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To prop or not to prop


dUSt

Props  

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Would one lose their props after they cash them in? I'll send you a t-shirt for 5,000 props. Then you'll have 2,627 left...

Or, just like "Hit 5,000 props, get a free t-shirt" type thing?

yes..

 

almost like phatmass currency...

 

maybe people would prop others more and that might be a good thing...

 

I could get you some phatmass stuff for free if you might.. like pens magnets and such...

t-shirts would be amesome too!!!

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yes..

 

almost like phatmass currency...

 

maybe people would prop others more and that might be a good thing...

 

I could get you some phatmass stuff for free if you might.. like pens magnets and such...

t-shirts would be amesome too!!!

Can you seriously make a Pope Julius II koozy? I think we can make that a +2500 prop item.

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Ok

 

I assume this may seem like a stupid question at this point... 

But what the heck are props anyways?

I was going to ask what the heck a koozy is.

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I liked negative props. I was kind of mad the first time I got one, but then it kept happening over and over again and I got used to it lol (And also got used to handing them out as well).

Oh well, c'est la vie.

 

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I wish more people would complain to me, because I never hear it. I DO hear how people leave, and how people are unhappy, but I never hear why. It truly is a great mystery to me. After decoding your message, here's the feedback I'm hearing:

What events made people feel dismissed? How did it make them feel not important? I really want to change this, but it's unclear what you mean.

Do I need to make it easier for people to share their stories? Why do they not share their stories now? What can I do to improve this?

I have a terrible memory. What did I do to make them feel this way? I truly want to correct this.

I try really hard to seek feedback from the community before any decision. Some decisions are technology based so aren't really subject to opinion. I think this is probably the most transparent forum in the Catholic world, unless I'm missing something.

 

Can you ask the mystery person if he/she ever tried to communicate with me directly about this matter? I am the ultimate decision maker here, so I can only assume that the mystery person felt dismissed by me--in which case, I'd like to revisit the communication between myself and the mystery person to see if I owe somebody an apology.

From my conversations with people who have left, many people felt dismissed because they weren't warned about the migration. It happened all of a sudden, was a trainwreck, and nobody helped them move over (though I tried, with copious how-to videos) when the sign-in stuff was all a disaster on the new phorum. I think that at that point, the less techy felt like they were being "weeded out", and others just felt like a top-down decision was made with no concern for how it would affect users. I recall some things being said by the admin at that time that reinforced this feeling ("deal with it"/"so learn how to use the internet" kind of comments), but I can't recall exactly what was said.

I do think you need to make it easier for people to share their stories. But I think the thread you posted last week asking people to be honest about who should get a phishy tag/be banned/etc. was a good way to do this. It let people just vent and see change as a result. Explicitly asking people on a periodic basis, "How are you feeling about how things are going/being managed on Phatmass" or "What are you upset about right now on Phatmass?" is a really good way to do this, because sometimes we just want to be brutally honest and let it all out. It's cathartic, and the climate of the phorum seems to improve in the immediate aftermath of such venting sessions (at least judging by last week's venting thread). Certainly such threads are needed when we've had some kind of crisis (like an ongoing outbreak of incivility or a trad invasion or some omnipresent obnoxious user or whatnot).

I agree that the phorum is really transparent, but that just highlights those times when decisions are made without our input. Because we're used to having a say, when we don't get a say, people get upset. Popping a change on Phatmassers without forewarning is sure to ruffle panties. And anytime things are changed—with or without our say—we need to communicate the reasons to those who didn't "get their way" gently and lovingly, with patience and understanding of their upset. And in the case of tech changes, with lots of helpfulness. (The latter is something we ALL need to take upon ourselves. If you alone did that, dUSt, it'd be a full-time job at change-times.)

"The mystery person" did contact you multiple times. If I recall correctly, s/he got no replies for a while, then a snarky, dismissive one (in his/her estimation, of course—I didn't see the original). I've asked that person to "come out" in the phorum or privately. S/he's considering it, but his/her peace of mind may be at stake, so I'm not sure what's gonna happen.

The truth is, dUSt, that sometimes your personality just puts people off. I mean, I think you're hilarious, but sometimes, especially when you're stressed out or just dealing with too much croutons on Phatmass—either technological or crowd-control—you can be really dismissive. If someone expresses a concern or says they're upset or that their feelings have been hurt, that's not the kind of thing to just brush off with a quick "Well, you can't please everyone" or similar. It's true you can't please everyone, and I understand such comments when I see you make them. Sometimes it's clear to me you're just trying to be funny, and sometimes it's clear you just don't have time to deal with every complaint that comes up. But to the person who's upset, that's personal.

Also, the turnover around here has kinda' broken a sense of community. The more turnover we have, the more cliquish it's going to get, because the veterans all know each other, and the noobs flood in, and that creates different (old vs new) relationships: i.e., (perceived, at least) "cliques". So clearly reducing turnover is a goal (though I think you obviously see that already).

There are also, as you know, sometimes massive outbreaks of nastiness. Shutting these down much sooner by stricter/more vigilant modding could prevent "community decay". When the population of Phatmass is changing rapidly and people don't yet understand one another's posting styles, because so many people (both old and new) are new to each other, these kinds of outbreaks are more likely, I think. It's then that much more important to keep watch over the phorum so that the desired tone and "culture" of Phatmass can be clearly communicated to newcomers (and so old-timers can be reminded of our values!).

I'll do what I can to get you feedback straight from the horse's mouth. I hope you know that, despite all these "complaints", I do appreciate everything you do, and I do think you do a great job. It's not perfect, but I don't imagine it's easy either. So I thank you. :) 

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Why did you not make Gabriela a moderator again? Seriously, do it. We are in no danger of having too many. She obviously cares about the community and is willing to put the work into it.

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Why did you not make Gabriela a moderator again? Seriously, do it. We are in no danger of having too many. She obviously cares about the community and is willing to put the work into it.

Are you pulling a Luke 23:26 on me, dude? :P 

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Are you pulling a Luke 23:26 on me, dude? :P 

<_< You know that Catholics do not read the Bible.

 

:|

Edited by Nihil Obstat
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