[Feedback] Adoption Central

Everyone is aware of the rules in the Adoption Central, right? Well, it looks like some of the rules are not being followed:

~~ RULES ~~

~ Adoptees ~

• Member from 1 day to 2 months/If you're still very uncertain about what ZU is and how it works.
• Request to be adopted here and tell a bit about yourself.

~ Conditions for potential Adopters ~

When you apply to be an adopter, bear in mind that the mods will be judging you not only on your people skills, but how you conduct yourself on the forums in general.
This includes a general good use of spelling, grammar and detailed posts.
Remember, as an adopter, you are an example to your adoptee, so it's no good to make a member who is spammy an adopter, as the new member will not be encouraged to be the best they can be.
Also - don't try to be sneaky and PM a mod with a perfect message with correct spelling and grammar if you do not post like that normally, as the mods will also check your past posts to make sure your posting style is acceptable.

~ Conditions for Adopting ~

• You must be a member for at least 3 full months. (Join on January 1st, you get to apply on April 1st.)
• Minimum of 50 posts.
• In order to adopt, send BeXXX or Margaret a PM where you explain why you want to be an adopter and why you think you’re suited for it. Name the PM “Why I want to adopt” or something similar.
• Once the PM is received, they'll look it through. If they find you suited for adoption (this is judged by your behaviour on the boards), you can go ahead and adopt.
• If they for some reason think you are not suited for adoption, they will let you know why, so you can change and maybe be able to adopt later. If you're rejected by one mod, do not go to the other and ask. If we notice this happening, you'll be rewarded with a warning and your right to adopt will be removed.
• You’re only able to adopt one newbie every two weeks. If there's a lot of new members and no one that offers adoption, you may take more than so. Use common sense.
• Maximum of 2 newbies/adopter. Don't take more newbies than you can handle.
• Newbies are not toys. Think of them as little forum users.
• Guard your newbie, help him/her out and be a good parent.

~ Chat ~

• When you want to be adopted, say so in this thread.
• When you have been approved of adopting, say so in this thread.
• When you want to show that you're still available for Adoption/Adopting, you might, in some cases, post in this thread. No ranting though, please.
• When you feel that your newbie is ready to take on the world of ZU on its own, say so in this thread
• When you want to joke around or chat with your new member, use PM.
• When you want to talk to someone in this thread, use PM.
• Please ONLY use this thread for informing, no chat.

~~ | ~~

List of Approved Adopters:

Please notice that even if you were approved as an adopter in the old thread, you will need to apply again. If you already take care of one or more newbies, you may keep doing so, but in order to adopt more, you'll need to re-apply.

In fact, only about one is being followed, and that is posting in the thead first. All other rules are being ingored, and discarded as nothing. ...and, the mods are not keeping an eye on everything. Sure, they are trying, but no one can possibly make sure that everyone follows the rules when they have the rest of the forums to deal with. So, what can we do? I sugguest a newish way to organize adoption, or a full time mod job in that section alone. This can be a big issue, for not only the rules are being broken, but the little minds of the newbs. Yeah, not everyone is going to adopt on purpose just to teach the newbs wrong, but the adoption center is there to help new members understand ZU. ...and what if the newb gets a bad member? The newb might get banned, but only because he was tought bad. Yeah, a lot of it is commom sense, and should be already picked out as good, or bad... But, some answers can be answered sooner if the new member asks his/her adopter, rather then make a thread about it. Random members who haven't even looked at the first post are adopting members like crazy, reguardless of what the rules state. Like I have said before, not every member is going to adopt for the soul purpose to get the newb banned, but the Adoption Center needs an upgrade.

Mmkay, back up and say clearly what you want to say. Bullet-points are your friend. Bold the rules in question of being broken, that would help too.

Otherwise I read your thread continually and have a big "huh?" in my head.

In fact, only about one is being followed, and that is posting in the thead first.

This would usually give others the idea that if the sentence is true, then all other rules are not being followed.

All other rules are being ingored, and discarded as nothing. ...and, the mods are not keeping an eye on everything.

This adds more to the statement.

Originally Posted by Saber

Mmkay, back up and say clearly what you want to say. Bullet-points are your friend. Bold the rules in question of being broken, that would help too.

Otherwise I read your thread continually and have a big "huh?" in my head.

Zien is basically saying that multiple members have been coming in the Adoption Central thread and have been adopting newbies without BeXXX or Margaret's concent.

It's pretty hard to get any sort of force behind this problem considering there's no real rule stating you can't be friends with somebody new. Even if BeXXX or Margaret hindered somebody from becoming an official adopter, that doesn't stop them from PMing them and becoming friends. Heck, I've even lost count of how many newbies I've helped out without officially being their adopter (eventhough I'm technically one).

The only simple solution I can think of is for BeXXX and Margaret to watch over the thread, and report any illegal adoptions to a mod.

-BGS

PS: Who is BeXXX? It seems he/she has changed their own name and now I don't know what new name they go by. Once I have that info, the original post should be updated.

BeXXX is Becky-Boo, who was Holic.

...and here she is..

Edit: I type all of this up and then figure out what Zien was talking about. Not going to delete what I already typed, because that's too much effort. But now I do see what he was talking about, though truthfully I haven't paid attention to see that actually going on

Edit 2: After looking at the last recent adoptions done, it looks like everyone who adopted has their name (or name at that time) on the list of the first post. Maybe I'm crazy...?

Because I have nothing better to do with my life this minute, here's every single rule that you quoted as possibly being broken, and my standing on them. It seems a lot more than just one of these rules are actually in effect.

~ Adoptees ~
Member from 1 day to 2 months/If you're still very uncertain about what ZU is and how it works.

This is debatable and the time itself is declared by the individual. This rule can't be enforced since it's opinionated.

Request to be adopted here and tell a bit about yourself.

As far as I can remember, all adoptees have stated that they wanted to be adopted before being adopted. Also, some newer members aren't comfortable with telling what their name is, or things like that on a board they aren't that farmiliar with. I think that's completely understandable.

~ Conditions for potential Adopters ~

When you apply to be an adopter, bear in mind that the mods will be judging you not only on your people skills, but how you conduct yourself on the forums in general.

We have no right to declare who is and who isn't fit to adopt. We're not mods therefore we don't get that say.

This includes a general good use of spelling, grammar and detailed posts.

Once again, we aren't at liberty to claim who creates more thought-filled posts than Kid A over in the corner.

Remember, as an adopter, you are an example to your adoptee, so it's no good to make a member who is spammy an adopter, as the new member will not be encouraged to be the best they can be.

I see most people who have adoptees fare themselves well on the mainboards, not including the clans where obviously the newbies can't see until at least a month afterwards. I don't see this as an issue.

Also - don't try to be sneaky and PM a mod with a perfect message with correct spelling and grammar if you do not post like that normally, as the mods will also check your past posts to make sure your posting style is acceptable.

Already twice stated, we are not the ones to make this decision, this is more of just a helpful hint than a rule in my view.

~ Conditions for Adopting ~

You must be a member for at least 3 full months. (Join on January 1st, you get to apply on April 1st.)

I haven't seen any adopters running around who haven't been here for at least 3 months. This one seems under control.

Minimum of 50 posts.

Most anyone who wants to be an adopter more than likely enjoys the boards, and it's not that difficult to get up to 50 posts without spamming. Anyone who has below 50 either don't pay much attention to the community, or they're still a newbie looking in the deep end of the pond.

In order to adopt, send BeXXX or Margaret a PM where you explain why you want to be an adopter and why you think you’re suited for it. Name the PM “Why I want to adopt” or something similar.

Well, yeah. Why would you declare yourself an offical adopter if your name doesn't get edited into the first main post for the world to see? That would be a pretty stupid move.

Once the PM is received, they'll look it through. If they find you suited for adoption (this is judged by your behaviour on the boards), you can go ahead and adopt.

La di da. No control over this one.

If they for some reason think you are not suited for adoption, they will let you know why, so you can change and maybe be able to adopt later. If you're rejected by one mod, do not go to the other and ask. If we notice this happening, you'll be rewarded with a warning and your right to adopt will be removed.

I can't justify if this is being upheald, seeing as I wasn't rejected. You'd have to go and search for someone who's been rejected to see what is actually happening in this case.

You’re only able to adopt one newbie every two weeks. If there's a lot of new members and no one that offers adoption, you may take more than so. Use common sense.

Well, we don't get newbies offering to be adopted that often anymore so this isn't an issue either. The adopters are fighting for newbies, not newbies fighting for adopters.

Maximum of 2 newbies/adopter. Don't take more newbies than you can handle.

I don't see anyone going around with more than one adoptee under their wing. But if you come across one, just link their profile to Margar or Bex, and I'm sure they'd be willing to take hold of the situation.

Newbies are not toys. Think of them as little forum users.

And who would use their newbies as toys? I haven't seen this done in a really really long time. The closest that we've come to that was someone defending their adoptee in a thread, which is completely opposite.

Guard your newbie, help him/her out and be a good parent.

I've seen adopters guard their newbies, and a lot of the members who become adopted end up better forum-go'rs than those who aren't. That seems like a job well done.

~ Chat ~

When you want to be adopted, say so in this thread.

That seems like it's working out, otherwise how would you know a newbie wants to be adopted?

When you have been approved of adopting, say so in this thread.

That's been going on for a while, and always happens. No problem here.

When you want to show that you're still available for Adoption/Adopting, you might, in some cases, post in this thread. No ranting though, please.

And that happens occasionaly by once an adoptee is adopted, another adopter comes along and says "Darn, I missed this one. But I'm still up for adopting a newbie!" Just not that friendly-like.

When you feel that your newbie is ready to take on the world of ZU on its own, say so in this thread

People do.

When you want to joke around or chat with your new member, use PM.

I haven't seen chatting to the new member done in that thread. Seems well kept.

When you want to talk to someone in this thread, use PM.

99% of the time when someone says they've adopted someone they add on that it was done through PM. This seems like it's functioning well.

Please ONLY use this thread for informing, no chat.

This is the only rule that could use a bit of help occasionaly, but it's not that big of an issue that it needs dire help right now.

Okay, first I'd better mention that I am really really new to Adoption Central, and if I've been stupid and let some things slide I am really sorry.

Secondly, I've read the majority of this thread and I'm a bit fuzzy on what the complaint is : / Are people waltzing into the adoption thread and adopting despite the fact that they haven't been approved? Because if so that's probably my bad. I haven't set foot in Adoption Central other than to put some names on the adopters list.

So if the problem is that I should be keeping a closer eye on the thread itself and what is going on, I should probably have already been doing that, and I'll step it up. I sort of accepted this role and forgot about it and that was my bad.