Post by now uc it on Jun 2, 2009 22:19:48 GMT
On behalf of the SolidSnake Designs staff, I would like to discuss a topic that our staff feels is very important. It is part apology and part recognizing a few key decisions we have made and plan on implementing in the future.
After our recent time spent in Maintenance Mode, you were all welcomed back with a message decrying our new commitment to providing members with a more relaxed forum. We promised you as members that we would embrace all types of discussions, including those that were maybe a little less... focused. We also reaffirmed our commitment to hearing out any new suggestions and our belief that rebuilding our community would have to become a forum-wide effort.
That said, we as a staff wish to blow the whistle on our own hypocrisy. If we expected our community to believe that we would remain fair to all members, we needed to ensure all members were equally given the chance to be registered users of the forum.
To be frank with everyone, I am addressing the TalkPark.net mass-banning incident that many here are already aware of. Though quite a few were in fact banned for previous infractions, we felt that as a staff, we could not stand behind this decision and remain truthfully hoping to be fair. As an administration, we would like to offer an apology to anyone who feels that they were wrongfully banned and reaffirm our commitment to keep this from becoming a future habit.
Additionally, We have gone to extensive lengths to re-evaluate our "ban" list. Many past members will now find themselves unbanned. This includes a wide range of past members: from all the way back to Stealh/Depth to some of our newest ban-ees, Fusion, Sev, and Spektral.
Today we feel that we have taken a huge step in committing to this "fair" ideal. We are well aware that this move may be received as too-little-too-late. Many members may choose to remain inactive. To those of you who feel this way, all I can personally offer is a sincere apology. But I will go ahead and clarify a few points before they become the mass-produced go-to flames about this post.
Lastly, I implore those of you who are reading this with skepticism and hatred to understand that we are attempting to extend an olive branch. We have made mistakes and we have earned many enemies along the way, but it is our willingness to admit them and our action towards addressing them that we hope everyone will focus on before they choose to burn it.
Sincerely,
the administration
If you or any other friend of yours feel that you were wrongly banned and have not found this lifted, please do not hesitate to address me (urban.cinderella) at sinful.existence@hotmail.com. I would be happy to discuss your individual circumstances privately.
After our recent time spent in Maintenance Mode, you were all welcomed back with a message decrying our new commitment to providing members with a more relaxed forum. We promised you as members that we would embrace all types of discussions, including those that were maybe a little less... focused. We also reaffirmed our commitment to hearing out any new suggestions and our belief that rebuilding our community would have to become a forum-wide effort.
That said, we as a staff wish to blow the whistle on our own hypocrisy. If we expected our community to believe that we would remain fair to all members, we needed to ensure all members were equally given the chance to be registered users of the forum.
To be frank with everyone, I am addressing the TalkPark.net mass-banning incident that many here are already aware of. Though quite a few were in fact banned for previous infractions, we felt that as a staff, we could not stand behind this decision and remain truthfully hoping to be fair. As an administration, we would like to offer an apology to anyone who feels that they were wrongfully banned and reaffirm our commitment to keep this from becoming a future habit.
Additionally, We have gone to extensive lengths to re-evaluate our "ban" list. Many past members will now find themselves unbanned. This includes a wide range of past members: from all the way back to Stealh/Depth to some of our newest ban-ees, Fusion, Sev, and Spektral.
Today we feel that we have taken a huge step in committing to this "fair" ideal. We are well aware that this move may be received as too-little-too-late. Many members may choose to remain inactive. To those of you who feel this way, all I can personally offer is a sincere apology. But I will go ahead and clarify a few points before they become the mass-produced go-to flames about this post.
- We are not doing this because we are so "desperate" for activity. Unbanning about 15 people, most of whom have been banned for a large sum of time, is not, economically speaking, worth losing face just for the few posts that might be thrown our way. It is the statement we mean to send and correcting the wrong that needed to be righted which is priceless.
- We are not policing other forums. This is not a move in response to what other forums may be saying about us. This is a move directed only for and only at our community as a whole.
- We are not begging for anyone to come back. We remain committed to providing an environment that will reflect our members' interests as well as attract new members. And we apologize for the wrongs that may have been committed on our side, but ultimately we can only apologize before the rest is in your hands. We welcome our old members back should they so choose but would hate for our message of fairness to be mistaken as desperation for a boost in the forum post count as that cheats all parties out of any possible reconciliation.
Lastly, I implore those of you who are reading this with skepticism and hatred to understand that we are attempting to extend an olive branch. We have made mistakes and we have earned many enemies along the way, but it is our willingness to admit them and our action towards addressing them that we hope everyone will focus on before they choose to burn it.
Sincerely,
the administration
If you or any other friend of yours feel that you were wrongly banned and have not found this lifted, please do not hesitate to address me (urban.cinderella) at sinful.existence@hotmail.com. I would be happy to discuss your individual circumstances privately.
