[Crystal.]

Seriously, brand new members have more than once recently asked me if they could apply for this one open Administrative position which we are holding open purely because there is no one of merit for it. Why would you just join a site not even have twenty posts and then have some insane idea that you would be made staff or even considered for a staff positions. -.-

[Vampiress Rebel]

Do you have an application process to become staff? Does the empty staff spot say open? That gives the impression that it's open to anyone whose apart of the community, no matter how old or young they are to the community. I have no problems with newbies applying to become staff members, if they go through the process correctly. I wouldn't hand them admin cp, but maybe mod cp.

[xexes]

Quote:Seriously, brand new members have more than once recently asked me if they could apply for this one open Administrative position which we are holding open purely because there is no one of merit for it. Why would you just join a site not even have twenty posts and then have some insane idea that you would be made staff or even considered for a staff positions. -.-

Because there are many other sites that do. = ]

It's pretty common on Wetpaint sites and also sites run by less-experienced players where everyone who joins before opening gets to be in the "staff club".

Besides, it's an honor to have a member who's interested in helping the site out! (Assuming they aren't in it for power reasons) Tell them that when a position opens up, it will be available for anyone to apply for consideration. Let them down gently, but don't shoo them off.

[Crystal.]

Yeah but seriously why, if you know nothing about someone you have no idea if they are going to try and take ovr or ruin your site or do anything horrid or messed up.

[Velvet]

Then make it a process like you would if asking for staff on resource sites. Ask for years of experience, other sites that they have been staff members on, etc. It's always nice to see someone so eager to help but if it makes you a little uncomfortable to have a brand new member offering help, then set up some criteria for the position. I started out with one person that I knew from other boards we were on together and then he suggested someone that he knew from other boards that had been a mod as well as ran their own and then they recommended my fourth staffer. It worked out really well since I have a really great team!

[Mother Hen]

Cause some players like to join a site that's been established, and then take over, without having had to do all the hard work of building it:as I understand it!

You should have a thread somewhere in News, explaining what you're looking for in a staff member. And that you will approach someone via private messages, if you feel that you've found a right candidate. Personally, I'm put off from choosing a staff member if players come up to me and say that they want to be an admin/mod, more 'telling' than 'asking': and it's worse when they've only just joined the game.

At one game where I was made a moderator and then co-admin, it happened over a few months. The process went on for quite a bit, actually. The decision wasn't made overnight or based purely on one case of 'good behaviour seen that would applies to a good mod!' The established staff kept an eye on members' behaviour, if they were friendly to new members/guests, helpful, active, creative. It needs to feel natural, and not fake, like if a member's just putting on a show for the admin- and returns to their normal self once they've gotten power.

[Synlah]

Quote:Seriously, brand new members have more than once recently asked me if they could apply for this one open Administrative position which we are holding open purely because there is no one of merit for it. Why would you just join a site not even have twenty posts and then have some insane idea that you would be made staff or even considered for a staff positions. -.-

I don't get why this is an issue. Just say no thank you. Or add a rule that says you must be a member X amount of time and have X amount of activity to be considered for a staff position.

Quote:Yeah but seriously why, if you know nothing about someone you have no idea if they are going to try and take ovr or ruin your site or do anything horrid or messed up.

Well, I wouldn't unless I really knew the new member from somewhere else. And my current co-admin dropped dead.

[Tyler]

I think it's human nature to try and get to the high-up positions, especially when the opportunity arises. My opinion is, you should just be respectful and try to figure out what their true motives are. Give them an application, give them an opportunity to prove themself (a task to see if they want the power or if they really do want to help out).

[xexes]

Quote:Yeah but seriously why, if you know nothing about someone you have no idea if they are going to try and take ovr or ruin your site or do anything horrid or messed up.

Lots of possible reasons:

- Because they might have felt sorry for a lone admin/ small staff
- Because it could be a cool, fun, new, novel thing to do
- Because one wants to help out something they like
- Because one wants to learn how to be a staff / run a board
- Because one might be power-hungry
- Because one wants to join "the cool staff club"
- Because on some other sites being staff constitutes of doing nothing special/no duties at all
- Because on some other sites asking to be admin is perfectly acceptable and answered with "Sure!"

[Misha]

I agree, depending on how you advertise the position, they may think it's open for anyone to join. I've been promoted to staff shortly after joining a board before...though granted, it was pretty new, so there weren't established members there to choose from.

But I'd never get upset at someone for wanting to help. True, I might not give them admin powers right away, but I'm also not going to discourage them from helping. I'd either give them a small amount of "power" to start, give them ways to help that don't involve special "powers," or tell them honestly that'd I'd rather someone apply who's been on the board longer, but they're welcome to apply once they've been on the board awhile.