Staffing What to Do About a Player Who Doesn't Listen...

[valucre 19]

In my experience managing the site I find that, for some people, a verbal warning just has zero weight, and it isn't until they see some action seriously taken against their profile that they start to consider you're actually being serious about what you're telling them. So a few less-than-nuclear options may involve things like removing their ability to have signatures, or to send private messages, or to engage in the OOC section of the site (or the IC section, wherever they're causing the most trouble) or even a temporary suspension of the site

 

Some of these members may construct an argument such that they feel it's administrator's responsibiltiy to handhold members throuugh all facets of site interaction but, after a certain point, it's really a sink or swim type of decision for a member. Whether they're being malicious or are simply incapable of interpreting or following the rules, the end result is the same and sometime it's the end result that just has to be dealt with

 

We had a member that encouraged another, underage, member to lie about their age so they could get access to the OOC section of the site. Their argument was that the rules didn't explicitly state they couldn't do that . . . so yeah. At the end of the day you're the captain of the digital ship and have to make the hard choices about what's best for your ship 

[blitzy 8]

I personally believe in giving chances but there is a cut off for those chances, if you can't comply after being spoke to 3 times then I usually kick/ban them. Some people just won't listen and need tough love.

[JD Hart 72]

1. Make sure you have well written out and well explained/defined rules.

2. If someone breaks those rules then they get a warning.

3. Three warnings and you're gone.

 

^^^ this would be the basic structure I think it's good to follow. However, how you implement it is important.

 

I'm always very "sorry, sorry! but can you just...." and having a light, innocent and almost naive tone. "I'm sure you didn't mean to do this but I just noticed... whoopsie, let's fix that - yes? 😄 " sort of thing. Talk to them like you would a friend or a colleague. You don't need to play the whole - "I am staff. You are member. Bow down." card - you can just talk to them normally.

 

I almost make it sound like I am beholden to both the rules and what is best for the community and I am therefore being forced to talk to them about these things. Which isn't even a lie - I hate being a bossy boots and pulling rank - but sometimes I know that it is necessary to retain the feel and tone of the site and the communal atmosphere for the members. So this is pretty much how I feel.

 

Where your strength comes in (so you don't come across as a total push over) is that you never favour from your point. You can say "sorry!" or use cute terms as much as you like, but at the end of the day, you are a dog with a bone and you do not waver. Let them know that you are going to continue talking to them and continue bringing this up until it is fixed.

 

Eventually they will either break a rule formally (and you can suddenly be more firm and be like - "hey, I think I've been nice up until now, but this is taking things too far, my friend!" - or they will simply get annoyed at what they think is "nit picking" and just leave - so you don't need to ban them at all.

 

Apparently my method of staffing is to wear people down with niceness :S