In post 4239, mastina wrote:Okay so time for the big announcement:
I know it is perhaps naive of me, so I could be quickly proven wrong, but I believe this community has matured to a point where some policies put in place expecting immaturity have become largely obsolete. The site has become a much safer, better place to be. Most of the bad apples have been banned, and there's a lot less of the
really
bad stuff that an idea like this would likely have sparked in times past.
I have faith that this community, mostly being reasonable adults (or people with the maturity of one), are capable of handling things with civility, restraint, and respect, in ways they couldn't have five years ago. The site has changed, the people have changed, and things are a lot more chill/laid-back now and less serious.
Paired with the longterm inactivity in this thread, I'm going to try and put that trust into practice by implementing three changes, with the hope that these can reinvigorate the title fairy forum. (Please don't prove this to be a mistake. I
know
a move like this would've been a mistake circa five years ago. It would've gotten outright NASTY. I'm placing my belief in us having evolved as a community to where what would've been a mistake five years ago, isn't still a mistake now. For the love of god please don't demonstrate I was a fool for thinking we have improved.)
Let's start with the first:
I am officially softening my rule on scummers giving too much feedback/input on their own titles.
This was already unofficially in effect,
as seen in spots like here,
as well as here,
and going even further back.
I believe the rule still has
purpose
:
scummers are still not allowed to micromanage the discussion of their title nomination(s)
. They do not get to dictate every aspect of the discussion. They don't get to post five times per page trying to influence the title.
Titles are still
(mostly)
decided by the community,
not
the scummer the title is for
; scummers shouldn't be actively designing their title. (At least...not in here. Getting to that.)
The rule thus will remain in place, because it's not fully obsolete. However, I am making my "enforce only when absolutely needed" aspect of it more clear, in that scummers are free to give feedback akin to the type in the linked posts (and the surrounding material). Scummers have the right to say a title nomination makes them uncomfortable, that they hate it, that they won't accept anything along the lines of it, etc. If there is enough discussion for a title to be at or near the mark needed for approval, a scummer is allowed to weigh in on a nomination for them and say they like it, even give feedback for formatting or maybe improving it. However, this is a gray zone so let me basically sum it up:
Don't be overbearing.
If you're being obnoxious, if you're borderline harassing those involved in the process, if you're actively beating down every idea actively, you're probably overstepping the boundaries and entering into "giving too much feedback/input".
But one-time casual feedback of "oh hey I like this!" is fine.
The second/third:
I am starting two threads as an experiment.
Unlike events of the past, these threads have no set expiration date. They are not a temporary thing--well, if nothing goes wrong and the community doesn't object strongly, at least.
They will remain open for as long as I see fit to keep them open.
And I will see it fit to keep them open indefinitely, unless I am given reason to shut them down.
I can and will shut them down if they end up not panning out. If drama is kicked up, if the threads get too out of control, if the community strongly hates the idea, if the community strongly objects, if people can't have the maturity that I am trusting them to have, the thread(s) get locked. You only get nice things if you show you are capable of handling them respectfully and thoughtfully. Prove me wrong and I WILL shut them down, likely permanently.
The two threads:
The purpose of that thread is, specifically, for a scummer to make a solid argument for a title for themselves. It is for self-nominations
only
. And scummers only get one. It is not meant to replace this title fairy thread. It is simply to allow for scummers to make a compelling case for titling themselves, if they truly feel a specific title would be a good fit for them.
The purpose of that thread is, specifically,
brainstorming
, for scummers who ask for it.
It is NOT for nominations.
Nominations will remain in
thread--brainstorming might (and ideally will)
lead
to nominations, but brainstorms are not themselves a nomination.
To give a basic summary,
nothing is being moved/replaced into those threads
; this is simply an experimental
expansion
of what we have.
The experiment is to allow for things previously discouraged, under the trust in community maturity having risen to a level where they can handle this with respect.
A basic summary of the threads:
this thread;
unchanged
; scummers nominate
other
scummers for a title--discussion entails, with enough support, title fairy moves forward with titling the scummer nominated
.
the first experimental thread;
scummers nominate
themselves
for a title--
no discussion entails
, but with enough support, the title fairy moves forward with titling the scummer
.
the second experimental thread;
scummers ask for other scummers to brainstorm ideas for a title for them--
this is
; none of the suggestions will directly lead to a title from that thread alone. (Although they can be moved to the other two threads if a sufficiently brilliant idea is discovered.)
This is
not
a place to
discuss
titles; it is meant as a place purely to
suggest
titles to a scummer who asks for them
.
I hope I have explained their differences sufficiently but can continue to clarify these as need-be.
The place to discuss these changes is
The Policy Thread; please keep this thread for
.
