Staff Behavior As of Late

[Guest]

No, I will not take this to private, because that's part of my complaint.

 

The staff as of late have been behaving in a VERY unprofessional manner, and part of the reason why I am making this public is because that is part of the problem. The staff seem to want to "contain" things to private so they can ignore glaring problems and avoid the other users becoming aware of the problems. So before anyone suggests I take this to private, I will not because being forced to do everything behind closed doors is part of the issue.

 

Some of the staff's behavior as of late is troubling. Unprofessional and downright rude at times.

 

Now I get their mentality is "people were rude to us" and "we offer a free service!" but I have a problem with both of those mentalities:

 

Users who are complaining sometimes come off as rude. It's a side effect of being annoyed, disappointed or just upset in general. Responding by being rude back such as in another topic here in the feedback section that I saw is part of the issue. I'm going to put Troblems on the spot here because he provided an example of it recently:

 

 

 

I'm sorry dude, but that is NOT a good way to respond to a complaint even if the complaint annoys you. ESPECIALLY in public. While you may provide a free service and you may be annoyed, it does not excuse you from being rude to members just because they didn't word their complaint in a nice bow tie package for you. A level of professionalism is still expected from the staff if they wish for the users to RESPECT them. I see a lot of rudeness coming from you in this post, and it is not justified by "he started it!" You're supposed to be the example as a staff member and as a leader. So set the example.

 

Secondly the issue of "we provide a free service" does not mean it's a good idea to tell users off like this. Remember without users, this site is worthless. Behavior like this turns a minor complaint into a bigger complaint, it sure did for me.

 

That also being said your service isn't "inherently" free if people donate to you every single month, you collect a portion of commissions, etc. While it may not cover your server costs, you are not providing the service 100% free because people DO give the site money. Artists are OBLIGATED to pay the site money if they wish to sell commissions here, so you're kind of stretching the definition of "free" here. While you don't obligate anyone to donate money, if no one donated the site would not be able to run, so there is a minor obligation for some people to donate to keep the site afloat.

 

So realistically, you are not providing an entirely free service as your service is supplemented by users generous enough to give to the site.

 

Furthermore your response is troubling in another capacity: "You should volunteer your funds as well."

 

This is giving me the impression that the staff only cares about people who donate and that donators concerns will be addressed more than others. Forgive me if this is not the case, but it CERTAINLY comes off like that. Also, I am pretty confident that not every staff members donates to the site either. It's troubling though when you imply that donator's concerns will be taken more seriously than everyone else's considering everyone else makes up a majority of the site.

 

What troubles me worse is that the staff have become increasingly "cut and dry" about dealing with the rules. The other day I got a verbal warning for something that basically was not even properly thought out and I pointed out how the warning was incorrect. To further my annoyance the warning was possibly the rudest way it could have been made, considering the accusation was false to begin with.

 

I contested it that that moderator and requested a second opinion and I STILL have not received a response almost 2 weeks later.

 

I will not post the warning simply because it mentions another user in there who is ACTUALLY responsible for the warning in question, and out of respect for other users I will not put him on the spot. Before people cry out hypocracy because I put Troblems on the spot above, a staff member acting in PUBLIC and me pointing it out is not really revealing anything against his privacy. He posted in public, it's fair game to use it as a reference because anyone can look it up.

 

I was disappointed though that no follow up was given and the staff member in question didn't even apologize for their incredibly rude wording. I know I'm not the nicest guy, and I probably cause some trouble now and then, but ANY time I was given a warning or needed to talk to a staff member, I went through the proper channels and did so RESPECTFULLY. Not a single staff member can show that I was rude to them in a warning or disciplinary action, and I have gone on record to ACCEPT warnings that I felt I legitimately was in the wrong for. I have shown NOTHING but respect for the staff, so it is kind of bullcrap that I would get a warning like this:

 

 

"Purely cater to your own desire and to asses your personal entitlement."

 

Then going so far as to categorize my behavior as "abusive"  and then threaten me with greater consequences. On my BIRTHDAY no less, for a topic that at THAT point was over 4 days old. You could not have timed this better? You could not have cleaned this wording up? Or even just asked for my side of the story? Or better yet: READ THE WHOLE TOPIC to see that at the end of the "offending" post that I made it FLAT OUT SAYS:

 

"Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else, because all of this is kind of derailing the topic."

 

I flat out said that it was derailing the topic and we should discuss it elsewhere. I was NOT derailing the topic, if anything I was stating we were deviating and should get back on topic. I EVEN LEFT THE TOPIC AFTER THAT because it was clear that the person who was derailing was not going to stop.

 

What troubles me is NOT the mistake, but the blatant rudeness in the warning, the lack of a response, the lack of a followup and after all this time I have been NOTHING but respectful to the staff.

 

The staff may offer this site for "free" but that does not excuse them from not respecting the users, ESPECIALLY the ones who meet them with a level of respect when approached. There is no excuse for this level of disrespect towards the users, period. None. Providing a free service is not an excuse. Not being a donator is not an excuse to give me lesser treatment.

 

No, I will not take this to private because that is part of the problem: I attempted to resolve some of this in private and there were not results. The staff need to work on being more respectful to the users if they wish the same respect in return. This whole "well they started it" mentality is not acceptable. I certainly didn't "start it" when I was rudely spoken to. I didn't even get a chance to speak before I was given probably the rudest warning I could have been given which they decided it was the BEST time to give on my own birthday.

 

A member's birthday is not even enough reason for the staff to AT LEAST try to be TACTFUL about a warning especially one that is a MINOR issue. Especially when it was clear that the user STOPPED as the topic was 4 days old at that point and I had not replied since.

 

So if you want respect from the users, you need to offer it. I may not be the "best" person here and I may have had to be spoken to a time or two, but I ALWAYS offered respect to the staff when I was spoken to. I deserve the SAME respect back as does every other user.

 

I am sorry if this is seen as "causing drama", but I honestly felt this needed to be said and private would not do it justice. Give me a warning for speaking my mind if you must, but I stand by my criticism. This is NOT a personal attack.

 

Troblems, I have no problem with you. Hell I don't even know you. You're probably a totally nice guy and you were just frustrated which is understandable. I am not saying you are a terrible person or terrible at your job or ANY of the staff for that matter. People make mistakes and I am not expecting the staff to not be human. I have no issues with any of the staff and this is not meant to be a "RISE UP AGAINST THE STAFF" thing. Please if anyone takes it as that I stress: DO NOT ATTACK THE STAFF. That is not the idea here. I do not want blood, I want this site to improve. I want peace, I want respect BOTH WAYS.

 

I want the users to be able to respect and trust the staff. I want them to feel that the staff can be counted on.

 

I ask you not take this as an "attack" because it's not intended this way. I have no grudges against anyone on the staff nor am I "angry" with them. I just want this kind of thing to change. I respect the staff and I want to CONTINUE being able to respect them, but I can't in good faith do that if this behavior is happening. Do I think Troblems made a mistake? Sure. Do I think he needs to lose his job? No. I think maybe an apology would have sufficed or just taking a second away from the computer to calm down before responding. I GET that users will make unreasonable complaints and I GET that it's stressful. I am not discrediting that, but I am saying that if you need a minute to relax and come back to it when you're cooled down, then take it. I would rather users get "late" responses than snarky, sarcastic, rude ones.

 

I know for a FACT whenever I approached someone pissed off that first of all, the chances of them listening to me were much lower, but ALSO when someone met me with understanding, kindness and politeness, I cooled off a LOT faster and was more willing to listen to a situation.

 

That's ALL I'm asking is just a little more politeness in how the users are dealt with. I don't think I'm asking too much, nor do I think I'm being a dick here.

 

I discourage going after the staff with pitchforks and demanding things, and I am not even making a "demand" here, I am just asking that we see a little more respect both ways. This goes to the users as well:

 

If you are a user and you get in trouble for something or need to talk to a staff member for ANY reason, please consider how busy they are. Consider how stressful running this site is. Consider how many complaints they have to deal with and try and be respectful to them. You may find it gets things done faster and better if you do.

 

TL;DR version of this whole post:

 

RESPECT. BOTH USERS AND STAFF MEMBERS NEED TO USE IT MORE.

 

I apologize if this hurts some feelings or makes people upset, that was not my intention, but I wanted to make it seen by everyone because this is a message to all, not just a few select people.

 

Please, I only ask you understand.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

See, now this is how you provide constructive criticism. Provide the criticism without making it sound like a personal attack. And this is also how you make an issue public by encouraging people to not attack the staff over it. 

 

I do believe that Troblems over-reacted to that thread. Her reasoning for it is still up in the air, but my only guess is miscommunication with the thread. I don't now how the moderation process works that's higher in the ranks of staff than I am, but my only guess is that there was a gut reaction and she went and posted that without thinking through the alternatives. 

 

From what I've heard through some of the reasons for being warned, there seems to be a miscommunication between the staff and members. People will get warnings for stuff that's not their fault. It's like they only take one side of the story instead of looking at the big picture. The best thing to do in a trial is to get both sides of the story and make an objective response from there. It's again like a trial. 

[Guest]

See, now this is how you provide constructive criticism. Provide the criticism without making it sound like a personal attack. And this is also how you make an issue public by encouraging people to not attack the staff over it. 

 

I do believe that Troblems over-reacted to that thread. Her reasoning for it is still up in the air, but my only guess is miscommunication with the thread. I don't now how the moderation process works that's higher in the ranks of staff than I am, but my only guess is that there was a gut reaction and she went and posted that without thinking through the alternatives. 

 

From what I've heard through some of the reasons for being warned, there seems to be a miscommunication between the staff and members. People will get warnings for stuff that's not their fault. It's like they only take one side of the story instead of looking at the big picture. The best thing to do in a trial is to get both sides of the story and make an objective response from there. It's again like a trial. 

 

Thank you, C.B. And I appreciate you not only taking the time to read this, but to look at it objectively. This kind of response is exactly what I was hoping for.

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

About time someone took this to light.  Something needs to be done, ans as I said in a status of mine, I will NOT let this turn into another forum that has done this when I joined.

[Jeric 46,852]

Troblems is a she though she has more balls than I.

 

Snark tends to beget snark. I have to admit that she said some of the things I was thinking at the time particularly since it was basically a rerun and this was an old hat song and dance. Criticism helps people grow as individuals, and some people do need to be levelled with. Since this is a forum and not a business, I think occasionally countering like that can be a good thing for the respondent.

 

I'm no longer in the loop on things like warnings and such, so I'm not going to comment on that. But since this appears to be pick on Troblems day (most people will only focus on that aspect of your post unfortunately) I feel it important to say this:

 

A measurable amount of members on this forum have been unbanned specifically because of her.

 

A greater amount have been saved from a warning or ban because of her.

 

I say this next line not to dismiss the rest of the staff, but there is no human being currently responsible for the day to day operation of MLPF that holds more empathy for the membership than she does.

 

She is going to take people down a peg, cause quite frankly some need it. I hate formal. Talk to people like people. Over a year ago you would have had some overly ambitious formal post that said the same thing as the Gerbil topic. Screw that nonsense.

 

I admit that tact is important when dealing with members concerning warnings and infractions regarding rules, especially if an offline discussion is done with respect. I have never seen you disrespect a member of staff, nor have our private communications ever been anything but cordial.

 

These sort of posts (and how it is framed ... thank you for that) are important. I just didn't want it to all fall on one person.

[JonasDarkmane 19,785]

I do not have much to add to this besides what Jeric has said, so I am going to support one of his statement about sometimes needing to meet harshness with harshness. I am an example of someone who got taken down a peg by Troblems, but that has seriously helped me, helped me grow as a person and go about things more maturely. I dislike thinking that had she not done it, I might still be causing trouble today. She basically woke me up and made me grow a 3 foot goatee (what I am saying is that she helped me mature ).

[Guest90210 3,568]

I am going to support one of his statement about sometimes needing to meet harshness with harshness. I am an example of someone who got taken down a peg by Troblems, but that has seriously helped me, helped me grow as a person and go about things more maturely. I dislike thinking that had she not done it, I might still be causing trouble today. She basically woke me up and made me grow a 3 foot goatee (what I am saying is that she helped me mature

 

I disagree with that sentiment. Someone being rude to you doesn't mean you should act the same way back (especially if you're in a position of authority) - all that means is you resorted to the same tactics as they did. The staff response in Sharkz' OP was rude and unnecessarily confrontative. Why should staff members be given the right to be rude simply because a user was supposedly rude? If I, a user, were to be rude to another user because they were rude first, we'd both be given warnings. Why do these rules not apply to everyone?

 

In my view, everyone should treat each other with respect, regardless of their position on the forums, and we should set examples for each other.

 

I appreciate how the staff has handled many things on this site, especially with giving users extra chances (look at how many people have been unbanned recently), and again, this isn't an attack on anyone, but Sharkz' still makes a good point. He's just pointing out that both users and staff could do better in terms of respect and communication.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Rivendare

[Guest]

 

 

Troblems is a she though she has more balls than I.

 

I apologize! I did not realize their gender. That is my bad.

 

 

 

Snark tends to beget snark. I have to admit that she said some of the things I was thinking at the time particularly since it was basically a rerun and this was an old hat song and dance. Criticism helps people grow as individuals, and some people do need to be levelled with. Since this is a forum and not a business, I think occasionally countering like that can be a good thing for the respondent.

 

I disagree. I mean that's my opinion, but I think when you resort to being snarky in responses it just bothers users. Sure there will be the occasional person it helps, but clearly based upon Lightning Dash's response it didn't help him. I think it's a safer bet to just respond respectfully every time and not run the risk. Remember other users aren't always in on the jokes and back and forth of the staff with the users. While Lightning may have been okay with it because that's the relationship that he and Troblems may have had, the users don't see that. In this case it was not, because clearly Lightning was a bit shaken up by Troblems actions.

 

 

 

But since this appears to be pick on Troblems day (most people will only focus on that aspect of your post unfortunately) I feel it important to say this:

 

That is not my intention and if anyone gets that from this, they clearly have not read a majority of the post.

 

 

 

A measurable amount of members on this forum have been unbanned specifically because of her. A greater amount have been saved from a warning or ban because of her. I say this next line not to dismiss the rest of the staff, but there is no human being currently responsible for the day to day operation of MLPF that holds more empathy for the membership than she does.

 

And I am not discrediting ANY of that. Nor am I saying this one instance is an example of how she is unfit for her job or anything of the sort. However I think it should go on record that no amount of good actions excuses people from criticism. Just because a staff member is doing a lot of good doesn't mean a mishap like this can be overlooked or not addressed. It really just boils down to I am pretty confident that Troblems can handle the criticism and adjust accordingly. If she were to simply take offense to the criticism and just point how much good she does as an excuse to ignore it, then that would be an indicator of being poor at one's job. I'm confident she is not going to do that though if she is as you say.

 

Just because one does good does not mean they can't be doing better is all I am saying. 

 

 

 

She is going to take people down a peg, cause quite frankly some need it. I hate formal. Talk to people like people. Over a year ago you would have had some overly ambitious formal post that said the same thing as the Gerbil topic. Screw that nonsense.

 

The problem I see with that though is donations. You are ASKING users to be willing to donate to this site. An exchange of money is happening, and because of that, the staff should behave in a manner that is professional if they expect cash. Once you start accepting cash in any capacity you have expectations that people are going to instill upon you. I certainly don't expect someone I am giving money to every month to speak nastily to me over a minor incident. I expect them to approach the situation with more tact. I get that some people need to be taken down a peg, but choosing your battles is key.

 

On top of this, I don't think anyone is asking for a "formal" reply, but perhaps a more polite one is all.

 

 

 

I admit that tact is important when dealing with members concerning warnings and infractions if rules, especially if an offline discussion is done with respect. I have never seen you disrespect a member of staff, nor have our private communications ever been anything but cordial. These sort of posts (and how it is framed ... thank you for that) are important. I just didn't want it to all fall on one person.

 

You're welcome, and I have never had an instance where I felt you behaved unprofessionally to me. I appreciate that greatly, and once again: if ANYONE is taking this as "attack Troblems" or as "Troblems is the problem" then I stress you to re-read the post. This is not about that and I do not encourage that, and anyone who takes that away from this is missing the point entirely. I can not stress this enough. While Troblems was used as an example, this is not about her specifically, it is just unfortunate that she was the example because if I simply just said "there is a problem" and didn't evidence it, it would be difficult to get people to listen or understand.

 

So I will emphasize this once more just for safe measure:

 

This is not a matter of "go attack the staff." This is a matter of learn from mistakes, improve and HELP the staff improve. Do not attack ANY of the staff for ANY reason, as that is not productive, and it is just finger pointing. This is a matter I want to be handled in a CIVIL manner, not flipping out and going out on a blood hunt. Anyone who does that will more than likely be subject to whatever punishment comes their way and I will not feel sorry for you. There is a right way and a wrong way to address concerns. Please use respect if you are asking for respect.

 

 

He's just pointing out that both users and staff could do better in terms of respect and communication.

 

 

Yes! 100%. Under no circumstances should you attack the staff in a rude manner. It does not make it right for them to be rude to you, but if you are throwing the first stone, you are part of the problem. The staff do work to keep this site open for the users and we should have a level of respect for that. It's a very difficult balance being a staff member, one that many of us would have a difficult time balancing. Hell when I ran sites it was always a never ending challenge to balance the hat of the staff member and the hat of the friendly user. You end up wearing one hat more than you'd like sometimes, and it makes matter difficult.

 

If we respect that and that balance then we are in a position to make requests and help out. But when we're rude, nasty and crappy to the staff, we can't expect them to take what we have to say as seriously. They are after all, only human.

[JonasDarkmane 19,785]

I disagree with that sentiment. Someone being rude to you doesn't mean you should act the same way back (especially if you're in a position of authority) - all that means if you resorted to the same tactics as they did. Troblem's response in Sharkz' OP was rude and unnecessarily confrontative. Why should staff members be given the right to be rude simply because a user was supposedly rude? If I, a user, were to be rude to another user because they were rude first, we'd both be given warnings. Why do these rules not apply to everyone?

 

In my view, everyone should treat each other with respect, regardless of their position on the forums, and we should set examples for each other.

 

I appreciate how the staff has handled many things on this site, especially with giving users extra chances (look at how many people have been unbanned recently), and again, this isn't an attack on anyone, but Sharkz' still makes a good point. He's just pointing out that both users and staff could do better in terms of respect and communication.

Maybe. I am not saying that it should always be done (see where I said the keyword "sometimes"). Depends on the situation. Being rude is really subjectively measured, but rude involves more having the intentions to hurt someone rather than being "harsh". As to the response to Sharkz OP, looked far more formal with a personal touch added to it. It can be taken rudely or it can be taken neutrally.

[Guest]

Maybe. I am not saying that it should always be done (see where I said the keyword "sometimes"). Depends on the situation. Being rude is really subjectively measured, but rude involves more having the intentions to hurt someone rather than being "harsh". As to the response to Sharkz OC, looked far more formal with a personal touch added to it. It can be taken rudely or it can be taken neutrally.

My issue is: why take that risk?

 

It's a much safer bet to just avoid it all together and you'll never run into an issue.

 

Because if that was me, and I was considering donating to this site, I definitely would have changed my mind so fast.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Guest

[FlitterFlutter 1,583]

How about everyone put this behind them and we just move on. I am tired of looking at all this negativity from both sides.

We come to this forum to make friends and talk about ponies, we don't need so much drama.

 

And to be honest both sides were wrong, it is wrong to be snarky no matter what. It is wrong if someone does it to you and it is wrong if you do it to someone.

 

We just need to be friends!! Please i love this place, please don't let this place turn into a hate filled mess!!   I love you all!

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

I think it's time that both sides apologize for their actions.  The staff apologize to the members who were hurt by their attack, and the members apologize for attacking back.

 

I'll start by apologizing to the staff in general for my latest feedback topic.  I was being frank with all of you, and it was needed to come to attention the issue of the staff's attitude.

[JonasDarkmane 19,785]

My issue is: why take that risk?

 

It's a much safer bet to just avoid it all together and you'll never run into an issue.

 

Because if that was me, and I was considering donating to this site, I definitely would have changed my mind so fast.

That is very much true. Take an action at your own risk and just be ready to face the consequences of it. It can help some as it helped me, but in this case, it did not.

 

So the risk did not pay off. So won't dispute you on taking the risk because you are a 100% right on that

[Guest]

How about everyone put this behind them and we just move on. I am tired of looking at all this negativity from both sides.

We come to this forum to make friends and talk about ponies, we don't need so much drama.

 

And to be honest both sides were wrong, it is wrong to be snarky no matter what. It is wrong if someone does it to you and it is wrong if you do it to someone.

 

We just need to be friends!! Please i love this place, please don't let this place turn into a hate filled mess!!   I love you all!

 

No one is taking sides or spewing hate. If anything, I am saying this doesn't need to be "users vs. the staff" because it's not. It's trying to address a problem and come up with a solution to better the site, not increase hate or negativity. If anyone is feeling that way, then they have missed the point of this post entirely.

 

We should be careful about how we use the word Drama. GradeAUnderA makes a valid point that just calling any disagreement "drama" is a problem because it will make people ignore legitimately good efforts to improve things. In this case, this is an effort to improve the site, not harm it. Classing it as a "drama" may give people the wrong idea.

 

No one is encouraging hate or negativity, if anything I have seen nothing but positive attitudes here and people meeting each other with maturity, understanding and general problem solving. I see a collective effort to IMPROVE the site, not make it worse. We have some staff here clearly saying that they believe the interactions with the users being seen in a positive light is important and past staff members saying they agree. We have users understanding that respect is a two way street as well.

 

This is all good stuff.

[FlitterFlutter 1,583]

 

 

No one is taking sides or spewing hate. If anything, I am saying this doesn't need to be "users vs. the staff" because it's not. It's trying to address a problem and come up with a solution to better the site, not increase hate or negativity. If anyone is feeling that way, then they have missed the point of this post entirely. We should be careful about how we use the word Drama. GradeAUnderA makes a valid point that just calling any disagreement "drama" is a problem because it will make people ignore legitimately good efforts to improve things. In this case, this is an effort to improve the site, not harm it. Classing it as a "drama" may give people the wrong idea. No one is encouraging hate or negativity, if anything I have seen nothing but positive attitudes here and people meeting each other with maturity, understanding and general problem solving. I see a collective effort to IMPROVE the site, not make it worse. We have some staff here clearly saying that they believe the interactions with the users being seen in a positive light is important and past staff members saying they agree. We have users understanding that respect is a two way street as well. This is all good stuff.

Wow now, I getting put down, sorry I just really want everyone to be friends. Please don't be mad at me, look I will just leave this topic. Sorry, I just really love this place and seeing all this go down makes me really sad. So sorry I really am, don't hate me!!   If a staff member want to you can delete my post, sorry again.

[Guest]

Wow now, I getting put down, sorry I just really want everyone to be friends. Please don't be mad at me, look I will just leave this topic. Sorry, I just really love this place and seeing all this go down makes me really sad. So sorry I really am, don't hate me!!   If a staff member want to you can delete my post, sorry again.

No no! Not at all! I'm not trying to put you down, I apologize if it felt like that. You're fine!

[Troblems 5,617]

I'm not going to put forth my full response yet because I've been awake more than 24 hours, and now would not be the best time for me to reply. What I will say is I'm aware that I can be sharper than a rusty cheese grater. I won't apologize for that, because it's an aspect of my personality, it's not going to change any time soon, and it's a big part of why I was promoted as a mod/admin.

 

What I will say is what I said last night was overly harsh. You take the good with the bad when bringing on staff, and I'm snippy. I stand up for myself, and I stand up for my friends, Feld0 among them. I'll be back later with more to say, but for now I really need some sleep.

[Lightning Dash 327]

I think it's time that both sides apologize for their actions.  The staff apologize to the members who were hurt by their attack, and the members apologize for attacking back.

 

I'll start by apologizing to the staff in general for my latest feedback topic.  I was being frank with all of you, and it was needed to come to attention the issue of the staff's attitude.

I made a large worthy post about (I deleted it now because no one gives a fuck about my input. Literally no acknowledgement at all. Friends say I'm not scum, but I am on here. I did apologize above, but did anyone actually take any NOTICE IN IT! *Relaxes*...

 

...Do you see what I mean now? *Sighs* Why even bother...

[Guest90210 3,568]

I made a large worthy post about (I deleted it now because no one gives a fuck about my input. Literally no acknowledgement at all. Friends say I'm not scum, but I am on here. I did apologize above, but did anyone actually take any NOTICE IN IT! *Relaxes*...

 

...Do you see what I mean now? *Sighs* Why even bother...

 

You have to give it time, this thread is only a couple hours old. Your input does matter. So far in this thread I've seen a lot of constructive discussion, both from staff and users

[Dark Horse 12,961]

I understand that we all may say some things without thinking. Even the most professional and reasonable of us can sometimes fall prey to the heat of a moment, and let emotions spill out into our responses. At the end of the day, we're all still human, not machines. Sometimes we're going to end up saying or doing something that another is upset with. It's an inevitable fact of life.

 

That doesn't mean, however, that it's the kind of attitude we want to promote. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that none of us, staff and members, want a forum that's full of disrespect and bad attitudes. What on earth would that help achieve? I came into this community because I was attracted by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, I felt comfortable in expressing my opinions without the fear of ridicule or abuse, that everyone looked upon them fairly, and this is something that I have always gotten from this community, even today. I applied for staff because I wanted to help protect that, not because I wanted to feel "special" or vindicated in what I post.

 

Yes, there are probably people who would disagree, I respect that. No forum is perfect, but believe me when I say there are far worse places. I'd been on 3 other large forums before this and all of them I barely lasted over a month because the majority of members felt so.. distant from each other. Like the same people had all segregated into their own fenced in areas with differing opinions and way of handling things, and couldn't stand interaction with each other. That's not what I'd define a healthy community.

 

If you feel as though you have a problem, or a suggestion you'd like heard, by all means please let it be heard. Come say it to us! We're not xenophobes huddled into a control room keeping you all back with sticks. We're here to try and make sure the community is the community we would all like to see, and for that to happen I do agree that perhaps we need a better understanding of each other. That can only happen with clear communication. So if for any reason you'd like to talk to any one of us, just go for it!

 

I'll even share my Maltesers.

[Jeric 46,852]

Whoa Key! +1 for the GradeAUnderA reference you cheeky so and so.

 

#levity

 

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Actually some nice productive discussion in here. Goes to show strong and opinionated personalities can have a reasonable discussion about sensitive topics.

[Ponies4Bronies 394]

This is great, I have a lot of respect for both sides right here. I'm glad that this is a civil conversation. It's rare that any spot on the Internet that this sort of thing happens.

[Guest]

Whoa Key! +1 for the GradeAUnderA reference you cheeky so and so.

 

#levity

 

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Actually some nice productive discussion in here. Goes to show strong and opinionated personalities can have a reasonable discussion about sensitive topics.

 

I'm all for calm collected, respectful, non-emotional discussion. I think it can be some of the most productive.

[King 5,625]

Honestly Im a little unsure as to how people perceive my attitude towards them in regards to staff matters. I attempt to be stern when I need to be and I dislike 'formality' so you're more likely to see me swear than other staff members. That being said, if I've ever come across as rude to someone I do apologise. I can be a bit rough around the edges but once you get to know me Im sure you'll agree Im a pretty fly for a white guy (If you get that reference, you're awesome).

[CheeryFox 23,821]

I don't think what Troblems said was that bad.