State of Management, Hiring, moderation etcetera

[Chippiewill]

It's a bit late, but w/e. PREPARE FOR THE GREAT WALL TEXT OF CHINA!


NIXT / GARION

However I do think, if a member were to post "already posted - xx" and someone replies "yeah it's already been posted", the second poster should be approached for pointless posting. What do you guys think?

Nail on the head, this is the kind of thing which needs fixing pronto. This is an example of something which requires moderator discretion.

Saurav has also mentioned the advertising rule in the spam forum. Essentially disallowing you from posting such things as "HI I'M DJING ON SOMEHABBORADIO.COM TUNE IN". I don't think it is so much a problem with the rules, rather a problem with the way it is applied. Shameless advertising should be dealt with but not necessarily casual linking.

Agreed, "Plugging" something as it were I think is fine but, trying to get people to buy your cooker off cragislist or similar is just eurghgh.

I do think we have a strong Moderation team but I do think we need to stress the importance of individually evaluating the situation and encouraging an element of independence! I think this is lacking and some Moderators are too strictly following the usernote > warning > infraction process and not taking into account the discretion they are allowed. It is something that we need to look into.

Agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed and AGREED. Perhaps moderators should be encouraged somehow to do this.

Hi NEW MEMBER'S NAME,

My name is Nixt and I am a Forum Moderator here at Habbox :-). I noticed you were a relatively new member so just thought I'd pop by and say hi! Also I thought I'd suggest reading the forum rules - just to keep yourself out of trouble when you're here. Note this rule in particular: RULE BROKEN. Keep those in mind and you can't go far wrong!"

This seems a bit wishy washy and might not send the right message but it's certainly on the right track as far as I'm concerned.

Habbox is not a totalitarian dictatorship. Users get a huge amount of input - a significant amount more than they ever did under previous management teams. However, it is not a democracy. It never has been, it never will be. I fail to see how this would make Habbox a better place either. I rarely see any website that runs as a democracy, and I don't see why Habbox should be any different.

The fact is, at the moment Habbox management can change things without user agreement.

I'm not going to post an announcement and say "EVERYONE - I'M GOING TO CHANGE THIS - Y / N?" each time I alter rules or policy, such bureaucracy would see the site moving at a snail's pace. But if you think something needs changing, contact those relevant or feed back on it and it will sure as hell happen.

This would not result in massive delays, you could have a sub-forum, delay each set of Sunday updates by one week (Hardly going to make a difference) and have a poll on everything.

Almost every change is made as a result of member feedback. As I said we are not about to hold a vote on every little thing we change. Do you see other sites doing this? Do you see companies doing this (which run in much the same way as us, or any other fansite?) We accept feedback, we make changes based on what the members want, but we're not going to ask for a referendum on whether or not we should change the wording of a rule.

It would not be a referendum, it would allow people to give a yes/no answer without breaking rules and without wasting time. It is a quick and easy way to get the opinion of the general forum population.

You are free to criticise us (what have most people been doing all along this thread) but when people start victimising individuals unfairly it will be dealt with. In the same way if I posted a thread in spam and posted "that Agnostic Bear is such a tiresome bore" it would be dealt with as necessary. Broad criticism is fine, but unfair targeting is not.

Agreed, JB here is just trolling for arguments sake, targeting users is unfair.

VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

Glad you agree!

Callum.

Not going to lie, after being here 5 years, I think this is a big low point.

Low points must be considered as a chance to change for good or to let the process go on. I'd prefer the first.

JB

Only if the powers that be don't mind! If they want to say no BAM it'll not happen (A prime example of what happens in a totalitarian dictatorship!)

This is the problem we have at the moment, as long as management agree it's fine, as soon management disagree they'll close the thread and squash the idea, regardless of public opinion.

Nope. You only listen if the popular members (or should i say those with enough backing to cause a ruckus) decide to post. This isn't a jab at those people, they have every right to put their point across, they just shouldn't have a greater levy than those who are less known.

The forum management are in a perpetual state of "will they be a problem if we ignore them? no? ok ignore them."

Agreed, a Veto, if people are made aware of, would provide a fair and representative opinion and would prevent the popular users from pushing their idea through the system.

Except those that aren't. Which are a lot of them.

And mostly bad ones..

Yes actually! I have voted in a few changes on various forums and such over the years (a few times on 4chan, a few times on Otaku-Studios (I'm an admin there don't you know, and forum activity is ~*skyrocketing*~)

tsk tsk, what are you like!

1) Yes. Microsoft are doing this. They don't make it that obvious but they take in a huge (huge) amount of feedback and it actually gets listened to and implemented. Please see: Windows 7, Internet Explorer 9, Windows Live *.

Clearly Garion hasn't seen those Win7 adverts, "Windows 7 was my idea"

I don't desire revolution in a violent way, I desire a peaceful change to a way where this forum would prosper.

Gario does have a point here, you are a tiresome bore

nvrspk4

Card tends to be pulled out every few months. I think that over the years, Habbox management has always been moving forward in this regard. Habbox management has always been getting more and more transparent and responsive, sometimes at quicker rates than others, but always moving forward. It was a huge step for GMs to reply to threads, now it's pretty much a given. The fact that you will always get an GM reply to your threads means that they're obviously listening, and the fact that they're willing to debate shows quite clearly that they are listening to your feedback and evaluating it. They're not necessarily always going to agree with it, but they're definitely listening.

It would be nicer if they followed your method of letting it play out first, I find that the newer users will follow the weight of staff quite quickly if they're not sure.

It's also said from time to time that even though they may listen, management shuts down everything. Something I've learned is that a large portion of how you get things to work here is by presenting them right. The ideas that succeed tend to be posted constructively, and backed by concrete examples. When you post in an attack on the staff or the management, not a constructive statement but more of a strong-worded attack, it often forces GMs into a defensive position and makes it very difficult for them to try to meet you halfway, which they absolutely do. I've definitely seen this management team try to do that.

hurhurhur, refer to my other thread.

There have been times that good ideas had to wait several months simply because members made the mistake of taking a good suggestion and making it really destructive criticism and turning the argument personal and individual-based. In one specific example I'm thinking of, the forum manager had to defend the decision as a part of defending himself and his team, and as such was really forced to place himself against suggestions that he probably could have compromised on. Instead, the changes waited until the entire vitriol of the issue died down and it could be brought back up without being reminiscent of the old fight. An entire idea that could have benefited the forum died because people couldn't be mature or suggest it rationally.

In those occurrences the thread should be closed and the idea should be brought forth again without all the bad bits. Infact, this is what this whole thread is, taking an old thread and reposting it to remove the fight, I didn't have to wait six months before reconsidering it.

As far as what should be done, though I disagree with his ideas (and I'm not going to jump into the debate about his ideas itself because I'm not involved enough to be an informed participant) I do have to commend Agnostic Bear for his posts, primarily his initial posts. He details what it is he finds wrong with the forum, and offers constructive solutions to fix it. On that note though, AB I do think you're getting a little personal with your posts and are making it a little bit of an attack. I think you're definitely on the right track with how to get ideas across, some things to tweak, and personally I disagree with some of your ideas, but I'm also not around enough to give an informed opinion.

That is the curse of the feedback forum, if someone disagrees it is viewed as a personal attack rather than an opinion.

Just my two cents, more on the nature of effecting change around HxF than what should actually be changed.

Which is what we require in these dark dark times. (Perhaps a little dramatic)

So I guess I'll start off with the most distressing thing. Why am I a "weird" fantasy? A fantasy, yes, I'll accept (after all, I'm told that I populate the dreams of many HabboxForumers, primarily GommeInc). But "weird"? Really?

Most people say Mad (I think) but he was before my time and you always have good responses in feedback.

=345

I agree with u garion

This actually proves my earlier point that newer users will side with staff automatically (Although it may be his own opinion).


Grig

The problem at the moment is the inability to take risks and try innovation. Whenever someone proposes this, it gets crushed by certain members of general management.

Exactly, as previously stated, perhaps management should let threads develop in order to see progress etc.

At the moment, Habbox is still working on a similar model of 2007 and it needs to come from the blast from the past with a massive re-vamp starting from the sites and ending with a reform of department and management structure, as there needs to be a move forward into something more compact, like other fansites have.

Mass reform is not the point, however reform in 'problem' points is. The main site is dead, it needs new content writers and not just people writing guides. Mini games would work, Habbo Space Invaders anyone?

It's time to step up and work on making Habbox the king it once was, it was too much reliance that people thought Habbox would always be this super power fansite, but sadly those fays have vanished and it's time to put that blood, sweat and tears in again like in the past Sierk and co. did.

God save our Habbox!

Robbie
Original:

Insert generic comment about "v6" here

New:

It's ready when it's ready.

Recursion

I really cba to read all this long posts, in short TL;DR. But I have to agree with the OP and whilst I think we do need changes to be made, you can't really shoot Jamesy for any problems, he's only just taken on the role as Forum Manager, give him a chance. BUT I do think the actual (co-)owner should take a more active role... Jin has done nothing noticable in the past year.

Jin will be Jin. But I'm not really targeting Jamesy, more past management policy which I hope he doesn't aspire to.

Also, with some of the comments above @ Nixt, look at the Tapatalk idea, it takes no forum resources up to implement it, it is literally 1 line of code and an account signup at tapatalk.com to introduce an addon that would actually get some use out of users for once, and it didn't happen. Ever, why? Jin said no.

Jin will be Jin.

Also "TL;DR" is a terrible thing, it basically lets people off of making the same point people already have

This forum is turning towards the crapper if I'm honest.

Habbox will be Habbox.

Bolt660

Agreed with this. I don't think things can suddenly become perfect, it requires time and gradual changes to make things work. James is doing a fantastic job already and has only been in the role a couple of months himself and it does take time for a new manager to assess things and weigh up what needs sorting out etc.

Management changes hands so fast these days.

In regard to the rules, I think there are certainly some changes which can be made, and I'm sure they will. There are certain aspects of the rules that are more relaxed these days than they were last year and I think gradually it's getting better with less warnings etc being given out. I think the moderation is quite friendly in many ways, and members are generally treated with respect from what I can see.

Think of this thread as a catalyst for change, if I didn't make it, nothing would happen.

I think managers do try and listen to members to an extent and many of the updates on the forum especially have come from suggestions by members. The amount of feedback threads in which have been resolved far outweighs the unanswered complaints.

Except those that they hide.

As far as I see it, the members of the forum should have a certain amount of input into these things, since they're the ones keeping the forum going essentially, however it must also be remembered that managers do put an enormous amount of time into planning things, dealing with their staff and other jobs to improve on quality of the services we offer as a site.

The popular and involved members do, we need to get the entire community aware of these things.

There are plans in place for future things to draw in new members, keep older members satisfied and so forth, however I do agree more effort could perhaps be put in to making these things happen sooner.

Habbox needs to let go of its older members, you cannot please all parties. It is its heritage but it'll also be its downfall.

Some of the complaint threads, whilst offering great feedback- can sometimes create an unpleasant atmousphere.

Don't read threads if you don't like them.

From here I think we just need to really put a lot of effort into ensuring we are continuously working on new developments whilst maintaining a good current standard at the same time. In basic, things need to improve yes, however it can't all be done at once. Feedback like this from members is always very useful in determining what members want to see from the site, and from what I can see- the majority of the time members do get features/ideas they request and we do our best to ensure the sites are up to quality.

Progress is occurring, yes, this thread serves as making sure it continues and to bring forth proposals