Fishheads
Warlord
okie.. let's try this again
hopefully it won't completely mess up like last time
Over the last few years, I've lived in close proximity to various types of Administrators. After careful consideration, I've found that all Administrators fit into one of three basic classes: The Prince, the Peer, and the President. I have taken the liberty of describing the basic characteristics of each class, including their personality traits, common actions, and the members that they attract
The PRINCE
PERSONALITY
A strong personality, to be sure, but without the patience and compassion to match. Princes live by the motto "This is MY place - if you don't like it, leave!" Many people do leave, but a high percentage of members tend to stay. Why? Because the Prince also makes himself heard at any cost and at maximum volume. Most people in the world are followers, not leaders. The Prince takes advantage of this by giving the members someone to stand behind. In turn, they tend to defend their Prince regardless of what his actions or policies may be.
ACTIONS
Typical actions of Princes include extensive censoring and removal of any posts or questions that may lead to a questioning of the Regime. Princes will often go to ridiculous measures to see that they are worshipped or and feared. This may range from simple defamation of other boards and their members to the actual sabotage of other communities. The Prince will always find a way to justify his actions, and (thanks to his puppet membership) will always have an army of people to blindly support him, sometimes even aiding him in his covert actions.
MEMBERS
The members of a Prince's community consist of many groups:
YES-MEN - Those who ingratiate themselves to the Prince by following his orders, defending his actions, and degrading themselves in the process. Rarely do they contribute anything fresh or constructive.
== Usually Administrators or other high-level authority figures.
KNIGHTS - These people actually have personalities of their own, but share some Yes-Men characteristics - they all owe something to the Prince or see him as a source of future power for themselves. The Knights do the actual day-to-day work of the community, and contribute a great deal of time and effort to the place. Given this fact, they SHOULD be Administrators, but the fact that they think for themselves keeps them out of the upper echelons.
== Usually Moderators or other mid-level authority figures.
REBELS
The survivor is someone who doesn't like the Administration, but remains out of faith to his fellow survivors. Often, he will be seen trying to ease problems when the Knights are not about, in an attempt to change the conditions of the site. Usually the attempt is futile, and if they are not careful, Rebels can be banned just for saying their piece. More often that not, they are kicked out altogether.
== Sometimes Moderators, but mostly veteran members.
NEWBIES
All forums have newbies, of course, but at a Prince-run site, the newbie holds a certain potential. Will he become a rebel, or will the powers that be bring him into the fold? This potential causes a mad rush of attention for a newbie, as the Rebels and the Yes-Men (sometimes even the Prince himself) will compete to "out-schmooze" the other side and win the newbie over. Newbies usually are the only people who receive any kind treatment from a Prince.
== New posters (obviously) - often disappear soon, or evolve into Yes-Men or Rebels.
------------------------------
The PEER
PERSONALITY
The Peer is a nice guy. In fact, he is often too nice - he allows himself to be influenced by his membership to a high degree, which often makes his weaknesses very obvious. The Peer is very good about asking opinions, but has a hard time deciding which direction to go when presented with a direct choice.
ACTIONS
The Peer-run community will often stagnate from the start, as the Peer rarely has the confidence and drive to keep up with the demands of the site. The Peer also takes far too much time to implement changes, as he constantly seeks membership approval of any important ideas, thereby delaying the actual work.
MEMBERS
ANGELS - These people are the unimpeachable saints of the online community. Fair, gentle, and helpful, the Angel often gains a reputation as everyone's friend. If encountering a Prince, the Angel will often become a Rebel.
== Sometimes Moderators.
BEGGARS - These are the needy - the huddled masses. The Beggar is often someone who has a very serious problem in real life and, failing to find help in their own community, seeks it out in the online community. They are also the most vulnerable of any online personality. Beggars are greatly appreciative of any help they are given, and if they receive guidance from an Angel, they will often become Angels themselves. However, if they receive help from Bullies, they could end up becoming Bullies. These members are delicate, and require an expert touch in their first weeks of membership. Some of the nicest Peers started out as Beggars. So did some of the most vicious Princes.
== Usually lurkers - will not post much for the first few months.
BULLIES - As their name implies, the Bully is simply a thug. He has little or no control over things in his real life, and tries to compensate by inventing an online persona that is tough and unyielding. In some cases, the Bully may be as needy of help as the Beggar, but he is often too proud to admit it. The Bully often hides his true colors at first, in an attempt to ingratiate himself to the Administration, but once given any amount of power, the Bully will start to push the limits of his newfound position. As a Moderator, the Bully can seriously damage a community, and only a strong Admin will be able to control him.
== Sometimes moderators - often banned.
DREAMERS - Dreamers share the sense of open-mindedness and gentleness that the Angels possess, but don't have much time to be helpful. They tend to be neutral in any dispute, as they have their own agendas, and simply chime in when the topic of conversation touches upon their particular interests. In the presence of a Prince, the Dreamer usually doesn't change - his actions are neither productive nor destructive, and are therefore of no interest to a Prince. On the other hand, a Dreamer's idea may inspire Rebels.
--------------------------------
The PRESIDENT
PERSONALITY
The President may appear cold or distant at times, and genial at others. The President often sees a personal responsibility to his members as a whole, but doesn't hesitate to enforce the rules he has set down. The President also tends to stand up for himself when taunted by a Prince, sometimes at great personal expense.
The President surrounds himself with different types of people as assistants, depending on their function. He makes his decisions based on the good of the community as a whole, but only directly involves the community when the matter is of utmost importance. Things get done quickly under the President's control, and enforcement of rules is usually very even-handed. At the same time, the President is still willing to listen to his members, and will never directly dismiss suggestions.
ACTIONS
Presidents run a clean, organized site, but their non-controversial nature can limit the growth potential of the community. For this reason, Presidents will often enter into partnerships with other communities, which can be a great help, or a great hindrance to their own site, depending on the leadership styles of the other Administrators. This diplomatic status often keeps them out of the open forums.
For this reason, Presidents are good delegators. Their work tends to occur behind the scenes, while the other Administrators and Moderators do the visible work. This can lead to a perception that the President is a leader in name only, and can cause some of the members to doubt him. For this reason, the President is often seen making the first greetings to new members. This gives him visibility without forcing him to spend his entire life in the open community.
MEMBERS
As suggested by the name, the President usually establishes a formal bureaucracy for his community.
LIEUTENANTS - The Lieutenants carry out the more intensive duties of the visible community. They are the "Go To Guys," and tend to receive most of the questions from the regular membership. They are expected to serve the community as a whole, while remaining within the guidelines laid down by the President. In some cases, the Lieutenants will even be given free reign to set policy in matters that the President has not addressed.
== Usually Administrators or Moderators.
GRUNTS - Grunts are veteran members who want to take a more active role in their community. They are sometimes recruited to help in the running of the site - others volunteer their services. Grunts usually handle the more mundane clerical matters, and report anything especially disruptive to the Lieutenants.
== Often Moderators.
GUESTS - The Guest is the most prevalent type of member at any forum, but is often more at home under the guidance of a President. The Guest is the barfly - he joins in the conversation, says his piece, and moves on. He rarely overstays his welcome, and is usually amicable toward others, but holds no special loyalty to any single community or person. For this reason, the Guest will regularly visit other communities and become an active member of them while maintaining all relationships in his primary community. The Guest is usually very well respected, but rarely shows any interest in taking on a position of authority.
GRUMPS - The Grump can be likened to that annoying second cousin on your mother's side of the family. Always complaining or finding fault, but still hanging around constantly. The Grump, while relatively harmless, often takes up a lot of the administration's time, as he constantly pesters other users and brings up topics of an inflammatory or controversial nature without thinking about the consequences. The Grump is often blunt when conversing, to the point of unintentionally offending members on a regular basis. In addition, Grumps like to get their way, and respond negatively when they do not.
== Usually become Guests or Beasts, or simply disappear.
BEASTS - The Beast is the bad guy of the online community. A Beast will usually invade an otherwise peaceful community and begin to demean the site or its members immediately. Often, the Beast is a new user having come from another community, or has a personal bone to pick with a member of the new community. The Beast may also be a Prince who sees the President's community as a threat, and thus seeks to destroy it. Beasts share the same basic characteristics as a Grump, but amplified exponentially, and projected at a specific person or group of people.
CLONES - A Clone is a banned member (usually a BEAST) who hides behind a brand new identity in an effort to rejoin the community. Usually, a Clone will be back to his old self in no time, and get banned again, but on rare occasions, a Clone will actually redeem himself through his actions. Clones, as a rule, are quite vague about personal information.
I must now end this entry, as I have an opportunity to observe two message boards mating in their natural habitat...
------------------
@
@@Nuclear Msl.
Perhaps it's time for a nice %STRING0
hopefully it won't completely mess up like last time
Over the last few years, I've lived in close proximity to various types of Administrators. After careful consideration, I've found that all Administrators fit into one of three basic classes: The Prince, the Peer, and the President. I have taken the liberty of describing the basic characteristics of each class, including their personality traits, common actions, and the members that they attract
The PRINCE
PERSONALITY
A strong personality, to be sure, but without the patience and compassion to match. Princes live by the motto "This is MY place - if you don't like it, leave!" Many people do leave, but a high percentage of members tend to stay. Why? Because the Prince also makes himself heard at any cost and at maximum volume. Most people in the world are followers, not leaders. The Prince takes advantage of this by giving the members someone to stand behind. In turn, they tend to defend their Prince regardless of what his actions or policies may be.
ACTIONS
Typical actions of Princes include extensive censoring and removal of any posts or questions that may lead to a questioning of the Regime. Princes will often go to ridiculous measures to see that they are worshipped or and feared. This may range from simple defamation of other boards and their members to the actual sabotage of other communities. The Prince will always find a way to justify his actions, and (thanks to his puppet membership) will always have an army of people to blindly support him, sometimes even aiding him in his covert actions.
MEMBERS
The members of a Prince's community consist of many groups:
YES-MEN - Those who ingratiate themselves to the Prince by following his orders, defending his actions, and degrading themselves in the process. Rarely do they contribute anything fresh or constructive.
== Usually Administrators or other high-level authority figures.
KNIGHTS - These people actually have personalities of their own, but share some Yes-Men characteristics - they all owe something to the Prince or see him as a source of future power for themselves. The Knights do the actual day-to-day work of the community, and contribute a great deal of time and effort to the place. Given this fact, they SHOULD be Administrators, but the fact that they think for themselves keeps them out of the upper echelons.
== Usually Moderators or other mid-level authority figures.
REBELS
The survivor is someone who doesn't like the Administration, but remains out of faith to his fellow survivors. Often, he will be seen trying to ease problems when the Knights are not about, in an attempt to change the conditions of the site. Usually the attempt is futile, and if they are not careful, Rebels can be banned just for saying their piece. More often that not, they are kicked out altogether.
== Sometimes Moderators, but mostly veteran members.
NEWBIES
All forums have newbies, of course, but at a Prince-run site, the newbie holds a certain potential. Will he become a rebel, or will the powers that be bring him into the fold? This potential causes a mad rush of attention for a newbie, as the Rebels and the Yes-Men (sometimes even the Prince himself) will compete to "out-schmooze" the other side and win the newbie over. Newbies usually are the only people who receive any kind treatment from a Prince.
== New posters (obviously) - often disappear soon, or evolve into Yes-Men or Rebels.
------------------------------
The PEER
PERSONALITY
The Peer is a nice guy. In fact, he is often too nice - he allows himself to be influenced by his membership to a high degree, which often makes his weaknesses very obvious. The Peer is very good about asking opinions, but has a hard time deciding which direction to go when presented with a direct choice.
ACTIONS
The Peer-run community will often stagnate from the start, as the Peer rarely has the confidence and drive to keep up with the demands of the site. The Peer also takes far too much time to implement changes, as he constantly seeks membership approval of any important ideas, thereby delaying the actual work.
MEMBERS
ANGELS - These people are the unimpeachable saints of the online community. Fair, gentle, and helpful, the Angel often gains a reputation as everyone's friend. If encountering a Prince, the Angel will often become a Rebel.
== Sometimes Moderators.
BEGGARS - These are the needy - the huddled masses. The Beggar is often someone who has a very serious problem in real life and, failing to find help in their own community, seeks it out in the online community. They are also the most vulnerable of any online personality. Beggars are greatly appreciative of any help they are given, and if they receive guidance from an Angel, they will often become Angels themselves. However, if they receive help from Bullies, they could end up becoming Bullies. These members are delicate, and require an expert touch in their first weeks of membership. Some of the nicest Peers started out as Beggars. So did some of the most vicious Princes.
== Usually lurkers - will not post much for the first few months.
BULLIES - As their name implies, the Bully is simply a thug. He has little or no control over things in his real life, and tries to compensate by inventing an online persona that is tough and unyielding. In some cases, the Bully may be as needy of help as the Beggar, but he is often too proud to admit it. The Bully often hides his true colors at first, in an attempt to ingratiate himself to the Administration, but once given any amount of power, the Bully will start to push the limits of his newfound position. As a Moderator, the Bully can seriously damage a community, and only a strong Admin will be able to control him.
== Sometimes moderators - often banned.
DREAMERS - Dreamers share the sense of open-mindedness and gentleness that the Angels possess, but don't have much time to be helpful. They tend to be neutral in any dispute, as they have their own agendas, and simply chime in when the topic of conversation touches upon their particular interests. In the presence of a Prince, the Dreamer usually doesn't change - his actions are neither productive nor destructive, and are therefore of no interest to a Prince. On the other hand, a Dreamer's idea may inspire Rebels.
--------------------------------
The PRESIDENT
PERSONALITY
The President may appear cold or distant at times, and genial at others. The President often sees a personal responsibility to his members as a whole, but doesn't hesitate to enforce the rules he has set down. The President also tends to stand up for himself when taunted by a Prince, sometimes at great personal expense.
The President surrounds himself with different types of people as assistants, depending on their function. He makes his decisions based on the good of the community as a whole, but only directly involves the community when the matter is of utmost importance. Things get done quickly under the President's control, and enforcement of rules is usually very even-handed. At the same time, the President is still willing to listen to his members, and will never directly dismiss suggestions.
ACTIONS
Presidents run a clean, organized site, but their non-controversial nature can limit the growth potential of the community. For this reason, Presidents will often enter into partnerships with other communities, which can be a great help, or a great hindrance to their own site, depending on the leadership styles of the other Administrators. This diplomatic status often keeps them out of the open forums.
For this reason, Presidents are good delegators. Their work tends to occur behind the scenes, while the other Administrators and Moderators do the visible work. This can lead to a perception that the President is a leader in name only, and can cause some of the members to doubt him. For this reason, the President is often seen making the first greetings to new members. This gives him visibility without forcing him to spend his entire life in the open community.
MEMBERS
As suggested by the name, the President usually establishes a formal bureaucracy for his community.
LIEUTENANTS - The Lieutenants carry out the more intensive duties of the visible community. They are the "Go To Guys," and tend to receive most of the questions from the regular membership. They are expected to serve the community as a whole, while remaining within the guidelines laid down by the President. In some cases, the Lieutenants will even be given free reign to set policy in matters that the President has not addressed.
== Usually Administrators or Moderators.
GRUNTS - Grunts are veteran members who want to take a more active role in their community. They are sometimes recruited to help in the running of the site - others volunteer their services. Grunts usually handle the more mundane clerical matters, and report anything especially disruptive to the Lieutenants.
== Often Moderators.
GUESTS - The Guest is the most prevalent type of member at any forum, but is often more at home under the guidance of a President. The Guest is the barfly - he joins in the conversation, says his piece, and moves on. He rarely overstays his welcome, and is usually amicable toward others, but holds no special loyalty to any single community or person. For this reason, the Guest will regularly visit other communities and become an active member of them while maintaining all relationships in his primary community. The Guest is usually very well respected, but rarely shows any interest in taking on a position of authority.
GRUMPS - The Grump can be likened to that annoying second cousin on your mother's side of the family. Always complaining or finding fault, but still hanging around constantly. The Grump, while relatively harmless, often takes up a lot of the administration's time, as he constantly pesters other users and brings up topics of an inflammatory or controversial nature without thinking about the consequences. The Grump is often blunt when conversing, to the point of unintentionally offending members on a regular basis. In addition, Grumps like to get their way, and respond negatively when they do not.
== Usually become Guests or Beasts, or simply disappear.
BEASTS - The Beast is the bad guy of the online community. A Beast will usually invade an otherwise peaceful community and begin to demean the site or its members immediately. Often, the Beast is a new user having come from another community, or has a personal bone to pick with a member of the new community. The Beast may also be a Prince who sees the President's community as a threat, and thus seeks to destroy it. Beasts share the same basic characteristics as a Grump, but amplified exponentially, and projected at a specific person or group of people.
CLONES - A Clone is a banned member (usually a BEAST) who hides behind a brand new identity in an effort to rejoin the community. Usually, a Clone will be back to his old self in no time, and get banned again, but on rare occasions, a Clone will actually redeem himself through his actions. Clones, as a rule, are quite vague about personal information.
I must now end this entry, as I have an opportunity to observe two message boards mating in their natural habitat...
------------------
@
@@Nuclear Msl.
Perhaps it's time for a nice %STRING0
