NationStates Jolt Archive

Please take a look at this and let me know who I need to contact for approval:

"Zooke and I are considering starting a long-running thread where anyone could come and post to ask for the advice of two older NSers. We would do our best to offer the very best advice possible. If we didn't think we could offer effective advice on a particular issue, we would search for someone to whom we could refer the poster.

"We're considering doing this because we've come to care about everyone on here, and think we might be able to share some of what we've learned in the process of having lived this long.

"Would you like to see a thread devoted to advice? Would you feel comfortable posting to such a thread? We welcome your comments and suggestions."

If it's ok to do this, we would draft a set of standards which would indicate, among other rhings, that there was no charge of any sort, that NatonStates was not involved in any way, the training and experience of the two parties involved, etc. ... in short, a disclaimer and the guidelines for requesting and being given advice.

Please let me know via TG, if possible.

As this is a question of forum behavior rather than Technical capablility, it belongs in Moderation. Moved.

I'm going to pass on advising you in hopes that a more seasoned mod can address the possiblity. On the face of it, though, it looks innocuous enough. I'm not clear why you think you need permission.

Various organisations of veterans have come together to "mentor" and teach newer players. I don't know if it's ever been done in General before, but it's certainly happened in the role-playing forums a time or three. So long as the players in question don't presume to speak for the Moderation staff, I don't think anyone ever complained about it.

Standard Disclaimer: I am not a Moderator. Has everyone got that now?

This looks fine.

--The Modified Democratic States of Cogitation

While I don't believe this is a bad idea, it could in fact be a very useful resource for young people who find themselves with no where to turn.

There are a few things I feel I should point out (if not already being considered by the mods and mostly Max) Any such thread would need an explicit disclaimer that this was not endorsed by Nationstates and that Nationstates has no opinion on such things. This would protect Nationstates from potential lawsuits. Second, because these would be views expressed solely by the participants, that as well should be made VERY clear that it is solely the expression of the posters and in no way shape or form is endorsed by Nationstates.

Short of that, I don't see a problem with it.

Maybe I spend too much time holed up in the NationStates forum, but I haven't seen a continuously manned advice thread around. If it ran long enough, it might become something of a permanent fixture, and as you two hung around longer, you'd be able to provide more in depth advice. I'd like to participate in this too, in the case you get a question you feel is over your heads.