.

Website Hosting
I've always been happy to help ALFA financially and have done so for many years in small ways. Regardless of what happens, ALFA will always have a host (zicada does truly provide some of the fastest hosting known to humankind), so with any luck he will retain responsibility for it regardless of the outcome of the election).

Server Hosting
I think generosity like Donrath's, hosting TSM as he does, is critical to our survival, because it exemplifies what can be done, in much the same way as zic's hosting of the forums and website. We *need* these acts of generosity, imo, to remind us that it's people we're counting on here, people who give their time and money. I've got a 1MB/second upload to host Skullport on (obviously not great for 20 players, but adequate for 5-10), plus a nice fast server box, so we should be right for NWN2 servers. I'd need to be bought up to speed on any NWN1 server hosting issues if they exist, because I don't know any more. It's been a long time.

I do see server hosting as very much within the responsibilities of Infra (Lead may well see it differently, but here I am offerring). If server hosting becomes an issue, Infra should lead the charge to find an alternative.

NWN 1 & 2
I really don't distinguish between the platforms when it comes to ALFA's focus. We do both.

IRC
The basic principle of IRC is that it's an *informal* way of learning about the community. Want the formal version? Hit the forum. It's a personality driven medium, in contrast to foums which are far more content driven (we at ALFA have striven to disprove any such notion, but that's generally the way it goes).
Some of ALFA's best people go there, all the time. To me this indicates it needs a wide degree of latitude. If you don't like what's happening on the main chanel, go somewhere else.

[Veilan]

Forum Moderating & Maintenance
The majority have spoken in their support of our most recent Player Admin, whose opponent relied solely on the removal of forum moderating as their platform. While the winner of this vote stands for many things, they stood in support of moderation. I support the majority view of all ALFA members and thus support the ongoing role of prudent forum moderating. I see the IA role in this as follows:

• - complete technical support of the Player Admin’s moderating team
  - monitoring patterns of moderating
  - compiling data for review by all of admin regarding the efficacy of moderating
  - working with the PA toward the improvement of moderating from the point of view of both moderators and forum members

Could you clarify this?

Website & Chat (and thus its moderation) is part of the IA portfolio. Hialmar has asked LA to take over that aspect in a temporary arrangement. You would seek such an arrangement with PA instead? Or are you going to push for a charter amendment? You have me a little lost there, as PA discipline role applies to people acting in their community role as player (i.e., in game). Moderation never has been part of the PA portfolio.

After clarifying how you'd seek to make it so, could you explain your reasoning why you feel it'd be preferable?

Thank you,

[indio]

Oh? Didn't FI make the thread?

edit: I've now reread FanaticusIncendi's moderation thread and had assumed she was thus taking it on herself.

I agree with Hialmar that moderating is not an Infra concern in the purest sense, but if paaz doesn't want it or believes the current arrangement isn't working, I won't shirk it.

As it stands I support the current setup given the recent PA election. This is one issue where the status quo is critically upheld. I won't be persuing an agenda on moderating...the PA election I'm using as a refernedum on it, so it will stay. In what form? That I'll will work out with paaz.

[Veilan]

Thank you for your clarification, indio!

You brought up one more follow-up for me though:

the PA election I'm using as a refernedum on it

What convinces you that the election of an admin seat normally unrelated to moderation is a referendum on it, and not a PA election? Is GF's platform enough for you?

Hm, or perhaps better: Are you actually really convinced everyone voting for GF voted against the current moderation policy (despite PA not having much of an effect on it), and not for the candidate? And furthermore, are you also actually really convinced everyone voting for Demson voted for the current moderation policy, and not for the merits of the candidate?

I'm having a tough time finding a rationale for your point of you (apart from GF's announced hijack-attempt, heh), so help me out!

Thanks again,

[indio]

Hm, or perhaps better: Are you actually really convinced everyone voting for GF voted against the current moderation policy (despite PA not having much of an effect on it), and not for the candidate?

No.

And furthermore, are you also actually really convinced everyone voting for Demson voted for the current moderation policy, and not for the merits of the candidate?

No.

I was happy to see the PA result as it reflected my hope that someone who supported moderating would support in admin its continuation, regardless of who runs it. That's the heart of the matter. My stance is I support moderating in a form that suits the community in an evolving, understanding and prudent manner. I'm willing to either run such an effort is paaz doesn't wish to, or follow my stated plan of support if he does.

Hope that clears it up.

[Swift]

IRC
The basic principle of IRC is that it's an *informal* way of learning about the community. Want the formal version? Hit the forum. It's a personality driven medium, in contrast to foums which are far more content driven (we at ALFA have striven to disprove any such notion, but that's generally the way it goes).
Some of ALFA's best people go there, all the time. To me this indicates it needs a wide degree of latitude. If you don't like what's happening on the main chanel, go somewhere else.

This is more out of curiosity than anything else (as i fully support this view), but as someone that ventures very very rarely into IRC, what has made you come to feel this way about chat?

[MorbidKate]

Moderation must be part of the LA portfolio as it impacts the entire project. Most of those who've needed moderation don't or rarely play so it's not just a PA concern and others who've needed it were DMs & Builders so it's not just a DMA concern or even IA concern beyond enabling the Mods to do their job. Not wanting the hassle shouldn't be enough to pawn the job off onto someone else so would you support LA having it as it impacts the project?

As for the PA election, it certainly was a referendum on Moderation. Had GF won it, that claim would have been made to remove it. The people have spoken that they want agreeable disagreement... just like they wanted ONE IRC channel... only to get two anyway.

Listen to the masses.

Kate

[psycho_leo]

Oh? Didn't FI make the thread?

She just made the thread. AFAIK paazin is still dealing with moderation unless it goes back to being IA responsability.

[Nalo Jade]

Hm, or perhaps better: Are you actually really convinced everyone voting for GF voted against the current moderation policy (despite PA not having much of an effect on it), and not for the candidate?

No.

And furthermore, are you also actually really convinced everyone voting for Demson voted for the current moderation policy, and not for the merits of the candidate?

No.

I was happy to see the PA result as it reflected my hope that someone who supported moderating would support in admin its continuation, regardless of who runs it. That's the heart of the matter. My stance is I support moderating in a form that suits the community in an evolving, understanding and prudent manner. I'm willing to either run such an effort is paaz doesn't wish to, or follow my stated plan of support if he does.

Hope that clears it up.

Well done, I asked Zicada some questions regarding Moderation it only seems fair that I ask you as well indio.

Do you think the moderators need to remain Anon? Why or why not?

What would be gained from having the moderators "revealed" what would be lost?

In the event that a moderator is abusive or ineffective how would you handle the situation, if elected?

What if a fellow Admin refuses to name a worthwhile moderator, how would you like to see that handled by the rest of the Admin?

[indio]

IRC
The basic principle of IRC is that it's an *informal* way of learning about the community. Want the formal version? Hit the forum. It's a personality driven medium, in contrast to foums which are far more content driven (we at ALFA have striven to disprove any such notion, but that's generally the way it goes).
Some of ALFA's best people go there, all the time. To me this indicates it needs a wide degree of latitude. If you don't like what's happening on the main chanel, go somewhere else.

This is more out of curiosity than anything else (as i fully support this view), but as someone that ventures very very rarely into IRC, what has made you come to feel this way about chat?

3 stories for you Al.

1. My days as an OP go back a long way. I spent 2 years in the late 90's on one of the busiest IRC channels I've seen, which isn't saying a great deal, #baldursgate, with the great MageDragon, who was a good friend of mine and mentored me in the ways of web management and IRC OP, the guy who ran Baldur's Gate Chronicles (surely someone remembers this amazing site before it became PlanetBG). I used to write for the website, walkthroughs, articles, reviews and such. It was the channel the BioWare devs used to drop by most days, and I've to this day never seen such flurries on IRC....100 people on IRC all talking and laughing at once.

2. I then went to NWStratics for 3 years and we did everything on IRC. Marizelle, who was good friends with Den (the guy who owns all of the Stratics network) had all of us do the whole register nick thing, and I had my whole IRC login automated. Our main channel was popular enough...probably 30 regulars. Some of you may recall why Glendenmoor (our NWN poject) died. It was related to IRC.

3. And finally ALFA. ALFA IRC used to be incredibly small, and the first time I visited (2001) I think Thorin and 1 other (the DM who was going to do Raven's Bluff...what was his name?) were there besides me. Over the years it's gained in popularity, but during Loudwater 1 beta, which lasted 12 months, I was in IRC all the time. It was a huge part of the reason I loved ALFA, because you'd turn up on IRC and got mobbed with questions, compliments, thanks and ultimately, complaints

I used to hang out on IRC maybe 16 hours a day while I was at University...did this for at least 3 or 4 years. I was quite addicted and I loved it. When Grey Pilgrim used to be here I'd make a point of going to IRC a few nights a week, just to joke around with him, but that's a couple of years ago. But I've very much left IRC alone for at least 5 years, and don't intend going back.

So to answer your question, I believe I know IRC communities very well. ALFAs is different and unique, of course, but it shares all of the important characteristics of any roleplaying IRC community. Over the years I've spend a decent amount of time on ALFAs main channel (not so much in the years you've been around Al, mostly during ALFA1 beta). So being an IRC junkie has lead me to believe that many such junkies still exist, and like IRC for the same reason I did. It's funny, irreverant, friendly once you know your way around, and often mind-numbingly biased. IRC comunities tend to love nothing other than themselves, in my experience, which is simultaneously their strength and weakness. Often the people in them have no relation to the community they were once part of. It can be like an ex-pat association. Bt you make friends in IRC that transcend games. I'll always remember my IRC mates...still ICQ them occasionally...Isildur, Greyhawk, MageD...wish I knew GP's ICQ.

Hope that helps Swift.

[indio]

Do you think the moderators need to remain Anon? Why or why not?

Yes. I believe people can separate their jobs from their system of beliefs if the need arises, so anonymity is crucial, especially if a mod has need of censuring a friend. I mean, I know that's pretty obvious, but we're all agreed on the basis of anonymity I hope.

What would be gained from having the moderators "revealed" what would be lost?

See above.

In the event that a moderator is abusive or ineffective how would you handle the situation, if elected?

Without specifics it's hard to say. Abusive or ineffective moderators would require a review, would they not, which would mean talking with the moderator. Doesn''t need to be complicated. If someone doesn't like their job or is having trouble doing it, we're a volunteer group. There are always alternatives.

What if a fellow Admin refuses to name a worthwhile moderator, how would you like to see that handled by the rest of the Admin?

I'm sorry. I don't know what this means.

[indio]

Not wanting the hassle shouldn't be enough to pawn the job off onto someone else so would you support LA having it as it impacts the project?

I won't shirk the responsibility..paaz has only to say the word. And I most certainly would support paazin and support him wholeheartedly.