You, not "we", began editing users posts for your own amusement. Not because they violated the RoC, but because you thought it was "funny".
Here's an example:
I basically told you it was a bad idea, and you responded with editing my post to. . .just be funny.
Anyway, I pushed your buttons by posting something close to your personal information, and then you corrected it and made it actual information.
Remember all of this? Think back for a moment and realize that, unlike most of the other people you've been spinning this with, I was there. Front and center baby!!!
I too was there.
So I pushed and pushed and pushed and you got more and more and more defensive, unsure what to do.
Did you see that "pm" option where you could have issued a warning? I would assume so.
Did you see that "ban" option where you could have banned me? I would assume you did.
Did you see that "delete post" option? I'm not sure how you could have missed it!
Well... PM and warning should have happened in my opinion. I don't think it warranted a ban considering where the information was found.
http://www.thegamenet.com/team
Doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist if you have someones real name, and the real name of the person they are dating. Facebook is evil.
So see if you can now step up and own your part in this debacle. You. Not "we".
Yeah... Well... I kind of see it that way as well... But frankly I'm not going to pretend I know who he talked to about it before, during, or after. But Steb was the only one that did so many things wrong in public. In my opinion at any rate. I understand this opinion isn't shared by all.
If you can't, then you owe George your resignation. He seems to be a good guy, and deserves better than an employee who can't fall on his sword when it's so well deserved.
Either that or just let the guy write. And leave the community managing to... I don't know... A community manager. I don't know the whole team of new management, but I'm not sure you guys actually have one of those. You really need one.
With that said... I offer the following advise to the new management take it as you will.
Never edit or delete another posters post. I don't care if you have the ability, or what your rank is. There is no point in doing so, and things to be gained for keeping it.
Just move the offending post out of the public eye. It's the same thing as deleting it for practical purposes of the board. As ex-Stratics staff I know there used to be a Evidence Locker. It's only viewable to mods and admins. I'd even bet that it's still at the bottom of the forum somewhere. Just look for it.
This does two things:
1. It keeps mods and admins of the given forum all on the same page. You can't have one mod or admin giving out bans and warnings for something and other mods not doing so. "So and so moderator posted in that thread and didn't give me a warning or Ban!!!" Well... Maybe the other moderator wasn't sure it was warning worthy, not because he/she didn't think it was bannable... But because they never run across that before and was unsure. If you are unsure you sure as hell don't act on it. Having the Evidence Locker there to see and discuss past occurrences of the same likeness just makes sense.
2. It holds the person, both the poster in the wrong, and the person giving out the warning/ban accountable to other mods of the forum, admins, and their superiors. Here is the evidence. No mod should ever have to hide warnings/bans from other mods and Admins of the same forum. If you ever feel the need to delete or edit another persons post you are in the wrong. YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS. DON'T DO IT.
Stratics was helped built by the work of volunteer staff... Honestly it always comes back to the posters that make it work... But the staff has to be trusted by the community of posters to have a good working community of this size.
Mods and Admins can't be respected because of the title they hold. They have to be respected for the impartiality they give to any situation for the good of the community by enforcing the rules they have chosen to uphold. Universally across the board like other mods of the same forum. Frankly the title means squat if the community doesn't trust you. Editing and deleting posts is the fastest way to tell the community you don't give two squirts about them.
Honestly... My time here is limited as this is really the only subject here that is worth discussing for *me*. Without OT as it was Stratics just just doesn't really have anything for me anymore. However I firmly believe in the foundation in which this site was made and nurtured. It's not always perfect but it takes a fair amount of trust between community and staff. I believe in this enough that I feel I should say something... Stratics did give me an awful lot in the past.
Right now TGN, mainly Stebs, is taking the blunt for all that's happened. Which is good in my mind considering my opinion on how things went down. They should. He should. But it could have been Stratics as a whole that took the blunt of the damage as blame goes. Instead it was looked at as they were causalities as posters were trying to get at TGN, and... Well... Stebs. I think that says something for the Staff prior to the merger... And... Well... I guess all I can say is well done guys and gals. You deserve better than your getting.
In closing I would strongly suggest any TGN mods, or TGN community managing staff of any kind on the boards themselves, not take any action on the boards for a good three months unless it's absolutely unquestionable someone should be banned or have a post moved to the EL... Just go to that forums Staff forum and talk with that staff there about it. You simply can't afford to have this kind of problem happen again any time soon.
I apologize to all the older Stratics UO staff for having to read all of that... I know it's already second nature to you. But I don't have access to the staff forums anymore so you can't just skip it....
word!
/fail