Warning! MEGA POST COMING UP
To make it a bit easier on the eye, I've done my suggestions in blue. Hope you don't mind.
Voronwe: I hear you on the NO MOD issue
The weekend is approaching fast and for me that means once again only peeking here and there and trying to stay caught up reading. So, forgive my brevity and directness once more please
Initial questions:
1. Should existing procedures be revisited first?
I don't think the existing procedures need to be revisited but they need expanding of course.
2. Separate powers of Admins from Member rights - please review agenda for this distinction
Absolutely. Each member status (however many we end up creating must be defined separately e.g. definitions/boundaries/rights etc. for Admin (or whatever name they'll get), members (possibly different tiers), owner (which technically is Lidless), possibly treasurer.
3. Additions to agenda?
In the a.)Administrator category of the agenda the only topic I don't see is and would suggest to be added
9) Code of conduct for Admins. A start on this was already attempted amongst the current admins in the thread Admin code of conduct discussion.
1. Eligibility
a). simply x amounts of minimum posts coupled with x amount of membership time
- Jny suggested 15FEB 100 posts and/or 1 or 2 months:
link
- Alandriel in same thread 24 FEB: 6 months and a minimum of 500 posts when b77 public
b).creating different membership 'levels' (in view of having the board public):see post Ethel 21Jan:
link
Still relevant for consideration would be the possibility of having a differentiation of membership types(excerpt from Ethel's post)
Tier 3: Voting Member (6 - 12 months)
After 6 months, they would be eligible to vote in disciplinary procedures (or be chosen to serve on a voting council or some such)
Tier 4: Full Member (12+ months)
After a year they could also be part of the group from which 'acting admins' were chosen (could volunteer).
I would like to see such a tier system to determine voting members (right to vote after certain amount of time/participation) as well as full member (again with definition) and generally like the time-frame initially proposed by Ethel. Full members can volunteer for Admin, jury duty etc.
- keeping the experimental board going for 'future' Admins' to hone their skills if necessary
link
c) Duration & voting:
I really like Ethels idea !
What I would suggest instead is that people willing to undertake the job offer themselves as volunteers, then are voted on - maybe 2 or 3 times a year - as "acceptable" or not. If they are "acceptable" they go into the volunteer pool; if not, not.
It would be the active Admin's responsibility to 'double-check' with the volunteers before and election if they were still available (e.g. PM) and then would pick in order of who volunteered first and is available. However, some consideration for distribution amongst major timezone should also be given to achieve a balance.
2. Suggested number expressed perhaps as a proportion of the membership?
Currently approx150 registered members – approx. 7 claimed/known RP IDs – we have 4 active admins (+2 temp help) = approx 2.8% // Percentage however does not really make sense, e.g.
2% admin with 500 members = 10 Admin. /
Suggestion: max number limited to 7 but possibility of getting temporary help from previous admin pool if necessary. Duration of temp help one week renewable.
.........a. suggested guideline for distribution by time-zone?
An 'equal' spread if possible across the two major timezones US/Europe taken into consideration when choosing Admin replacements
.........b. suggested guideline for cultural diversity?
Without prying into volunteers backgrounds but rather according to the personal information volunteers offer of themselves (see suggested Code of conduct for Admins, 'How X "ticks") to be taken into consideration when choosing Admin replacements
3. Routine powers:
Agreed with all proposed. No further additions/suggestions from me at this point.
4. Special powers and Emergency powers (currently in discussion is the following:)
.........a. automatic bans / perhaps rephrase to 'immediate bans' ?
Immediate bans rather than automatic. / NO immediate bans not even for trolls but rather confine posting rights to bikeroom first, possibly deferr (if escalating) to jury room / advise to that effect via email – procedure to be detailed – see agenda 5b
.........b. temporary suspension of posting rights, by forum. Suggested:
............i. refusal to participate in a requested arbitration
............ii. refusal to abide by an Arbitration Decision
............iii. invalid email address
............iv. multiple-IDs used for non RP purposes à posting rights only in RP forum (discussed and mostly been agreed upon but not voted on of course)
Yes to all of the above
.........c. cancelled registration: Question: Admin Power or Member Rights issue?
Members right as well as Admin power. In case of necessary purge of member names Admin power to remove posters with 0 postcount (once the board is open to public) after 6 months. Members can request to cancel registration any time via email to Admins.
............i. posters who register and visit the board once in order to post ads or spam and do not respond to email contact about policy may have their registrations cancelled after 30 days.
– YES -
..........ii. Members who have been asked to participate in an Arbitration, or a Hearing on a Ban, and who simply disappear rather than participate, may have their registrations cancelled after 30 days.
– YES -
..........iii. Inactive members
see [c] above.
5. Procedures for using routine, special and emergency powers
.........a. Procedure for creating a new forum
upon membership discussion/approval and vote according voting results re duration/consensus etc. unless revisted by panel
…….b. Procedure that must be followed before suspending posting rights
- in case of obvious trolling, delete thread, restrict posting rights immediately -> open thread in bike-room -> inform poster via email quoting link. If no response within max 72hours, delete thread in bike-room and ban poster (NOT delete poster until there's necessity for a purge see further below)
- in case of member disruption: other members need to complain first via PM to an admin quoting thread-reference. Only when asked can admin interfere (or in case an Admin is personally affected) --post in affected thread(s) that members need to take it to bikerack. If sorted out between posters, no further interference. However, if any of the involved posters take the problem back outside (snide remarks, insinuations that further inflame the other party/ies, then, and again only upon member complaint restrict posting rights to ALL involved parties to bike-rack or jury room until the situation is sorted
6. When can an administrator be removed from office
.........a. neglecting their duties
needs to be defined, suggestion e.g. absence for more than 3 (or 4) consecutive weeks
.........b. not getting things done in a timely fashion
needs to be defined, e.g. not responsive to PM requests for more than 72h, neglecting to 'hand-over' pending tasks to other admins and/or failure to inform them (again if absent for e.g. more than 72h)
.........c. trying to take the board into a place not consistent with its purpose
.........d. flaunting authority
.........e. bragging about their 'leader' status
.........f. giving special treatment to their friends
.........g. favoritism
.........h. discouraging members from joining other boards
Yes to all the above but concrete complaints have to be brought forward by the membership, first via PM, if unresponsive within 72h e.g. in the bike room, the concerned Admin needs to be informed (email as well as PM, other means of contact e.g. phone)
- other issues that would make a removal possible:
upon clear violation of constitution and it's bylaws (needs to be spelled out
)
7. How is an administrator removed from office.
Suggested: will take the form of an arbitration; a decision against the admin will result in the immediate removal of admin powers and being barred from admin position for one year.
Yes – in the interim of the hearing replaced by a temp admin during the time of the hearing from the pool of previous admins on a voluntary/availability basis. Temporary Admins lasting one week at a time with possibility of (repeated) renewal for another week if necessary.
8. How to Contest the decision of an admin.
Public hearing in the jury room.
9. Code of conduct for Admins
Formulation of a 'job description' . If the panel members think this to be a valid point of discussion then please have a look in the Admin forum thread Admin code of conduct discussion where some points have been raised and may be included into the agenda.
You still alive?
_______________
Resident witch
Edited by admin (Primula_Baggins), 11 April at 00:20 GMT, to fix long URLs stretching page