171 replies to this topic

[SConrad]

I, personally, feel quite uncomfortable with a tag "deviant" in my profile. Frankly, I feel insulted, the way I felt insulted when I had a tag "apprentice" over at the Attic, or "meatbag" over at the CoM. Just the way I feel insulted when I see a dismissing smiley in an answer on a serious and polite question, but I seem to have mentioned it over at PPG already.

Yes, I meant the Deviant one; on Attic a person at least gets changed from rank to rank as the # of posts grow. As for CoM meatbags, it is another awful one, I agree. I'd also question the useage of the tag "modder" without a descriptive such as "Resident Modder" to distinguish people hosted at the Studios from every other modder out there.

"Deviant" is a Spellhold term, and isn't intended to be insulting in any way. We have custom names for the different usergroups to reflect the Spellhold theme.

To me it looks at least 1.5 times wider (higher?) than the previous one. In the 'reduced' window mode it takes up half-of the opened window.

Fair enough. I'll see if I can fix some sort of 'lite' version of the skin for a smaller banner. It will be another point on my todo-list, however, so I probably won't be able to do it right now.

[SimDing0]

I don't understand why every Invision upgrade requires multiple pages of threads reporting bugs and attempting to understand new features while SMF upgrades don't seem to require any such hassle. I guess Invision qualifies as some sort of personal training-- you pay the money, and it keeps you on your toes!

[Idobek]

Any kind of ranking based on post count is a terrible idea. I have no problem with "deviant" but if the more sensitive members of the forum do then perhaps a change is necessary.

[Archmage Silver]

My opinion is that the post-based ranking should have never been invented. It just creates spam. Not sure if the deviant is that insulting... modders got Magical Deviant too... maybe somebody is that sensitive, I don't know.

[Kulyok]

I would agree with Ashara and ask the staff to introduce an alternative tag "member" - though perhaps a tag "modder" for modders of different communities is not a bad idea, either. I admit to feeling rather uncomfortable about seeing the tag "deviant" next to my username.

[Chevalier]

I too get the referance to Spellhold, but would prefer something like 'inmate' to 'deviant'.

[Kulyok]

For example, since we are in Spellhold, I would not mind if the: Wild Mage, Invoquer, Evoquer, Transmuter, Necromancer, Diviner, Enchanter, Sorcerer, Spellcaster, Wizard, Mage, Spellsinger etc where used (ie all the arcaine magic users kits); that would have given a wide ranger of non-boring tags and made the place slightly magical feel

I have seen similar tactics over at SP, where users are ranked by stones from the game of Baldur's Gate, Rogue Stone being the best. However, I do not see it achieving required result: the rate of spam and water in posts at the forums is more than considerable. I remember, when I myself received "Bard" at the Attic, I started to contribute twice as much in the discussion forum. Apart from that, ranking on post counts or the date of joining the forum - why? Nothing but hurt feelings.

[Archmage Silver]

All good ideas, but wouldn't it get too confusing with everyone taking a title of their own instead of general user groups?

[Kulyok]

All good ideas, but wouldn't it get too confusing with everyone taking a title of their own instead of general user groups?

I can only tell my impressions, though my memory is not very good.

When I found FW, everybody was a member but moderators. Cool, especially in comparison to other forums.

Then things changed, and modders were introduced. Not so cool, because to me, it screamed like: "if you're not a modder, get the hell out of here with your opinions!" But well, people want to be acknowledged as modders, I decided, and shut up.

But now things became rather ugly, since next to my username, I see an insulting message, describing a not-so-sane person. No, I do not think it funny, and no, if it was not intended to be insulting does not mean it is not. So, I'd very much like to change it.

[khay]

de·vi·ant (dē'vē-ənt)
adj.

Differing from a norm or from the accepted standards of a society.

I somehow fail to see that insulting. And it fits with the Spellhold theme, why would it be so painful?

And I`ve never seen any posts in the sense of 'if you're not a modder, get the hell out of here with your opinions!', so I do not understand what you were/are worrying about.

[Kulyok]

I am sorry, I did not quite understand. Did you quote the dictionary assuming I do not know what the word means? Or did you mean that the phrase the dictionary offers is not insulting? I have to disagree on both counts. The USSR backstory, where "you are not like others" was the ultimate insult, proves my point well enough, I suppose.

Please, do not pay attention to "'if you're not a modder" thing, since it was only my opinion back then. I have changed it when I saw that neither Domi nor jcompton nor CamDawg had a modder tag; to me, it simply proved that there is no point in this way of classification.

All right, I think I've expressed my opinion clear enough and will try not to bother the staff in the future. If you have more questions, however, I'll be glad to answer.

[SConrad]

Please, do not pay attention to "'if you're not a modder" thing, since it was only my opinion back then. I have changed it when I saw that neither Domi nor jcompton nor CamDawg had a modder tag; to me, it simply proved that there is no point in this way of classification.

The modder group serves its purpose in other ways other than what you describe. To you it might be a hollow icon under the avatar, but SHS hosted modders do indeed have a few other privileges 'normal' members don't have, among those access to other parts of the forum normally not available to members.

All right, I think I've expressed my opinion clear enough and will try not to bother the staff in the future.

I feel just a bit sad to see that you would feel that expressing opinions and venting useful ideas is the same as to "bother the staff". Quite to the contrary, I have never done anything but encouraged constructive discussion, since everyone benefits from it in the long run.

[Kulyok]

Oh! Here is an idea: if you want SHS hosted modders to be different, why don't they receive "inmates"(as I am still wary of "deviants") tag? And others will still have "member" tag. G3 does things this way, if I am not mistaken: all G3 modders carry the tag "Gibberling", and others are simply members.

[jcompton]

Clearly, your only option for shedding the "deviant" tag is to become a member of the highly competent administrative and moderation staff.

[Kulyok]

Well, I can't, since a moderator who can't speak English properly is a shame. But I think you miss my point - Kulyok-moderator would make the tags staff only - and become a deviant. Which is thanks, but no thanks. "Meatbag" was enough.

[jcompton]

I think I did miss something and continue to. The staff members get "Director," "Co-Ordinator," or "Cowled Wizard" depending on how many posts they are empowered to edit and/or delete. No "deviant."