Campaign Headquarters

[Admin of the Second Dawn]

Congratulations, admin nominees! Though there's still about a day left for people to accept nominations, at this stage the ballot is more or less finalized. In about three day's time, the actual election thread will be opened for voting... but from now until voting closes, it's time to open the can of worms that is campaigning. Now, some ground rules.

- Public campaigning is to be restricted to this thread ONLY. If you campaign on the public chat where people can't just ignore you if they desire, you will be disqualified.

- Campaigning in private chat, like before, is forbidden unless the one being campaigned to explicitly asks for it. You may not initiate with "is it okay if I campaign to you?" or anything to that effect. If any candidate does this to you then please tell me and I will remove them from the ballot.

- ANYONE may campaign in this thread for anyone else. Yes, meaning that not only can you campaign for yourself if you want, you may also campaign for or against someone else. Even non-candidates can campaign for or against whomever they wish.

- Do NOT ask someone else to campaign for you; or for/against anyone else. People should only campaign if they possess the initiative to do it on their own.

- Campaigning has the potential to get very personal and very ugly. All campaigning is to remain as professional and civil as possible. If you know ahead of time what you're going to write is mean-spirited and serves little purpose other than to piss someone else off, then don't write it. There's always a better way to get your point across.

- If you aren't sure if something you want to post is acceptable or not, then ask me first. I'll try to help you make it acceptable and objective so that your point gets made. If it can't be done, then I will just ask that you not post it.

- There will be a zero-tolerance policy for non-civil campaigning or personal attacks. I will either delete the post or edit out the offending material if it crosses the line, no discussion. If you see that your post has been deleted/edited and believe it was done so unfairly, then please talk to me and I'll help you make your point without crossing the line. I will archive every post I delete or edit before I alter it in any way.

- Candidates that can't control themselves in this thread or on the chat will be disqualified from this election. "Excessive bitching/moaning/complaining, starting a fight, or creating other kinds of drama will also disqualify one from becoming an admin." This thread will be closely monitored, and a warning will be given if you're getting close to crossing the line, but if you cross it blatantly then you're out.

- If anyone reading this thread feels a post is out of line and I don't take action, then please tell me how/why you take issue with said post. I don't always think something is offensive when others do, so I may need an outside opinion before I take appropriate action.

- You may debate in this thread if you wish, but keep it civil. The same zero-tolerance policy applies here as well.

- This list of rules is not exhaustive, and may be updated if unforeseen circumstances arise. If this list is updated, a post will be made drawing attention to the updated rule.

[Admin of the Second Dawn]

On a personal note I don't plan to participate in the campaigning. I figure that my work speaks for itself, either for better or for worse, and I've made my opinions known... so anything I could say now would be irrelevant. That and if anyone wants to know anything they can just ask me.

That, and staying out of things will allow me to moderate this thread with a level head.

[Thoredox]

Right, well, just an opening thought... I am well aware of my own popularity, and my tendency to steamroll past other people's wishes in pursuit of what I think is right. I am not the nicest person, nor the most understanding. However... I am the most dedicated. And, with the site in the state that it is, that is exactly what we need right now. Dedication. So, I ask that all of you put aside your personal feelings, and vote for the person who has, time and time again, fought (albeit rather harshly) to keep this site up and running. Do I make unpopular decisions, yes. But at least I'm trying. I've put more effort into it than most other people, and I will continue to do so. I honestly doubt we would even be having this election if not for me. I have always fought to keep this place alive. And I always will. And isn't that what is most important right now?

That's all I have to say at this moment, I may expand upon that later, as more people campaign.

[Admin of the Second Dawn]

Since I've gotten this question a few times, I'll just answer it here and now:

No, you do not have to campaign if you don't want to do so. If you wish you may completely ignore this thread and there won't be any consequences for doing so.

Also, late tonight (after midnight), voting will begin for those that already know for whom they want to vote. But this thread is still open for campaigning if you'd like to do so.

[Thoredox]

I would certainly hope people don't ignore this thread. The rules already sort of push the election towards being a popularity contest, and if people don't pay any attention to the perfectly logical reasons of other members, then that is exactly how it'll end up.

[Admin of the Second Dawn]

No, the rules don't push it to becoming a popularity contest. All the rules do is make a guideline to prevent things from getting out of hand and to prevent candidates from harassing members.

We all know each other here so there's no reason to mandate campaigning if the other candidates do not wish to do so. And there's no way to mandate that the members read this thread either. Some people despise politics, and forcing them to read or participate would be a dick move.

And this in no way inhibits you from campaigning here. Have at it.

[Xiphl]

I guess I'll do a little campaigning.

So....yeah, kinda weird, campaigning to a bunch of people that already know me really well. But, here we go.

So, the site has been in the shitter for a few months now. Nobody is denying that. Though I don't think it's anyone in particulars fault necessarily. I'm not gonna point fingers, cause that shit ain't cool. But general lack of interest in the site and things like that have attributed. I'll even admit, there was a time when I barely checked the site at all, because I was almost positive nothing new would be here. But that's all in the past. Now, we should dwell on the FUTURE! *strikes some sort of corny, inspiring pose*

So, I'm not going to be posting what ideas I have for the future of the site because, frankly, at the moment, I don't really have many. But I will say that if I do become an admin (Which, honestly, I have been secretly wishing for for some time now), then I would be very attentive to the site. Like many people still here, I've been with y'all for many years now, and if I stuck around for all of the many instances of site drama, then you'd better be damned sure I'll stay until the end.

I'd also value other member input a lot. Just because I was elected admin, I wouldn't think of myself as higher than anyone, that my opinion mattered more. It's OUR site. I'm just a member, and if I become an admin, then I'll STILL just be a member, but with a few responsibilities tacked on as well. Responsibilities which I think I would be more than capable of handling.

Anywho, that's all I really have to say, I think. The site isn't doing so hot right now, and I think I would be able to help. And not only that, I WANT to help. So, that's it, really.

Oh, also, if I am elected, I will give everyone a free Unicorn.

So, just think about that.

A free.

Unicorn.













Unicorn...

[Kaylie Bastion]

Both campaigning candidates have stated a desire and drive to make improvements to "bring this out of the shitter" as it where. But there is no statement of how. You might as well be telling me you will lower taxes and solve world hunger. Without a plan there is little chance of delivery. So lets here what your going to bring to the table.

I already have a unicorn, what else you got?

[Xiphl]

Well, I kinda already said that I wasn't much for the creative side of stuff. I'm also gonna be honest, at the moment, I don't have much of a plan to help the site. One thing I'd like to do, though, would be to get a new ad out there. I think a few new characters would do us some good.
But beyond that, just planning some events, probably smaller ones than the Tron one. I think that the reason it got derailed so quickly was because it was so large, so there were many, many people to depend on to post, and life just got in the way for a lot of people. If the events were more frequent, but shorter and smaller, I think it would bolster activity a good bit. But this is just me thinking aloud.

So....yeah.

And Maxxxxy, I don't see the problem with you having TWO Unicorns. I mean, most people would kill just to get one. Why would you not want another?

[xeravix]

• New Skin
  
• Clean up Forum
  
• Advertise
  
• Introduce penalty measures for holding up threads.
  
• Remove non sensical rules. ie) No size 1 font, no thread jacking.
  
• Designate 3 day rule for bio acceptance ( no bio will be left longer than 3 days), multiple admin acceptance removed. Introduce specialised Admin soley for bio acceptance/updates.
  
• If all else fails. Ask Belmont for help

Ths is my policy. Rage as you will.

[Thoredox]

Yes, exactly what Xera said. Mostly. As admin, I would push for faster bio acceptance, and stricter chatbox rules. And ADVERTISEMENTS, although getting us out of the shit hole comes first. I don't know if I would directly ask bels for help, though (he's pretty good at sharing his opinions whether I ask for them or not). But otherwise, Xera and I have nearly identical stances. I don't mind the nonsensical rules so much. I agree that they are stupid rules, but if the site prefers larger fonts, then whatever. It doesn't effect the overall efficiency of the site any. Thread jacking, I'm not even sure what Xera means by that... but suffice it to say, I would like to make some minor tweaks to the rules. Nothing major. I probably wouldn't even make a new post, but rather modify what we already have.

One thing I know for sure that I would want to do, though, is change the admin-election process. For one thing, this was originally scheduled to occur October 21st. So yeah, I'd like to see the admins re-elected, not necessarily more often... but definitely more regularly. We shouldn't have to wait until we're on our last legs to get some fresh minds in charge. Right now, I'm thinking annually, guaranteed. That way the admins won't become bored of their positions, and the site won't become so stale.

Those, are my ideas for what to do as admin, and, as I said in the previous post, you already know my determination and devotion to the site. I'm not leaving this place, no matter how much you try to get rid of me (the sad thing is I'm only half joking when I say that). I have a commitment to this site, and to our story. To everything we've built so far, and to the series we have built it upon. I will keep this place alive. Period.

[Thoredox]

And I say this, knowing full well that 95% of the site has already voted, so it doesn't matter.

[Admin of the Second Dawn]

Most of those are valid points, but there are two things I think should be pointed out.

First, the rule about there not being tiny text is not "nonsensical." The tiny text is harder to read and strains the eyes. Frankly, it is an asshole thing to do for absolutely no reason other than personal vanity since you have to go out of your way to change it. People complained, the admins agreed, and the rule went into place.

Really? Ask Belmont for help? All I'm going to say is... do we really want history to repeat itself?


Edit:
Though I do agree that stricter rules on the chat need to be put into place.

[Thoredox]

It's not the font size that's the issue, I don't think. I believe its the font color. Blue on blue. But, like I said, it's not a rule I would care enough about to change. And the belmont thing... well, that's just silly. No one is taking that suggestion seriously.

[Noxenmae]

When you make a movie, you don't try to make a movie that everyone, or a majority, likes. You make the movie because you personally are interested in that particular story. The fact that it is popular or not is not really too important to you, but it is, of course, always a plus. We always have that desire of wanting to make the best story that many people will love. If people don't like it, it would get poor reviews, and they just won't watch it. It is good for a director to receive advice from others, but he might have a hard time steering his movie in a direction that he wants it to go if he only pays attention to what others want. I think rp forums are the same way. Directors are much like admins who work together thoroughly, and the viewers are much like members, who complete the movie altogether. This is just a very simple example, and is not meant to be taken TOO seriously.

Catering to the masses is not what we're trying to do when you make an rp. We just want what we consider to be a good site. A good site has a good structure (organization), a good story, good rules, an attractive skin. But most of all, it has a strong admin team with an open mind, and dedicated members. That's what keeps a site alive. An admin team should not be selected solely by the members, but by the staff, as well. If a staff team can get together and agree that somebody is not fit for a position, they should be able to say so. Also, being a part of staff also means we take responsibility for anything that goes wrong, but that does not mean we should bow down to every disappointment somebody has. There is no such thing as perfect, and although we should strive for perfection, we could never achieve it. He who tries to please everybody pleases nobody.

I have gained much experience regulating many sites. I have created sites that have been a failure due to my personal neglect or rawness, but I have also succeeded in raising a good site (but still had to neglect due to IRL problems). Some of you guys have seen my work in Enraptured and Chains of Fate, where I had my very own rules and systems created. . They were simple, but they got the job done. I was also previously an admin on this site, during the period of transition from the old site to the new. I helped move threads, create rules, plan and regulate events, collaborated with the admins, etc, etc, etc. I encouraged creativity and individualism.

Although I may not be realistic with my views (let’s face it, this site is far from realistic, why would we want that anyway?), I am still very logical and will fight for what is fair and right. Those of you who know me well know that I am the type to execute decisions regardless of personal nature. I’m not perfect and I tend to be very “passionate” about the way I handle things, it happens to be one of my many weaknesses. Throughout my many failures, I have learned a lot. More specifically, I learned that a site can’t function or grow without a strong backbone to support it. The members are very important, as well. The members are the muscles, the blood, and the nerves that bring the shell to life. To this day, I continue to admin on sites that I have helped develop enormously. I can’t say what the perfect system is, but I do know a lot of things that work, and a lot of things that do not.

So I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to get rid of or change this and that. A lot of the things that we have now do work. However, I do know that this site needs change. As to what that change is, I can’t tell you. A lot of the things that have been said on this board are probably the most obvious points. ADVERTISING IS A GIVEN and should be an obvious measure on helping pick the site back up. Advertising will be greatly improved with a nicer skin and a more organized forum, for sure. I think that if I should be elected, I would discuss it with the admin team in order to get it done. I know our site is at its lowest point yet. But as a great man once said, “When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.”

*AND THEN THE SITE GOES INTO AVATAR STATE MODE YIP YIP*