Administrator Spotlight

[tripsis]

 

Overview Of The Administrator Role

 

• Administrators are the leaders and final decision-makers of all of Tip.it. Their jobs are many and their responsibility is large. Admins are present behind every large forum and website decision. Although there are a few different branches within the administrative role - such as tech admin, website admin and forum admin - for the most part everyone does a little bit of everything. Administrators work as a team to ensure that Tip.it is functioning smoothly and that its users are receiving the best support possible.
   
  In addition to being leaders of the community members, administrators are also leaders of the Tip.it staff. Admins are in charge of adding and removing staff members, as well as also being readily available to all staff members if they require assistance in any way. The process of hiring new staff members is extremely extensive. Once the candidate reaches the administrators, the user must be fully evaluated. There are security risks with bringing in any new staff member so we do our best to ensure incoming staff are secure. Once a potential candidate's behavior and post history is approved, the administrators perform a security check on the candidate's computer. This is to ensure that the candidate is not running any malicious programs or that their computer is not infected with a keylogger, virus, etc. The security of Tip.it is a #1 priority. This process is long and requires much effort and research, but is necessary to ensure we hire the best people for the job.
   
  Although the rest of the Tip.it staff branches usually function perfectly well on their own, administrators must always be readily available. The entire admin team works together to support the crew members, moderators, Tip.it Events Team and IRC operators. If there is ever a disagreement between staff members or between staff and users, administrators step in to resolve the issue. As the highest authority figures, administrators will often have to make the final decision if two or more staff members are in disagreement over how to handle a situation, how to interpret a policy, etc. Additionally, administrators are behind every policy that is added, removed, or revised. The moderator team usually discusses these changes, but then the final decision and implementation is brought to administrators.
   
  As an example, take this series of staff spotlights. The idea was brought to the attention of the admins, the admins approved the idea and the work began. However, the administrators had to figure out where the line would be drawn. How much behind-the-scenes information would it be safe to reveal? The admins wanted to provide insight into the different branches of staff, but some things cannot be mentioned in order to preserve the privacy and security of the team. The content was written and gathered by all the staff members and then carefully reviewed and approved by the admin team. A lot of work and decision-making goes into even the smallest projects. A similar process exists for all other decisions and implementations. When a forum policy is being reviewed, it is usually discussed amongst the moderators and then the administrators have their own discussion. They use the moderators' discussion as a starting point to come up with the final decision. Many things have to be taken into account. Administrators have to be responsible for the good decisions as well as the bad ones. Sometimes they have to make a difficult decision that may not be the most popular, but is ultimately what is best for the site. Admins have to maintain a balance between providing the users and staff with what they want, and doing what is best for the survival and smooth operation of Tip.it.
   
  Have you ever noticed the

Account Problem link at the top of the forum page? Have you ever submitted an account problem report? Behind each report is an administrator. If a user forgets their forum password and is unable to do a recovery via e-mail, they submit a report and it is sent to the administrative team. The admin handling the report always has to do some investigating before resetting the user's password. There must be significant evidence that proves the user is the owner of the account. Once this is proven, the admin handling the report may reset the user's password and contact the user. Other examples of reports that admins handle are users needing their account validated, and of course admins get the occasional user thinking that Tip.it is Jagex and they have to redirect the user to RuneScape.com!
 
One of the most common reports that admins receive are ban appeals. Whenever a user is banned, they have the option of submitting a ban appeal to explain their actions or plead their case. Together, administrators and super moderators are responsible for processing these ban appeals. Many things must be taken into consideration, such as the content of the appeal, the rule violation, the user's history, and more. Each case is discussed until a decision is made and then the user is contacted.
 
Since Jagex started reaching out to fan sites and the RuneScape community, the Tip.it administrators have been in close contact with Jagex Moderators. These moderators are available for Tip.it admins when they have a question regarding the RuneScape rules, want to secure RuneScape merchandise for Tip.it contests, and plenty of other things. As a Platinum-ranked fan site, Jagex also supplies the Tip.it admins with interview opportunities, sneak peaks to upcoming game updates, and exclusive RuneScape concept art.
 
In addition to performing administrative duties, admins also have some moderator work to take care of. The only people with the ability to ban a user and edit profile information are Super Moderators and administrators. Therefore, admins often assist with issuing bans and removing inappropriate profile information such as avatars and signatures. As already mentioned in the Moderator Spotlight, there is paperwork behind every ban and removal of profile information. The offense and punishment must be documented for future reference. Admins also assist with reports by providing advice if there is a disagreement with what course of action should be taken.
 
Administrators are here to serve the Tip.it community. Every decision they make is done with the users' best interest at heart. At the end of the day, this is your community and the admins are here to ensure that everything runs smoothly and is as enjoyable as possible. Most importantly, we are here to help and support our users. If you ever have a question, concern, comment or problem, we are always happy to hear from you by private message or when you see us around IRC or RuneScape.

Administrator Ranks

 

• Administrator ranks differ slightly from moderator ranks in the sense that all administrators are on the same level - there are no stepping stones. We prefer to think of the different "ranks" as areas of focus. Additionally, administrators are not necessarily in only "this area" or only "that area." Some administrators dab into two sections, or even all three.
   
  
  • Forum Administration
     
    
    • 
       
      Forum Administrators oversee all aspects of the forum. They are in charge of forum staffing, implement forum changes, communicate with users via Forum Updates & Suggestions, review forum policies and issue bans to rule-breakers.

Website Administration

 

• 
   
  These administrators hold watch over the Website Crew. They are in charge of website staffing, implement major website changes, communicate with users via Website Discussion and review website organization.

Tech Administration

 

• 
   
  Tech Administrators do most of their work behind-the-scenes. They do back-end coding for the website, update the forum, code forum modifications, manage the servers and deal with forum and website advertisements.

Silverion

 

• 
   
  Silverion is one of the founders of Tip.it. He's the man behind the bills! As the owner of the site, he has the final say - should he choose to use it - in any important decisions.

Day In The Life

 

Typically when I log on to do Tip.it stuff I have skype open to catch up on the Hijinks and humor and conversations throughout the day. Our staff chats can be a catalyst for possible changes and lots of “lulz” so it can be some good reading here and there. When I log on to the forums I typically check my notifications, then check the Staff sections (Admin, Mod then Clan is my preferred reading order) then check forums like off topic and general. I have no limits to what forums I read as sometimes I pop into tech and computers, Clan Discussions or even the classic boards. Some of the favorite things I enjoy doing is looking at our current policies and rules and seeing what can be made better for our users and investigating user complaints and trying to find ways to make tip.it more competitive with other sites.
 
I’d say the better part of the Admin “gig” is the ability to see everything that goes on – and know the forum is being ran smoothly, professionally, and of course getting to play a major role in trying to give the users an experience they want.
 
I think the worse part of the role simply comes from the misunderstandings about the role. We’re not mean, evil or the sort and we don’t have any great secrets that we don’t share! The most annoying thing can be when two users fight with each other and it carries over onto the forums. The “he said”, “she said” battles can be frustrating because both parties want you to take their side – when we really can’t take a side in most cases due to the nature of the circumstances.
 
I’ll admit, I joined the admin team with different expectations than what I found. I was a jaded user when I became a moderator, and I guess the conspiracy theorist in me expected more than the professional environment I found myself in! Over my time as an admin the team has changed a lot due to people coming and going and we have a very professional and well rounded staff. It’s an honor to work with the admin team, and I can say everyone cares about the users.
 
If anyone has any questions or anything not answered, ask away and I’ll be happy to answer them!
 
 
Quote: Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.
Ernest Hemingway

 

Hey there!
 
I started playing RuneScape sometime in 2004, I think. I joined the Tip.it Staff as a moderator in December 2006 and became an administrator eight months later in August 2007. I have loved every second of working for this amazing community :)
 
My two favourite things to do as an administrator are dealing with Account Problem Reports (solving user issues, responding to ban appeals, etc.) and writing. I absolutely love writing and spend a lot of time writing up guides, stickies, e-mails and other announcements. Ban appeals are fun because I like listening to what users have to say and helping them to understand how they violated the rules and how they can improve their behavior in the future. I believe that one of the most important parts about having a great fan site is having great customer support, and that means giving all users the detailed replies that they deserve when they submit a report (whether it's a ban appeal or some other question/issue).
 
My daily routine usually consists of checking my private messages and any other notifications I may have, checking the staff boards for anything of importance and commenting on any discussions/etc., then working my way through View New Content and reading any and all threads that spark my interest. I always be sure to check Forum Updates & Suggestions, comment on every thread I can and bring the best ideas (that are possible/reasonable) to the admin team for further consideration.
 
There are a few other non-administrative projects that I partake in. Two of these include working as an editor for the Clan Chronicle and making the random image here and there for the Tip.it site and/or forum. As an example, I designed the Dynamic Signatures (and made all 100+ of those poses transparent! Eeeek!).
 
Something else I love about being an admin is being able to communicate with Jagex Moderators. It's so great to have someone from their team who is so easy to communicate with. They're all so nice and a lot of fun and it's great to have their support! :)
 
As for casual browsing, my favourite forums are RuneScape Media, Forum Updates & Suggestions, Off-Topic and The Gallery. I don't play RuneScape regularly anymore so while I still browse RuneScape-related forums, they're not my #1 interest. I absolutely love art, which is why you can often find me lurking in RuneScape Media and The Gallery!

 

My name is Nic, forum/rs name n_odie. I have been an admin for over a year and on Tip.It Staff beginning June 2008. I started as a Tip.It Researcher, a now retired rank, then served with the website crew for about a year. A few months into crew I began to work as the crew Public Relations Leader. The experience I gained there has really helped me as an administrator.
 
As an admin, I do a little of everything. I find myself working with the staff on internal issues/internal decisions and also with the other teams of Tip.it, such as the Events Team. It is sometimes a hard role, but, when things are settled and everyone is happy, there is no better feeling.
 
We also review suggestions found in the Forums Suggestions forum that have been brought up by users. We really try to review every suggestion with a fresh outlook so as not to overlook a truly good suggestion.
 
Just these few things are a sliver of what we do as admins. The role changes on a daily basis as the forum needs. :)
 
Every day though, I try to remember that the rank Tip.It Administer is a tool to help me as a user better the forum.

 

Hey,
 
I've been playing Runescape since 2001 and my current character was created sometime around April/May 2002. Since then I've been involved in a number of different communities and fansites although none of them as good as Tip.It. I joined Staff in December 2007 as a Moderator trainee. I quickly worked my way up to global mod then super mod and became an admin about 18 months after first becoming a moderator.
 
My main admin actions are all forum related, from moderating to getting new forums setup to managing a lot of the "back end" stuff such as user groups and forum permissions. I help the website crew out too and have contributed a fair amount to a number of guides on the website.
 
I spend a lot of my time just browsing the forums as a user and replying to topics like I always have done, I have never forgotten that I'm a user first and all the additional stuff comes after that and I think that's very important to remember. I still have to set aside time for admin duties and if something urgent comes up I will be there to deal with it but I do not make that my main focus of using these forums.

 

When having some free time and/or playing Runescape, you can find me on Tip.It for over four years already. Which is quite long, seeing I still consider myself as one of the 'newer' Forum Users.
 
Being an Admin is fun as you can see the community on an entirely different level. It is an amazing experience. Some tasks are less pleasant than others, but it has to be done.
I like reading topics in General Discussions, sometimes Off-Topic or just go trough some guides. Read. One of the sad things I've experienced is that casual interaction is a lot less frequent. Some don't start a discussion anymore, which can be boring. It's not like you have to fear the staff or anything. Most of us don't bite.
 
I like TET (awesome community), SoulSilver (Pokémon thread is fun if you like it) and the Anime-thread (Gundam mainly).
I also wonder how many Dutch people are around here. Let yourself be heard!

 

Hiya,
 
I have been on these forums for about 5 years now, and staff for about 4 of those. As no one could find a proper use for me, I have or have had as many titles or jobs here as IRCop, TET member, TET Leader, Local Moderator, Global Moderator, Super Moderator, Administrator, Clan Staff, Clan Chronicle Editor.... The list goes on. (They are still hoping to find a place for me somewhere, but for now I am stuck with Administrator. ;) ) I just enjoy helping out here. The contact with the forum members is the most enjoyable part, and while real life is stealing some valuable time at the moment, I am looking forward to getting more time online in the near future.
 
My normal forum routine usually consists of opening the report queue if there is one and deal with the reports I can deal with, especially the clan ones. Of course I always check PM's first and respond if needed, but that is a given. Next is checking the staff forums for any important news or information, then moving on to the general forums (RS and Clans). Usually I just browse those, as I have a bad habit of thinking "I'll comment on that later" and then forget about it... Oh well, have to save something for the New Year's resolutions. After that I check Forum Updates & Suggestions and Off Topic, before I move on to the private forums. When all this is done, I go to the other forums I feel like reading. Which ones I go to is really all about mood and time to spare.
 
My greatest wish is more time to spend right now, as I give the work part of the forums the highest priority - leaving the more enjoyable community aspect little time. I also wish more users would give the Clan section a chance. Yes, it can be daunting at first, but there are so many good discussions going on in there. A few of the regulars decided to make it their mission to improve the discussions in Clan Discussions, and they have succeeded. Go there and have a look. If the Clan section still is not your cup of tea, maybe you can get inspired to do the same for your favourite part of the forums. :)

 

Hello,
 
My name is Valerie and I've been an Admins since Feb 17'th 2008, but been on staff for over 4 years. I started out as a General Mod, Global Mod, Supermod and then of course my current rank as a Admins. I have worked with so many staff members in the years that I have been here and seen many changes along the way. Currently I am on leave as I am trying to catch up on some real life things that have been happening in my life. I enjoy being part of the staff and mostly enjoy communicating with our many users.
 
I've been playing Runescape since Feb 15'th 2005 and my Runescape character is maxed out except for dungeoning. I have to say playing Runescape is a fun way to relax and a good way to excape real life stress. If I'm not playing Runescape in my spare time I am either at a sporting event or hanging out with friends. I love to work out/running, setting huge goals for myself, reading, and spending time with my yellow lab outdoors.
 
" To have what we want is riches; but to be able to do without is power." George MacDonald.

 

Hey guys,
 
I've been with Tip.It as a staff member since June 2008. I started out as Crew, then Crew Leader in 2009 and this summer I also joined the Administrator team. My role for the past year and a half was mostly related to the Website Crew with Administrative tasks thrown in here and there. As of October 2 of this year, I no longer hold the Crew Leader position - there will be more about this in the Crew Spotlight. :)
 
Although I spent a lot of time with website matters (I'll elaborate more on my past and present Crew responsibilities on the Crew spotlight), I also accomplish a lot outside of website matters.Typically when I come on I will always read any Private Messages I have and reply if I have time, else I will save them for later. I always try to get messages answered as soon as I can, but a few do tend to slip my mind here and there so I always find myself combing my inbox for unreplied-to messages. After that, I tend to work my way down the Staff Boards and read and reply to anything important or simply whatever I have time for. I think my favorite thing about being an administrator is doing my best to provide support for our users. It makes me feel great to know when I have personally helped somebody out, or if our team has done something that helps out multiple people. That is one of the greatest feelings. My least favorite part is probably users who refuse to take into consideration what I say and are stuck on a one-track mind that they are correct. These people aren't trolls - trolls are easy to spot and ignore. They are simply stubborn, and they're serious too, which makes it one of the more unpleasant things that comes with the job. I also like to help modernize and keep things up to date so it isn't always more of the same every time users come to the site.
 
Personally, I am a student living in Saskatchewan, Canada. I've played RuneScape since 2005 or so on the same character I do now. My levels have never been very good, but I'll only do what I find fun, and grinding hours on end is not fun for me. I find it fun and relaxing, and I am often able to skill and whatnot while doing homework. I was also quite interested in Dungeoneering for a few weeks, but once I had classes again I simply don't have the time during the year. Hobbies I have outside of Tip.It include small bits of web design here and there and I also spend a lot of time as an Audio/Visual and Audio technician for a group I belong to. Between that, school, Tip.It and family, I don't have a whole lot of time for much else! I also have a project of helping my parents clean out their garage - it has been full since they moved ten years ago and they really need to get on that.

Questions & Answers

 

• [hide=Q: Is it true that U need to spend alot of time working on the forums and therefore have less time to actually play runescape itself?]
  
  • tripsis: I do spend a lot of time working on the forums but I still have plenty of time to play RuneScape when I want to. But I am also blessed with having a large amount of free time to begin with!
     
    
  • Das: I'd say it has impacted my game time some, but not too much, it's all about time management.
     
    
  • Kill_Life: Often, you can work on the forums while playing RuneScape. Often depending what you're doing. It can cut the time you're playing RuneScape, but then again, it's possible I wouldn't be playing RuneScape anymore without Tip.It.
     
    
  • Siobhana: Not really. There are times I actively log out to do stuff on forum/mainsite, but it's usually easy to multitask. I also at times spend a bit of time on forum when doing other stuff *cough* work *cough* that doesn't allow me to play at the same time.
     
    
  • QueenValerie: Nah, not really I usually multitask.
     
    
  • Rainy_Day: I don't spend too long playing on RuneScape as it stands, but it sometimes gets in the way if something is happening which requires attention.
     
    
  • Cowman_133: More or less, depending on the position. This is especially true for the Crew, where you really have to play the game to do your job, but the time you put into the site tends to come out of your free time, which is presumably the time you spend playing RS. Of course we're not paid and we aren't expected to put life on hold for these positions, but at the same time we do require a certain time commitment to properly do our job.
     
    
  • Red_Tanya: I try to fit in an hour or so game time a day, though you occasionally get pulled out of the game for "forum business".
     
    
  • n_odie: Yes and no. I found myself falling away from playing the game the older I got. Tip.It actually kept me interested the game.
     
    
  • DarkDude98: I usually have the forums open in the background no matter what I'm doing, be it playing Runescape or whatever. I usually multitask although sometimes I need to logout of Runescape to deal with something here.
     
    
  • Laikrob: It does, but mostly because I have generally less time at the moment. I try to multitask, but that usually leads to multifails... My first priority - after real life - is the forum, then my clan, then RS.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: How long, on average, do all of you (moderators, admin, crew, TET) spend your time on the forums?]

• tripsis: Probably 5-10 hours a day unless I have something else occupying most of my time.
   
  
• Das: I'd say an hour or so average most days, sometimes 2 or 3, just depends on whats going on.
   
  
• Kill_Life: Depends on what day it is, holiday, ... Currently, one hour or two hours.
   
  
• Siobhana: Varies a LOT. Some weekends, it'll be hardly an hour together, on other weekdays I can end up being here for 12hours a day
   
  
• QueenValerie: Really depends on what is going on. In the past I was on a good 3 to 4 hours/per day. Now that we have a lot more Admins I average about 1 hour/per day.
   
  
• Rainy_Day: Depends how busy life is, sometimes a fair amount of the day, others just a few hours, sometimes none at all.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Personally I spend all the time I am at the computer on the forums, maybe not actively, but I will check back here and there and also be on our IRC server and TeamSpeak chat. I'm also on Skype and MSN at all times and am generally available for questions or a chat whenever I'm at the desk. If you're looking for numbers, on weekdays usually from 4pm or so to midnight (8 hours) and on weekends most of the day depending on what I'm doing (~12 hours).
   
  
• Red_Tanya: Checking in and out of the forums daily - it varies greatly day-to-day. Probably at least an hour on average.
   
  
• n_odie: 2-3 Hours a day.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Several hours a day I'd guess, never really thought about it.
   
  
• Laikrob: Usually minimum a few hours a day, but I'm not necessarily active or reading all of that time. Sometimes I just have them on in the background, so to speak.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: What's your favorite kind of cookie?]

• tripsis: Chocolate chip!
   
  
• Das: Oatmeal Raisin
   
  
• Kill_Life: Leo.
   
  
• Siobhana: Chocolate chip. The chewy kind.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Chocolate chip.
   
  
• Cowman_133: If it is homemade and soft, I'll take almost any kind of cookie as long as it isn't really chocolaty. I like White Chocolate Macadamia Nut the best.
   
  
• Red_Tanya: Gotta be homemade - chocolate chip or peanut butter. Doesn't matter which - I'll scarf down the last one if you look away….
   
  
• n_odie: White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut
   
  
• DarkDude98: All types of cookies.
   
  
• Laikrob: People's choice; chewy chocolate chip.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Who is the most annoying admin and why? Also, how do you deal with Rainy Day?]

• tripsis: Rainy_Day likes to talk smack about my skittles… we keep him locked up.
   
  
• Das: It's easy to deal with Rainy Day, he's a fun guy to chat with
   
  
• Kill_Life: Quite a rude question.
   
  
• Siobhana: Well, I tend to annoy myself at times :D And Rainy is easily whipped ;)
   
  
• QueenValerie: They are all annoying to me...... ( Kidding - Hugs to All. ) Who's Rainy?
   
  
• Cowman_133: We don't.
   
  
• n_odie: The test account, never seems to pull his weight on the team!
   
  
• Laikrob: I'd have to agree with N_Odie. It still hasn't replied to my last PM... And Rainy Day has a Harry Potter flat, stair view.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Does it feel awkward when you PM a user personally about a post removal? Especially if you know them well.]

• tripsis: If we are close friends with a user who is violating the rules, we always make sure that another administrator handles the situation. This way we can avoid awkwardness and also avoid being biased! However, when I do PM users, it isn't awkward for me but sometimes the users I PM don't realize that it isn't personal, I'm just doing my job. Rules are rules and they have to be followed!
   
  
• Das: Nope, I'm a hardass like that, rules are rules and if we're friends, you understand it's nothing personal.
   
  
• Kill_Life: Often, it's easy to split your social life with duties of a Moderator or Admin. It's just too bad some users don't feel the same way.
   
  
• Siobhana: Not really. The first couple times were perhaps a bit weird, but you get a professional attitude to it pretty quick. It's about a post, not a person.
   
  
• QueenValerie: At first I did but not anymore you really do get used to it.
   
  
• Rainy_Day: If I know the person well, I'd generally hope they aren't acting in a way that would require me to remove their posts. But if it is a good friendship, then I feel it is only fair that another staff member sends the warning.
   
  
• Cowman_133: While I tend to avoid those situations if I feel I'll have any bias, if I'm bias free I have no problem taking care of it. It is a little awkward but you get over it.
   
  
• Red_Tanya: Nope - use tact and just tell it like it is.
   
  
• n_odie: Very much so! However, when you sign it Tip.It Administrator its not necessarily you speaking, its the position your in.
   
  
• DarkDude98: It did at first but you get used to it, if it's too awkward you can always get another member of staff to deal with it.
   
  
• Laikrob: While I don't particularly enjoy this, it's given me some useful experience for handling similar situations in my work life, where you don't always have the option to "call a friend". Thankfully, most of the users have been understanding and know they broke the rules in the first place - some were even happy I was the one approaching them about it.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: I would love to know the admins average age because I believe it is around 21 years and for such relative young people you do a wonderful job.]

• tripsis: I am 19 years old. As a fun fact, I was 15 when I became a moderator and 16 when I became an administrator!
   
  
• Das: I'm 23
   
  
• Kill_Life: Close to my 20
   
  
• Siobhana: 33 here
   
  
• QueenValerie: Lets just say I believe I am the oldest Admins. Women never tell their real age.
   
  
• Rainy_Day: 19 here.
   
  
• Cowman_133: I believe my Skype says 110 these days. I'll leave it at that. ;)
   
  
• Red_Tanya: Val thinks she's oldest - I think I'm older than that :)
   
  
• n_odie: 20 years young here!
   
  
• DarkDude98: I'm at that average :P. Although not sure what the actual one is, I believe it's higher.
   
  
• Laikrob: Looks like the average is a bit higher than you thought, and I'm dragging it up with my 30.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Do you do mod alot of the mods?]

• tripsis: As admins, it is our job to oversee the mods, check up on their work to make sure everything is being handled fairly, be available if they need our help/advice, and handle any cases of staff bashing. But do we mod them? I wouldn't say that. We're just here to help them out :)
   
  
• Das: No, they spend more time modding me *laughs*
   
  
• Siobhana: Nah, not really needed. Of course we try to keep an eye on them, but that's just as much to make sure they're all right in all aspects, and not really to "moderate" them.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Nah, they are all grown up now and can handle most everything that comes their way. If their is a dispute between a mod and a user then of course us Admins will need to get involved.
   
  
• Rainy_Day: Nein.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Not really. All staff are held to higher expectations than users in general and are expected to act better than the rules. As a result, there is virtually no problems with moderators breaking the rules. I mean there is the odd mistake here and there, but who doesn't make mistakes? :)
   
  
• n_odie: Mods mod themselves really. :P Just as in any team though, we so talk to them on an individual level time to time.
   
  
• DarkDude98: We don't really need to.
   
  
• Laikrob: No, we spend more time modding Das. ;)

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Do you still all play RS regulary? Or just stick around on the forums?]

• tripsis: I wouldn't say I play regularly. Whenever the desire strikes, I'll log on and play for a few days/weeks. But lately I tend to get bored pretty quickly :(
   
  
• Das: I dont play as much as I used to, but I still play quite a bit, I clocked over 10 hours on double xp weekend.
   
  
• Kill_Life: I still play RS.
   
  
• Siobhana: I play still. Currently 2303 total, and steadily rising :)
   
  
• QueenValerie: Yes, and I believe I am the ONLY Admins that has maxed out skills... except for Dungeoning atm.
   
  
• Rainy_Day: I log in a few times a week/when I have time.
   
  
• Cowman_133: My activity in RS wanes. I am currently on the play here and there phase, but I played a lot during the summer. Depends on my mood and how busy my life is. I have never personally retired fully.
   
  
• Red_Tanya: I think that the staff of a fansite should be fans of the game. Everyone should at least play a little. I try to play regularly - if an hour or so a day is considered regularly. It helps me unwind after work.
   
  
• n_odie: Mainly around the forum. :P I log in time to time though for special events (TET/XP Weekends/Parties)
   
  
• DarkDude98: Yep, I still play all the time.
   
  
• Laikrob: Yes, I play as much as I have time for. :) I am a big fan of the game, and I am active in The Slayers Guild in addition to on here.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: To Das - Where did you get your shades?]

• Das: They are clip on shades for my glasses. Nike makes some pretty cool glasses and clip on shades that don't look totally dorky.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Who are the admins such as Neminon, Daigon and EhrenTemp? They don't post much, - behind the scenes work?]

• A: Neminon keeps this site running. He is the core server administrator and when we refer to Technical Staff working on fixing the servers, we are almost always referring to him and or a combination of him, Silverion and/or Pure_MageUK. Very great guy doing so much for us. :thumbup:
   
  Daigon is our advertisements administrator who ensures the advertisements are appropriate for our website and also handles the Bad Ad sticky.
   
  EhrenTemp is not a staff member, but he was hired to create the Tip.It Theme for us based on our design we passed to him and he keeps it up to date on each version. If you use the Tip.It Theme, you have him to thank! He only has administrator power for testing and you'll notice when he's not working on the design he will not have Admin status.
   
  Similarly IPSTech is an IPS representative who helps up fix bugs and other problems we experience. Also not a member of the staff and doesn't always have Administrator status.
   
  So yes, they lots of behind the scenes work and it isn't their job to interact with the community, although they are always welcome to. :)

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Whose decision is final? Silverions? Is there a separate forum/website where admins talk/discuss things such as the IPB change?]

• A: Majority vote makes most of the decisions. Silverion does have veto and final say as the owner, but generally that is not necessary for small things. We do indeed run staff forums for each branch of staff for a variety of purposes. Administrators discuss all changes to the forums and changes that affect the staff and generally vote through any procedural changes and what not.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Have you ever thought that having your names in red is intimidating and scary]

• tripsis: Scary??? Red is not scary!
  
   
  
• Das: Nope, I sure hope not.
   
  
• Kill_Life: Not really. I do miss the orange phpbb2.
   
  
• Siobhana: Never thought of it that way, and very much hope it doesn't seem that way.
   
  
• QueenValerie: No just because "RED" is my favorite color. I do hope we are not scary or intimidating to any of our users.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Maybe. I still prefer it over the Purple color I was when I was Crew Leader only. :P
   
  
• Red_Tanya: What's wrong with red? Red is cool! :)
   
  
• n_odie: t was sad to go from purple to red. :(
   
  
• DarkDude98: Well red is an awesome colour, so nope. :D
   
  
• Laikrob: Red is the colour of love. Or blood. Either way, that is scary. I see your point...

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Have you ever bought anything from the tipit shop?]

• tripsis: Nope :( I have been meaning to buy a t-shirt or something to sleep in though. Maybe one day…
   
  
• Das: Nope
   
  
• Kill_Life: I ordered a special staff T-shirt almost three years ago. Sadly, it was cancelled for several reasons.
   
  
• Siobhana: I actually have. Got some tip.it magnets on my fridge :)
   
  
• QueenValerie: No
   
  
• Cowman_133: Yes, I had $10 to blow so I bought a Tip.It Magnet. It is currently at home stuck on my metal file sorter. http://trillum.org/100_3736.JPG & http://trillum.org/100_3737.JPG I intend to buy some other stuff at some point.
   
  
• Red_Tanya: No.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Nope.
   
  
• Laikrob: No, but I would if there were some awesome designs. (Hint to the Gallery forum.)

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: How many people actively play arenascape?]

• Kill_Life: Not too many, sadly.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Not many.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Couldn't tell you. I would suspect not many these days as Silverion doesn't have any time to contribute to that project
   
  
• Laikrob: I have no idea. Some of the regulars grew old and got a life (how dare they?) and I don't think it gets updated anymore either.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: When applying for a job, do you include the fact that you moderate/crewbierate such a big forum/website in your CV? Has anyone ever received a special comment towards it?]

• tripsis: I have included it. It never hurts to add something like that in. Employers have just asked me about the experience. I also wrote about it in my college applications as one of the essays and it got me into college so that has to count for something! :D
   
  
• Das: Nope, Although it may sound good on paper i've always been hesitant to mention a GAMING community for most IT jobs i've applied for while being here
   
  
• Kill_Life: Most of the staff are still in school. Also, it's quite dangerous to mention you were a member of a big RS Community: What if your future boss is a WoW-addict?
   
  
• Siobhana: Not when applying for a job, but I have scared the bejeezus outta my boss once when he thought I wouldn't be able to find anyone I knew who lived a particular place he was visiting for work and I threatened to send someone out with a camera to follow him :twisted:
   
  
• QueenValerie: No
   
  
• Rainy_Day: I believe a few staff members have used it for their university applications. I'm yet to bring it up in an application so far.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Personally I have never done it - I have also never applied for anything that would require an extensive CV yet :P Depending on what jobs I get into if it is relevant I may very well include it and I would certainly allow other staff to list me as a reference. Interesting question. :)
   
  
• n_odie: I did mention it to my current employer during the interview. :P He plays WOW. *Hiss*
   
  
• DarkDude98: Yes I do.
   
  
• Laikrob: I did mention it on the CV and in my interview to my current job, and combined with my IT skills (I know) they liked it. Actually some appreciate the leader skills or managing tasks involved, or the specific projects you have been running or involved in.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Is everyone's main language english?]

• tripsis: Mine is!
   
  
• Das: Not everyones, but it's mine
   
  
• Kill_Life: Neen. (No in Dutch)
   
  
• Siobhana: No. We have a couple different main languages. Mine is Norwegian.
   
  
• QueenValerie: No, I speak mostly Yooper but can control it while doing my Admins duties. ( Yeah you betcha... we have our very own language up here in Michigan. )
   
  
• Cowman_133: Nope, a lot of admins speak a variety of languages and there are plenty who only know English as a second or even third language. Personally I am bilingual - French and English, English being my primary language. Silverion's first language isn't even English, but he does speak it along with several other languages. (His first language? Hint: tip.it)
   
  
• Red_Tanya: Nyet... I mean no, but everyone at least uses it.
   
  
• n_odie: My secondary language is English, supposedly its my original to. :P
   
  
• DarkDude98: Nope, mine is but most of the time you wouldn't know if you read my posts before spellcheck got there :P.
   
  
• Laikrob: Nope. Norwegian, Danish, then English.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: This question is hard to word, but I'll do my best. Someone who posts frequently in one certain board on the forum gets promoted to board moderator. Is that person only able to lock, edit, and delete posts in that one particular board? I hope that makes sense. :P]

• A: As noted in the Moderator Spotlight, most Board Moderators can moderate the most popular/active boards (i.e. General Discussion, Off-Topic, etc.) and they also get to select about 1-3 additional boards to moderate. By limiting the amount of boards they get to moderate, we can help them ease into their new position and grow to understand the role and responsibility of a moderator. From there if they do outstandingly well, they may be asked to become a Global Moderator, although the choice is up to them. Some moderators are just as happy staying within a few boards and remaining as a Local/Board moderator.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: There must be huge pressure to help people out while still trying to enjoy playing Runescape (I would imagine similar to what a player mod has to deal with on a daily basis). So when people put you down for whatever reason, how do you cope with those situations?]

• tripsis: Although it has not happened so much anymore, some people have gotten upset when I warned or banned them, which has resulted in some extremely unpleasant public rage-fests directed at myself. I will admit that it was difficult for me at first. But I have grown to learn that when this happens, it's never personal. In reality, these people don't know anything about me and they don't really have a reason to have anything against me. They're just upset that they got in trouble and take it out on the person who was simply upholding the rules.
   
  
• Das: I've been a pmod for half a decade or so now, and I play rs - how I always have, help when I feel it's needed, and sometimes play away from people to relax. I don't care what people thing of me, especially when I feel i'm doing the right thing by helping people!
   
  
• Rainy_Day: Not many people recognise me in RuneScape, so all is well on my end. I've been in chats where people have no realised this though and have made comments regarding me, though they act shocked when I quote said comments back to them. :rolleyes:
   
  
• Cowman_133: I don't think I've ever gotten bad comments in-game while playing, but even if I do I'm very used to getting crappy comments about me and/or my projects and once you're at that stage it is very easy to shrug it off provided you are not one to hold grudges. Personally I hate having people mad at me and holding grudges with people. Everything is so much more wonderful when you let it go and get over it, but I don't have to because I don't worry over it in the first place. I do get comments in-game frequently, often asking for help or even just to be friends. While I try to help out while I can, sometimes I'm just not in the mood and will just not reply if I'm not up to being sociable. I would hope people understand that.
   
  
• Red_Tanya: Let it go. Some people are just too sensitive nowadays and take things way to seriously. No need to escalate something so trivial into a full-blown soap opera, which happens more than you think.
   
  
• n_odie: People in general are really friendly. :P I have got a few angry banned users messaging/raging before. It just confirms that they deserved to be banned. :P
   
  
• Laikrob: I deal with clan members on a daily basis, and I can give as well as I get. I don't let it get to me, unless of course I already have a bad day. I just log out and walk away and go do something I enjoy in real life, or talk it through with a staff member if that is necessary. I have my friends chat set to friends or off, simply because I don't multitask well - not because I'm not sociable. I'm uually in a clan chat, though. If someone asks me for help in game or via IRC when I'm busy, I have no problems asking them to send me a forum PM, contact someone else or get back to me later - or just let them know I'll help them in 10 minutes or whenever I am done with what I am doing.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: i bet the administrator bathrooms have couches and TVs in them. Is this true?]

• tripsis: You name it and we've got it! Couches, TVs, hot chocolate, massagers on the toilet seats… okay too far.
   
  
• Rainy_Day: Indeed, nice leather couches, soft pillows, flat screen tv's, a few games consoles, 24/7 bar. It's nice really.
   
  
• Laikrob: Yes, and you are paying for it every time you read these Spotlight articles.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: What kind of positive feedback -- if any -- has Jagex given towards the site? Did they like a particular guide the Crew had written? Or voice interest in a specific forum discussion?]

• tripsis: I know a few Jagex Moderators have said that they enjoy the Tip.it Times.. beyond that, I'm not sure :lol:
   
  
• Cowman_133: Truth be told, Jagex hasn't really given us any formal feedback on our website, although at the same time we haven't asked either. I believe we got plenty of comments about our site at RuneFest from both players and Jagex alike, but I was not there personally so I cannot answer this question any more than that.
   
  
• Kill_Life: I'm guessing that being Platinum is positive feedback?
   
  
• DarkDude98: They've not provided any feedback as such, although while at Runefest several of the Jagex Mods there said it's the only site they use. Even the Head of Runescape said he uses our site while he's dungeoneering :P.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Jagex has never given us any feedback about our website as far as I know.
   
  
• Laikrob: Jagex has given positive feedback to our events team TET, who spends their spare time making your RS time more fun. They have participated in events, and personally thanked them for doing a great job. We have Jmods registered on forums, some of which have posted in forum discussions.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: When will you guys allow display names that contain spaces/periods? I'd really like to show the fact that my online name has a first, middle, and last. :huh: ]

• tripsis: Hmm I'm sure we'll look into it.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Something to look into and consider.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Ask Peter. ( lol ) Seriously, something we could look into.
  

 

[*]Laikrob: If technically possible, I see absolutely no reason to disallow it. [/hide]

 

[hide=Q: If you could change one thing with the tip.it forums, what would it be?]

• tripsis: I can't think of anything that I want to change that I haven't been able to change. Unless removing all hostility between users would be an option!
   
  
• Das: I'd remove postcount.
   
  
• Cowman_133: I'd love to see more traffic on our IRC server or for the TeamSpeak server to take off and become a regular thing.
   
  
• Kill_Life: We can change a lot :P But something out of our control: ArenaScape improvements. It has potential.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Be able to implement all the changes that users want that we can't for several reasons.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Truth - I am pretty pleased with the way they are now.
   
  
• Laikrob: I'd like to see the clan forums restored to former glory - just without the bad kind of drama.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: If you could get one thing from jagex, what would it be?]

• tripsis: A job!
   
  
• Das: My own runescape action figure :P
   
  
• Cowman_133: 1000 more things? :P I'd settle for monster drop lists, formulas or calculations though.
   
  
• Kill_Life: Website servers (every website getting a server dedicated to it).
   
  
• DarkDude98: Slightly more details when it comes to updates.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Cookies and lots of them.
   
  
• Laikrob: Can we make that two jobs? Oh and Runefest tickets for all staff members.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: If you could change one thing ingame what would it be?]

• tripsis: I would remove the trade limit :( Also, I'd love to see some expansions/additions/changes made to the POH system. That's my favourite thing in RuneScape and it has a lot of potential but as it stands now, there isn't much room for originality and creativity.
   
  
• Das: PVP would be the same as it was in Runescape Classic
   
  
• Cowman_133: I'd hugely improve the World Map and get more dungeon areas mapped out to make it easier to publish new and improve old maps on our site.
   
  
• Kill_Life: There are many things. Mining Guild being one of them.
   
  
• DarkDude98: I'd love a PvP world with a restriction on what weapons/armour could be used, I'm not a fan of the wilderness at the moment due to things like claws etc. Would love to go back to the days of Whip and Barrows being the main weapons.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Hmm.. not real sure. Ohhh I know to never burn food again after level 99 cooking. Could never figure out why we continue to burn food with such awesome skills at level 99.
   
  
• Laikrob: More manageable clan chats, and RSN history so you can trace old friends if you return to game (and for other reasons). More CWA maps.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: why do you choose to spend your time on tip.it, rather than irl?]

• tripsis: I don't separate my time on Tip.it from real life. Tip.it is still my life. I believe that you should do what you enjoy, and being on Tip.it is something that I enjoy. So here's a better question: why not? ;)
   
  
• Das: I spend more time IRL than on tip.it, but I'd like to think it's fulfilling to provide a community people enjoy!
   
  
• Cowman_133: I spend a lot of time IRL as it is, whether it be in class or other activities I partake in. Once I get home I like to relax and I may as well do something productive while I do it!
   
  
• Kill_Life: Same as anyone else, I guess. It's fun.
   
  
• DarkDude98: When I'm at my PC I'll go onto the forums, so it's not really a choice between those two.
   
  
• QueenValerie: What's real life? Nah, I spend my time on Tip.it because I love the community.
   
  
• Laikrob: Most of my time goes to real life. However, I don't watch much TV so computer time is my "lazy" time. Except I'm still doing something and enjoying it, and get to spend time with and communicate with people from all over the world. While playing a game I love. What's not to like?

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: what is your biggest mistake / best decision on tip.it?]

• tripsis: My best decision was accepting the invitation to become a moderator. As for mistakes… I can't think of the "biggest one" off the top of my head. But I have no regrets. Although mistakes can suck, they are an excellent learning experience. Without making them, you'd never learn and wouldn't have that bad experience stopping you from doing it again. Mistakes help people grow and make you a better leader :)
   
  
• Das: I can't think of a mistake that I can publicly talk about :P - Best decision, taking the offer to be a clan mod, an offer i almost turned down.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Best decision was to stick with everything and do my best. I've learned a lot and gotten a lot out of it and I've really enjoyed it.Biggest mistake - hmm. Really hard to say. I've broken all kinds of things before on the website and made plenty of bad decisions as a Crew Leader and also as Administrator, most of them being pretty minor though. Something that tends to happen to me a lot is losing entire guides or maps and having to start over. The first copy is always better when you have to re-write something. :P Most recent thing I lost and had to redo was the Treasure Trails Menu, most of which wasn't originally my work! D:
   
  
• Kill_Life: Misjudgment for a ban. Perhaps not really biggest, but it did affect a user, which isn't fun.
   
  
• QueenValerie: My best decision was accepting the invitation to join Tip.it staff many years ago. Worst decision lets just say I've made my fair share of mistakes and had to correct them.
   
  
• Laikrob: The best decision was to learn to be open to the forum members' suggestions, which has lead to #clans IRC, the TiCT 2010 and several clan section improvements. My biggest mistake was forgetting to unban a user for a month... Though I had set it to auto unban. Oops! Thankfully the user was quite understanding.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: what is the ultimate topic on tif?]

• tripsis: Well my favourite topic is probably the relationship sticky. I read each and every post there! I love reading about peoples experiences and seeing people get their troubles of the heart solved!
   
  
• Das: i'm a fan of the hot celebrity thread :P
   
  
• Cowman_133: Anything here http://forum.tip.it/forum/119-website-updates-corrections/ ;)
   
  
• Kill_Life: The forum Rules.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Any new update is a hot topic to me.
   
  
• Laikrob: I don't have any favourite topic, I read pretty much anything and all over the forums. Real life pic one is always funny, of course. :)

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: what is the feature you'd like the most on tip.it, if there were no constraints?]

• Das: Clan Memberlists - like runehead
   
  
• Cowman_133: A lot of cool things on the website - Integrated site logins, epic Tip.It addon (a new one), clan memberlists, POH and DG planners, Adventurer Log Signatures, Transportation Map and more interactive and dynamic features. Biggest constraint is staff resources and time which makes things take a long time to develop or just rules them out altogether.
   
  
• tripsis: What Cowman said!
   
  
• DarkDude98: I'm sure there's plenty of features that would be nice although I don't think any of them would make a huge impact to the forums.
   
  
• QueenValerie: I pretty much like everything on Tip.it these days.
   
  
• Laikrob: Cowman summed it up. I want it all!

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: why don't you write a couple of pieces for the tip.it times?!]

• tripsis: I have written one article for the Tip.it Times and one article for the Clan Chronicle. I'd write more if I had something to write about. I no longer play RuneScape actively so it's hard for me to come up with fresh ideas about new features.
   
  
• Das: I have, My penname was the Catherby Curmudgeon.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Although I write a lot as a Crew Member and Administrator, I'm not a big fan of writing - especially fictional works. Just a personal preference for me.
   
  
• Kill_Life: I did, once. Well, actually, it wasn't for the Times, but I was just having some fun writing some goofy stuff and before you know it...
   
  
• DarkDude98: I have done :P
   
  
• QueenValerie: Because I have aweful hand writing, but I will consider it in the future. Coming up with a good piece to write about is the hard part of it all I'm fresh out of ideas these days.
   
  
• Laikrob: Because I write for the Clan Chronicle. ;)

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Do you guys actually enjoy moderating the forums, etc?]

• tripsis: Of course :) If I didn't, I wouldn't be here! I believe that in order for us to be great and committed leaders of the Tip.it Community, we have to enjoy what we're doing. If we don't enjoy it, then our heart won't be in it and we won't be making Tip.it the best RuneScape fan site out there!
   
  
• Das: I do, or i'd resign
   
  
• Cowman_133: Of course!
   
  
• Kill_Life: Yes. But there are ups and downs.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Yes and no. I don't enjoy punishing users but at the same time I like playing with the all the shiny buttons :P.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Yes, if not I would not be here.
   
  
• Laikrob: Yes I do, but I don't moderate when I don't have time to follow properly up on what I am doing. It's not a thankless job, because we do get a PM once in a while thanking us for helping a user or cleaning a topic, basically just doing our job.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: How involved are you in other fansites? Do you guys ever get involved with Zybez, Sal's, RuneScape Community, Etc?]

• tripsis: I'm not involved with any fan sites other than Tip.it.
   
  
• Das: Sal is a good old friend of mine, Can't say I'm involved with any other fansites though. Sal is a classy owner
   
  
• Cowman_133: Not at all. Tip.It is the only fansite I use. We don't do much together at all, although recently RuneHQ, RuneWiki and us have been running a Multi-Site event series.
   
  
• Kill_Life: No. Not that I dislike them, I just find it hard to be active in several communities.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Not too involved, although did meet with several admins from other fansites while at Runefest and we talked a lot about several things.
   
  
• QueenValerie: I used to be involved in other fansites, but not anymore. I do enjoy many other forums but not game related.
   
  
• Laikrob: I am not involved with other fansites, but I co-lead a clan/community with several thousand members. Our forums also have guides, and the members sometimes even provide some information to the Tip.It Crew.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: If runescape ever died Where would you all run off to?]

• tripsis: If RuneScape died, Tip.it could still very much live. We do have an off-topic section, you know! But if Tip.it died, I might try to find a fan site for another game I play.
   
  
• Das: Collecting communities for action figures and autographs mostly - Game wise? I'd probably become a console gamer.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Good question. I honestly don't know. Most of what I do online involves RuneScape. Maybe I'd flock to another game, or maybe I'd try something new.
   
  
• Kill_Life: Stellar Dawn? :P
   
  
• DarkDude98: THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN >=(
   
  
• QueenValerie: War of Legends seeing that is the only other game I play.
   
  
• Laikrob: I have lots of real life hobbies, and then there is Kingdom of Loathing, a punny text and turn based little game.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: What is the most annoying part about being a moderator out of these 3 - dealing with advertisement spam (i.e the ad posts that show up in General Discussion every so often), dealing with morons who can't read the rules to save their life, or dealing with trolls?]

• tripsis: I'd say the second option. Trolls can be extremely annoying, but there's usually something you can ban them for when they violate the rules, so they can get handled quickly (I say "can" because that's not always the case). But when people don't read the rules, you know they probably don't have malicious intent (unlike trolls). So we try to help them understand rather than banning them outright, but sometimes people just don't get it :( I feel bad when I have to ban someone who just won't/can't read the rules, but I don't feel bad about banning trolls!
   
  
• Das: Morons who can't read, Trolls are awesome to countertroll.
   
  
• Cowman_133: Advertisement spam is easy, especially if it is a bot. Bots will rarely come back after the first post and if they do we'd have taken care of them already anyways. Trolls can be fun, but at times are annoying. But I think morons who cannot read are the worst as they are seriously believing something that is blatantly wrong and you can't convince them otherwise.
   
  
• Kill_Life: Advertisements since these most likely are spambots. The last two often don't even know they're doing something against the rules and aren't up for anything malicious.
   
  
• DarkDude98: All of those can be fairly annoying, and I'd say the last two are pretty much the same thing. One thing that does annoy me is people who refuse to listen to what we say, no matter how many times we tell them something they still continue to say that we're wrong.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Spam bots are very annoying and easy to deal with. I will never forget the time when a bot actually appealed his ban to me. The mods and I were shocked!
   
  
• Laikrob: I'd have to say trolls, as they could easily find something more constructive to spend their time on then wasting mine.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Why do you stay active on these boards. In other words, what allures you here?]

• tripsis: I have been a part of the Tip.it Community for so long that it feels like home to me. I have many friends here and there are usually plenty of topics that interest me. However, I think a big part of why I stay active is that I am an administrator. There are only so many topics that interest me, but being an administrator ensures that I always have something to do and I love every second of doing it :)
   
  
• Das: I enjoy Off topic these days, of course clans.
   
  
• Cowman_133: An interest in website design and RuneScape, a great community, a general enjoyment of Tip.It and friends keep me here.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Lots of interesting topics, I enjoy being staff, I'm friends with a lot of users and a lot more things.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Cookies lure me here and the awesome community we have.
   
  
• Laikrob: There are too many reasons to choose from, I honestly can't cingle out just one. Fun, duties, community, staff, the fact that the things I do here have an impact on others in some way. Mostly, the cookies.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: What's your favorite sport, or are we all stereotypical geeks/nerds with no athletic prowess?]

• tripsis: I used to play soccer, but once I got to high school it was all about competition and conditioning and it stopped being fun. So I haven't done any sports since 8th grade (13 years old).
   
  
• Das: I'm an avid collector of sports cards and memorabilia, ranging from the NFL, MLB and NBA to Olympic sports and sports like "wrestling". As a child I played 7 years of community league baseball, 3 of Soccer, and 2 of basketball. I can hang, I should of played football as a kid but i wasn't aggressive enough.
   
  
• Cowman_133: I'm not a sports guy. Don't even watch them on TV :P
   
  
• Kill_Life: Swimming. Life saving to be more precise.
   
  
• DarkDude98: Football (Soccer) closely followed by Formula one. To be honest, I like most sports and could easily watch them if they're on TV although I'm really only knowledgeable of a few.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Hmm, favorite sport at the moment is football. Seriously if I was a guy I would play this sport 24/7. I used to love watching wrestling as well. I also love dance/cheerleading, and watching pro bull riding. I'm a big fan of sports. :shades:
   
  
• Laikrob: Football (not handegg), winter sports, athletics... I enjoy watching those, and I work out 2-3 times a week myself. I am still a geek, though. ;)

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: How fast do you type? Years of working on Tipit must make you amazing typists, correct?]

• tripsis: I haven't gotten an accurate WPM number in years.. but around 100 WPM :) I type pretty fast and don't make too many mistakes. But I was a fast typer long before Tip.it!
   
  
• Das: I can be a fast typer, however working customer support i'm used to writing more slowly to make sure my messages are spotless, it doesn't always translate on tip.it though, as sometimes I post from say a cell phone.
   
  
• Cowman_133: I don't type properly (ie I use two fingers and my thumb), but tip.it really has improved my typing. I've mastered the art of being able to peck without looking at the keyboard. :lol:
   
  
• Kill_Life: Not at all.
   
  
• DarkDude98: I can type as fast as I like, that doesn't mean what I type is always going to be correct! I've not bothered paying attention to the type tests, I type much quicker without having to look at a sheet telling me what to write so they've never been entirely accurate for me. I've taught myself how to type too, so I'm sure some of the things I do aren't the "proper" way to type but it just works for me based on many many years of experience.
   
  
• QueenValerie: Omg! I used to type like a turtle when I first joined staff. Now, I type real fast so fast that I make many typo mistakes. UGH!
   
  
• Laikrob: It has really improved my typing, but I'm not lightning fast. I think around 60 WPM, but I type pretty typo free.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Do you guys ever get drunk and go crazy on tip it forums(Moderating posting etc)?]

• tripsis: Don't drink and administrate! On a more serious note.. I don't drink alcohol :P
   
  
• Das: I've been accused of it, but no :P
   
  
• Cowman_133: I don't drink. I could also safely say staff have a good enough sense to keep off the forums when they're drunk, especially as administrators.
   
  
• Kill_Life: All the time. (Never)
   
  
• Darkdude98: Nope.
   
  
• QueenValerie: I no longer drink only on holidays. Last thing I would want to do is come to Tip.it after a night out. ( lol )
   
  
• Laikrob: No comment. I shall remain mysterious!

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: Which forum/s do you lurk the most here? And which is your favourite?]

• tripsis: I lurk View New Content and read any threads that interest me, regardless of what forum they're in. But my favourite forums are RuneScape Media, Forum Updates & Suggestions, Off-Topic and The Gallery.
   
  
• Das: Off Topic, I lurk general, OT is my current favorite
   
  
• QueenValerie: I love General Discussions and Help and Advice. I am never afraid to ask for help if I need it.
   
  
• Laikrob: Clan Discussions and Wars & Run-Ins, to keep myself updated. I also read a lot of private forums regularly.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: What qualities do you look for in possible additions to a group?]

• tripsis: They need to have a positive attitude and treat everyone with respect, have the ability to keep a cool head even in a heated debate, a desire to improve the forum, helpfulness, and the ability to lead.
   
  
• Das: Post quality, leadership abilities, intelligence in posts
   
  
• QueenValerie: If you mean group as like in staff then ~
  I look for someone who can just be their self around the forums. Who enjoys the community and who actually plays Runescape. I'm a firm believer that one should play the game to truly understand what a fansite is all about. ( My opinion only of course. )
   
  
• Laikrob: Be active, have quality posts, show some sense of humour, stay away from personal attacks, generally give a good vibe.

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: What are your favourite video games, aside from RS?]

• tripsis: Lord of the Rings Online
   
  
• Das: Hmm,, i've been playing since the NES, so i'll do it by system - This will be tough
  [hide]
  NES - Contenders: Contra, TMNT 1-3
  
  SNES Contenders: Griffey JR baseball, - X-men Mutant Apocalypse, Final Fantasy 2?, Mario RPG.
  
  Genesis - Contenders - Comic Zone, Doom
  
  N64 - Contenders: Shadows of the Empire, Smash Brothers, Star Fox
  
  Gameboy: Short of Kiiller instinct and pokemon tcg, i didnt get too into the gameboy
  
  Playstation - Marvel Vs Capcom and Metal Gear solid were close contenders
  
  PS2 - Oh gosh, this one was tough but few wow'ed me like this
  
  Gamecube - Honestly Asides from the star wars games, I played this more than any gamecube game, except I played a ton of tiger woods golf.
  
  Xbox - KoTR was close, and the mega man library was awesome, but I have 4 playthroughs on
  
  Xbox360 - Dead Rising was a close 2nd
  
  Wii - Resident Evil 5 almost overtook it, so did mario cart
  
  PS3 - I need to play my PS3 More :$
  
  PC - No contest here
  
  [/hide]
   
  
• QueenValerie: Ha, ha promise not to laugh? I really love playing Dig-Dug. I bet many folks here have never heard of that video. Otherwise I do NOT play any other video games besides RS and WOL.
   
  
• Laikrob: I used to play Dig-Dug about 20 years ago. :D On topic, I play or have played all kinds of random games; from small arcade games, to Kingdom of Loathing, to WoW and to FPS. Gamer at heart...

[/hide]

 

[hide=Q: How does JaGex influence the Tipit Staff? I'm sure, being a recognised fansite, there has been some behind the scene changes. What are they?]

• A: Jagex does not influence the Tip.it Staff. The only change that had to be made in order for us to become a Platinum ranked fan site was that we had to remove all game advertisements from our forum/website. Other than that, Jagex does not control the staff or how we run the forum/website.
  

[/hide]

Your Administrators In-Game

 

• [hide=Group Photo][/hide]

Admin Board Sneak Peak!

 

• [hide=The Admin Board][/hide]

Did You Know?

 

• If you disagree with action taken by a moderator, you may private message an administrator with your complaint.
   
  
• The colour for administrators used to be orange, rather than red.
   
  
• Administrators have 210 forums and subforums visible to them.
   
  
• In 2004 the signature limits were 450 pixels wide by 175 pixels high by 30 KB file size.
   
  
• Before The Grand Exchange, Tip.it used to have its own index of item prices in The Marketplace. This list was manually updated by staff members and doing a full update took an average of 3-5 hours.
   
  
• There used to be an entire forum dedicated to Clues, Clues, Clues (and Random Events).

[Pinkbullet3]

Thank you much, Silverion, for allowing us to use this wonderful forum. :thumbup:

 

Also a great read, tripsis. Learned A LOT of things I never knew before. :P

[Bows]

Read it all, thanks Ashley and all the other admins!

[n_odie]

If anyone has other questions that have come to mind, feel free to ask. :P

[jimmy_jim]

If anyone has other questions that have come to mind, feel free to ask. :P

 

Why so Nic, Nic?

[obfuscator]

Good read :thumbup:

[Sentry_Wolf]

I really enjoyed that, fantastic read. All Admins still smell though. <3:

[Gandorf61]

o.O That's a lot of forums and subforums.

 

Very interesting read. :thumbup:

[D. V. Devnull]

I like the informative answers, albeit I wish it hadn't resulted in such a long post. :thumbsup: ... But, you've really gotta be [bleep] kidding me. A total of 210 Forums and SubForums? :blink: ... Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn! :wacko:

 

<*Sets down a bag of chewy chocolate chip cookies on the nearby table, and then keels over and crashes to the ground, anime-style.*>

 

~D. V. "Between that and the wall-of-text answer post, I'm overloaded!" Devnull

 

 

 

(p.s.: Any "Dead Frontier Online" players out there in the Tip.It Community?)

[Den]

Great wall of text!

 

Nice read. Wonder whats going to happen with Cowman when that spotlight comes out.

[Hawks]

Awesomesauce. And I must say Michigan is by far the best place in terms of awesome random Yooper accents and pasties and fudge. I'm a 'troll' [below the bridge; see, clever, right?] though, so I don't get fun Yooperyness.

[Demoli]

As always, very interesting read :thumbup:

[jasignhagj]

Good read :thumbdown:

 

Holy mother of censored screenshot though.

[The Observer]

Good read.

 

Looking forward for more spotlights. :thumbup:

[Sunli]

Very nice initiativ! I enjoyed reading it all :)

 

*Hugs from a retired one*

[UnknownRemoval]

In the words of what was left uncensored in that sneak peak, HOLY SH**.

 

Very interesting guys, thanks for writing it. :thumbup:

[Guy]

210 forums and subforums? o.O

I guess that includes all of the individual clan forums (right?) :P

Thanks!

[Laikrob]

210 forums and subforums? o.O

I guess that includes all of the individual clan forums (right?) :P

Thanks!

Yes, but there are actually quite few of those. There is a wide variety of active and inactive planning forums, and some more or less active private forums, in addition to staff forums, TET forums, archives and more.

[Jeffwilson99]

Good read :thumbup: I noticed Rainy didn't answer many of the questions...something to hide, methinks?

[Rainy_Day]

Good read :thumbup: I noticed Rainy didn't answer many of the questions...something to hide, methinks?

Rainy has been a busy bee irl.

[QueenValerie]

Awesomesauce. And I must say Michigan is by far the best place in terms of awesome random Yooper accents and pasties and fudge. I'm a 'troll' [below the bridge; see, clever, right?] though, so I don't get fun Yooperyness.

 

 

Ha!, Ha! .... Agreed. :thumbsup:

[Shelby_Polo]

Awesomesauce. And I must say Michigan is by far the best place in terms of awesome random Yooper accents and pasties and fudge. I'm a 'troll' [below the bridge; see, clever, right?] though, so I don't get fun Yooperyness.

 

 

Ha!, Ha! .... Agreed. :thumbsup:

I approve these messages :thumbup: :thumbup:

[Jeffwilson99]

Good read :thumbup: I noticed Rainy didn't answer many of the questions...something to hide, methinks?

Rainy has been a busy bee irl.

 

Not too busy to find any comments about you I see :mrgreen:

[Tacatar]

it was really fun & interesting to read!

ty for letting us know a little more about you :)

[Rainy_Day]

Good read :thumbup: I noticed Rainy didn't answer many of the questions...something to hide, methinks?

Rainy has been a busy bee irl.

 

Not too busy to find any comments about you I see :mrgreen:

I'm never that busy.