StarGateWars Forums

To whom it may concern:

Having a signature is a privilege, not a right. The rule is clearly defined in the rules.

It matters little what courtesy was given in the past to other forum users.

It really is this simple: Stop breaking the rules.

This is an awkward subject for an ombudsman for several reasons.

Firstly, there is the nature of the dispute. When looking at conflicts between the users and the moderators, most of which involve the issue of a warning, I tend to ask myself several questions. First of all I look at what the warning was issued for, and then I look at the forum guidelines. Is it a warnable offense? Are the rules on that particular subject well-defined or open to interpretation? What would I have done in those circumstances as a moderator? How would I feel if I'd been issued that warning as a user?

The answers to these questions contribute a significant amount to what I decide. The most important is probably the first; as whether or not something falls within the rules is a paramount factor. What makes this case awkward is that there was a clear rule breakage, and the user making the case has admitted this on several occasions. Her issue is not with the punishment, but rather with the methodology used by the administration in applying it. This isn't a just a warning we can recommend to be repealed. In fact, I'm not even sure if it's within our jurisdiction. At the very best this is an issue about consistency within the ranks of the mod team, and at the very worst it calls for an entire overhaul of procedure and a possible rewriting of the guidelines. Murky territory for a mediator like myself to be getting involved in.

My second problem is the nature of the 'evidence.' Whether or not someone had time to read something, and whether or not it was placed in the proper place, is too subjective. This has become less about the issue at hand, and more about some sort of petty squabble, real or supposed, between a single forum user and a forum administrator. Others may wade into this with great relish, but it is not something in which I wish to become involved.

On the basis of the above points, I do not feel I can make a recommendation against what's happened. The issue is too awkward, too far out of my jurdisdiction, too personalized and too bogged down with all sorts of baggage. My official recommendation is that you take this to the other feedback sections if you still have a grievance, but my unofficial one is that the lot of you should have your heads knocked together.

My recommendation is that in the future, the mods always PM the user about issues like this where it is time sensitive.