User blog comment:Obi the LEGO Fan/Regulating "Admin Talk"/@comment-5111283-20150307154013

I quite honestly agree with many of the points brought up on both sides, but I still don't feel going all-out and doing everything here (well, close) and having the community take part in all discussions. I'm no English Major, nor am I particularly good at writing down responses to stuff like this; it's just never been my forte. I'll try my best to respond with my opinion to each point and my overall thoughts on the matter.  Transparency: I love the idea of more transparency, I really do, and I’d like to have more trust with the community. The problem I have is that if I need to say something I can be exceptionally frank and blunt on the Admin site, I don’t need to ‘sugar coat’ or be politically correct when I say something in worry of offending a user/group of users. I like that, a lot. Now don’t take that as meaning I don’t want users to know my opinions, it’s just that if I say something here I need to think more about how to word something in order to not be offensive or torque off something, I’m the type of guy who hates saying something then realizing that it was offensive/inappropriate (which I do more than I like), and I’d rather make that mistake on the Admin Site and be correct by a fellow Admin than make that here in a large community discussion with everyone watching me like a hawk, because then what’s done is done and people can’t ‘unsee’ what someone else said, regardless of whether they meant it the way that user took it or not. I want more transparency, but I don’t feel having an all-out community discussion on everything is the way to go.

Efficiency: I see what you’re saying, but I’m not buying it. If we brought every single thing that pertains to the community before them immediately when the idea is just that – an idea, an incomplete thought, ect. you know how frakking long doing stuff would take? First the entire community and Admins would have to debate the idea, view sides, and polish the idea if it was accepted as something to pursue, then we’d have to discuss it further, then we’d put it to a community votes or something of the sort. The way most things are done right now is that we get an idea about something, post it on the Admin Site, discuss it, bring up points, and refine the idea. Then it usually gets posted on LMBW somewhere and gets voted on, when people vote they can voice why they voted a certain way, potentially bring up more points, and sway people one way or another. A vote lasts typically until it’s been a while or there’s a clear consensus, so it’s not like we’d have to worry about doing something the community doesn’t want because there would be a majority voting against it. Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t want to become more efficient, and I think we should write up some sort of Admin Site guidelines, and view way to become more efficient in our decision-making process.

Education: I see your point about depriving the immunity of feedback, but you typically once something goes to vote here after it’s been discussed if it’s divisive then the respective Admin can bring up the points why something should or shouldn’t be done. Also, when we discuss the demotion of a user or blocking it’s nice (as I stated under Transparency) to not have to ‘polish’ what I’m saying, or ‘water-down’, or be politically correct. Now, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t share those opinion with that user, but I’d much rather do it in as nice of a way as possible (that’s just how I am) than have them see me being potentially blunt about a matter in a large group discussion. Educating the populace is good, but I think we should just hold ourselves higher that we need to tell people more about our opinions on matters.

Now, on to Rio’s “draft policy”

1. I am opposed, as per my reasons stated above. BUT, I think that we should have guidelines and regulations in place that prevent Admins from making those decisions solely on the Admin Site. I fully believe in community input, I really do. I propose that rather we let Admins start a thread on the Admin Site about policy, demotion, and blocking but that we can’t decide to do something until a community vote and/or discussion is held. Perhaps hold a “Community Discussion” for five days, and then close it and open a vote. That way the different opinions can be views and an informed decision by users can be made when they vote. Also, as MoS, Wiki features, and Skins aren’t typically a particular divisive topic that ends with people throwing full-grown cows at each other moving those discussion completely here to a sort of Community Discussions (as Rio proposed) would be a great idea. The process to do that typically won’t be very long due to less arguing, and if it takes a while to do it’s typically not an issue.

2. I think what I have to say for this was pretty much said above. I just propose a slightly different take.

3. Of course.

I hope I make sense, I apologize if it reads like a ramble.