In the past week there were at least 11 bans recorded on the kiwike admin panel. I know that there were more, for example Zammie's "time-out" or Cerce's "griefing". While the server moderators are a necessary and beneficial addition to the server I think that some mods are getting a little overzealous in the application of "don't disrespect the mods" as a way of quelling any complaint followed up by kicks and even temp bans. IMO this is diminishing the quality of the server and discouraging new members. OOC is full of a near-constant drone of flame wars between Kyga and [insert person kyga banned here]. Threats are frequently made as the flame war escalates, eventually the non-moderator member finds themselves rebanned. Kyga is honestly one of my favorite people on the server and he is definitely a highly active moderator however I feel like moderation needs to be dosed in moderate amounts and be disconnected from the game as much as possible, in essence moderators should be professional and refuse to talk about mod choices they have made in game and instead defer disgruntled people to the forums where they are not clogging up /ooc .
I think the server needs a clearer rule of what constitutes griefing, I think no-one should be banned for complaining about a moderator however absurd their complaint might seem to the moderator in question. Most importantly I think there should be a "ban/kick limit" imposed on moderators and gradually lifted as the moderator becomes more used to their position.
Moderation has not only become marginally intrusive in game but also on the forums, particularly in terms of threads that are IMO locked a little early. Threads should be locked when they go off topic, not when their is still a reasonable amount of relevant discussion in the thread about an issue, locking a thread should not be a way of silencing a ban appeal but rather a way of preventing spam/off-topic meme-picture posting.
Finally I think a more comprehensive and realistic definition of griefing needs to be agreed upon. Harvesting wheat should not be a reason to ban someone from a server on which stealing is allowed, accidentally doing minor damage (less than 5 blocks) to a wall/house should not result in a ban. I think that in an attempt to maintain the letter of the law mods may be so overzealous so as to miss the spirit of the law. The purpose of bans is to increase the quality of the server
not to annoy active members or make members of the server abide by absurd/obscure/vague rules in constant fear of accidentally violating a minor one and ending up banned.
Kiwike is a great server with some really spectacular and active mods who are doing an amazing job keeping the server running. This server is nowhere near being "bad" or even "just ok." However, from my experience on other servers this is how good servers being to fall apart, moderators get increasingly nitpicky, arbitrary and pseudo-fascist. Dedicated members of the server who have been playing for months being to get annoyed and look elsewhere, new members commit minor misdeeds and find themselves banned with in days of joining the server (needless to say they don't return, even if they ban is only for 1 or 2 days). Anyways, I was just thinking now would be a good time to bring this up for discussion while it's still a minor/non-existent issue that has the potential to grow into something more difficult to eliminate. I love the way the server is run and moderated but I am sure it can get better, I also added a poll so that you all can express your opinions even outside of the comments.
TL
R: Kiwike is a really good server, over-moderation risks making it less really-good some reasonable definitions of rules need to be posted particularly concerning greifing, bans should be to benefit the server not exact revenge or get someone on a technicality, threads should be unlocked when they go off topic not while a discussion is happening, moderation needs to be moderated. Vote on the poll.
Moderation in moderation?
