Spirit of Tazlure
From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki
There is no special skill item or concept that encompasses the Spirit of Tazlure. It's the warm fuzzy feeling you get from getting a post, or reading a good thread. It's the community of people who make up this game. It's the camaraderie, the creativity, the sportsmanship, the friendliness and the atmosphere that you encounter on our boards...
It's different things to different people.
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[edit] Tazlure Spirit in the Forums for Moderators
Whether you are a supporter ('mini-mod') or a moderator, one thing is universal: you will encounter a lot of players who are either new to the genre (making odd mistakes), or new to the game (role playing fine, but making odd mistakes). It is the task of a moderator to set the game's OOC atmosphere by reacting in a way that is both polite and efficient.
When dealing with these well meaning, but confused, players we try and react with kindness and explanations. This friendly attitude is often dubbed "The Tazlure Spirit".
The core of how we do business in a TGS PBP is being friendly and professional, instead of simply slamming our foot down. There is of course the official Mod Charter, which details this, but that is just a set of rules. So how do you deal with day to day issues ?
In communications there is a SENDER, the MESSAGE, and the RECEIVER. You (the sender) are trying to make the receiver change part of his behaviour, or do something for you by using a message. It is not so much your intent that counts when you are communicating, nor even the cold facts. How your message was perceived by the other person will determine how effective it has been in dealing with the issue.
In general we are trying to send out a message that we care about players, want to genuinely help them and take them seriously. This means you will have to carefully weigh what you say in "disciplinary" posts to avoid coming off as authoritative, controlling, dismissive, blunt, insulted etc. If necessary use 10 pounds of sugar to sweeten your words, and always make sure that you have lost the sharp edge of any anger before you post. Emoticons can help solve the lack of facial expressions (always part of the message you are sending in real life) so you do not create the wrong impression.
[edit] Tazlure Spirit in Chat
Chat is moderated by the Administration. No other ops exist. We consider all users mature adults and we expect everybody to respect other users in chat. We do not want a situation in which people with a stick are needed to keep order in the chatroom as that only invites more childish behaviour. Being ops was never about being respected or any form of power.
Under our current rules all players can decide that a topic is off limit or request that a debate or convo be taken outside the channel. What is more, the majority of our players are seniors with either a past in modding or in supporting and they can be trusted to give out accurate helpful information just as much as staffers can. With the wiki, giving out information is no longer limited to staff.
Should one or or more users not be able to display the maturity we expect and demand, they will be banned from the chatroom. If you have a complaint about less than respectful behaviour in chat, such as ignoring a netherworld call, or plain rudeness, please send a PM to the Administration.
[edit] Tazlure Spirit among Mods
The Tazlure Spirit doesn't just regards players but moderators as well.
[edit] Open Communication
The Tazure spirit combines openness with friendliness and being welcoming to new people. For the working relationship between mods this translates to a need for Open Communication.
We come from all walks of lives and cultures from all over the world. We have noticed that left unexplained open communication means different things to different people. The intent of open communication is straightforwardness and honesty. It may be blunt at times, but it is also effective and in the long run minimizes hurt feelings.
This does not mean that open communication is an excuse to rant, to bitch, to flame, to be unfriendly or uncaring, to be harsh or to simply say everything that pops into your head without a care how others may interpret what you say.
Open communication means you tell us the concerns you have about processes or policies, suggestions for change, logic behind doing so and then listen to the feedback given. It is a discussion of policies, not people. It is about an exchange of valid arguments, not about endless ranting without listening to the other parties involved.
That doesn't always mean your arguments will be accepted or validated, but you are encouraged to let your voice be heard.
Open communication does not mean addressing issues in PMs in chat or even in a moderator's chatroom. That involves only those present in chat at the time and so cannot be considered open. It means addressing all those involved either through a post in the Moderator forums or, if it is a policy issue by emailing the Administration so that all of us are aware of your communication and we can discuss it with you.
Open communication between staffers means approaching people directly with issues and not talking about them while they are not present. That includes talking about people in the moderator chatroom or in chat PM's. Criticizing others who have no opportunity to defend themselves is not only cowardly, it is non-productive and damaging to the team as a whole.
Finally, it also entails that you listen to the feedback the comes as a result and try to see a side other than your own. We come from many walks of life and various cultures which means that we must work even more diligently to make sure that what we say is clearly presented and understood. It also means we are not always going to see things the same way or give the same value to all things, but we value diversity as well.
[edit] Practical Issues
Q. Wait a minute.. you cannot control every minute of my online life in the game. What I discuss in PM's in chat or elsewhere is my own business.
A. That is between you and your conscious. The Administration has no wish to turn the game into some kind of police state where we are watching your behaviour 24 hours a day, and are not actively seeking to monitor you, whether that be in chat or in PM. We will only react to issues once our 'radar' tells us something is seriously affecting the game as a whole.
All we pointed out is that talking/ranting/gossiping behind a persons back is NOT a form of open communication and far from professional. It is a form of avoiding conflict that is ineffective too, for as we've seen time and time again in the end the explosion will be more heated and personal then if matters are addressed in an early stage. The people you talk about in this way will almost instinctively know something is up, and will paint in their own worst nightmare. All in all.. it is not what we would like to see as part of our atmosphere in the team.
Q. So, if I can't say what I want in the moderator chatroom, what is the point of having such a chatroom?
A. Even in real life your freedom of speech is limited the moment it affects other people as well. The moderator chatroom is no different. We created the chatroom as place for moderators to plot and exchange. In addition to that we like the way it provides fellowship. All of us like to hang out a bit, learn what happens in each others real lives and support each other. It ensures that we work better as a team. So, fellowship and plotting are the main goals of the moderator chatroom.
Q.I have a general suggestion for the running of this game, or one area in particular. How do I bring it forward?
A.Post your issue in the Moderator Forums, or approach the staffer in charge of the area directly if this is a suggestion for a coordinator. See for the rest the question below.
Q. I disagree with a policy/decision of the Administration. How do I get them to change it?
A. Post your issue in the Moderator forum or approach the Administration directly through emai. Present your arguments in a logical fashion, and be sure that you follow the rules of rhetoric by not using false arguments. Play the ball and not the man.
Here are some general rules: Debate Rules 1 Debate Rules 2
While you can discuss these issues in the moderator chatroom, it will not be considered open communication until you post it, and thus doing one without the other may be considered ranting and will be cause for the Administration to give you feedback.
When presenting your arguments, be straightforward and honest.Avoid general statements that only hint at other people involved or can be taken as to imply somebody else is not doing their job well. Do not leave room for assumptions and do not mention your criticisms indirectly.
Once you've presented your question or issue, and an answer or explanation has been given, continuing to re-ask the same questions and offer the same arguments is silly and pointless. Just because you keep pushing the issue and telling us you are upset does not mean we are going to change anything.
If you are disputing the response, then offer valid logical arguments that help us to see your reasoning. Valid arguments point out either how something hurts the game as a whole or what we can do to make the game better as a whole. Valid arguments also answer any questions that were put to you by the previous speaker(s). To ignore what the person previously said is not communicating at all for communication is a two sided activity. If you are not hearing what the others are saying, then all you are doing is ranting which is a waste of time and an energy drain on all of us: a major hurt to the game.
In an exchange of argument it always helps to try and find some middle ground, instead of analysing what another has said to death. Try and create bridges instead of simply being locked in a battle of words and seeking the defence. It is a no win situation and makes everybody feel lousy.
Q. The Administration explained its policy/decision, but I still disagree. How do I deal with that?
A.If you find yourself unable to accept our policies at any time, then you need to re-examine your reasons for being here and your membership on the team. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it will change or go away. If you can accept that and go on without it causing you irritation, then that is good. If it is something you feel so strongly about that it eats at you, then perhaps remaining with the game is not healthy for you emotionally.
We have had staff resign because of policies that we would not change that they felt too strongly about. We accept that as inevitable, a regrettable necessity. It doesn't mean that we do not appreciate our staffers.
Q. I disagree with something one of my fellow staffers did or said. How do I deal with that?
A. You need to give feedback. Here are some general rules for that
- Create a safe environment. This means somewhere private (PM, MSN or email), or with only a member of Administration in attendance, provided the other party agrees to that.
- Make sure the other party is ready to receive feedback, and has enough time to debate this with you.
- Keep your message to how you feel about things, what your opinion is etc. Don't use "universal truths".
- Do not attack the other party, do not make it personal. Talk about issues.
- Do not tell other people what you gave feedback on. The only exception is informing the Administration so that they are aware if you deem this necessary. If you do that send it to (email address) with a copy to the other person.
Note that this means that attacking people head on in #cantine is just as wrong as talking behind their back!
Q.I am not comfortable with what a fellow staffer said to me, and I've already given feedback but that hasn't resolved the situation. How do I deal with that?
A. At this stage, were feedback between staffers is no longer functional you need to involve the Administreation. We suggest you contact us at (email address). We will be talking to both you, and on occasion may set up a mediation session in chat or through email.
If the situation warrants it you can lodge a formal complaint against a fellow staffer by sending us an email at gd@tazlure.nl with your issue, the actions you took to resolve it, and why it hasn't. You will be informed of the result, though not always in precise detail if the GD's consider that a matter of privacy.
Q. Okay. Frankly, staffer X is my nemesis. We don't see eye to eye on a number of issues, and yes, I admit it, I dislike staffer X on principle. I don't think we'll be able to resolve our differences.
A.There are always going to be people you don't care for and many of those you will have to work side by side with, like it or not. We are a TEAM and we promote TEAMwork that means we are only as strong as our weakest link. It is to our benefit to try to HELP those who have some problems, not rant about them. We all have areas where we need help. We all live in glass houses... in fact as the staff of the game we live in one giant glass house.... so let's be wary about throwing stones.
Q. Staffer X is under performing, is not professional etc.. I demand to know what you are going to do about this menace.
A. Open communication doesn't mean that the Administration is willing to sacrifice the privacy of individual staffmembers. To create a safe environment for everybody we do not talk publicly about the feedback we are giving staffmembers, according guidelines for feedback we sketched above.
We talk to people on a daily basis, and giving feedback ranging from an informal thwap to official warnings. We also on occasion fire staffmembers. Most leave voluntarily before we have to remove them though.
To assume nothing is done, or that people repeatedly get second chances is a dangerous assumption indeed. Not only are you allowing the issue to sour up relationships between staffers, but you are more or less saying that the Admininstration is not doing its work properly.
Q. I was only supporting/defending the position of my fellow staffer/management
A. Let each of us fight our own battles. We are all mature enough to say what we mean and bring forward our own opinion with arguments. Nobody needs to be sheltered or defended by a white knight. It only leads to debates spiralling out of control. Please, stick with talking for yourself only.
