The Chain of CommandAs Elliquiy's population increases, there is less likelihood of any one person knowing "everybody else"; the community, while it still exists, is less like one large family and more like several large groups of friends, or even something like a social group (such as college or work). Inevitably, there will be conflicts; and while this is generally intuitive for most people, there
is a chain of command on Elliquiy for handling member-to-member issues.
This is both implied and explicitly stated in the
rules and procedures (see
Dealing With Problems), but simply put, problem resolution should go as follows:
Members » Staff » AdministrationIf you have a problem with another member, you first go to that person privately and attempt to work out your differences. It is nobody's business what problems you have with other members; and, it is against the rules to drag private issues into the public forums. For example:
» Do not passive-aggressively post a rant in the Bad & Ugly forum that doesn't name names, but that is clear to whom the post refers. » Do not take pot shots in one of their threads, or in an OOC thread. Take it to private messages or PMs.We also suggest that you make use of the
ignore list in your
profile settings if you cannot be civil or polite to someone.
If the problem cannot be resolved civilly, and you cannot ignore each other civilly, approach any staff member and ask for mediation or assistance. Moderators are Oracles; administrators are gods, goddesses, guardians and genies. You can contact whichever staff member you feel comfortable with, regardless of their perceived relationship with the other member(s) involved. All staff members are chosen for their level-headedness and for their ability to be fair and as impartial as humanly possible.
If you have a problem with the staff member, you are welcome to contact a second staff member for a second opinion, especially if you feel that the problem has not been handled appropriately, or if the staff member has been out of line. Please remember that our staff is only human; real-life stresses or personal beliefs can affect opinion and performance, and it may occasionally be helpful to have a staff member step in to remind another of that.
If you feel that the situation was not resolved to your satisfaction, or has been mishandled, contact an administrator. Again, administrators have white badges - gods, goddesses, and genies. You can contact whichever admin you are more comfortable with. If you have a complaint regarding a staff member, please contact
Daeva or
Britwitch.
Asking other friends on Elliquiy for advice about a situation is natural; however, involving them in the dispute will usually create more problems all around, and solve nothing.
If you have a dispute with another member that cannot be resolved, you should go to a staff member if you cannot be civil or polite to someone.
Chain of command is a bit of a misnomer, since the whole staff works as a team of equals, engaging in a thorough discussion to reach a consensus that seems fair and just to everyone involved. Not everyone will always be happy with the resolution, but again, we try to keep things even-handed.
As staff, we do tend to keep a light touch in the handling of forum affairs: we rarely step in unless asked, or unless it becomes clear that the situation is not likely to resolve on its own. We operate under the assumption that Elliquiy is a friendly community full of mature, responsible adults, so we generally expect members to handle disputes amongst themselves, if possible. However, you
will be listened to if you have a complaint, and we are here if there is a need for us to step in.
Thank you.
Originally written by Caeli
