Feedback.

[Syed]

This is kind of ironic as you probably wouldn't say have the things you said in here, if you truly did know 'how it works'.

You have as little idea as he does on how promotions work. You're a sectional. Promotions are done in USL. You and him both only know what you're told by upper staff.

Don't try to talk down to people when you're right beside him in that regard.

 

[malakadang]

You have as little idea as he does on how promotions work. You're a sectional. Promotions are done in USL. You and him both only know what you're told by upper staff.

Don't try to talk down to people when you're right beside him in that regard.

Discussion also takes place in the staff lounge, and to this date, I have not seen 'because he cares about the site' as a reason. Besides, my point still stands, if he knew how it worked, then he wouldn't say half the stuff he said such as people who care don't get staff.

So, I am not 'right beside him' as, though I can't see the direct discussion, and poll that takes place in the USL, I do see the discussion that takes place in the regular staff lounge, which, he does not.

 

[cosrob97]

Just touching on the repetitive use of "the site is dying". Yes, while the numbers have been lower in the last few months than the start of year, it's partly due to 2 things: 1) Rs is dying, and 2) Sythe is seasonal.

It's seasonal in the sense that it relies on users from all over the world to have free time to access the site.

Here is a list of the top 10 countries which search for sythe in google (of all time):

Here we see the 2 biggest countries is Australia and New Zealand. I'm going to talk about them as I really only know their holiday system. In both NZ and Aus everybody is currently under way/had yearly exams. This severely impacts on activity levels as people study and don't have time to actively use sythe, and hence leaves Sythe with reduced activity levels. You can see the same trend with other countries and their examination system.

However, everybody has the same holidays around Christmas. Which we will see a spike in activity throughout December, January and February. Here's the graph proving this point. Further activity increase around christmas because little kids get their present and spend it on runescape to buy gp, accounts and items.

tl;dr: Sythe is seasonal and has always experienced a decline around this time due to the majority of the dominant countries having exams. However it should rise around Christmas as everybody has money to spend and everybody is off on holidays.

 

[Syed]

Discussion also takes place in the staff lounge, and to this date, I have not seen 'because he cares about the site' as a reason.

Rarely, but ok, I'll give it to you.

Anyway, x339 is right, no global is going to nominate someone they're not friends with. Unless there is a mass promotion(this is where random people get a chance).

Also many ex-staff return, but have no interest in doing the work nor do they care about the site.

 

Here is a list of the top 10 countries which search for sythe in google (of all time):

Just out curiosity, do we know the reasons why New Zealand and Australia are the top two? Is there a cross culture of gaming/discussion forums between the two countries?

 

[cosrob97]

Just out curiosity, do we know the reasons why New Zealand and Australia are the top two? Is there a cross culture of gaming/discussion forums between the two countries?

No idea, just what google gave me.

 

[JohnK]

Everything's personal

prime example: this thread and all that other bullshit attached to it.

 

[malakadang]

Anyway, x339 is right, no global is going to nominate someone they're not friends with. Unless there is a mass promotion(this is where random people get a chance).

Well, would you say that the people globals nominate nowaday are good promotions? Because if they are, then it doesn't matter too much then. Also, I was promoted, alongside punjabi (so I don't think that counts as a mass promotion), and I hadn't even spoken to a global.

Also many ex-staff return, but have no interest in doing the work nor do they care about the site.

This probably has some validity to it, but in the past year, who has asked to come back that has had seemingly no interest in the site?

 

[mage3158]

This probably has some validity to it, but in the past year, who has asked to come back that has had seemingly no interest in the site?

Corey.

 

[malakadang]

Corey.

If he sees this, I'll let him deal with it. But, I would like to say that I think it's a misrepresentation to charge him with not caring about the site. Honestly, I believe he does.

 

[Punjabi3]

Rarely, but ok, I'll give it to you.

Anyway, x339 is right, no global is going to nominate someone they're not friends with. Unless there is a mass promotion(this is where random people get a chance).

Also many ex-staff return, but have no interest in doing the work nor do they care about the site.

I've seen globals recommend people that they are not friends with.
Also lately sectionals have a large say in who gets promoted if they can show good reasons why someone should be promoted. I can name one staff who had heavy opposition from some admins an globals who is mod today because sectionals showed good reasoning he should be promoted. I only know of this one because i was staff at the time and can't say if anyothers were promoted based on it. Sectionals have just as much say in selection if they can prove the person deserves it. Globals and admins make the final decision based on the thead as far as I know.

Also just thought I'd put this out there to x339 maybe you haven't been promoted because you told honest feedback but rather because you prefer starting drama and don't lie about this because you told me in irc that this is just fun now before you srb yourself. I'm sure the reason to not promoting you is similar to an employers stand point of how well you will get a long with the current team and from the looks of it many believe you wouldn't get a long with them.

 

[x339]

I've seen globals recommend people that they are not friends with.
Also lately sectionals have a large say in who gets promoted if they can show good reasons why someone should be promoted. I can name one staff who had heavy opposition from some admins an globals who is mod today because sectionals showed good reasoning he should be promoted. I only know of this one because i was staff at the time and can't say if anyothers were promoted based on it. Sectionals have just as much say in selection if they can prove the person deserves it. Globals and admins make the final decision based on the thead as far as I know.

Also just thought I'd put this out there to x339 maybe you haven't been promoted because you told honest feedback but rather because you prefer starting drama and don't lie about this because you told me in irc that this is just fun now before you srb yourself. I'm sure the reason to not promoting you is similar to an employers stand point of how well you will get a long with the current team and from the looks of it many believe you wouldn't get a long with them.

As I have repeated over and over again:

1. I am not upset because I never got promoted.

2. My problem does not lie with friendships effecting moderator positions, I know full well the reasoning behind that, and I have no problem with it. My issue is with something like this:

Timmy is an excellent member. Timmy is friends with everyone, and he does a great job helping the site. Timmy then posts on a thread saying "I want to be a moderator", and from that point on his chances are ruined. People seem to look down upon people who are openly trying to become a staff member, and use it as a negative connotation. For example, in other threads people keep saying "you just want to be a mod", so what if that person does? They want to help the site and that's a problem to you? It's just illogical.

 

If someone says "I want to be a moderator" they are helping people so that they get a position on staff. Not because they genuinely like helping people.

 

[x339]

If someone says "I want to be a moderator" they are helping people so that they get a position on staff. Not because they genuinely like helping people.

How does that make any sense at all. They want to achieve a volunteer position because....they like the pay?

 

[Punjabi3]

As I have repeated over and over again:

1. I am not upset because I never got promoted.

2. My problem does not lie with friendships effecting moderator positions, I know full well the reasoning behind that, and I have no problem with it. My issue is with something like this:

Timmy is an excellent member. Timmy is friends with everyone, and he does a great job helping the site. Timmy then posts on a thread saying "I want to be a moderator", and from that point on his chances are ruined. People seem to look down upon people who are openly trying to become a staff member, and use it as a negative connotation. For example, in other threads people keep saying "you just want to be a mod", so what if that person does? They want to help the site and that's a problem to you? It's just illogical.

Can you name one person who said they want mod and have been denied a position because they said they want to be mod?

 

[nodnarbusn]

How many threads do there need to be before something gets done, there is obviously an issue here. I wish sythe would respond and give us his input on the matter, im interested in his outlook on this thread and several other threads all essentially addressing the same thing.. the site dying and the cliquish nature of the moderators*. (*not all the moderators)

 

Mr. Global here, ready to shed some light on how promotions work.

If we notice you, and feel you'd make a good addition to staff, then you get a poll. You could be noticed through friendships, or through your hard work. Personally, my very first promotion to staff was because I basically ran the WoW section.

There is hardly any bias during promotions because a majority has to be reached (right now that's about 7-8 votes), so if one global is friends with someone, that doesn't really raise their chances a whole lot. The user has to be proven to be helpful and to be a proven asset to the site. For instance, if I don't know who the target of a poll is, then I look at their posts and their forum habits and make a decision based on that.

That's how it works. None of you have gotten it right so far lol.

 

[Terrankiller]

Pardon, I am not a very good speaker and this may come out as confusing. (For the most part why I have not participated in many controversial threads.)

I agree with most of what you're saying. There are two things that have really bothered me during my time here at Sythe: The lack of motivation or desire to change and many promotions/ the staff roster. (And username changes but that's a personal annoyance and I won't get into it.)

First of all, EVERYTHING is set in stone and there is little room for ideas or innovation. This was touched on by Dialatic with the "Do Not Suggest" list but it goes farther than that. It's getting to the point where the Suggestions sub-forum may as well be removed because it is absolutely useless. A suggestion that gets TON of support has as much of a chance of getting recognized as one that is immediately locked. Maybe the occasional "change the name of this sticky" but in all honesty what has really changed over the past year? In order for anything to get implemented it has to be a large staff initiative because no one listens to anyone if they are not staff. (For example Mohtasa's fantastic suggestion of a chatbox which would have been locked immediately if it weren't made by my lovely Tony. Even though it's been months and nothing has happened [and I'm guessing won't happen in accordance to the way things generally go here], the suggestion would not currently exist if made by a newcomer.) Now I feel that this is an issue for two reasons: First that the staff are WAY too hasty to lock anything that doesn't feel right and that even the greatest suggestions that would potentially further or jumpstart the site (I commemorate x339 on his persistence and ideas although terribly executed.) are either strongly opposed for trivial reasons or forgotten about because the administrators who have the power to actually implement them.. are never here.

This shows up in the way that staff treat the users under them as well. There seems to be this diluted mindset going on here. It's either that or people just don't care. x339, Alma Mater, Laptop65, etc. etc. You know the kinds of people I'm speaking of (not to generalize you all into one group.) These are cases of people who legitimately care about the site but in the snap of a finger would be shunned from the community for good if certain staff had their way. But I think they are the best kind of members we have or have had. There is definitely a feeling of superiority among many staff members that causes these issues. "Hey, I'll just close this thread because it's from a user who is being annoying, has no ranks, and will be forgotten about tomorrow; or I'm simply done arguing with him/her." Or worse, the notion that we'll be better off without this individual. We as a community need ever member we can get. Have you seen the Spam Forum lately? The market is going to dust. The Runescape and OT sections are great but lack the activity that is needed to keep them successful because no body is willing to do anything about it.

So there's that. And then there are the staff. I don't mean to undermine anyone I've worked with for the past 5 months as a staff member but I honestly do not understand why some people even accept some of the promotions they are given and stay on staff to begin with if they don't use the site. This isn't a paying position, so what is the point of just barely passing by when you don't post anywhere else? It makes the staff look weaker and it's an absolute waste of time.

This site consists of members, both staff and non-staff that really care about the site. I by no means am saying that most of the staff are incompetent. I honestly love you and I love this site but it hurts me to see the site going in the direction it is in. It's stale and that is going to be key to its downfall.

Chat Boxes pose a great security risk on web forums. Not a lot of people understand that.

If an idea from a thread in the suggestion forum gains a lot of popularity, OP must rally users in said thread to PM administrators. And if you all get banned you can start your own forum and let this one die.

 

[mage3158]

I'm on suspended staff, I couldn't fulfill my responsibilities for end of Oct-Nov so I decided to leave until I'm ready to complete my tasks again.

Oh I know, but it was the moment!

 

How does that make any sense at all. They want to achieve a volunteer position because....they like the pay?

It makes sense because you don't need to be staff in order to help somebody. You can help somebody just as easily as I could. If somebody wants to be a moderator then they want to a moderator because if the rank or the little extra power around the forum, not because they help people.