I brought it up as a metaphor. Always the problem with metaphors, people take them literally and get confused. So one person felt it should be merged, and you agree, and thus is right regardless of at least one other person disagreeing? That sounds somewhat biased to me. So...you listen to the users until you disagree with them, at which point you become empowered to make the right choice for them? Doesn't that strike you as somewhat dictatorial? [hide] [/hide] On the matter of taking unpopular moves...If they are unpopular, and the only people they effect are the people who think they are unpopular...Then they are not only unpopular but unwise. If something is unwise then it doesn't matter how correct you, personally, think it is. Example: As a moderator, you need to show a sense of unity with the rest of the team. Do not imply to users that you are being forced to warn against your will, as it will cause them to take the warning much less seriously. However it is unwise to do this since, to their mind, the rule is stupid, thus the person enforcing the rule is stupid, thus there is no reason to abide by the rule. By explaining that you are aware of the failings of the rules, but accept that in 99% of cases, they are the correct course of action, it fosters the sense that, although the rule is stupid (Users original position) it has to be enforced equally, and thus it is better to avoid a repeat offense. And having the Admin tell the user that they have broken the rules for disagreeing with the rules is...to me...an abuse of power and only engenders further recriminations. Cool. We shall see how she does. http://forum.tip.it/topic/267130-the-newest-global-announcement/page__view__findpost__p__4335815 http://forum.tip.it/topic/272351-delta-v/page__view__findpost__p__4465467 So the removal of the forum's post count adding ability and chastising us for Hex's removal. There are other posts related to both of those, however they are on the same topic. As for the rape comment... If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. ~Noam Chomsky Its mostly irrelevant though, most of the rest of the forum agrees with you on that matter... Swiftboating is very unbecoming though. Earth says he reads it occassionally. I certainly read parts of it when I need to unwind. Merely because people do not post there, does not mean people do not show an interest in it. Burying it, on the other hand, means that less people will take an interest...I still shall, Earth my still, but I doubt people, like Earth, who joined afterwards...will. So your proof for people supporting the merger is: I.... honestly don't care.~ Apathy does it matter? why not put them in the back of the tavern.~ Disinterest New life is more likely if it's a separate forum, and if it's deleted my suggestion for a sticky explaining the concept would allow those potentially interested to start it back up.~ A quote supporting keeping it seperate or deleting it. I don't see why they're against a merge either...~ A quote that supports your position Yeah I have no idea why people don't like the idea Das.~ Disinterest In a generous mood... three of them support you, one strongly and two out of apathy. Compare that with the 14 from the poll who didn't/don't want them merged and I fail to see the relevance. Or even the seven who definately want to keep things as the are(now), minus Rusco. So...Basically the same? You might want to send all the warnings to the admin as well...This is not an attempt to take a cheap shot at the adminstration, but when you send PMs warning people, those people may forget, and the current policy is/was not to talk to the moderator until a full account of the situation has been taken from the users. By which point...unless you actually do hate the user and are collecting evidence to defend yourself with at the trial...things will have moved on and you will have dealt with a million other things during the interrim. On a related note, what is your policy on a GM who refuses to allow someone to play a game? Since that is effectively a ban in reverse. Or, as the case maybe, a user who feels the GM is trying to circumvent the system for removing players by overpowering other people's weapons, thus killing the player and forcing them out in that fashion. After all, it is essentially the GMs word against the user, and unless you have the pages and pages of PMs between them, and a keen understanding of the situation, how can you be expected to make a correct decision... Since things things tend to be more complicated than 'Person X killed [Quest Character] and spoiled the game'...things tend to be 'Person X killed [Quest Character] because they felt they should for this, this and this reason, however person Y and Z feel that they have ruined the game for this, this and this reason.' Replace 'this' with a paragraph or two about abstract concepts, though I am sure you understand that, since you have experiance of Hegemony arguements. Locking them is a fine compromise. Only issue is that then someone gets a good idea three months later and they end up getting unlocked. As happened with the two hegemony threads getting merged...and the forums getting merged...one person said it was a good idea, moderator agreed, therefore it happened/will happen, despite people disagreeing on both counts. Slippery slope arguement exists for a reason...