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Monday, December 22, 2003
A Question of Good PR
I have discovered that the biggest difficulty in running a major web site isn't actually the graphic design, the programming or anything technical. It's the concept of delivering bad news.
Those of you who were around from v2 onward will know that we've had all sorts of trouble with staff who have been dismissed for one reason or another.
In most cases, I've dismissed a staff member because they've done something that is outright wrong; they've been abusive to members, they've broken the rules or they've not been doing their job properly.
I guess those are the most common reasons, anyway.
The thing is, it's always the most difficult part of my job. Part of that difficulty has no doubt been a result of the way ex-staff have reacted. They've either argued until they're blue in the face, or they've been downright nasty about it, or they've thrown a tantrum that covers multiple sites.
Regardless whether or not someone feels that they've been dismissed unfairly (as I'm sure there are probably few people who would really say "Yeah, I was being lazy and got fired), why is it that people seem to forget the whole "pre-hiring disclaimer"? I always make it a point to explain to people that being a Moderator at the boards isn't a right. It is a privilege. And it's not a permanent or set-in-stone thing. It's something that you enjoy while you're there...but not something that you should expect to be there forever.
The thing is, OtakuBoards is always growing. And there is only so much room available for Moderators. And my goal, since v2, has always been to allow any member on the site to have an opportunity to contribute as a Moderator.
Sometimes I think it's important to stop and say "You've been here a while, you've had enough...now it's time to let someone else have a go."
And really, is that so unfair? I don't think so. Afterall, I'm not actually trying to ban ex-staff or anything like that. And in some ways, replacing/rotating staff isn't an attempt to judge the worth or value of what someone is doing. And it's not about saying "I don't like you so I'm firing you."
It's about being as fair as possible, by giving other members an opportunity.
If I could change one attitude on OtakuBoards, it would definitely be this one. It would make life so much easier for everybody.
Unfortunately, I think this will continue to be the most difficult part of my job. Oh well. The next version of OtakuBoards will involve Category Moderators a little bit more, when it comes to dismissal and hiring. So that should spread the responsibility a little bit.
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