Pardon System Changes

[Govind]

Since its inception, the pardon system has had some problems with it that weren't really addressed since the last reform (which was changing it from an Administrator's arbitrary decision to a staff vote).

Before this, these were the issues with the pardon system:

• Users were never not allowed to request a pardon. This meant that after all the staff members who remember why a user was banned and support the ban are gone, the user can easily take advantage of friends on staff, or less knowledgeable staff members, to get pardoned.
• Being pardoned conditionally (ie. "Support with TwC + Market Ban" or "Support with Last Chance usergroup") is just another way of saying that a user is not trusted enough to be fully reprieved of their offenses.
• It really is disrespectful to the staff member(s) who put in effort investigating and giving the ban, and, in the case of a ban for scamming or hacking, to the victim(s), to have the ban just overturned unless it was truly a mistake. Our rules are not to be taken lightly.

The following reforms are now in place:

1. If the ban was for scamming, all victims must have been paid back, or at least contacted with an attempt at paying them back, before a pardon is considered. If any of the victims become active again, the ban will be reapplied until they are fully repaid.
2. There is no longer any "conditional support" - (ie. "support, but with a permanent market ban/trade with caution/last chance usergroup") - staff supporting a pardon request must be fully confident that if the user returns, they are not going to be a further problem for the community, and that they truly deserve full reinstatement.
3. If staff members or ex-staff members who were heavily involved in a user's banning do not support a pardon request, it may not be taken into voting.

Pardon requests that are currently open will not be affected by these changes.

 

[thatguy1234]

first

glad to see this implemented

 

Needed updates. Will streamline the system, nice work gov.

 

[BootyLove]

good thing I made it before new tweeks to the system

 

[Sebastian Vael]

Glad to see it, thanks for implementing.

 

[Laptop65]

Definitely going to change potential high pardons for the future. Nice changes, Staff.

 

Sounds like a wise move. I never fully understood pardoning but with a TWC or forum bans as it still gives them ample opportunity to scam.

 

[n4n0]

Guys please take note that this change was the product of an entire staff discussion. Although Govind pioneered the idea, we all helped fine tune it.

 

[Dave]

Pardoning will for sure be a lot more difficult, I feel like this will maybe cause some problems for users who maybe aren't accepted and could be an asset if allowed back, but I guess it just make's the staff lives harder when it comes to making decisions.

My only question is

If you are coming clean to an offense of your own free will, you are permitted one pardon request, regardless of how long ago the offense was.

Does this mean one pardon and one pardon only, if denied you're done? For example, and not to point him out, but Piramid came out to vading on his own terms before he was ever caught for anything, same with T V, would they have only gotten one chance and if denied they're not longer allowed back to Sythe?

Only asking because it seems weird to allow someone who was caught for scamming three chances but someone who comes clean only one chance.

 

[Govind]

Sorry, I should clarify. If you come clean after 12 months down the road, you get another pardon request. If you come clean before that, the normal rules apply. If you're banned for an offense that we found out happened 12 months ago, and you didn't come clean, you don't get a pardon request.

 

[MrLuckyDraw]

I'm not a fan of changes 3 and 4. Other than that, #1 and #2 are good changes.

 

Good job everyone who helped, then.
I agree with all of the changes.

 

1 year seems a bit steep, but I can see why it was changed. Good work guys.

 

[mage3158]

I like these changes. Will make members who are actually pardoned of higher quality.

 

[the_dealer]

I like the statement about bringing people back in the LCU, or the TWC.
Great changes

 

[Brendan]

Interesting changes. I guess they're necessary.

There is a 12 month time limit for when you are allowed to request a pardon, starting with the day of the ban. This allows three pardon requests: one shortly after your ban, one six months later, and one twelve months later.

What if an old member (Let's say, someone who was banned in 2009) came back to Sythe and spotted that there was a High Pardin system; I know it's not likely to happen at all...but do that get a chance at all?

 

These look like some nice ideas. I'm pretty sure they will work out well, good job staff.

 

[S]

Looks good.

One question; is the 12 month period your only window?

 

[Lured Yah]

Good job guys

 

[Frontsight]

edit: answered my own question, thanks!