the reason i want to be DP is reasonably simple. i want to be better able to defend my friends, heros, peers and all the players in eGypt from bullies, thugs and nefarious boogeymen(s).
many days have passed since i first logged into (and shortly thereafter, was hooked on) Atitd. i believe i know a thing or two about the people, the in-game culture and the ramifications of sociopaths in the game. it's been long enough (imo) to know the difference between a simple disagreement or a silly feud from somebody who is causing serious harm in eGypt.
the majority of the players here are quite capable of solving their own problems, and this overall maturity level is one facet of why i enjoy being here so much. still, there are people who have yet to learn conflict resolution skills. fortunately, mediators are in abundant supply. i don't feel it's important to have another moderating-only DP.
it's becoming wearisome watching players run on the platform of "i've passed more tests so i'd be a better DP." i dont give a desert rats' ass about how many passed tests/levels/piles of sand a player has. i DO care about how we treat each other; abuse is not ok and we shouldn't ( be forced by our current leaders to ) stand for it. Period.
we are all paying money to enjoy our time here. once a player has demonstrated they don't care if they make the game unenjoyable for scores of other people, it's time for somebody to leave. historically, it's the rational, level-headed people who realize this and in fact, go away, coming to the conclusion that the game isn't fun anymore. why should it be acceptable to blatantly cause hardship and suffering? don't give me that ToS malarkey either (eg, Teppy et al allows it), in MY mind, the Rules Of Conduct says the players decide whats acceptable, and damnit, it's about time we act like it, and not just the DPs.
Code of Conduct? bah, you mean a document for DPs to justify the use of their power (ie: hide behind). at first i thought the CoC was a good thing, a loosely-based set of principles that we as players "hold to be self evident." i now doubt it would be used as per my naive and idealistic fantasy. Others have very specific ideas for how they would interpet such a document.
Using the CoC to decide who gets banned defeats the whole purpose of being DP; it's easy enough (within game engine limitations) for teppy to write in automatic, ban-enacting code for "arbitrary, but majority approved" actions. The whole gist of DP is trusting the judgment of the people we give the power to. Whats the point of that if they refuse to act without a list of things they can ban for and not get grilled?
DPs -SHOULD- be held accountable in the social constructs of the game. at the same time, the last thing we need is a list of rules telling us how we should play; a list that can be manipulated, and on technicality, used to legitimize discrimination. the diversity here is another incredible aspect of our player base. it's entirely possible to have freedoms w/o ignoring the rights of people to have fun. it's a slippery slope, where those with the ability to effect change should step up to the plate and use their best judgment to act in the interest of the community, not their own egos & reputations.
being a DP is a serious pain-in-the-ass. people constantly ask them to ban each other over (often) trivial matters. they get drug into in the drama (ugh i -hate- drama) and there are often 3 (or more) sides to every story. this is where that whole judgment attribute becomes important, it's up to the discretion of the DP whether what they are being told/observing warrants exiling a player.
bans, while extreme, are not in any meaningful & comparable way to capital punishment and all that jive, so please don't bother wasting our time. after 3+ years of playing i have personally seen one (-*maybe*- two) occasions where i, personally, thought a ban was the right solution. It's no cure-all, but it has it's time and place. if it's not viewed as such, it's simply an empty threat. er wait, thats all it is now :p