Report, edit, etc...Posted by Mini Moose 2707 on 2006-09-10 at 12:20:05
So, you've been warned. Maybe had some posts deleted, minerals fined, or other actions. A lot of people have been pointing out the difficulty of standing up for oneself, thus I'm writing this handy little guide to make it a less painful (or ideally, painless) experience. There tends to be right and wrong ways to do things in these situations, so hopefully this will provide some guidance. We'll examine who to talk to, what to say, and other little tidbits that will make settling disagreements easier for both members and staff. 
Who to Talk to...
Naturally, you shouldn't try to dispute any sort of moderator's action without knowing who to talk to. If you've been warned, the person who warned you will be in your warn logs. View warn logs by clicking the percentage number on the bar indicating your warn level in your profile and every post you make.
"Offending" Moderator: The obvious logical start. Who better to take up a case with than the person who warned you?
Global Moderator: Assuming they aren't the ones who have warned you, this would be the next step to appeal to.
Administrator: If you have a serious disagreement with a Global Moderator's decision, this is your figurative "Supreme Court". Or, if an Administrator took action against you, they are the only ones who should be hearing your case.
Note 1: Be warned, take involving the higher powers seriously! A poorly presented or illogical case might make us get "cranky".
Note 2: Generally, always use private messages over public forums. Conflicts can and should be resolved privately. Outside parties have little, if any, effect on our decisions.
What To Say...
Take great care in designing a well presented, well thought out case. Here are some guidelines you can follow.
* Write up a well presented arguement. I'm not asking for a brief to submit to a court of law, but citing what you disagree with and the reasoning behind your dissention is imperative to your case.
* Don't outright flame the staff in anger for taking action against you - we may have made a mistake. Convince us that you're worth the time we'll spend reviewing your argument and deserving of action if we choose to take it.
* Use good grammar and spelling. We won't help you if we don't understand what you're saying or have to strain to read it.
* Be polite and respectful - appeal to us on a higher level. Don't order the staff to do this or do that. We work for the site, not for you.
* Present a link to any posts or examples that you would like to reference, even if you cannot view them. The posts most likely still exist but are not viewable.
* Keep in mind that we like our jobs to be easy. If we have to do lots of working researching your case, interpreting your writing, etc, we might get cranky and less likely to rule in your favor (or not rule at all).
EXAMPLES
What I would think if I read that PM...
1. "I didn't know I take orders from him."
2. "What warn is he talking about?"
3. "Why am I taking this warn off?"
4. "Wow, this guy isn't trying to impress me at all."
Arguments NOT to Use...
Why not: You need to be mindful of security on your account. Using the same password for everything and writing your password on your laptop cover isn't a very good strategy for guarding your account.
Why not: The classic "he hit me first" argument, perfect for absolving yourself of responsibility. Keeping this short and not a coming of age lecture: you are responsible for your actions, reactions, and emotions. If someone is flaming or spamming your topic, take the high road and don't sink to their level. Nobody is going to believe you're a moron when the guy posting it types with his fist about how he got his pet goldfish drunk in every other topic.
Closing...
Above all, be polite, respectful, and logical. We aren't asking you to suck up (that'll just inflate our egos and make us feel good about ourselves, not support you
), but rather just to be decent people. Don't expect that every well-written case will automatically always be decided in your favor. You don't have to like or even agree with us, but we still have to get along. Have fun fighting the power. 
Who to Talk to...
Naturally, you shouldn't try to dispute any sort of moderator's action without knowing who to talk to. If you've been warned, the person who warned you will be in your warn logs. View warn logs by clicking the percentage number on the bar indicating your warn level in your profile and every post you make.
"Offending" Moderator: The obvious logical start. Who better to take up a case with than the person who warned you?
Global Moderator: Assuming they aren't the ones who have warned you, this would be the next step to appeal to.
Administrator: If you have a serious disagreement with a Global Moderator's decision, this is your figurative "Supreme Court". Or, if an Administrator took action against you, they are the only ones who should be hearing your case.
Note 1: Be warned, take involving the higher powers seriously! A poorly presented or illogical case might make us get "cranky".
Note 2: Generally, always use private messages over public forums. Conflicts can and should be resolved privately. Outside parties have little, if any, effect on our decisions.
What To Say...
Take great care in designing a well presented, well thought out case. Here are some guidelines you can follow.
* Write up a well presented arguement. I'm not asking for a brief to submit to a court of law, but citing what you disagree with and the reasoning behind your dissention is imperative to your case.
* Don't outright flame the staff in anger for taking action against you - we may have made a mistake. Convince us that you're worth the time we'll spend reviewing your argument and deserving of action if we choose to take it.
* Use good grammar and spelling. We won't help you if we don't understand what you're saying or have to strain to read it.
* Be polite and respectful - appeal to us on a higher level. Don't order the staff to do this or do that. We work for the site, not for you.
* Present a link to any posts or examples that you would like to reference, even if you cannot view them. The posts most likely still exist but are not viewable.
* Keep in mind that we like our jobs to be easy. If we have to do lots of working researching your case, interpreting your writing, etc, we might get cranky and less likely to rule in your favor (or not rule at all).
EXAMPLES
QUOTE
BAD - Yo (Mispelling of Admin's name) you wangsucker taek this warn off NOW cuz it sux whyd u warn me motherf**cker
What I would think if I read that PM...
1. "I didn't know I take orders from him."
2. "What warn is he talking about?"
3. "Why am I taking this warn off?"
4. "Wow, this guy isn't trying to impress me at all."
QUOTE
GOOD - (Global Mod's name), I was warned twice for my post in this topic. Could you take a look at my warn logs and check this out?
Arguments NOT to Use...
QUOTE
You shouldn't have warned me for post. My little brother stole my password, logged in and posted that!
Why not: You need to be mindful of security on your account. Using the same password for everything and writing your password on your laptop cover isn't a very good strategy for guarding your account.
QUOTE
It isn't my fault I was warned for my posts in topic! (Member) was flaming me first.
Why not: The classic "he hit me first" argument, perfect for absolving yourself of responsibility. Keeping this short and not a coming of age lecture: you are responsible for your actions, reactions, and emotions. If someone is flaming or spamming your topic, take the high road and don't sink to their level. Nobody is going to believe you're a moron when the guy posting it types with his fist about how he got his pet goldfish drunk in every other topic.
Closing...
Above all, be polite, respectful, and logical. We aren't asking you to suck up (that'll just inflate our egos and make us feel good about ourselves, not support you
), but rather just to be decent people. Don't expect that every well-written case will automatically always be decided in your favor. You don't have to like or even agree with us, but we still have to get along. Have fun fighting the power.