Forum Administration Shake-Up Causes Controversy

[Unibot]

 

 

March 21, 2014.

 

 

 

Forum Administration Shake-Up Causes Controversy

COMMENTARY | UNIBOT

 

A tropical storm brews in The South Pacific...

 

Late last night, Hileville removed several administrators from The South Pacific’s staff on the basis that they had not maintained sufficient activity.  According to Hileville, this shakeup has been in the works since February 12, 2014 – but no administrators chose to discuss the open topic on the subject after it was posted by Hileville.

 

“Since we moved to these forums there has been a steady decline in admins actually working,” says Hileville. “For the most part these tasks have completely fallen on my shoulders.  In my current real schedule I cannot continue to handle every issue and task that arises.  The admin team needs to have the knowledge and desire to perform these duties.  I no longer feel several of our admins have any plans on doing just that’.

 

Hileville removed HEM, Southern Bellz, Rebeltopia and Tsunamy as administrators – while appointing current Vice Delegate, Kris Kringle and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sandaoguo as new administrators. Hileville, however, noted this shake-up would likely not go without controversy. 

 

“I do not take these moves lightly and I understand that people will be upset and feel that I am being a evil dictator,” says Hileville. “ If the community as a whole feels that this move is wrong steps to move forums should be considered.  I have tried over the last year or so that we have been on these boards to provide the best and most rewarding community experience of all the GCR's.  In order to continue and improve on this experience we need admins who are willing to do everything in their power to get the job done”.

 

Since the announcement, the move has been received as positive by some members, including Escade, the delegate of The South Pacific, but also criticized harshly by Belschaft and others who were affected by this decision. Belschaft, HEM and Southern Bellz, especially, voiced their opinion that this was a move to silence discussion over whether or not Belschaft should be retained as an admin -- the exact circumstances surrounding Belschaft's prior removal from the administration team have not yet been made to the public. 

 

“Two and a half weeks ago I was unilaterally removed from the admin team,” explains Belschaft, “Needless to say, HEM, Southern Bellz, Rebeltopia and Tsunamy were not pleased with this course of action. We've been attempting to deal with the matter internally, but yesterday Hileville ruled that his was the only opinion that mattered, forbade any of the other admins to discuss the matter with me, and declared that the admin team would not be allowed to vote on the matter”.

 

Southern Bellz and HEM’s objections echoed Belschaft’s complaints. While Belschaft called Hileville, a “rogue admin”, HEM and Southern Bellz decried Hileville’s accusations that they were inactive and also claimed that this move was a result of them disagreeing with Hileville on whether Belschaft should be retained as an admin.

 

Hileville, on the other hand, disagreed with their claims - citing their inactivity as administrators. 

 

“HEM's last administrative action was completed on the 24th of January with a grand total of 20 actions taken dating back to July,” says Hileville, while also noting, “Southern Bellz has in the past expressed no real desire to complete the basic tasks of an admin”. 

 

Meanwhile, the discussion has taken a dire turn, as Belschaft has sent telegrams to all of the citizens of The South Pacific, calling Hileville’s shake-up a “coup”, Hileville, a “rogue admin” and The South Pacific’s present state, a “dictatorship”. 

 

Citizens were also urged by Belschaft to begin discussing this issue on the Regional Message Board.

 

“If you want TSP to remain a free, democratic region, then speak out on the RMB and our forums,” says Belschaft, “Let Hileville know that he does not own this region, as he clearly thinks he does”.

 

What remains to be seen is (i) why was Belschaft removed from the admin staff – we do not know yet what the other admins were discussing, (ii) what will be the delegate’s response to this crisis, (iii) will this affect Belschaft’s membership in the South Pacific’s security council and, finally, will this affect the upcoming elections? Many questions surfaced around this issue have yet to be answered and our hope is more light will be shed on this story in the coming hours.

[Westwind]

Hileville is certainly not a 'rogue admin' if he's the root admin.  But I can't speak to the administrative situation there, having no knowledge of it.