So, I frequent the chatbox rather regularly and it's kind of a chaotic mess in there. So I'm going to suggest ways to manage the chatbox while not intruding much.
Step 1: Treat Chatbox as an official site medium
As such, players should be held to the same standard on the chatbox as they are to be held in OOC areas on this site. Which usually extends to:
- Minimal cursing (This is especially bad with the younger members of the site)
- No racial, gender, sexist, religion, politics talk or bashing there (Just to get the taboo subjects out of the way)
- No Flaming/Flame-Baiting/instigating (Because... let's be real. Don't be a douche, it's not nice)
- No flooding or being annoying with
posting
one
word
per
line
to
get
your
thoughts
out
onto
the
chat
box.
If someone breaks rules of the chatbox (which should be similar to the rules of talking in the OOC areas) they should get punished as if they did it in a topic. The reason people get away with things like the above is because there aren't any actual repercussions for their general douche-baggery.
Step 2: Moderator Behavior
I've come to realize that the moderators here are very quick to change topics. While changing topics is fine when people begin arguing (with less than desirable words and flinging insults) or someone posting something absolutely obscene.... Changing a topic because people are venting their frustrations on the site is not.
Self-Censoring, regardless of if it's a beat-up topic is NOT good for the site. People aren't generally encouraged to air out complaints they are having with how things are ran or some of the decisions made on the site. Self-Censoring is also not a good way to get possibly helpful feedback (which the mods could relay to the admin, but they won't). If the discussion isn't a heated argument where people are flinging insults, then the mods should just let it be. Clearing it and issuing warnings not only reflect poorly on the staff for not liking criticism, but it also disrupts any free-thought on the site. It is poor moderation.
TL;DR: If it's civil, let it happen. Don't clear because YOU are irritated about hearing it for the 11th time. The mods are only there to make sure things don't get out of hand.
Step 3: Moderator Ladder of Punishment
If things are getting out of hand, the moderator (if present) should step in. They are to hand the individuals the following (which can change due to severity)
1: Warning.. Verbally warn them in the CBox to calm down.
2: Kick and then PM Warning -- If they don't calm down. Kick them from the C-Box and send them a PM telling them to calm down.. and that it's their last warning
3: Temporary Ban (1 day to 1 week) -- If they still don't turn down and insist on being a douchebag, the Moderator should deliver a temporary CBox Ban (Duration lasting depending on severity). Once they are temporarily banned, their temporary CBox Ban is reported to the rest of the staff.
4: Permanent CBox Ban -- If they continue acting up, completely and utterly remove them from the CBox.
5: Site Ban -- And if that doesn't work, just get them off of the site.
I was told that "people don't take a certain mod seriously". So treating the CBox as an extension of the site with proper punishments, people will comply and be more civil on the chatbox.
Please... seriously look into this and not dismiss it. It's a problem on Cbox and will alleviate a lot of the negativity there. I'm personally growing to resent the chatbox due to various factors where people can't grow up and have a civil conversation or speak your mind in a civil manner without the chat being wiped and told to change subjects.
-----
I also want to suggest the site have a place specifically for feedback in terms of how the site is ran and decisions made by the staff. To be honest, this site is very disorganized and I do have a ton of gripes about this place. Having been an admin in previous RP sites, plot, and dev... this place hurts to look at (though, I hope my suggestions will slowly help cure that problem)
Step 1: Treat Chatbox as an official site medium
As such, players should be held to the same standard on the chatbox as they are to be held in OOC areas on this site. Which usually extends to:
- Minimal cursing (This is especially bad with the younger members of the site)
- No racial, gender, sexist, religion, politics talk or bashing there (Just to get the taboo subjects out of the way)
- No Flaming/Flame-Baiting/instigating (Because... let's be real. Don't be a douche, it's not nice)
- No flooding or being annoying with
posting
one
word
per
line
to
get
your
thoughts
out
onto
the
chat
box.
If someone breaks rules of the chatbox (which should be similar to the rules of talking in the OOC areas) they should get punished as if they did it in a topic. The reason people get away with things like the above is because there aren't any actual repercussions for their general douche-baggery.
Step 2: Moderator Behavior
I've come to realize that the moderators here are very quick to change topics. While changing topics is fine when people begin arguing (with less than desirable words and flinging insults) or someone posting something absolutely obscene.... Changing a topic because people are venting their frustrations on the site is not.
Self-Censoring, regardless of if it's a beat-up topic is NOT good for the site. People aren't generally encouraged to air out complaints they are having with how things are ran or some of the decisions made on the site. Self-Censoring is also not a good way to get possibly helpful feedback (which the mods could relay to the admin, but they won't). If the discussion isn't a heated argument where people are flinging insults, then the mods should just let it be. Clearing it and issuing warnings not only reflect poorly on the staff for not liking criticism, but it also disrupts any free-thought on the site. It is poor moderation.
TL;DR: If it's civil, let it happen. Don't clear because YOU are irritated about hearing it for the 11th time. The mods are only there to make sure things don't get out of hand.
Step 3: Moderator Ladder of Punishment
If things are getting out of hand, the moderator (if present) should step in. They are to hand the individuals the following (which can change due to severity)
1: Warning.. Verbally warn them in the CBox to calm down.
2: Kick and then PM Warning -- If they don't calm down. Kick them from the C-Box and send them a PM telling them to calm down.. and that it's their last warning
3: Temporary Ban (1 day to 1 week) -- If they still don't turn down and insist on being a douchebag, the Moderator should deliver a temporary CBox Ban (Duration lasting depending on severity). Once they are temporarily banned, their temporary CBox Ban is reported to the rest of the staff.
4: Permanent CBox Ban -- If they continue acting up, completely and utterly remove them from the CBox.
5: Site Ban -- And if that doesn't work, just get them off of the site.
I was told that "people don't take a certain mod seriously". So treating the CBox as an extension of the site with proper punishments, people will comply and be more civil on the chatbox.
Please... seriously look into this and not dismiss it. It's a problem on Cbox and will alleviate a lot of the negativity there. I'm personally growing to resent the chatbox due to various factors where people can't grow up and have a civil conversation or speak your mind in a civil manner without the chat being wiped and told to change subjects.
-----
I also want to suggest the site have a place specifically for feedback in terms of how the site is ran and decisions made by the staff. To be honest, this site is very disorganized and I do have a ton of gripes about this place. Having been an admin in previous RP sites, plot, and dev... this place hurts to look at (though, I hope my suggestions will slowly help cure that problem)