Unlike a lot of the people here, I'm not chums with the Admins and staff of this site, other than Camazotz who I can't seem to shake despite my best efforts. I don't mean that I have anything against of them; I just don't talk to them outside of reporting bugs or in threads about specific issues.

Therefore, unlike a lot of you I don't know who the staff are in game and only know that they are a user. This usually isn't a problem and can actually be an eye opener as you remove much of the IRC/OOC elements from an individual that you cannot help but associate with them.

However, when this becomes a problem is in OOC and suggestion threads. I assume it isn't just me who sometimes is taken aback when seemingly non-distinct accounts talk from a position of authority on issues and coding elements of the game. For example, when I discuss a suggestion or OOC topic I might offer my thoughts and why it is good/bad, but I'll often see people being told 'No, you're wrong..." or "this won't be implemented because.." by frankly, nobodies.

I assume this isn't intentional and most of the senior players will know who all the staff/admin accounts are in game as I used to, but seeing it from the other side of the fence, I think it would be beneficial to the majority of users if you were to stick to passing judgement or giving answers as staff from only your staff accounts.

I apologise if this seems a little pedantic and I'm obviously not talking about when you're just discussing ideas or talking about aspects of the game generally as normal characters would, that isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned and probably the reason you have game accounts in the first place. But I would personally be grateful if when you're acting from a staff perspective, you do so from the staff username you have been given for the purpose.

~T~

Against any of them* other than Camazotz obviously.

~T~

We agree fully. There are times when we accidentally post from the wrong account, and it is just too much work to delete the thread and repost as our admin names. But on the whole we make an effort to post as our admins--at least I do.

Also, and I think Tallien meant to touch on this but omitted it in error, if we were to get a petition going to get Camazotz admin wacked for just being Camazotz, which I would imagine most users would signed, would it be heeded by the admin staff?

I jest, I have noticed this as well Tallien though I tend to find it amusing mostly as it highlights to me that they are an admin and I charge into IRC asking who dat?

I can see your point for the coding and intimate game knowledge aspect of it, but there are sometimes (for me at least) when if I have an issue as a player on the site, I voice my opinion as a player, and my reasonings as a player rather than on my admin account.

Not saying that Assistants/Admins should be 'revered' but before I became an assistant, whenever I saw an official post by one of the administration, I didn't feel like it was really much of a debate, but when they posted their opinions as a player and through those eyes, then I felt that the formality was gone and I could debate the issue with a fellow player, rather than with an 'authority' figure.

So when I post on something in the OOC forum or Suggestions forum that doesn't affect me as an ADMIN but does get to me or inspire my action as a player, I post under the name with which I feel is most appropriate to carry on the conversation. I'd never come out on my player account to give out absolute directives, just like I'd never come out on my Admin account to give my opinion as a player.

Though some of the userbase doesn't see it that way, once in that administrative capacity, regardless of clearance level, we are required when acting on that account to do so without bias or opinionated feelings.

On our player accounts, we are just like the rest of the userbase, with ideas, suggestions, and rebuttals to other user ideas and opinions.

Also, if the administration has a suggestion to implement, we often post it in the suggestions forum on our player accounts to see what the rest of the userbase feels about it. Many admin suggestions don't get implemented due to userbase dissent, or they get amended due to suggestions from the general population. This way, newer players don't feel uncomfortable challenging or saying "NO, that's a stupid idea" because they're talking to a fellow player, and not an admin.

That's actually exactly why I posted my idea for Street fights as my playing account. It just seemed to me that when the users see a post by an admin with a suggestion they automatically assume "admin said it, it's gonna happen" no matter the response. That's not the case, especially when I post suggestions. I'm constantly coming up with them--text izzy earlier with one, just today.

And its why I respond to suggestions on my player account. As an assistant, I don't code, and I stay away from the implementation part of administration. My primary job doesn't require me to be intimately familiar with game functions outside what is required knowledge to answer Helpdesk questions, so when I respond to suggestions, unless I know a definitive reason why something PHYSICALLY CANNOT be implemented, those are my opinions as a player, and I respond as a player.