PM follows:
This message is being sent to Eskobar and Zyn. Please address this as appropriate on O5.
Eskobar, and staff;
My first thought was to post this on the 'Congratulations 173!' thread; it wouldn't be acceptable to put a grievance calling out a member of staff into the forums so that everybody on the wiki gets a look-see. But I want staff to address it.
I say this as respectfully as possible. I'll admit when I'm wrong, and I try not to be a problem user. When I screw up, I'll submit as gracefully as possible. Here, I'm right.
This is a solid example of staff reacting to something that was obviously not an issue. Nobody expected Bryx to attack anyone who would discount those votes, or systematically hack their accounts and literally silence them like internet Moriarty; he was clearly joking, and saying 'Don't spoil my fun' in (pretty standard) internet forum humor-speak.
There are umpteen and one cases where staff jumped on somebody for nothing. In one instance, I was pretty sure that a member of staff suffered an Autism-spectrum handicap and couldn't glean context from a situation. I'm sorry if that's the case with anyone, but there are posts taken issue with that piss me off. Members are having fun with each other and it's squelched by an imposing staff member that comes off a lot like they're just trying to pull rank (I'm not talking specifics, or saying that any one member of staff is doing this consecutively, but it happens frequently enough to bear mention). Everybody who sees the Staff Post rolls their eyes and says 'Come the fuck on,' but nobody says anything because it's not that big of a deal, and 'Whadya' gonna do? It's STAFF.'
I like the community. I like the people. I consider some of them pretty good friends, and the wiki is a bastion for the intelligentsia in an internet where stupidity is pretty much endorsed. Misinterpretations happen in text communication. Sometimes. If that's the recurring problem, then members of staff should step back before they post and reread the subthread they're about to ruin. If they need to read it aloud and practice giving it different inflections to find one that makes sense, then do that. This is an asinine pattern.
As much joking as there is about O5's inefficiency and no-action reaction, you all do good work. Every member appreciates that you preserve and protect the wiki from trolls, idiots, itself, and Wikidot. Thank you for making it a fun place to be. Please adjust the sensitivity you have to some issues. It seems to be a skewed spectrum of prickly attitudes, too, where newer users are more likely to be accused of bullshit then veterans. Which makes sense, except it's still bullshit.
I say all of this as respectfully as possible. Please don't hold it against me, although if you need to add it to my list of reprieves, tally up.
Cain
He brings up a valid point. I admit I would've liked to see more examples, since there were times I ended up posting something more strongly-worded because the user involved already had a history of toeing the line and I wasn't sure if it came off as excessive or not. That said, if someone feels like staff is being unfair, they should be comfortable talking with staff about the matter, and staff can direct them to a problem user's O5 thread if need be.
What are your thoughts, everyone?