I think this is the first idea I've ever had. . .

Now, most of you will have noticed that there have been some. . . upsets recently, and multiple fights. Most of these have been [[ in my opinion ]] caused because people want to go back to the "good old days" of Camp Half Blood, where everything was sunshine, lollipops and rainbows everywhere. But have you noticed that in the "good old days" there were no admins? This site was a democracy. Admins worked together with the members. But now? Well, now it's starting to resemble the british government. And that isn't a good thing. What happens with the government is that they make fake promises, get elected, then talk amongst themselves, leaving the loyal taxpayers clueless as to what is happening, and what their money is being used for. Except in the case of this site, it's not so much money we're wasting ; it's time, loyalty and creativity. So what I suggest is that we should open up both the Admin and the Mod "secret" places, so that the general public can LOOK at them, but not POST within them. That way, we can see what's happening with our site - nay - our home. Let's face it - there are about eight admins and mods collectively, whilst there are hundreds of us members. And might I remind you ALL that you were once a member too?

That's all -- Ninja

I have to be honest, I think it should be opened as well. Traditionally the staff place has been closed to the members on various RP sites. However, I have noticed that there has been a significant increase in secrets running around. I have found out quite a bunch and now I'm getting sick of having it all hide in the staff corner. This happened on countless other RP sites I've been on and it ended with extremely upset members bailing or rebelling against the staff. Hey staff members! Jazz isn't doing it, YOU ARE. When I have to be concerned about what the staff is doing behind my back and what they aren't telling me, suddenly I'm less concerned about a secret site and more concerned about the secret area that's sitting on the very forum I am on. I can tell you that some of us members are getting annoyed with the drama that has resulted from secret withholding. We want to know what's going on now.

I'm . . . Not comfortable with that. I'm sorry. O.O It secret for a reason, and everything we talk about gets released at one point or another. I'm really not comfortable with the secret places becoming public.

Ah, but when I talk about the good old days, there were admins and mods and cabin leaders. See I kinda have to disagree with you two here. What if we're planning a surprise? Maybe ... but ... I'm not too sure about it. Just ... in my gut. And about Jazz. It's not a place for only staff members. It's just a place for certain people to talk. Yeah, we might talk about stuff that goes on here that upsets us, but that's human nature. I don't know. I can't lean towards yes and I can't lead towards no. So, I'm pretty much neutral on the whole thing ...

I think that there's a general balance that we need to find, and we haven't yet. Even back in old CHB days the admin/mod/cabin leader places still existed. However, the difference was that they'd discuss things there but they'd also inform the members. I don't think that completely taking the area where admins and mods can plan is the way to do things. I think that it'd just be jumping from one extreme to the other. I believe that if we all do work together, we can achieve that balance between secretive and completely open.
I think that the old CHB still had secrets. But they weren't ones that went behind people's backs. The admins still planned things in the admin place, but there were two differences...

1) The admins, while they did plan things, always told the members everything that they needed to know BEFORE putting it into affect.
2) The members were okay with the fact that they didn't always know what was going on. Because they knew they would eventually.

No one group is right or wrong here...we've just all strayed away from that balance we once had. But jumping from one extreme to the next isn't the answer that will help us...

Hm...in that case, can we at LEAST get a heads up like you did on Old CHB? Some of us are getting tense because we don't know what's going on, what staff's talking about, and what's staff going to actually do. We've thrown out suggestions about stuff and it feels like they're nodded off. We want to know if we are going to have a CL reelection. We want to know approximately when the next battle will show up. You guys did randomly released the fireworks show at an interesting time, but I rather know that it has actually been planned for that date rather than a cover up over something greater. So if you can't open the boards, can you at least not keep all these secrets from us?

The reason you guys don't know this is simply because it hasn't been decided. We don't have anything set in stone now except for the Fireworks, and a battle.

PM the staff if you want to know anything. That's always been an option! Sometimes, when we haven't completely decided on things, we don't like to make them public. Right now, nothing is completely decided, so if you want to know anything, really, just PM one of us! We're willing to tell you anything you'd like to know, except for the fun surprises we have planned, because then what's the surprise in that? xD

EDIT: About the fireworks thing. I've actually been working on that post for a very long time, brainstorming what to say and how to phrase it, where to get that gif, and how I should set up my post. Sure, in the title I said: Let's all be happy!, but the timing was pure coincidence. I put that we should all be happy in the title because I finished the fireworks in such an odd time, I thought you guys would like to know that the event was going to get us happy, again!

I say yes, there should be no secrets, if you want to make a surprise event, discuss it in PM or somewhere else, but the members should be able to see whats going on and what's in the works for THEIR forum.

Yes, but if we discussed it in PM we'd have to send each message to each mod/admin. And sometimes one forgets to do that. I know I have forgotten to do something like that a couple times.

Gazimu wrote:: or somewhere else,

^ As mentioned. But the members deserve the right to see everything, secrets cause problems.

If it's somewhere else, than isn't it a secret place? O.O

To be honest Nico, it isn't that secret anyway. If it was secret, no-one would know about it.

its a surprise, don't go all stiff now, I'm compromising between two sides.

Haha. Gotcha there. xD Although...I'm staying Switzerland on this issue.

In Switzerland, not even Chuck Norris dares get involved :P

Posts : 268 Join date : 2011-01-08 Age : 26

Jessica wrote:: Yes, but if we discussed it in PM we'd have to send each message to each mod/admin. And sometimes one forgets to do that. I know I have forgotten to do something like that a couple times.

I know I'm randomly butting in (As I do a lot.. I observe much.) but there is the option to send pms to a whole usergroup.

The thing is that within a close community such as ours, secretivity isn't reccommended. It only causes rifts between the "power" and the "people". And I think that the only thing that should cause a rift between admins/mods and members, is colour and abilities.

It doesn't have to be a secret, but the things we talk about really are. Guys, I mean well when I say this, the Mods Place and the Admin Place are meant for Mods and Admins to read. That's why their secret. I'm a little shocked that you guys want to brake that serenity. Members would just fight more if they could see into that place. We decide staff there. We talk about who has issues and needs warnings, and why someone would or wouldn't get a quest. We just canon apps, which you guys wouldn't want to see if you loved your app, but didn't get your canon, and we find safety there.

I'm sorry, but my answer to this will always be: I like it . . . but . . . [This just isn't an idea that I think will make things better.]

I'm not going to reply to the whole: Ouuh! He got me! Thing, because my face is just like this: xD . . . Wait. -.-

Its like hiding behind a wall,

and I don't see the serenity that you speak of.

I saw it when everything was shared.

Just because YOU don't think it's going to make things better, doesn't mean that it won't. I mean, surely if we were honest about EVERYTHING then there would be no regrets, and arguments could be dealed with quietly.

Quote :: Its like hiding behind a wall,

and I don't see the serenity that you speak of.

I saw it when everything was shared.

I agree with Gaz. It is EXACTLY like hiding behind a wall.
Also, if this site is a PROPER democracy [[why I put a poll on this]] is that, 62% [[at the moment]] of people whom have voted in this want this to go ahead. Are you going to deny them what they want to happen? Only one person has voted "Do I give a damn?" and that was me 'cause I wanted the other members of the public to have their say, not me. But I also wanted to see the results. If you decide to ignore what the public want, then it's not so much a democracy anymore - it is legally an Oligarchy. And I'm not sure many want to be on a site that is an oligarchy.

Ninja Poet wrote:: Just because YOU don't think it's going to make things better, doesn't mean that it won't.

Best way to open a speech on this topic, ever.

For those who don't know, an Oligarchy is a government where a small group of people run everything, it is, in the most basic explanation, a group dictatorship.

This site used to be a democracy, and should remain as such.

Keep in mind, Nico, the Members opinions are the most important ones, and as far as staff goes, your not the only one, what you say doesn't necessarily go.

If you guys really feel strongly about this, I don't really object to it. If you want to see they sections, so be it. Honesty is the best policy, and I don't really want want the system of government here to be oligarphy.

If you don't mind my asking, what is Jazz?

Gaz is right - This site SHOULD remain a democracy. This site is like a small country, or town. There are about 2000 members, eight of which are staff. All of the staff are american, or live in america. Now, I'm not trying to bring race into this, but there are a lot more members than staff, and their opinions should come first, because whilst you might be an admin now, you might not be one day. If you lost your adminship and were back to the ranks of the yellow, or even if you remember how it felt when you were new here, wouldn't you like to know that what you suggested was being discussed? I mean, we've had some REALLY good suggestions on here - Dean's suggestion to add an extra board to off topic ;; Rhyme's suggestion to look over the rating ;; Gaz's suggestion of a better combat system. Have any of them been put into play, or discussed? Not that we're aware of. Also, when we suggest things, an admin might go "We'll discuss this in the admin section." Now i don't want to suggest that the admins are lying, but how do we know that our ideas are being procescced?

-- ninja

p.s. crispy, ask nico what Jazz means. I'm sure she knows.

Nico, I think what you should do is indeed open it, however clean sweep it all. Start it over but people are allowed to look. That's the only advice I have on it.