08-06-2017, 08:38 PM
When we make a decision that involves other members; warnings, bans, or demotions, we have a few priorities. First and foremost, of course, is to get the full story and to treat the member fairly. We do not want to be overly harsh on anyone, but our decisions focus not mainly on the appropriate level of 'punishment' for a member, but doing what's best for the site overall, and what solves any problems caused. A member who is upset with a decision is always welcome to come to us, asking us about our decision is fine and will not get you in trouble.
Our second priority, however, is to protect the privacy and show respect to members, both those being warned/demoted/banned and those who may have reported said members. While we try to be as transparent as possible ourselves, as a team, when decisions involve the actions of other people, often private, we do not want to betray those any more than necessary, to avoid creating a target for drama or harassment on either end. Unfortunately this means that sometimes things won't be as clear as they could be, but we have opted that rather than publicly denouncing in lurid detail every little thing that has happened, we make our decision after getting as much information as we can, and then we announce the decision as well as explain it as much as possible without betraying, for example, names of those reporting or specific words that members spoke in private.
We understand this leaves room for speculation, and that it can feel like staff are making decisions without giving the site full disclosure. However it's really just not possible for us to in good conscience, lay bare anything a member has said in private. As a staffer, personally I am willing to share /my/ personal messages on behalf of staff issues, et cetera, but when a non staffer is involved, there must be more privacy for their sakes.
We hope that you understand this, as it is entirely for your privacy and our wish to not create drama and fuel for gossip against other members. We do try to be as open as we can, especially when it involves a decision that affects a clan or other large group, about our reasonings, while still protecting member's identities. We will continue to strive to do better in making sure those reasonings are clear, and we understand that in placing this value in privacy, we are asking you all to take our word for some of our decisions without proof. Unless we were to start taking screenshots of anything anyone says in private, that won't change. And if people knew they couldn't count on at least some privacy in this site, they most likely would not be comfortable coming to staff at all.
As always, if you have a problem or questions about this, please feel free to post here or pm a staffer, and we'll be glad to discuss it. We just wanted to get our process out here for people to better understand why we do things the way we do things. We are always looking to improve and so, suggestions are always welcome.
Our second priority, however, is to protect the privacy and show respect to members, both those being warned/demoted/banned and those who may have reported said members. While we try to be as transparent as possible ourselves, as a team, when decisions involve the actions of other people, often private, we do not want to betray those any more than necessary, to avoid creating a target for drama or harassment on either end. Unfortunately this means that sometimes things won't be as clear as they could be, but we have opted that rather than publicly denouncing in lurid detail every little thing that has happened, we make our decision after getting as much information as we can, and then we announce the decision as well as explain it as much as possible without betraying, for example, names of those reporting or specific words that members spoke in private.
We understand this leaves room for speculation, and that it can feel like staff are making decisions without giving the site full disclosure. However it's really just not possible for us to in good conscience, lay bare anything a member has said in private. As a staffer, personally I am willing to share /my/ personal messages on behalf of staff issues, et cetera, but when a non staffer is involved, there must be more privacy for their sakes.
We hope that you understand this, as it is entirely for your privacy and our wish to not create drama and fuel for gossip against other members. We do try to be as open as we can, especially when it involves a decision that affects a clan or other large group, about our reasonings, while still protecting member's identities. We will continue to strive to do better in making sure those reasonings are clear, and we understand that in placing this value in privacy, we are asking you all to take our word for some of our decisions without proof. Unless we were to start taking screenshots of anything anyone says in private, that won't change. And if people knew they couldn't count on at least some privacy in this site, they most likely would not be comfortable coming to staff at all.
As always, if you have a problem or questions about this, please feel free to post here or pm a staffer, and we'll be glad to discuss it. We just wanted to get our process out here for people to better understand why we do things the way we do things. We are always looking to improve and so, suggestions are always welcome.