Being asked to return as staff

[Anonymous 234]

So hypothetically, let's say you stepped away from a board. You are user 1, so you have agreed to help keep the skin and backend stuff working smoothly. The new admin comes to you and says, "hey, the other staffer and I need to step down, can you come back because we don't wanna close the board?" 

 

There is a lot of bad blood. The board is a sinking ship. You would be a solo admin.

 

Do you agree to take over? Do you decide that it's time to close it? Do you close it down for a revamp? 

Anonymous poster hash: 99d37...f91

[Grimscythe 181]

I fully agree with Snark. If the staff is leaving, and it's mostly a bad blood issue, I'd take it.

[Anonymous 234]

OP here: 

 

Something that was brought to my attention is that if I make any move to close it for a revamp, the admins who are stepping down will throw a fit (a few players might, too tbh).  Is there a way to navigate that gracefully and not get branded the RP Antichrist? 

Anonymous poster hash: 99d37...f91

[Grimscythe 181]

Just now, Anonymous said:

OP here: 

 

Something that was brought to my attention is that if I make any move to close it for a revamp, the admins who are stepping down will throw a fit (a few players might, too tbh).  Is there a way to navigate that gracefully and not get branded the RP Antichrist? 

Anonymous poster hash: 99d37...f91

 

That's a hard pass then. If they're just looking for someone to do their work, then you're just help. That's not worth saving.

[PixieMegs 107]

I'm going to have to agree with Grim here. Initially, I might have suggested trying to save it, but being a solo admin is really tough as is. It'd be a lot of work and just you. Now that you've gotten more information and have been told that the two admins stepping down would not approve of your closing to undergo a revamp- I'd suggest letting the site die. If you want to staff a site, you can always make your own at this point if you want to. But being asked to just do all the dirty work with zero creative freedom or being able to make important calls isn't being staff. It's being their clean-up crew. 

[ChrisOwl 59]

Depends how much of your heart is in it. If you've moved on because you're done writing and reading on that forum, or if you don't have the time to put into it, then let the site die. It's not worth the extra work if it's going to be a strain on your mind, time, resources, etc.

If you have the ambition to get it up and running again, then go for it. You said you feel as if it's currently as sinking ship however, so that means you're going to have to make changes and you think there is going to be backlash? Are there members left who are going to support you in making forum what you want it to be? Or are they all going to go down the drain if you start making changes? In that case it might be better to take the skeleton of your forum/idea and just start with something fresh.

[CovertSphinx 710]

Sounds like they old regimes just wants you to fill in and run the site the "old way" that they're used to. No thanks - I'd run the other way.

[Agatha Harkness 59]

Being a solo staffer is a lot of pressure, and dealing with this potential toxic nightmare is a big headache on top of this. If your heart isn't in reclaiming the site and fixing it up, it is best to cut ties altogether and walk away. But it seems like this situation has toxic nightmare written all over it with the staff and some member attitude to methods at salvaging the site. Bad blood, a sinking ship, and staff who clearly just want a glorified monkey to run shit for them whilst they give orders is a one way ticket to disaster. 

 

If the staff are saying they no longer wish to run the site, they are pretty much resigning from their roles. If you are the manager of a retail shop, and quit or go on leave, you don't still get to come into the store and tell customers and floor staff what to do.  The shop would get a cover manager or replacement in to do that manager's job and make any tough choices. Same applies here. If they're not going to let you return as staff and do the job properly, you deserve better than being their powerless gofer.