NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, let me be VERY clear about something: Nation-to-nation telegrams are NOT the preferred means of contacting Moderators. Some of us don't check our telegrams too often, and even those who do (such as myself) accidentally fail to notice some telegrams. Consequently, you could be waiting for a response to your telegram, and I might not even know that you telegrammed me.

I don't ordinarily post telegrams in public, but I want to go through a case example. Consequently, names have been changed to protect privacy. Let's study how not to ask for help from a Moderator.

I noticed the following telegram shortly after "My Main Nation" was deleted:
The State of My Main Nation
Received: 9 days ago

Moderator Cogitation:

I would not ordinarily contact you about this issue, but I have read a NS forum thread stating that my nation is to be deleted and a lifetime NS ban imposed! Do you know exactly what it is that I am supposed to have done? I haven't commited any NS violations, and am caught completely by surprise at this.

Before I am deleted, could a moderator please explain to me what is going on?
Now, "My Main Nation" had already been deleted by the time I noticed that telegram, so I couldn't reply to it.

I then received (but didn't notice) the following telegram:
The Republic of Reincarnation
Received: 8 days ago

Way to respond to my telegram from my nation of "My Main Nation" on the issue of delete-on-sight and lifetime ban, Cogitiation. I thought you guys were at least "moderately" fair, but this takes the absolute cake. I still don't known--and apparently will never know---what the moderator star chamber accused me of, but for the record I haven't done anything to deserve the most aggressive and draconian punishment in NationStates.

My alternate nations are:

Puppet the First
Puppet the Second
Puppet the Third

Either reinstate ALL my nations (including My Main Nation) or delete them all. Either way, be an adult and explain why this occurred. As you can plainly read, this action has further deepened the growing chorus of complaints about moderator "objectivity."

Do your job and offer an answer sought by many, MANY players in this game, Cogitation. Otherwise, stop being a moderator and leave it to those who can offer some semblance of fairness and impartiality.
Now, this telegram came right before a bunch of other telegrams that I had received at approximately the same time, so I didn't notice it until now, "now" being 8 days after I got the telegram.

First, this should have been filed through the "Getting Help" page. Multiple Game Mods look at those reports, and it's more likely to be noticed there than if sent by telegram. If you've been permanently banned from NationStates, then E-mail salusa@nationstates.net to appeal the decision.

Corollary to the first point: There are valid reasons why I don't respond to you right away, or respond at all. If I were to institute a personal policy of "I don't listen to unsolicited Moderator business by nation-to-nation telegram", then that's a valid reason. I don't have such a policy, but I could if I wanted to.

Second, I'm not the Mod who issued the DOS order, so I don't know all the details behind precisely why the DOS order was issued. I can tell you what the official notation says, but I won't do that here since I don't want to name names.

Third, if you want to politely make a request or politely point out that you think we made a mistake, then feel free to do so. Telling us to "be an adult" is not going to go over well. You can now add flamebaiting a Moderator to the list-of-charges.

Fourth, you are not Max Barry. Do not presume to know who should or should not be a Moderator or to dictate what is required of a Moderator. If you want to make polite suggestions to that effect, then feel free to do so in "Moderation". But, do not dictate what does not does not constitue our job.

Now, the official notation says "Delete-On-Sight", so I'm going to go execute that order now.

--The Modified Democratic States of Cogitation
"Think about it for a moment."
NationStates Game Moderator

This should be appended or merged into Getting help from the Mods (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=354790)

Or made a sticky. But people don't read 'em...

This should be appended or merged into Getting help from the Mods (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=354790)

That thread already mentions that we don't want telegrams:

While sending mods TMs may seem like it would get the job done faster [since its a direct line of communication with the mod, instead of a request form which can take a while to get to], this isn't the case. I con't speak for everyone else, but I tend to completely ignore TM requests for moderator intervention

Please don't do it, It clogs up my inbox with messages that should be displayed elsewhere.

2nd post.

That thread already mentions that we don't want telegrams
Yeah, but you said it so much better than Melkor. :D And here I thought he was the hardass Mod.

Yeah, but you said it so much better than Melkor. :D And here I thought he was the hardass Mod.

Melkor's just a big cuddly bunny.

I hate telegrams too. As innocent admin I get many every day, and I always have to give them the last word. I never get that chance myself, because when I answer a message, I always get one back. If I don't stop answering, that communication goes on endlessly, like if I have nothing else to do. Some members only stop messaging after I get angry. Even than it only works temporarily. After a month the first message of that particular player is in my box again. If I don't answer the messages immediately, my inbox will overflow.

I don't get so many now that I've moved back to Europe. I used to get dozens every day because I was in the top 10 for most things in The Pacific.
I'm not so visible any more :p

Oooh does this relate to the "deletions" thread? Because our region is still waiting (extremely) anxiously about some feedback from the moderator team.

Especially me, because i am being blamed for Glenravel2 and Final Circle being deleted. And keep getting telegrams informing me to "stay on course" and "bad things are about to happen"

This is too much for a mere nation like me to handle :headbang: :headbang: :( :(

Oooh does this relate to the "deletions" thread? Because our region is still waiting (extremely) anxiously about some feedback from the moderator team.

Especially me, because i am being blamed for Glenravel2 and Final Circle being deleted. And keep getting telegrams informing me to "stay on course" and "bad things are about to happen"

This is too much for a mere nation like me to handle :headbang: :headbang: :( :(

Isn't that a bit dubious?

i wait days for answers and i get this? i dont know what that means sorry. I understand the sentence, but i dont know whats dubious, why you said it, or what relevence it has.

Dubious means "iffy". Basically, your "advertising" another thread, especially in Moderation, could possibly be against the rules.

Oooh does this relate to the "deletions" thread?
When I posted this topic, I was advised by another Mod not to name names.

Dubious means "iffy". Basically, your "advertising" another thread, especially in Moderation, could possibly be against the rules.
It's not advertising so much as it is being off-topic.

--The Modified Democratic States of Cogitation

I don't get so many now that I've moved back to Europe. I used to get dozens every day because I was in the top 10 for most things in The Pacific.
I'm not so visible any more :p

Totaly off topic, but Myrth, where are you in Europe, if you don't mind me asking?

Totaly off topic, but Myrth, where are you in Europe, if you don't mind me asking?

Don't tell him, you'll be kidnapped and you'll be asked to pay ransom :P

Don't tell him, you'll be kidnapped and you'll be asked to pay ransom :P

.... doesn't the family/friends of the kidnapping victim usually have to pay the ransom? I don't recall reading about victims being forced to pay their own ransoms... or at least, there are cases, but they aren't usually called 'kidnappings' or 'ransoms'...

I asume you realise he means NS region, NOT phsycal location. However it certainly would make sense if he did live in Europe IRL.