Guardian Hobba (modernized helper)

[MissAlice]

A fellow user asked another fellow user about this new 'Guardian' program habbo have planned and Paul LaFontaine has replied VIA twitter:

PAUL: "Guardian is a modernized Hobba - a helper with limited mod powers."

USER: "Guardians be regulated? No kicking random rooms for no reason (can see it happening) No bias from staff (can see me being declined

PAUL: Yes Guardians a position of extreme trust. Tightly regulated and very important."

https://twitter.com/PaulLaFo/status/217274109539790848

https://twitter.com/PaulLaFo/status/217268073613365248

So I guess this means 'Hobbas' might be back? I wonder what tools these users will get?

Yes Guardians a position of extreme trust. Tightly regulated and very important.

I very much doubt it will be helpers. Reading above implies, they are taking it seriously. As much as I feel there needs to be improvements in the moderation, I do feel hiring/recruiting assistance similar to the role of Hobbas is a step forward. I also think their powers would be limited to kicking and room over-ride, and they would only pick up selected calls for help, and would be a positive move to show a presence.

Wait... Hold up... There's space? Given the state of his ego, you'd think he couldn't fit anyone else's but his own over inflated head up his derriere.

In all seriousness. It seems like a good idea, but it could go so wrong so fast. Too many over-obsessive users are on Habbo now - the ones that think they should get the job are the ones who shouldn't ever get close to it. Hobbas worked amazingly well, it was the eXperts that were problematic.

What they need to do is clone @MissAlice.

Haha, I always wanted to be a Hobba, but I was underage and then they decided to do away with the program, so that only left the X Program for me. Will be quite interesting to see how they recruit, and if there is an age limit as well as an understanding of the game.

This will fail in either system.

If it is by appointment, it will fall the same reason the Habbo X scheme did. The staff got lazy in appointment of them, choosing well known names nearer the end rather than those who actually show a chance of doing a decent job. Most of the people who abused the room privillages were generally in the last or second to last batch.

If it's by levelling up that talent tree, well needless to say some noobs or idiots will get it and just fail.

Lets hope they select people who can do the job!

[Jarkie]

@MissAlice; I think people like you and the old habbo x leaders that still play have a high chance in getting allowed in this new program.

[Pigperson]

Sounds exciting, more protection heh

Will

[Okeanos]

i dont understand why people here are complaining about it - most of you didnt even play habbo when hobbas were around. i hope they do do this, it will be grand. it seems to me the only people who are moaning about it are the ones who know they have no chance of being one

@MissAlice; I think people like you and the old habbo x leaders that still play have a high chance in getting allowed in this new program.

why? why should people who havent used habo for years be given priority? the only former x leader who still bothers to come online is ardl

[Jarkie]

why? why should people who havent used habo for years be given priority? the only former x leader who still bothers to come online is ardl

Yeah I see your point. Was kinda wondering it they would though. And indeed ardl is a legend hehe

[October]

Theres this thing called the 'Habbo council' I bet you any money, it be the guys within that group that will become these new hobbas.

I was in the Safety Council, there is no way Paul would even consider me for this, despite me being the one who cares the most for a Habbo's safety and online well-being...

Like @Red said, there are so many people that brown-noses him. You have to see things his way for him to tolerate you.

[Bob1]

This system is not the answer to the problems C4 News highlighted, I worked with the old Hobba system (it was how I moved into working in online moderation), the many formats the paid Mod system took until all ops were moved to SG and the eXpert system, I can't see this working if Sulake are relying on it as a fix for those issues.

I can imagine the spin will be that Guardians would be there to deal with smaller issues to free up time for moderators to keep an eye on bigger issues but again, I still don't see this being a productive, proactive system.

There are SO many issues a system like this would raise (many have been mentioned on previous pages) and if Habbo can't even handle their current operations correctly adding an extra factor is doomed from the get go.

Also, I'm pretty sure there are issues with US law regarding volunteer work which is why the Hobba system never ever launched on the US hotel in the same format as the rest of Sulake's portfolio, I'm interested if to work around this Sulake will just not give these positions to US citizens?

[October]

So, what exactly would the Guardians be doing? And wasn't the Helper program meant to assist the moderators? That said, what left would there be for the moderators to do? Or will the hotel be run by teenagers...

[Abdicators]

I can't believe how much you all whinge about potential power abuse. You realise there's more probably more moderators on this forum than there will be when Guardians are being tested. They can't ban your account. Some of you have real problems with figures of authority.

[Oleh]

I think Hobbas should be reintroduced, I'd certainly love to become one now that I am of age (Dreamed of becoming one when I was 9 )