Becoming a site admin

As much as I have had no interest in site administration, the current admins are sorely lacking. I am aware that this is an unpaid position, but due to flexibilities in my schedule, I may like to take this challenge on. I would like to know if there is a procedure for this, or how one becomes a mod. If I am successful, I assure everyone that the arrogance, and th "lay there and take it" attitude will become a thing of the past. There WILL be accountability brought to the unpaid positions here. I am tired of hearing the same garbage from the powers that be, and the way they always hide behind the "poor me, we are unpaid" line of BS. I also assure you that the very simple fixes WILL be made, to very serious issues, and unlike what we have all seen so far, I would CARE about the members and put their interests above my own. I figure that the response I get to this will show just how serious the underpaid and overworked staff really is about making their own plight better, and improving the site for the people that actually matter.... YOU THE PLAYERS. If I am greated with scorn and arrogance, well, that will sorta demonstrate that everything we have all been saying is correct, and that this site is a lost cause. However, if they are willing to actually embrace more help... which they always claim to need, then we will see that they are serious about improving the gaming experience and are ready to emerge from the darkness, and come into the light of change and improvement. I eagerly await your response

So...you want to volunteer to be a site admin so that you can work alongside the other admins but yet you insult the same admins with your post? How do you think that will work out for you? But on a serious note, what are you talking about with this? What issues are you speaking of? [quote=Damage_Inc] I also assure you that the very simple fixes WILL be made, to very serious issues[/quote]

i am at top of the list to be next admin/mod

@Damage_Inc, the current site administrators, moderators, and game attendants work in the best interests of fairness in a game (no bias for any player). This is why often times all parties in a game will be asked if they agree to ending a game or whatever the call was made for. That being said, there are times of the day when a staff member is not present to take care of a call, therefore a message post-game to a staff member is used. The staff members generally request that you leave a comment in the game chat and message to detail the situation. Not all issues are clear post-game, so you must trust the discretion of the trusted staff here on the site. I have been a member of D12 for four years, I have yet to encounter a staff member who will not fairly evaluate and take care of any issues which may arise. Further more all the staff here are quite polite and honest people, I suggest that you take the time to get to know them. Patience is a virtue.

I will be straight up. You do not have the characteristics to be an admin on this site. It's a no from me. For anyone else. Usually a future admin starts off being a game attendant, then a moderator, then an assistant administrator. To be a game attendant, you must be a regular player and have a good reputation and show interest in wanting to help. If we are looking for game attendants, the owner/admins/programmers/moderators (selection panel) might make a suggestion themselves and approach a suitable candidate, but we will keep record of anyone that has expressed interest in the past. Turn ons. Helpful players. Players with good gaming etiquette. An active player in the live arena. 18 years + Bonus Turn ons. (moderator/admin) Players that know how to use the site and are active in forums in a positive constructive way. Turn offs. Poor gaming etiquette. Poor sports. Dice complainers, staff complainers etc. Low reputation scores. attendance/fairplay/chat Keyboard warriors. Good luck.

@Damage, your only suggestion, in the correct forum thread, was to use the balanced dice option. That is the only solution you have 'offered.' Right now, you are only trying to stir the pot. Not helpful in any way at all.

maybe am near bottom of list then

I am seriously touched by the response of so many. More than I actually figured. What I threw out was a solution to a problem, nothing more. Its always been my belief that every excuse has a reason and every problem has a solution. I take the clearest path to solving those problems. I will offer a few thoughts, and if my thoughts and points of view are not representative of what this site is about, or not the values that we all want represented, then I understand. My feelings: -The players are the bosses, and their needs and wants far outweigh any pety concerns like pride of authorship, or maintaining the status quo -Losing PAID members due to the constant ignoring of their opinions is wrong, and must be corrected at ALL COSTS -Admitting that no ones opinion will force a change that will make the experience better is a bad thing -When solutions are available, they will be employed What I dont believe: -That the players are here to serve the admins/mods -That treating people with a lack of respect for their opinions and their logical and clear complaints is acceptable -Just because its "always been this way" is EVER an acceptable excuse, and certainly NEVER a reason to cause an omission of action -That the way things are is the best they can ever be, and that the structure is infalible That said, I admitted that I have never done any sort of site administration, and have no knowledge of most of it.......but I DO know people who do. I have been in contact with several friends who ARE site administrators for sites much larger than our small community. I have allowed them access to the site via my account and allowed them to survey the site and assess its day to day needs. The overwhelming opinion of the 3 who looked at this site was that even with next to no experience, that participating in the day to day operations of this site is not any sort of difficult task. There is not massive coding efforts going on every day, there is not any sort of massive networking issues that must be constantly addressed, and that the main concern was in maintaining relations, and being able to address direct complaints as they arise. In other words, a cake gig. The main phrase used by one of my friends (who runs the American Heart Association external forums and message boards) was that he would be surprised if any more than an hour a day were required for these tasks, but did add that having at leat someone available 24hrs a day was really the most challenging prospect. This is NOT that hard people, and anyone who says it is, is joking. What kind of person complains about the trials and tribulations they go thru, hiding behind those alleged evils, then when offed a FREE solution to help them, rejects it out of hand. That sorta says it all. Its time for the old "WE NEED HELP, BUT ONLY IF THEY THINK EXACTLY LIKE US" mantra to be abolished. Take accountability for yourselves, and justify what it is you THINK you do, and why none of what the players (i.e. the BOSSES), actually want. Again, if not me, thats fine, but armed with this new knowledge, then get someone who has the time (of which I have PLENTY), and an attitude that things can ALWAYS be better, regardless of how good they are.

I almost forgot to add something... when I talk about accountability, I mean what is brought to the table, and what is actually DONE by each person. While HOODLUM doesnt prefer me (and that comes as NO surprise, because I represent the exact opposite of the current attitudes), he is an exception. I feel he brings HUGE value to the site, and even withstanding his comments which I dont take personally (as I know where they come from and were expected), he is one that I feel is of great importance and his organizing of tournaments and the like DOES take up quite a bit of time, and is something that this site benefits greatly from. HE is able to justify his credentials. Others (and they know who they are), have failed on a massive level. Please dont take that personally, but taking into account just the very nature of the job requirements, many of us have seen the very petty, daily issues that were supposed to be addressed, fall silently by the wayside, and nothing has been done... business as usual. Please dont let arrogance get in the way of losing valuable players like LAZER and MHENTAGE, both of who play very well, and are frequent fixtures here.

There are plenty of ways to help out the site. The biggest help is [b]being supportive of the staff[/b]. Firstly try and understand what specific abilities are. The biggest misconception, is about an admins role. Most players think admins can fix technical things. None of the admins are programmers. The programmers on the site are the ones that implement site changes. Admins often are the brunt of complaints. 'Admins, fix the dice'!!!!. 'Make balanced dice default' etc. These are things that programmers do to fix if broken. Admins don't get to tell the programmers what to do. They make suggestions just the same as any player does. Programmers don't read the live chat. Programmers will read the forums and answer questions related to their role. They are volunteer also, and they have a long to-do list. It's a hobby to them. We should be so greatful that the programmers are actual risk players. If you have a suggestion, be sure that it hasn't been suggested and answered already. Check the forums. The issues about dice are the same on every other risk site, and forever the same here. Players just complain about the bad dice, and forget to mention the good ones. If we (admin) seem that we aren't listening to your dice concerns, it's because it's the same complaint over and over, and it's out of our hands anyway. Admins aren't programmers. We deal with the same dice good or bad. How we deal with bad dice is part of the strategy. All admins can do and have been doing, is give you links about dice information that the programmers have put effort into explaining. It's not a deal with it attitude as you may think. Admins can only do what they can do. Perhaps now you might think that your criticisms towards an admin/s has been unfair. [b]Refer players to the site[/b]. You can help by referring your friends to the site. The site was purchased by a player, who infact was an ex-admin. It wasn't purchased for profit, there isn't any advertising for profit. It's been a gift. If you appreciate the site, want more opponents, then tell your friends and help yourselves. Make sure you use your referral link which will help you keep track of them, and you can also earn those extra tokens also, whether you gift them or use them yourself. [b]Help new players[/b] Help out a new player when you can. These are things that we look for when selecting game attendants. friendly helpful players. [b]Moderate[/b]. The site is designed to be self moderated. Help us moderate the site by using those report options. We all want a fair and friendly place to play. [b]Map making[/b]. You can help to create a map. Your feedback about graphics or gameplay is always helpful. There are map making guidelines to help you learn how to make a map. You don't have to be a site cartographer. A site cartographer can help you with your map. [b]Organize Tournaments[/b]. Anyone can make a tournament. Let an admin know that you would like to organize a tournament and we can give you tournament organizing abilities and assistance.

First off, thanks for the compliment that this site needs little work and runs just fine as it is. There are plenty of things to be done of course, but none of them have a really high prio, and I'm glad that even someone as critical as you agrees B) Second: Do feel free to help this site. Don't bother about the admin stuff and what all other admins say, it's irrelevant. The only thing you have to do to make the world (and this site) a better place to live in, is by being a positive contributor. That's all. There are many examples of players who have done that. All admins did exactly that. They helped out this site in many small things, got recognized and asked for game attendand/moderator role and accepted. But there were many more players, some who got offered moderator but didn't accept (because they just wanted to play and no responsibilities), and others who never got asked. But it doesn't matter! Just be a nice guy and the world around you will become a little bit better! Hoodlum has some examples, but there's one other thing if you want to help out with issues - that is, tell us. Make a forum thread, were you accurately describe the problem and suggest several fixes. Sometimes it'll be impossible, at other times we can just do it.

Thank you Matty for the intelligent and well written post. Not only do I love the avatar of the dreadnaught guitar in your profile pic (im guessing a D-45), but the entire tamber and attitude your post was presented in was a refreshing breath of fresh air, compared to the usual responses. I like to believe I am a nice guy, unless provoked, and when I encountered the resistance to the changes that players have been demanding for quite some time, the only arguments made (other than personal attacks on those who spoke up), were that the admins were swamped with technical this-and-that, so I offered my help and my time to assist them, so that the changes that sorely required attention, could be handled. I am forced to assume that since my help isnt required, and that the donation of time and massive resources from others in the field of site administration was resisted, that everything is back on track, and that the changes will be made shortly. Hopefully before the players that have stated their intention to leave, do so. Again, I thank you, as this wasnt a task I was actively seeking out (i mean, who would, lol), and am glad to see that the old excuse of lack of manpower can finally be put to bed. I am certain that all the players will be relieved by that information. The only issue I can take with your eloquent posting, is the forum issue. When a site mod/admin (Elysium) states that all issues should only be handled in the forum, then in the very next statement says that the forums will NOT lead to ANY sort of change, and even refuses to state WHY, you can see where this is cause for frustration and confusion. The forum The site's dice are accurately pseudorandom. unfortunately is a perfect example. That forum is 13 PAGES long, with almost 200 posts, and 80,000+ views, that dates back to March of 2013!!! Nothing has been done, nothing has been changed, and then to be told that nothing WILL be done, followed by p[ersonal attacks, and clearly mistaken comments (Elysium), that encapsulates EVERYTHING that HOODLUM stated was NOT wanted as far as temperment goes, but sadly Elysiums attitude was proved to be correct. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. I am all in favor of the attitude of "grow up and dont be an a-hole", as I subscribe to that whole heartedly, but that will not happen at the expense of the logical and reasonable request of the players being continuously ignored. I feel that perspective has been lost, and in the case of that site, and this game, that is truly a shame. As I said before, the MAPS here are incredible, and that can NOT be overstated, and som of the options here are really kinda fun (FOG of WAR, CAPITALS-which i suck at but enjoy), but the overlaying factor is the dice, and the difficulty getting thru to anyone about this issue. Clearly SOMEONE knew it was a problem or they wouldnt have even made the balanced dice an option. Anyways, thats my reply, and since manpower is not an issue, I take it that we can all expect these corrections to be forthcoming, and hopefully that knowledge will keep us from losing quality players (like Lazer and mhentage, who are NOT my friends, but ARE quality players) from leaving the site in favor of the competition. Should you change your mind, and decide you need to avail yourselves to my time or resources, then you know where to find me.... at least for now, lol. Thanks

For the record, I never once said, and I quote from your post: "then in the very next statement says that[b] the forums will NOT lead to ANY sort of change, and even refuses to state WHY,[/b] you can see where this is cause for frustration and confusion". This was my actual post: [b]19 Apr, 16:00 elysium5: Posting here instead of the correct forum will not result in any change so posting the same thing here over and over is moot and just becomes spam.[/b] I do have a question for you, though, as I am not quite clear on this statement from you: [i]I take it that we can all expect these corrections to be forthcoming, and hopefully that knowledge will keep us from losing quality players...[/i] What corrections are you expecting? I can't find where it says anything specific here.

Damage_INC, I am not sure you will listen, but all I say here is ment to help you. I think you mean well the words you have said, but you still have to learn as to how to speak and be heard. People are hard. Convincing people of your opinion is hard. Being 'a good person' (whatever that may mean) is hard. In the light of that, here are some tips: [quote]I like to believe I am a nice guy, unless provoked[/quote] [i]"Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is"[/i] ([url=https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/159562-we-begin-to-notice-besides-our-particular-sinful-act-our]C. S. Lewis[/url]). It does not take much to be a nice guy when not provoked. Almost everyone is. Your real character shows how you behave exactly when you are provoked. Think about this. What kind of man are you? [quote]players have been demanding[/quote] Funny. Most players would [i]ask[/i], not [i]demand[/i]. Seems kinda rude to me to just come in and demand things, doesn't it? Consider this, patience and politeness come a long way. [quote]for quite some time, the only arguments made (other than personal attacks on those who spoke up), were that the admins were swamped with technical this-and-that[/quote] This is quite a statement. Sadly, you just toss it around, with no attribution or examples. If you ever want to convince people of being right, show them why. Give attribution and link to where things are said. Like elysium's reply - the only thing he had to do to answer you was to copy-paste the exact thing he said. That's a powerfull thing he did there - how on earth can anyone still believe you now? [quote]the logical and reasonable request of the players being continuously ignore[/quote] To my understanding you said this in the topic of dice - we admins supposedly ignored the complaints that players have about the unfairness of the dice. I understand how you feel, but I'd like you to consider some things. 1. I have studied mathematics on university, I know how probability works. And Cireon with me. We both happen to be sure that our dice are as random as real (casino) dice are. 2. I agree that perfectly random dice are not that much fun, which is why we created the balanced dice option. I'd like to have it turned on by default, but I was outvoted on the matter. I respect that. 3. Let's say that I am right about the probability of the dice. What can I do about players that keep shouting that I am wrong, without backing up their claims with mathematical or empirical proofs? They are doing just what you describe, complaining, shouting, demanding. The one thing they don't do is setting a logical argument as to why my mathematical understanding is wrong. So what are admins to do then? What do you suggest? Have we been ignoring players? Is exactly that topic about dice not started with us patiently explaining the players how mathematics and probability works? Backed with empirical data to support the point? What more can we do?

This forum could be closed. I have offered you an amazing amount of time and effort, and you declined. --- I never expect to ever hear the BS about the poor overworked mods again. Issues resolved. I offered you the advice and input of people who are GIANTS in this industry (site administration, NOT risk play), and you declined --- I never expect to see flaws in the site flow or administration. Issues resolved. I stated that the same arguments that have persisted on this site, continue to remain, and are costing you VALUABLE members, and enthusiastic players --- You stubbornly have declined to address these issues and are reaping the rewards. Issues resolved. I pointed out how mods/admins like Elysium represent the worst that web site management have to offer --- He spoke, and soun ded as stupid as he has behaved. Issues not cared about. If the fact that this was brought to you in this fashion offended anyone, then good. It probably should have. From what I have observed, the forum approaches for change havent worked, the chat window approach hasnt worked. The logical approaches havent worked. The attempts to allow you the easy way out due to previous arrogance hasnt worked. So this was a new attempt. I dont know what else to do. I never expected to be accepted, which is exactly why I did this. It served to show that it isnt the players who are cared about. If it was, then there is no way that the offers I have brought to the table could be turned down. They were. This may be because the attitude here is that the players are there to support the admins/mods, when the TRUTH is the exact opposite. That is offensive. It was clear that after the collective digging in of the heels, and resistance to change, that you really had no way to change your opinions without passively admitting that the previous position was wrong. Here you had a way out, and declined to take it. I love playing the quote game, and this is for Elysium... "Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool than to Speak and Remove All Doubt" - Abraham Lincoln (he is assigned credit, however the accuracy of that is questionable)... this is appropriate in not just the substance but the footnote. You are a joke, and your attitude is offensive. This is why the few Messages you have sent to me about whatever, have never been opened or read. Why bother. I refuse to hear anymore from this joke of a mod. If anyone else cares to contact me, I will be happy to oblige them in discussion, however this person specifically, I will NEVER reply to. How dare you sir?!? In any event, since the real issue here isnt the offer of assistance, or the massive assistance my contacts could bring to this site, it is about the whole issue of resistance to change. This saddens me greatly. I see no reason to keep this thread open, and request it be closed. You have no interest in improvment, and believe that we are all here to be beneath you, when the truth couldnt be more opposite. The admins and mods WORK FOR THE PLAYERS. This is why despite having maps and features that are second to none, you have LESS of a membership base than those site that dominated before you, and why you have failed to increase this base. Thank you. Any future communications, if they are regarding changing your misguided position, can be done via private message.... that is from anyone but the mouthpiece Elysium, whose messages are best left unread, as they are as devoid of value as his services.