Please read: moderation changes

[malem]

Those who have read the new moderator thread know that we have two new mods. With an expanded team, we're working to identify what already works well and where to direct our efforts to improve KIC. We want this to be a community endeavor, so we intend to be as transparent as possible with our efforts. Please send us any of us a PM if you have thoughts or concerns.

We expect that all members treat each other with respect.

We want to make the park a better place that can be enjoyed by more people who can in turn share our enthusiasm for the park. That being said, criticism that is unfounded and not based on facts hurts our site’s credibility. Don’t exaggerate to prove a point.

Going forward, any content that is disrespectful, mean-spirited or inaccurate will be removed. Everyone is encouraged to use the “Report” button on posts to let us know that something needs attention. For a full list of rules that apply to the KIC community, please refer to the Terms of Service.

Respectfully,
Brad (IndyGuy4KI), Matthew (malem) & Robbie (CoastersRZ)

[BoddaH1994]

I went ahead and reopened this topic because I think moderation is something that should favor the community, not rule over it.  

 

Dane and I discussed the idea of adding more moderators a few weeks ago.  In the spirit of having a community by the people and for the people, we decided to let the KIC Universe have a hand in the decision.  Ultimately it came down to two, with each of us favoring a different candidate.  The compromise was to make both moderators.  In hindsight, we kind of needed two anyway with Dane and I running our own businesses and Robbie doing that whole 'adulting' thing full time.  

 

Just remember that the afterglow of becoming a mod goes quickly.  You have to make a lot of decisions, especially with a community this large.  Sometimes you have to upset people that you consider friends because it's better for the good of the people.  A moderator who enjoys doing anything moderation-related is pretty much unfit for the job.  A good moderator commands respect, not fear.  Probably the worst thing is having to ban someone.  It's almost like the executioner having to throw the switch.

 

This whole thing is a very thankless job.  It's stressful.  There is no pay or benefit.  It only gets done due to the love one has for this community.

 

To the both of you, I wish you good luck and godspeed!

[IndyGuy4KI]

Thanks Ryan, this is a community that I enjoy being a part of and hope we can continue to grow together. I hope everyone here can enjoy the site and share our passion for our beloved park and industry. I hope the members respect each other as much as we respect them. Matthew, Robbie and I will be working as close together as we can to do our part for the members of the site.

[Gordon Bombay]

Question for the executive staff: will ZosoBeast ever be returning?

[malem]

Just a bit of backstory: Brad, Robbie & I wrote this post together in the first (in a long time) moderator meeting yesterday. I locked it with the idea of having a brief reminder to send when posts need to be removed, but having an open discussion here is probably a better idea.

As a community-driven site, the actions of all members reflect on KIC as a whole. As moderators, we owe it to our members to protect the community's reputation.

 

When inaccurate or exaggerated information is posted by community members, it hurts our reputation as a whole. This is why we've asked everyone to be careful in this regard, and it's why we're making a special effort to correct or remove such content.

 

Thanks much for the support, Ryan! Being a moderator on a large site can be stressful, and it's not a glamorous role by any stretch of the imagination. I'm glad to be working as a team to give back to a community that's come to mean a lot to me over the years.

[King Ding Dong]

Out of curiosity, if a post is edited or removed will the poster be notified by means of a placeholder or by PM? Not trying to create more work for you guys, but sometimes I think I made a post only to discover it didn't take and have to try again. Imagine it would really be annoying to the mods if someone kept reposting a violation becuase they thought it was a internet/server issue.

[malem]

^ If a post is edited or removed by a moderator, we generally send a PM explaining why.

 

It's much better to help people make good posts than to have to remove content.

[CoastersRZ]

Also, if we edit a post, you will often find the "Edited by Coastersrz" in the post, with a brief summary of what was changed, and why.

[Wanderer]

I can vouch for what Malem said. I got a nice PM saying I had a post removed and an explanation why yesterday. After re-reading my post I realized how it sounded nothing like what I intended it to. Always good to double check your words before hitting that post button, as words in text don't always come out how they sound in your head. Thanks for all your hard work mods, your work is definitely appreciated in keeping this a well run, friendly community. Keep up the good work!