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Shira...I never once denied nor did I say I didn't...I simply asked who told you? And then when you proceeded to mention that you saw it, and then you didn't, I merely responded with 'weird'. Sooo....I never once confirmed nor deny it sweatdrop

But if you never once confirmed nor denied that of which you speak...
Then wouldn't you have both confirmed and denied it at the same time?
As the grey area you created would be in effect the same as merely giving both answers at the same time?

/Smartness achieved.

Also sorry if I just butted into something I shouldn't have. I couldn't resist sounding stupid at my own expense.

Sorry to end this, but lets try to keep this thread on topic.

Well, thank you very much. I try to keep profiles efficient.

I really cannot come up with a way to start this post without sounding like some kind of mediator. I originally started in this guild because a friend of mine joined it and was excited about it. Knowing him, I knew that he would disappear somewhere down the road without warning, but he was a good judge of character when it came to these things. I had been in one or two other guilds prior, but they all seemed disorganized and incomplete in comparison. They were all stat based guilds and I found it tedious and rather ridiculous to base the power level of a character on word count. I mean, take a look at lance, Cobra_X, Luo, Gregar, Hinote, and Panther. All of those I mentioned write far better and longer than myself. I consider myself only decent in all respects and found myself overjoyed to have Hinote mention me in his Opinion Poll as a possibility, recently. So, when I heard that this guild did not rely on a word count system, I jumped ship and came here. At first I really didn't make any friends. Nothing I said went heard, and nothing I did went mentioned. I was a ghost so to speak. To see how far I've gone, from a nobody to crew, is especially impressive in my mind. I can empathize with those who feel like they are not being heard because I was in the same boat. Mistah asked me to create an application to be crew because he felt, and knew due to a former guild, that I would do well in it. I applied not because he asked me to, but because I felt it would allow my voice to be heard, that my actions would be noticed, and finally I would be able to make it happen for those who felt the same.

Now I am crew, now I have the responsibility to judge customs, to judge the actions of those who RP in this guild, to be a role model for my fellow guild members, and to uphold the rules of this guild. In several of the issues with members, new and old, I have spoken up. In the complaint thread, I addressed the new member who spoke of her issue with Mistah's association with Marijuana. I informed her politely that I could not ask Mistah to remove it as it was his right to have it up, but I explained to her I would talk to him about it. I did. The problem was, that even though a crew member was already addressing the issue, others chose to speak up. When I say others I do not state that it was just other members, but the crew jumped in as well. We saw how well that worked out, which really wasn't all that well. Someone said here, though I have not taken the time to go back and find the exact name, that crew needed to be transparent. I don't think I can explain it as clearly as to make everyone understand but, whenever there is any sort of Organization, there will be politics. Everyone here will agree that politics in the most polite of terms: Sucks. Alas, it is a necessary thing. When everyone speaks up, no one hears anything worthwhile. When one person speaks, everyone hears it, So, when one must speak for everyone, we must do our best to project the unanimous image even if we are not unified.

I've heard mention that crew are abusing their power. Where are the specifics? Who? When? Where? Why? What caused it? You ask us to fix these issues and yet you do not give us a place to start! You ask us to bring in new crew members to help with the slack and I look at my PM box every day to see if someone contacted me to look over their stuff. I say, I'll check things and generally I do. If I become busy I try to let others know but I am not infallible. A PM would be great y'know. 8 days of waiting may seem like long for one who is on everyday for several hours. Let's take a look at what someone else may do in their life. You may get up and go to school, come back home do your homework and chores, then hop on the computer for the rest of the day and evening. Me? I'm 21 and I'm out of highschool. The days of fun and games sped by and left me in the dust. I don't want to leave them. I work full time for crappy pay because I don't have a college degree. I can't afford a place to live on my own and I will have to get a loan to go to college. A loan that will haunt me for the next 30-40 years of my life. That's not counting Home loans, car loans, and other important things. I take music and Martial arts lessons. I Roleplay outside of Gaia. I have a very lovely girlfriend, and as any guy worth being called a man and any girl that has dated a man, a girlfriend is a full time job that you generally have to pay for and not get paid very much in return for your hard work.

So you can see that I am a very, very busy person; Who's daily schedule, when he does not have the day off, is 6:00 am to 2:00 AM. Does this mean I should not be crew or that I should quit PotS and Gaia to focus on real life? Maybe, but I don't intend to. I love it here. Yes, we have our share of issues and yes, there are times where more work could be done around here. However, We do our best with what we can and we focus hard on what you, our members, want. Some of us may come off as rude at times or even just plain harsh. Our actions may come at a time later than it should. We're working on it. We're working to better ourselves and your experience with this guild. This very thread is proof of our determination to make you feel better. You would be correct to say that we could use some more help. We don't need more crew members to have more help. You have a suggestion to improve things or you wish to bring a matter to the attention of the crew? Post in the suggestion thread or contact a member of the crew. Why do we see Hinote and Gregar as the faces of crew? People rush to them and they get bogged down with requests and messages. Hinote because he is active all over the place and because of that is a great target for those requests. Gregar? because some just want to bypass the crew and go as high up the ladder to get pass all of the red tape. Seriously, if you see that they are busy, you can send a message to anyone else in crew. If you talked to one of them and you have an issue with what they said, don't go complaining behind our backs about how unfair they were, ask another crew member to help act as a mediator.

If you are stuck because someone went on hiatus, ask yourself, "Is there any way to excuse my character from the current situation." If you find that you cannot, then contact a crew member to assist. I myself post slowly. I post so slowly, because I view every post as a play, as in theater, and the characters are moving about scene after scene. I ask myself, "What is the best way to continue the flow so that the action plays out like a movie that someone is watching. What are my possibilities, what action will I take and what will their reaction be?" I consider the variables and then I write. I write furiously as if ever fiber in my being aches with the desire to release this fantastic vision into the world for all to enjoy. So I take a few days to respond to something that you may take 15 minutes to respond to. Does this mean that I do not have the right to a second character or that I do not have the right to an auto-rank? That's just like saying that one guy is more powerful than the other because he extends something that may take only three paragraphs to accurately describe and consistently posts seven paragraphs. Word count in effect. Quality or Quantity? @Requiem of Remorse: to quote you That would be like saying something that is neutral is balanced. To be neutral one must not take part, to be balanced one must take part in both to view both sides with clarity. it is the same with everything we do. Like it or not, everything is interconnected. Metaphysics at work my friends, metaphysics at work.


Now I know i have spoken only of the crew views, and you are probably very much interested in how it is that I can support the crew so avidly and yet claim to understand your concerns. To clarify I will only say this. When the crew looks at your concerns and issues, we attempt to separate ourselves from the situation to help prevent any emotional responses. Our response therefor comes across as bland and blatantly impersonal. Please keep in mind that human language requires four things to fully understand the intent of it.
1, Words: The words describe what we say and the arrangement of the words can come across in any manner of ways.
2. Tonality: The way we say things tells you whether we are happy or upset.
3. Body language: Tonality is not the only way to understand what we are saying. Our very body movements tell stories.
4. Situational observance: When we watch, listen, and contemplate what is being said and done, we interject our own view on what they may be saying or doing but to understand it we must view it from their point of view as well.

I posted something in the Iwa chatroom when I was suffering sleep deprivation and just got back from work. I made light of the situation when confronted by Gregar, After a brief nap, I realized what I had done and sought to correct it. I did so by placing myself in the shoes of the other people that would be affected by my post and reacted accordingly. As a Member it is our job to realize that the crew is not attempting to stifle you or to make you feel unwelcomed. We are not attempting to be rude or claim that anything and everything you say is inconsequential or invalidated. When we do however state something, it is because of good reason and if the reasoning of "Because it is a crew decision and we say so." is not good enough then I ask you to rethink what you have suggested. If I were to say, "it's ridiculous that Chakra control bonuses stack but learning and jutsu level bonuses don't" then I can tell you that I created a character capable of using A-rank jutsu for an E-rank cost and could use it as a Genin. Oh and because of it your Elemental advantage is no longer advantageous for you. How overpowered would it be for me to learn A-rank jutsu for 1 post. "Why can't we autolearn, it's not fair." If I auto-learned everything then what have I accomplished? what effort into building this character have I put. There are rules for reasons, not to be bent or broken, but because these rules lay the very foundation for a successful and enjoyable RP experience.

On Punishment. I have always been a fan of Vlad Tepes work. As cruel as his punishments were, as inhumane as they could be, They were highly effective. Under his rule, Crime dropped to almost nil. I apologize if my view of harsh punishment appears to be cruel and vindictive or upset your sensibilities. However, I am lenient where the Prince of Walachia was not. We, the crew find ourselves in a very unusual circumstance. Rarely did we have issues with people breaking rules, now we have many and we are struggling with our system of discipline. We've joked about Ougan's constantly. We've made light of it and the fear of it does not exist anymore. I make the suggestion here and now that an Ougan is something to be feared and we do not make it's use lightly. It is only used when the situation demands and the sentence is determined by the severity of the action at hand.

Now, I have not really suggested how to change things other than that which has already been said countless times, but I feel that I should say something and so I have. Come what may from what I have written here, but I fear not any issue you may have because I believe that I and the rest of the crew will attempt to deal with it as professionally and as swiftly as possible. Thank you for your time and reading my post. Please, take the time to write one of your own if you have not done so already.

-sigh- neutral

....Well kids, I guess it's about time I buckled up and wrote a little something something myself.

First thing I'd like to mention... Steve.... you really are known for not meeting expectations. But I go above and beyond with your mum. rofl
And now that that's out of my system, serious business.

Starting it off with the beginning, this guild at its' origins. I loved the idea, loved Naruto, loved roleplaying. It was a great mix, now I look at it and I dread typing out anything closely related to a decent RP post. Mostly because of the friction that's common with crew these days. Yes, although some don't see me as such... I am still crew, awkward.. I know.

Now on the topic of crew, we've had some major changes in crew over the many months POTS has been around. Not just from new members becoming crew, but a new captain too. At the beginning, it was smooth and I can't recall a single large scale argument that lasted more than a few posts. But now it's almost a daily occurrence, shameful. Worse than that, I've been a part of them more than once. Many of us have, and as far as I can tell no one is ever willing to back down or admit they were wrong. I personally think we all need to do a bit of growing up in that sense, including me of course... if not me in particular.

I can't even begin to properly analyze and appreciate some of the talented writers in this guild, and it seems to me that their time is almost wasted here. Now don't get me wrong, POTS has the potential to be amazing and a wondrous place, but it is far from being that right now. Every time someone tries to create something, it is instantly put under careful inspection as if that person plans to destroy the world with it. Like a jutsu that turns a leaf to water, and they need a few paragraphs of an RP sample to show how it would effect their character... Really... a jutsu of genin or lower capability? Scared of a little water? Just an example, don't take it too seriously.

Now, if I had to ask a simple question... aimed at anyone that knows me personally, and asked them to tell me or anyone here just how often I take something seriously... I'm sure you'd get a "never" or "rarely, if ever at all" as a common response. It just isn't in my nature. But a many against one scenario is something I frown upon highly, whether the victim deserves it or not. Now I agree with what Shay chose to highlight in her rather detailed entry. However, the part I MOST agree with, is the very beginning. The first few paragraphs about how she (and many others) have tried to voice their opinions before and the crew overshot it simple because it wasn't what they wanted to hear. Well, what do you know? It's what has been needed to be said since things started going downhill. And it's been neglected.

Honestly, and forgive the humor this may cause, this is how the crew... from what I've witnessed, reacts when they dislike something.



And then they continue on as if it didn't happen. Now I know I'm not giving an example here, nor do I care to. I apologize in case some third party was curious to a prime example, however I figured just the base knowledge should suffice for now.

Now Mistah, I don't really know you all that well. And I don't care for you all that well either. That isn't meant in a good or bad way, I just mean I don't know you at all. All I've seen is a few topics and posts by you, which includes the red list, and a few announcements. This is probably the only thread or announcement I've cared to read without growing a sour attitude after reading it. But that's my personal experience, and since I've never had the opportunity to RP with you or converse with... I won't hold it against you, since I might just not get your humor as of yet. So my personal opinion, not exactly with the best start, is still simply neutral. So I mean no offense if I don't appear terribly friendly like I do with... say... the original Mist shinobi. Once more, I apologize.

LT, Luo, Kurg, Shay, Shira, Greg, Lance.... hmm... that's not quite right. LT.... Luo.... Kurg... Greg... Lance... yeah, much better. The Mist shinobi.
Sorry Shay and Shira, you guys aren't Mist to me. sweatdrop still friends, just not my rpc's comrades. haha

Inactivity? A big issue, but it's not so simple as just being online. I can guarantee that 90% of POTS are online almost daily, but they don't post because they aren't happy in one way or another. Happy here, that is. If they don't enjoy their time here, they won't come back. Simple as that. Now how to fix this problem, that's the hard bit. Everyone has to be nice, for one. And things should be easy to understand, the whole shinobi professions and types, chakra points... it's all confusing to someone who just joins. I think there should be a bit more breakdown in the welcome threads, less like guidelines and rules... more like an actual welcome.

Back to crew... we need less crew, but I'm not saying demote all of them. Honestly I like the idea of staying crew merely for the fact of putting input where it may matter (say for a new arc or a rule change) because having multiple point of views is better than just a handful of minds. The crew needs to thin down, yes, but where do you start? The inactive? The not quite as good as someone else? Or maybe the lazy members? I know I'm not the most active, or the hardest worker, I won't lie about it. But I do know I've done my fair bit over time. Before half the people in this guild even heard it existed. Go back in the crew thread, tell me how long every single crew member has been helping out... even just a bit. They all work, behind the scenes or in the open, you might not see it all or even recognize it as work. But it's there nonetheless.

Now take what you've learned here this day and go forth, grow, evolve, and apply the knowledge to that of fixing POTS. I'll end this here, merely for the fact I don't really want to type more. Just know that the grass is greener on the other side, and that everyone sees the hill from a side you haven't even been to yet. No one view will make the picture whole, and not a single act can heal this guild. It'll take time, and every member.

G'night, good morning. Whichever applies to you, apply it. cool

I have to admit I'm a bit surprised this doesn't exist yet. Especially since In the suggestions thread I made a beginners guide for the guild to use. It linked to everything a newbie needs to know making it easier to get started. I was even told it would be used. More on this later.

@Tenchi Not sure I like the idea of a mandatory class. It seems like that would make it even more annoying to get started in the guild. First you'd have to wait for someone to be designated as your teacher, then you'd need to spend a lot of time waiting for responses since the crew who would actually do their job would be busy with other things as well. After you finally "pass" the course, you'd then have to start waiting for approvals left and right for your rpc, bloodline/clan etc which normally takes at least a week. Basically it could take members closer to a month to get started as an Academy student. Right now it takes about a week to get everything sorted out.
Of course you could let people apply for things and take the class at the same time, but then people would get weeded out during the class. people would be declared not good enough or simply quit because of the annoying start up process. So half of the applications approved for bloodlines/profiles etc no longer apply and the crew is just wasting their time.

One new thing that Stormold reminded me of, crew needs to keep track of their promises. It seems like they forget things that have been suggested/requested/asked and never get back to it like they say they will. This tends to make such things as this thread, the suggestions thread and the like seem pointless. why bother making suggestions if people just say "good idea" then ignore you?

There's not much point having an rp school without having someone run it. People occasionally start a class and then leave it to rot like Hinote and Mistah did. The rp school sign up thread is completely ignored. basically it seems like you are giving people false hopes by having it. either get rid of it or have someone running it, nothing else makes sense.

Er.....I'm more or less fine with things in POTS. I've moved into atlanta and don't have wifi yet, so I have to walk several miles with my laptop to get online. needless to say I'm not as active, but thats all beside the point. As long as you guys are doing what you can to keep the guild running as best you can, us the members can hardly as for more. Just keep up the good work. biggrin