The Kiwike Code of Conduct

[iDieForEXP]

Greetings fellow Kiwikeans! Over the time time that I've spent here I've noticed that one of the biggest sources of debate and conflict, is moderation. Generally concerning rules. So I decided to put something together that outlines what the staff looks for in the decision making. Hopefully this Code of Conduct will not only assist staff in moderation, but help our playerbase to understand the rules better. (If this turns out the way Im hoping it will, might I get a sticky on this?)

Let's start out by defining the Code of Conduct.

The Kiwike Code of Conduct

Kiwike requires the sportsmanship and good conduct of its partcipants to function properly. Players have rules to follow, but at many times the enforcement of these rules is difficult because of staff limitations, or just the overall size of the server's population. With a community this large, players are often drawn together from different walks of life, minecraft standards, or accepted behaviour. Players are called upon to not only police themselves, but to look out for other players. The rules can only cover so much, and there are numerous concepts and terms that get tossed around when conflicts or debates arise. Very often disputes arise or escalate from a simple misunderstandingof these terms. The following is a break down of common terms used in decision making, rules, and conduct in Kiwike. This is not a system enforcement.

Types of Rules

Written Rules: These are the written rules of the game. This includes both the forum rules and the game rules.

Unwritten Rules: These are customs, practices, standards, and values not defined by written rules, but are accepted as "rules" because they benefit the public as a whole.This could be either common decency, or following the spirit of a rule. Another way to say this is,"Common Sense".

Spirit of the Rules: Describes accepted standards that are not defined by the written rules, but implied from them. For example, watching someone else break a rule, while not informing staff is breaking the spirit of said rule.

Staff Intervention Rules: The staff at any point in time reserve the right to make decisions based not only on the rules, but on the future of the server, for its overall benefit. However, these decisions cannot be personal, and said staff member needs exemplary reasoning to conduct this act.

Code of Conduct Terms

Cheating: The player willingly attempts to break or ignore a written rule, or makes no attempt to learn the written rules of the game.

Cheesy: Being Cheesy describes doing things that other players find cheap, inferior, or in bad form. Including but not limited to grammar (both on forums and in game), blatant disregard for attempted roleplay, or using bugs in the game to your advantage.

Disrespect: Any action (verbal, physical, or implied) that is knowingly disrespectful to fellow players. This can include moderators, admins, players, or spirits. This can include any of the unwritten rules.

Loopholing: Using ambiguous or poorly written rules to find "holes" in the system that the player uses to their advantage. This includes breaking the spirit of the rule.

Minimuming: Behaving in a way that is the very lowest one can go without specifically breaking a written rule. While doing this, a player may break the spirit of the rule.

New Player Predatoring: The act of taking advantage, abuse, or otherwise disrupting the fun of new players.

Rule Violation: An unknowing violation of the rules caused by ignorance of a specific rule (written or otherwise), lack of experience, or confusion. Players who refuse to learn the details of a rule after unknowingly violating it it are then cheating.


I hope this helps avoid potential future arguements! Please let me know of ny revisions you would like made to this.

[sethd13]

A++ would like to see moderators follow it, but i feel like a less ban, more discussion aproach should be taken as well

[iDieForEXP]

I 100% agree with that, and I will make a point of discussing the topic at hand with anyone suspected of cheating before punishment is dealt.

[geckosquid]

And this is why iDie was chosen to be a moderator.

[bvcxzmn]

Cheesy: Being Cheesy describes doing things that other players find cheap, inferior, or in bad form. Including but not limited to grammar (both on forums and in game), blatant disregard for attempted roleplay, or using bugs in the game to your advantage.

My first thought when I saw this is you were specifically referring to Cheesyaloha!

[Cell]

2) No Griefing
2.1) Replace Any Removed Blocks
2.2) Exceptions

When I read this, I cant help but think of 2.2. This was a huge problem on the server, the moderators and admins calling shots for rules that didn't exist, in this case, being Unwritten rules. This was terrible. One being, no matter what you did, you couldn't avoid it. You could read the rules forwards and backwards, and not have anything to help you against an unwritten rule. Because.... its unwritten.

You cant moderate off of a topic such as that iDie. The reason being, everyone has a different definition of what is common sense, and what isn't. An example of this? Solitude. Although i'm happy that some of them are gone, there was really no actual rule for them to be banned by. It was a decision made by the staff, that Solitude could do nothing about. They couldn't read up on the rule, they couldn't of known to avoid that type of situation.

[iDieForEXP]

Cheesy: Being Cheesy describes doing things that other players find cheap, inferior, or in bad form. Including but not limited to grammar (both on forums and in game), blatant disregard for attempted roleplay, or using bugs in the game to your advantage.

My first thought when I saw this is you were specifically referring to Cheesyaloha!

To tell the truth, I was. xD

2) No Griefing
2.1) Replace Any Removed Blocks
2.2) Exceptions

When I read this, I cant help but think of 2.2. This was a huge problem on the server, the moderators and admins calling shots for rules that didn't exist, in this case, being Unwritten rules. This was terrible. One being, no matter what you did, you couldn't avoid it. You could read the rules forwards and backwards, and not have anything to help you against an unwritten rule. Because.... its unwritten.

You cant moderate off of a topic such as that iDie. The reason being, everyone has a different definition of what is common sense, and what isn't. An example of this? Solitude. Although i'm happy that some of them are gone, there was really no actual rule for them to be banned by. It was a decision made by the staff, that Solitude could do nothing about. They couldn't read up on the rule, they couldn't of known to avoid that type of situation.

It is a touchy subject, but I would consider what happened to Solitude more of a Staff Intervention than a violation of an unwritten rule. If this suggested Code of Conduct was followed, then when someone violates an unwritten rule it would be just that, violating a rule. A rule violation would be much less of a strike against you than cheating, which is what happens when someone informs the violator that they have broken a rule, yet they continue to do so.

But I do see your point, it IS hard to effectively moderate a large group of people based on common sense, especially when some people have a lot, and others very little. My guess is that has to involve a lot of patience, and calmly informing players when they step out of line. My primary concern with though, is the feigning of ignorance by someone who just wants to get away with something. If they do it and someone tells them not to afterward, doing it again would be cheating, but preventing them from doing this act in the first place is something that a staff member just isn't able to control. Like I said before, in order for this server to work, the players have to step up some and be the better man. If you get into an argument with someone who will, never, ever, see your side, state your case on the forums and leave for awhile. Don't let it degenerate into a 47 page long thread where it goes back and forth between you and the other person just saying the same things over again, worded differently. The same thing can apply to the game, if someone kills you, there's no need to flame them in OOC. This is a game. You can get all of that stuff back. I realize that it took real life hours to get it, but until they come back, learn some PvP tactics, get better equipment. Don't let them kill you over and over and then flame them endlessly. This also goes for the killer. If you kill someone, don't gloat in OOC. You got their stuff. Go on your merry way.

The people of the community need to take the rules more seriously, and respect other players more often. I know that I have repeatedly done this, and it led to nothing. The only surefire way to improve the community is to be the one that initiates the change.

[Crashlander04]

I feel like unwritten rules give too much power to the staff for hear-say decisions or personal bias. Something should be specifically restricted or not.

Also, if a rule is broken the moderators should seek to solve the situation requiring a ban only if utterly necessary to make a point to the player - perhaps a healing circle would be a helpful alternative.

[Crashlander04]

I feel like unwritten rules give too much power to the staff for hear-say decisions or personal bias. Something should be specifically restricted or not.

Also, if a rule is broken the moderators should seek to solve the situation requiring a ban only if utterly necessary to make a point to the player - perhaps a healing circle would be a helpful alternative.

[iDieForEXP]

I feel like unwritten rules give too much power to the staff for hear-say decisions or personal bias. Something should be specifically restricted or not.

The unwritten rules are not a means to give the staff the power it needs, that would be intervention. The unwritten rules are not necessarily "rules" per say, but how one should behave. The consequences of breaking one of these are miniscul.

Also, if a rule is broken the moderators should seek to solve the situation requiring a ban only if utterly necessary to make a point to the player - perhaps a healing circle would be a helpful alternative.

I like the way you think sir. Maybe not something like having Terinion sing the rules, but an actual discussion in which the staff members present the argument to the player BEFORE administrative action is taken.