How Do We Resuscitate YCM?

[Synchronized]

Members that post new cards have to worry about their topics being insta-locked for the silliest of reasons and I'm guessing that's off-putting.  The new system that suggests if the Mods don't like the card or think it's even slightly broken, it's locked right away is absolutely foolish in my opinion and part of the reason that area doesn't thrive like it used to.

 

Again, just my opinion.

[Exiro]

Bump to remind the folks how dead this place is.

[Mehmani]

We can boil the problems on this site down to a simple problem - idealism.

 

The people who run this site seem to want a particular kind of member - they ardently believe that smart, intelligent and personable people will join this site and stay. This is simply not how it works, and they are blinded by their own lack of foresight and hindsight. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it, and our current government seem to forget that when they joined this site, they were idiotic ten-year-olds, just like the rest of us. It takes time for people to change and mature - if you go back to the first thread I posted, you'll see that it was a load of terrible cards posted in attachments. I survived, apparently, because J-Max didn't instantly ban me for posting attachments. Luckily, another mod locked the thread and I lived. I was a grasping, posturing and fiercely rude child. It took me a long time to mature. All new members are like this, with very, very few exceptions. You simply cannot afford to scare them off by being rude and unpleasant to them, and the staff that operate this site seem to believe that disagreeing with them is wrong (as I found out) and that being unpopular is a bannable offence (Herman the German, remember?).

 

Great members don't turn up instantly - they register and start off badly, and ever so gradually they learn and improve. Compare my posts now to my posts even a couple of years ago, let alone five years ago. I have completely changed, and so has everyone else. You don't need to be a smart, intelligent person to use the Card Maker - in fact, most people who do use it are kids. If we treat them nicely, guide them and teach them, it will pay off in the future. That's why we have to make things simple for them - that's why the RC Advanced Clause collapsed when someone tried to make it more complex, because our target audience (who are kids, and naturally, easily bored) simply couldn't be bothered to jump through hoops. Our current staff seem to want immediate improvement, and are not satisfied with anything that doesn't show dramatic improvement very quickly. Since the Advanced Clause has been introduced, RC has changed for the better. It's just taken a long time to do so. Our staff seem to equate Custom Cards with Graphic Design, but there are fundamental differences. One - Graphic Design is more difficult, and so requires more practice, more intelligence and a better attention span. Naturally, this means that Graphic Designers tend to be, on average, smarter and more mature than a new member in Custom Cards. Two - the GFX forums aren't as active as Custom Cards, so change is more visible when it happens. Three - GFX is a smaller community, and as such is more close-knit than Custom Cards. This provides greater conditions for change, as mobilizing GFX to get behind a project is much easier than mobilizing Custom Cards. Night, the GFX mod, is a fantastic moderator and a great reformer. His project is really making a difference in GFX, but he has an easier ride than those in Custom Cards because there is no such sense of community in Custom Cards. Night is a bit like me a couple of years ago - he's working on his reform plans alone, so he has creative freedom. 

 

Overall, the way to improve activity on YCM is to employ one moderator (or two/three very like-minded moderators) for each section. They have creative freedom to reform the section as they please and govern it as they please. Monthly, or fortnightly meetings are held in the Mod Forums to give progress reports and to debate side-wide issues (for example, a permanent ban or a spam epidemic). As a former moderator, I can tell you that the Mod Forums are woefully organized and full of cliques, a bit like Game of Thrones, actually. Everybody's backstabbing and ducking and weaving, waiting for their chance to one-up someone or toady to Pika or whoever is this month's de facto leader. There is no monthly meeting (there are no organized meetings, people essentially just post what they want and when they want), no formal power structure and everybody seems to want to have power in areas that aren't in their jurisdiction. I was only able to force big change in RC because of this terrible infrastructure, but once people are active enough and smell power, they use it how they want. On the whole, YCM will continue to slide down in activity unless we have a more rigorous governing system. Right now, it's a chaotic oligarchy full of personal battles and cries of "I'm offended" and "you bother me." Oh, and did I mention the reason there is next to no democracy here is because the mods all think they are better than you? They all seem to think that the majorly active non-mod members are stupid and aren't smart enough to choose who rules them. I wish I had taken screenshots now.

 

But to refer back to the very first point - YCM's staff are the problem, because they are too idealistic - but there is more to this. They have this absurd idea that great people will suddenly come and join the site, but they don't think that these great, active members are good enough to affect policy on this site. To conclude - this site is run by paradoxical idealists with a love of power and distaste for dissent. You want to change this site, make it a better place and improve activity? We have to start from the top.

[Night]

Our staff seem to equate Custom Cards with Graphic Design, but there are fundamental differences. One - Graphic Design is more difficult, and so requires more practice, more intelligence and a better attention span. Naturally, this means that Graphic Designers tend to be, on average, smarter and more mature than a new member in Custom Cards. Two - the GFX forums aren't as active as Custom Cards, so change is more visible when it happens. Three - GFX is a smaller community, and as such is more close-knit than Custom Cards. This provides greater conditions for change, as mobilizing GFX to get behind a project is much easier than mobilizing Custom Cards. Night, the GFX mod, is a fantastic moderator and a great reformer. His project is really making a difference in GFX, but he has an easier ride than those in Custom Cards because there is no such sense of community in Custom Cards. Night is a bit like me a couple of years ago - he's working on his reform plans alone, so he has creative freedom. 

 

I like to think that what sets me apart from the rest of the staff is the conviction to benefit my section and nothing more. Don't get me wrong, every moderator above all else does want to contribute to the site, I will defend that truth indefinitely. However, not every moderator has specific ideals. Far too often have I seen moderators casually waft around with severe indifference. A man without a goal is a man without ambition and in turn merely apathetic. Eventually it gets to a point where your sole purpose becomes issuing warns and hiding threads. 

 

When I became a moderator I did so in order to make changes. I wasn't satisfied with the state of graphic design, and so I was adamant about becoming a moderator during a time in which even Yin was skeptical as to whether I'd succeed or not. Regardless of what everyone else thought, I already had the support of the members in graphic design and that's all I needed. To this day I still moderate with the same conviction, I do it because I want to benefit the place I matured in as an artist and person, and to help out the friends I've made. Now consider the rest of the staff, most, if not all of them have gotten the position because they were either the most popular in the section at a point in time or were promoted by another moderator. At it's core what it's all about is empathy, we've all got it, but for others it's not as strong as it had once been. I could name a good number of moderators who have lost their conviction, and in all honesty I see no reason for them to still be around. The day I become indifferent is the day I'll demote myself.

 

If this site is dying, it's not because the members lack aptitude, but instead because the staff no longer moderate with conviction, merely lackluster resolve. 

[Tentacruel]

I agree.  I know when I joined this site I was an idiot, and I probably would have left if it were in the same state as it is now.  I mean, I made horrid cards, but I didn't really get any major flak for it.  

 

Of course, that was Pop Culture so I suppose it's different than RC but whatever. 

 

I can't say I know the solution, but I guess we might need to reinvigorate the current leadership. 

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Well said Night, well said. To be honest, we aren't the United States Congress here. They don't get much done, and what they do get done is essentially maintaining the country and not making changes. Now onto a forum-based issue, everyone remembers the 1v1 subforum last year, right? If you can't remember or weren't around, it was a desolate place with hardly any life at all. Barely any 1v1s were being made and the ones that were made hardly ever finished due to the lack of people even bothering with the subforum. It needed a lot of help considering nobody really cared whether it lived or died before I stepped in. You guys don't want to know how much work I put it just getting all the pieces together before I could even recreate the Leaderboard. There was a Leaderboard already in place; however, that Leaderboard just kept records of how many times people won. That Leaderboard wasn't even up to date due to how inactive the subforum was. So I took that concept and recreated it in my image. I made it competitive and inclusive, something that the subforum really needed. Yes, it has had some ups and downs since I've recreated the Leaderboard. It has brought everyone together, and created the competitive and inclusive subforum I believed it could be. I did this as a concerned member, not a moderator. I feel that the members need to get involved more to make this forum better. The mods need to push us members to get there, yet it ultimately falls on the members.

[Mehmani]

I like to think that what sets me apart from the rest of the staff is the conviction to benefit my section and nothing more. Don't get me wrong, every moderator above all else does want to contribute to the site, I will defend that truth indefinitely. However, not every moderator has specific ideals. Far too often have I seen moderators casually waft around with severe indifference. A man without a goal is a man without ambition and in turn merely apathetic. Eventually it gets to a point where your sole purpose becomes issuing warns and hiding threads. 

 

When I became a moderator I did so in order to make changes. I wasn't satisfied with the state of graphic design, and so I was adamant about becoming a moderator during a time in which even Yin was skeptical as to whether I'd succeed or not. Regardless of what everyone else thought, I already had the support of the members in graphic design and that's all I needed. To this day I still moderate with the same conviction, I do it because I want to benefit the place I matured in as an artist and person, and to help out the friends I've made. Now consider the rest of the staff, most, if not all of them have gotten the position because they were either the most popular in the section at a point in time or were promoted by another moderator. At it's core what it's all about is empathy, we've all got it, but for others it's not as strong as it had once been. I could name a good number of moderators who have lost their conviction, and in all honesty I see no reason for them to still be around. The day I become indifferent is the day I'll demote myself.

 

If this site is dying, it's not because the members lack aptitude, but instead because the staff no longer moderate with conviction, merely lackluster resolve. 

 

You're completely right - in some ways, we do need idealism on this because only idealists can cause real change, but your point about moderators is spot on. This is a job, in fact, THIS IS A JOB (caps lock for loud, booming emphasis). It should be treated as such, not as something you can fool around with, like all those stupid name change things. Even though it is trivial, it is power abuse. You are moderators, have some damned responsibility. I wish you all the luck in the world. You can change this forum, Night, and you're probably the only moderator I (or, it seems most of the community) have faith in.

 

EDIT: I'd just like to add that I put forward Striker as a mod candidate for Custom Cards, but our moderators, most of whom are completely out of touch and barely know Striker, thought he was "immature" and "irresponsible." Striker, the member who has probably done the most for CC of any non-moderator ever, is "irresponsible" and apparently can't get anything done. They'd far rather pick their friends than do anything meaningful.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Alright, have to add to all this. I joined a couple years ago, I wasn't here long, but I posted somewhat often. Then I left after life, and computer issues. And then I came back when I remembered this place. So, people come, people go, people come back again. It's not neccessarily the fault of the site, or members. Though, not saying that either of those are perfect either. Okay, that's my random input.

[Aix]

Alright, have to add to all this. I joined a couple years ago, I wasn't here long, but I posted somewhat often. Then I left after life, and computer issues. And then I came back when I remembered this place. So, people come, people go, people come back again. It's not neccessarily the fault of the site, or members. Though, not saying that either of those are perfect either. Okay, that's my random input.

Actually, I'm pretty sure a lot of people are chased away by YCM's elitism. 

[Althemia]

Actually, I'm pretty sure a lot of people are chased away by YCM's elitism. 

Can you explain more? I'm not sure where you're coming from.

[Aix]

Can you explain more? I'm not sure where you're coming from.

I mean, I've seen plenty of newcomers tell us that we are excessively harsh. And it's not just on the mods' part, so don't take it that way. Most of YCM has built a very scornful way of communicating with noobs. I have a feeling that it's because of the environment that people have become like this. Also, a lot of people try to one-up the next person on funny insults.

 

 

Making fun of newcomers has become a spectator sport.

[Dad]

I mean, I've seen plenty of newcomers tell us that we are excessively harsh. And it's not just on the mods' part, so don't take it that way. Most of YCM has built a very scornful way of communicating with noobs. I have a feeling that it's because of the environment that people have become like this. Also, a lot of people try to one-up the next person on funny insults.

 

 

Making fun of newcomers has become a spectator sport.

 

 

It's been this way since '08.  There's always been a sense of degradation and a struggle for acceptance for new comers.  But it's not because no one wants to accept them.  It is instead because YCM's older members like myself have very high expectations.  That tends to shun new members and drive them away in fear.

 

Maybe if we took a listen to some of the new comers and heard what they had to say (the harsh thing is general here, we need more information) we could compile a to-do list and fix this place up.  Never thought I'd say something like that given my history here, but this is practically a home for me.

 

And to touch base on what Lily was asking, let me reference a few names:

Crab Helmet
Frunk
Dark (I still love you bro.)

Some of the biggest influences of elitism here in YCM.  Their influences remain, and it shows.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Yeah, I have noticed the noob-bashing thing now. I wasn't really paying attention to it. I won't point out names, but the Status Updates should be better regulated, there's some rude things being said to new people in their own Statuses.

[Tentacruel]

Can you explain more? I'm not sure where you're coming from.

 

People have a tendency to look down on newer, younger members to give themselves a sense of superiority.  

 

It's either that or ignore newbies entirely. 

[Aix]

Suggestion!

 

What if we had a Tattling Complaints Thread, or even a subforum because that way it's always visible and has a description, for newcomers and members alike to speak about their problems. This thread (if not a forum) needs to have a color title for visibility.

 

The description could be something like "Have a problem? Or has someone been rude to you?"

[Dad]

Suggestion!

 

What if we had a Tattling Complaints Thread, or even a subforum because that way it's always visible and has a description, for newcomers and members alike to speak about their problems. This thread (if not a forum) needs to have a color title for visibility.

 

The description could be something like "Have a problem? Or has someone been rude to you?"

 

 

The thing about this is that, there's already a report feature implemented.  But how frequently do reports get monitored and taken action against?  How often do our newer members actually speak directly with moderators besides the report function?

I know if I was a newbie, I'd be kinda frustrated if some guy told me to "kill yourself" and all I could do was report him.  I want to see the action being taken against him.  I want to know that people like that aren't a part of this community anymore, but I want a better way to do it besides a "report" button.  I guess this is why I used to try and talk with newbies directly myself and pass problems on back when I knew most of the mods.  But since I kinda crept away, I couldn't do much.

 

Maybe a team of people, not quite moderators but a tribunal that catered directly to new players and were under the staff to help guide newbies and keep them from getting their little hearts broken.

Granted we can't save everyone, but we can try.

 

inb4"thisistheinternetsuckitup".

[Captain Murphy ☆]

Suggestion!

 

What if we had a Tattling Complaints Thread, or even a subforum because that way it's always visible and has a description, for newcomers and members alike to speak about their problems. This thread (if not a forum) needs to have a color title for visibility.

 

The description could be something like "Have a problem? Or has someone been rude to you?"

 

They usually complain in the Status Updates and then get laughed at. I doubt they would notice the Complaints Thread anyway.

[Just Crouton]

Yeah, I have noticed the noob-bashing thing now. I wasn't really paying attention to it. I won't point out names, but the Status Updates should be better regulated, there's some rude things being said to new people in their own Statuses.

____

 

Seconded. The statuses complaining about/calling out a member for doing something you disagree with that isn't an offense shouldn't be allowed and the ones I see mainly address a member in either the TCG or CC sections. If you disagree with someone's opinion, get over it because everyone has their own opinions, regardless of how ridiculous they are. If you don't like that a new member is posting bad cards so much you feel compelled to make a status publicly whining about this new member, either help the new member with suggestions in their thread instead or shut up entirely, because your cards sucked like his/her's when you started, and they probably still suck now.

 

I remember all the fuss about 1000tepig's Nature Heroes in the status bar just because he wouldn't take criticism like many before him on this site (though he might have been trolling, which makes the people who made those whining statuses look even sillier), and looking back, this forum came off as more immature than he did. I can imagine him laughing his way to wherever he hangs out (probably his YouTube channel I found during the "controversy.")

 

Lower your standards, because if you keep pushing away new members who aren't up to your standards by post #1, you don't get the right to whine about YCM's lack of activity in the annual "YCM is dead" thread.

[Mehmani]

Can you explain more? I'm not sure where you're coming from.

 

Well, quite naturally, you aren't, as moderators aren't inclined to be self-critical unless their paymasters make them write tedious "public apologies" when anyone else who had acted that poorly in those circumstances (anyone else, I might add, with dignity and respect for the members of this site) would have resigned. Of course, some of us don't even have the opportunity to defend themselves in the Mod Forums before being booted out by a kangaroo court when they don't have internet access due to exams. Okay, that's my personal rant over, let's get down to business about the nature of your comment and how it illustrates many of YCM's basic problems. I will ask you to reply my personal rant via PM or Skype, as I do not wish to cloud the good discussion in this thread with personal drama. Let's see if you are mature enough to do so.

 

Your comment shows how out of touch the moderators are with the members of this site - I know this because, as a moderator, you have work to do, which cuts into your leisure time on YCM and prevents you from living and posting like a normal denizen. It's difficult not to just log on and glance into the Mod Forum, particularly when you have other concerns in real life. But a good moderator should be an idealist and a reformer - they should have the spirit and dedication to work properly and not change how they act. In other words, they should only use their powers for their jobs, not randoming changing people's names and clowning around. There is always work to be done, I mean, just look at this place. It needs top-down reorganization and a whole lot of new staff, who, ideally, would hold a civic forum before being promoted to get to know each other. But that is something I'll put in the YCM People's Manifesto I'm writing (shameless plug for a future product there, guys). Your comment shows that moderators are elitists, otherwise they would understand what other members are getting at when they talk about "elitism." I'm afraid that they are talking about you, and, more particularly, the attitude of your fellow staff to the rank-and-file members of YCM, but the new members and the youngest members especially. I'd call it the equivalent of a far-right government bashing the poor and blaming them for their problems. Oh, they can improve their posting, they're idiots, I don't care about them - it's exactly the same thing, really. These are the people on this site who need the most care and the most assistance. These are the new members, they are our future. We should tend to them, look after them and treat them nicely. When I was hot-headed young idiot five years ago, I would have flipped out if a moderator had treated me the way Black treats new members. I would have run away, and you would have lost a future active member.

 

It's easy for us to ignore this because we don't immediately feel the consequences - we can't yearn for something we have never had, except we can due to experience of past activity. It takes many months for a silly new member to mature into a better, active and valued contributor, and like the seed of a great oak tree, they need tender care during that time. Let them learn and speak softly. I remember dealing with lots of angry young members when I was moderating Realistic Cards, and I dealt with every single one of them politely and effectively. If you are persistent, people will change. Do not forget that we are dealing with pre-teens, the most annoying of all ages. They will naturally get better, but they will get better even faster if we lend them a hand. That, my friend, is the answer to "Can you explain more?"

[Althemia]

Well, quite naturally, you aren't, as moderators aren't inclined to be self-critical unless their paymasters make them write tedious "public apologies" when anyone else who had acted that poorly in those circumstances (anyone else, I might add, with dignity and respect for the members of this site) would have resigned. Of course, some of us don't even have the opportunity to defend themselves in the Mod Forums before being booted out by a kangaroo court when they don't have internet access due to exams. Okay, that's my personal rant over, let's get down to business about the nature of your comment and how it illustrates many of YCM's basic problems. I will ask you to reply my personal rant via PM or Skype, as I do not wish to cloud the good discussion in this thread with personal drama. Let's see if you are mature enough to do so.
 
Your comment shows how out of touch the moderators are with the members of this site - I know this because, as a moderator, you have work to do, which cuts into your leisure time on YCM and prevents you from living and posting like a normal denizen. It's difficult not to just log on and glance into the Mod Forum, particularly when you have other concerns in real life. But a good moderator should be an idealist and a reformer - they should have the spirit and dedication to work properly and not change how they act. In other words, they should only use their powers for their jobs, not randoming changing people's names and clowning around. There is always work to be done, I mean, just look at this place. It needs top-down reorganization and a whole lot of new staff, who, ideally, would hold a civic forum before being promoted to get to know each other. But that is something I'll put in the YCM People's Manifesto I'm writing (shameless plug for a future product there, guys). Your comment shows that moderators are elitists, otherwise they would understand what other members are getting at when they talk about "elitism." I'm afraid that they are talking about you, and, more particularly, the attitude of your fellow staff to the rank-and-file members of YCM, but the new members and the youngest members especially. I'd call it the equivalent of a far-right government bashing the poor and blaming them for their problems. Oh, they can improve their posting, they're idiots, I don't care about them - it's exactly the same thing, really. These are the people on this site who need the most care and the most assistance. These are the new members, they are our future. We should tend to them, look after them and treat them nicely. When I was hot-headed young idiot five years ago, I would have flipped out if a moderator had treated me the way Black treats new members. I would have run away, and you would have lost a future active member.
 
It's easy for us to ignore this because we don't immediately feel the consequences - we can't yearn for something we have never had, except we can due to experience of past activity. It takes many months for a silly new member to mature into a better, active and valued contributor, and like the seed of a great oak tree, they need tender care during that time. Let them learn and speak softly. I remember dealing with lots of angry young members when I was moderating Realistic Cards, and I dealt with every single one of them politely and effectively. If you are persistent, people will change. Do not forget that we are dealing with pre-teens, the most annoying of all ages. They will naturally get better, but they will get better even faster if we lend them a hand. That, my friend, is the answer to "Can you explain more?"

It's almost like you don't even know what goes on in the section any more.

We found that the most common thing that turned people away from the site was actually the entire "hey your card sucks" thing. In order to try and cut down on this and prolong member activity, we made it so that moderators could lock the topics with helpful advice being given so that people DID improve. Of course Black got a little out of hand and started to insult people, but that's why the public apology thread was made. He should have lost his power for doing such a thing, this is true, but I felt that putting him on a leash would be a far more acceptable form of action because there was literally nobody I could trust to withhold quality of the section.

As you may or may not know, creating a card takes knowledge and certain skill assets. These are acquired over time, just like any other trade. This is why selecting a moderator is a very difficult process, as choosing somebody to moderate over a section such as Custom Cards means we have to look for people with those skills so that they can help to keep the quality up. Of course this is why me and Black questioned why you were moderator as you did not seem to possess the qualities needed for keeping the standard up.

Also, to direct toward a point you made. A moderator should be an idealist and a dreamer, yes? But dreams and ideals do not mean anything when they do not pull through. Take your election, for example. It crashed and burned worse than anything I've ever seen on the site. As a result, it didn't actually mean anything at all. All it did was give people false hope that simply dwindled away when they realized that nothing was coming from it, which can lead to an especially crushing feeling. The same can be said for my Card of the Week idea, for example. I attempted to implement it several times, each time not being pulled through just because of the fact that nobody cared enough for it. As moderators, we have been trying to give the members what they want and trying to make the place more fun. That's why we've been doing the "name changes". They're voluntary. People signed up for those because it was fun and helped moderators connect with their community more.

And don't worry, we have been persistent. The Custom Cards section is definitely changing for the better. We have the Leaderboard, which is actually moderator endorsed and helps to promote activity in 1v1 Contests. We have Any Other Cards for newer members to kinda just hang out and get used to the ropes of the site. We then have Realistic Cards so that people can get genuine feedback on their cards and overall improve on their skills as a cardmaker, which has been a rather big success. Members such as Zazubat and Toyo have gotten a lot better since I first saw them start.

tl;dr You may have some points, but I highly suggest you do not bring Custom Cards into this.

Probably won't be posting any more in this thread because it just turned into Alfred Anarchy central. If you really want to try and argue more with me, you can just ask around for my Skype.

[Mehmani]

It's almost like you don't even know what goes on in the section any more.

 

We found that the most common thing that turned people away from the site was actually the entire "hey your card sucks" thing. In order to try and cut down on this and prolong member activity, we made it so that moderators could lock the topics with helpful advice being given so that people DID improve. Of course Black got a little out of hand and started to insult people, but that's why the public apology thread was made. He should have lost his power for doing such a thing, this is true, but I felt that putting him on a leash would be a far more acceptable form of action because there was literally nobody I could trust to withhold quality of the section.

As you may or may not know, creating a card takes knowledge and certain skill assets. These are acquired over time, just like any other trade. This is why selecting a moderator is a very difficult process, as choosing somebody to moderate over a section such as Custom Cards means we have to look for people with those skills so that they can help to keep the quality up. Of course this is why me and Black questioned why you were moderator as you did not seem to possess the qualities needed for keeping the standard up.

Also, to direct toward a point you made. A moderator should be an idealist and a dreamer, yes? But dreams and ideals do not mean anything when they do not pull through. Take your election, for example. It crashed and burned worse than anything I've ever seen on the site. As a result, it didn't actually mean anything at all. All it did was give people false hope that simply dwindled away when they realized that nothing was coming from it, which can lead to an especially crushing feeling. The same can be said for my Card of the Week idea, for example. I attempted to implement it several times, each time not being pulled through just because of the fact that nobody cared enough for it. As moderators, we have been trying to give the members what they want and trying to make the place more fun. That's why we've been doing the "name changes". They're voluntary. People signed up for those because it was fun and helped moderators connect with their community more.

And don't worry, we have been persistent. The Custom Cards section is definitely changing for the better. We have the Leaderboard, which is actually moderator endorsed and helps to promote activity in 1v1 Contests. We have Any Other Cards for newer members to kinda just hang out and get used to the ropes of the site. We then have Realistic Cards so that people can get genuine feedback on their cards and overall improve on their skills as a cardmaker, which has been a rather big success. Members such as Zazubat and Toyo have gotten a lot better since I first saw them start.

tl;dr You may have some points, but I highly suggest you do not bring Custom Cards into this.

Probably won't be posting any more in this thread because it just turned into Alfred Anarchy central. If you really want to try and argue more with me, you can just ask around for my Skype.

 

First of all, with the "It's almost like you don't even know what goes on in the section any more." I pointed out that one of the biggest problems was this elitist that results in the insulting of new members, you then continue your argument with "We found that the most common thing that turned people away from the site was actually the entire "hey your card sucks" thing." If I knew nothing about the section, then why did I point "the most common thing" out? For God's sake, did you even read my post before saying that I know nothing at all about the section? And apparently, I shouldn't bring Custom Cards, the section I was supposed to moderate entirely (I would like to note that I asked for power in the entire section, and it never came, despite the fact that all the other CC mods got it. What does that say about bias in the Mod Forum?) and in which I moderated the most active section, Realistic Cards. Why should I not talk about my experiences? I'm a damn sight more self-critical than you lot, it seems. The whole election thing dissolved in part because of ambivalence on part of most members, a problem that could be rectified with side-wide support and announcements across the site. I should have received the backing of the other moderators for this, even if they personally disagreed with it. It's simple professionalism - when Herman the German got banned, I argued against it constantly, but I didn't stop it. I recognized that I was outvoted and fought as much as I could, but I accepted that it would be done. It should have been the same with the election - once again, it was a case where the other moderators, who know even less about CC than I apparently do, stuck their fingers in and tried to cock things up. 

 

Individual sections should be treated like states - it is on the authority of the state governors to pass laws, unless their laws affect the entire site, in which case the federal authorities, i.e. super moderators, should pass comment and affect policy. As an RC moderator, I did not try and reform the TCG section or the GFX section. However, people like Pika think it is acceptable to waltz into CC like they own the place and try and take down the things they don't agree with. I was nearly stripped of my moderating powers for doing something similar in an individual case in the Mod Forum, but Pika, as de facto admin and kingmaker, apparently has diplomatic immunity. But that's beside the point - when I ran that election in RC, I did so as a moderator of that section. When a state governor in the President's party does something the President does not agree with, they have to stand by and respect their choice, and even offer them help and support. I, when I ran that election, did not get that help and support. The election was not flawed in concept, but it was doomed from the start because I was running it. I respect the decisions of other moderators and let them run their own sections, but they seemed to think it was okay to mess up stuff in my section. They should have done what I did - respected the choices and opinions of other policy-makers and even offer them help if need be. I would have been happy to do that for any of them, but it is not so in Custom Cards.

[Kazooie]

I agree that Pika shouldn't mess with the RC section, but she doesn't try to make giant policy changes in it like you seem to be implying, she simply offered an opinion on the AC and then responded to you in a thread. She hardly did anything major that deserves being complained about unless I missed a major event.

Second, a lot of members want to blame the mods for how things are when YCM honestly has better mods then a lot of sites do, along with better policies over all. People want to blame anyone but themselves, which I noticed a lot with the whole Tepig1000 or whatever his username was situation. Mods got blamed, yet the members were the ones being complete and utter dicks about it.

 

Third, I had some respect for Alfred when he tried the elections in CC, but then I realized something, elections generally won't work on YCM AND the internet in general. Partly in due to poor planning, part of it due to members not caring, and third it's going to end up as a popularity contest. It was a sloppy idea in the end that won't always guarantee the most qualified person will get the job. If i recall correctly, the person who almost got the job was Seatillite, who didn't even get a majority mind you, who seemed to have very few actual qualifications to be a mod. He owned a CCG and... That's it. He didn't seem to post much or actually play the game the section was based on outside of that CCG. It wasn't doomed because "You were running it" but because most elections on forums come down to popularity contests.

 

And by her "You don't seem to be paying attention to the section" comment, I believe Koko was referring to the fact that they're attempting to minimize that problem, and honestly it's almost gone. That is what she was referring to I believe, so that point still stands.

 

YCM complains a lot more then it needs to in all honesty. You all want to act like everything here is horrible and the mods are demons, but they aren't. You all just don't know how to properly handle situations the majority of the time. If you don't like something that happens, making a status about it isn't the smartest fucking idea ever. That's how situations like what happened with Tepig got out of hand. It's better to contact the mod and get clarification on what happened, and you know, have a civil discussion.

 

If a mod refuses to do that repeatedly, then there's a problem. Otherwise, YCM is a lot better off in the mod department then people seem to think.

 

There's also the fact that YCM is bipolar and one day is "YAY MODS ARE AWESOME" and the next is "BOO YOU MODS SUCK"

[Exiro]

I mean, I've seen plenty of newcomers tell us that we are excessively harsh. And it's not just on the mods' part, so don't take it that way. Most of YCM has built a very scornful way of communicating with noobs. I have a feeling that it's because of the environment that people have become like this. Also, a lot of people try to one-up the next person on funny insults.

 

 

Making fun of newcomers has become a spectator sport.

 

This is fun when people like Crab Helmet do it, but it gets problematic when every single one of the kiddos tries to be part of it. It was done simply because that's how you treat noobs, because it requires a gesture to make clear how silly they sound, but it was never supposed to be a thing that people upvote like each other's posts for. The way it is now, it reminds me of the high school kids using the universal 'your mom' retort, followed by a group of people going 'ooooh!' (Actually, I'm in college now and I still hear this thrown. Idiocy is rampant.)

 

Does anyone remember that organisation that was dedicated to posting Fail images as replies to noob posts? I joined that because it seemed fun at first (you know, noob-bashing!), but it soon devolved into degeneracy and they clogged up the entire forum with fail images, simply looking for reasons to post them, even when unfounded. I withdrew from participating and proposed a bunch of rules to temperate the use of those replies, requiring at least a reason to be given among other things, but it was too late, they continued their habit of 'bashing for the sole reason of feeling smart' and a mod had to close the organization (Frunk had nothing to do with it).

 

I revived (or should I say 'resuscitated'?) this thread the way I did to satisfy my urge to be an ass (it pops up now and then), but I'm glad it's actually going somewhere. It's hard for me to imagine people can write so many paragraphs about something so uninteresting. But then again, I've spent many an hour here myself - all the posts I've written in Card Discussions and the rulings sticky explaining everything down to the core, without expecting anything back, - so I know what it feels like. It's good to have something to care about, even when it's silly.

 

I still don't understand how one can actually be eager for new users. It seems to me like folks just need to accept the fact that things won't be like they used to be. This place has less traffic now, but it's better than high traffic due to people who estrange you. The estrangement is exactly why I stopped posting here. In any way, good luck with getting your shit back together, YCM. I'm out for good.

 

P.S. I've always found statements of goodbye to be useless; nobody cares you're leaving (especially in my case), I used to think. In fact, I still hold on to this thought and I don't intend to bother people with pretentious bullshit. I ensure you that the only reason, I'm announcing my goodbye, is because I know that that's the best way to keep myself from wasting time here again, as I don't want to be one of those people who return not even a month after their farewell. I've got a mathematics test tomorrow, and though passing it is close to guaranteed, I won't be getting as high a grade because I just had to spend my time on YCM again. I've made a point of not saying farewell when I knew I wouldn't stick to it, but this is for real, yes, this is absolute. I'd even go so far as to say, that this is ultimate. Have fun in this place, but I'm out. Goodbye.

 

P.P.S. Now that it turns out I'm leaving, it feels like I've got to leave you folks with something. Perhaps a picture will suffice.

 

 

That's Pharaoh Atem's afro you're staring at. Not kidding.

[Mehmani]

I agree that Pika shouldn't mess with the RC section, but she doesn't try to make giant policy changes in it like you seem to be implying, she simply offered an opinion on the AC and then responded to you in a thread. She hardly did anything major that deserves being complained about unless I missed a major event.

Second, a lot of members want to blame the mods for how things are when YCM honestly has better mods then a lot of sites do, along with better policies over all. People want to blame anyone but themselves, which I noticed a lot with the whole Tepig1000 or whatever his username was situation. Mods got blamed, yet the members were the ones being complete and utter dicks about it.

 

Third, I had some respect for Alfred when he tried the elections in CC, but then I realized something, elections generally won't work on YCM AND the internet in general. Partly in due to poor planning, part of it due to members not caring, and third it's going to end up as a popularity contest. It was a sloppy idea in the end that won't always guarantee the most qualified person will get the job. If i recall correctly, the person who almost got the job was Seatillite, who didn't even get a majority mind you, who seemed to have very few actual qualifications to be a mod. He owned a CCG and... That's it. He didn't seem to post much or actually play the game the section was based on outside of that CCG. It wasn't doomed because "You were running it" but because most elections on forums come down to popularity contests.

 

And by her "You don't seem to be paying attention to the section" comment, I believe Koko was referring to the fact that they're attempting to minimize that problem, and honestly it's almost gone. That is what she was referring to I believe, so that point still stands.

 

YCM complains a lot more then it needs to in all honesty. You all want to act like everything here is horrible and the mods are demons, but they aren't. You all just don't know how to properly handle situations the majority of the time. If you don't like something that happens, making a status about it isn't the smartest fucking idea ever. That's how situations like what happened with Tepig got out of hand. It's better to contact the mod and get clarification on what happened, and you know, have a civil discussion.

 

If a mod refuses to do that repeatedly, then there's a problem. Otherwise, YCM is a lot better off in the mod department then people seem to think.

 

There's also the fact that YCM is bipolar and one day is "YAY MODS ARE AWESOME" and the next is "BOO YOU MODS SUCK"

 

With regards to the first point, Pika actively tried to hold up processes and plans I had for CC within the Mod Forum. She acts quite differently when she's posting in public, as do a fair few of the mods. Like Koko, for instance. It's all smiles and concessions, all "I totally understand what you're getting at there, maaaaan" and "I'm actually really considerate." It's like talking to politicians or journalists off-record - as someone who has worked in fairly important political offices, I know first-hand how power makes you two-faced. With regards to Pika's meddling, an example would be how she didn't upgrade my status from RC mod to Custom Cards mod. I don't see why we should just settle for YCM's mods - yes, I accept that they are better than on many places of the internet, but that's like saying Russia now is better than the Soviet Union - it's better, yes, but there is so much to improve on. We shouldn't focus on other sites and how well we are doing compared to them, we should be focused on the betterment of our site alone. 

 

As for the election - yes, it was pretty flawed. However, I didn't really get much feedback from other moderators about it, as all they really did was ignore me or tell me off for being so impertinent. It did come too early, yes, and I really hope there is a time when YCM is ready for a democratic election. I believe that we can work towards that goal, or at the very least end this oligarchical Locutus that is the YCM staff. 

[Kazooie]

With regards to the first point, Pika actively tried to hold up processes and plans I had for CC within the Mod Forum. She acts quite differently when she's posting in public, as do a fair few of the mods. Like Koko, for instance. It's all smiles and concessions, all "I totally understand what you're getting at there, maaaaan" and "I'm actually really considerate." It's like talking to politicians or journalists off-record - as someone who has worked in fairly important political offices, I know first-hand how power makes you two-faced. With regards to Pika's meddling, an example would be how she didn't upgrade my status from RC mod to Custom Cards mod. I don't see why we should just settle for YCM's mods - yes, I accept that they are better than on many places of the internet, but that's like saying Russia now is better than the Soviet Union - it's better, yes, but there is so much to improve on. We shouldn't focus on other sites and how well we are doing compared to them, we should be focused on the betterment of our site alone. 

 

As for the election - yes, it was pretty flawed. However, I didn't really get much feedback from other moderators about it, as all they really did was ignore me or tell me off for being so impertinent. It did come too early, yes, and I really hope there is a time when YCM is ready for a democratic election. I believe that we can work towards that goal, or at the very least end this oligarchical Locutus that is the YCM staff. 

 

First, you missed the point of what I was saying. Yes, YCM can improve, but the way people act now isn't helping. They act like the site is a horrible mess with no hope, yet we're better off then most of the internet, so there's no reason to be acting like that. All it does is make things harder to get done.

 

And of course she's going to act differently. You have to act professional as a mod. If she acted like she normally did, she wouldn't be as effective. And she does listen to what people say, even if you don't believe it.

 

I have no love for Pika myself, but that simply sounds like a misunderstanding to me. Maybe it was a sabotage, but having power in RC is still enough to make a difference, especially considering the only other section in CC that had any purpose at the time was 1-v-1.

 

The mods on YCM aren't being settled for, you're just looking only at the negative qualities of any of the majority of them. We do NOT have "bad" active mods. Do we have mods who don't optimally do their job? Yes, but that doesn't make them bad. A prime example of this I feel is Flame Dragon, he's a wonderful person in general, aside from a few disagreements we've had over a few topics on the VG section, but he doesn't do much. He doesn't have to do much considering that the Video Games section doesn't get a load of traffic.

 

Then there was you Alfred. You had good intentions, but you weren't optimally doing your job either. The reason you got singled out is because you were inactive. This wasn't just your exams, this happened from time to time without warning usually. Why is this a bigger deal then Flame Dragon? Because CC is a much more important section. Black and Lily have their hands full there, something people don't seem to realize when a thread gets locked. There's a lot that goes on there, and it's busy. You seemed to mostly deal with ideological things that just don't work considering what YCM is.

 

Black and Lily don't do their jobs optimally either, but they're a lot more active about it. Do I feel like they're fit for the job? Yes. They do listen to people, but they can't do everything perfectly, which is what YCM seems to complain the most about. Whenever something happens that you, or someone else doesn't like, it becomes a witch hunt, which is the absolutely wrong way to handle anything.

 

Also didn't you just go on about saying how each section's moderator should focus on their section? Why should the other mods help you with the election if you're doing for the better of Custom Cards, not the entire site? If you mean the CC Staff, Black was away at his grandparents during the time that the election was going on and he gave the staff notice about this. He didn't have time to be on YCM. It wasn't a reoccurring problem with him. I can't speak for Lily in this case, but I believe her computer was completely dead and as such, no internet. If you're talking about other staff members in general, what business do they have helping you with your election? You're being a bit flip-floppity on your election here Alfred.