So what does someone have to be to get this kind of favored treatment in EMC?

If people could post reasons for moderation actions I'd be grateful. So far I have Spam, vulgarity, Griefing, Theft and Hacks/Mods.
EDIT: Added scams to the list. Stuff like "Pay to participate in this game and you could win this prize" or "Donate and I'll get you Diamond Membership"

I don't know if this works in this situation but this is one of the quetions in the mod application:
Please read the description and answer the question correctly! *This is a test question to see who's paying attention to this application. The correct answer to this question is: "It is okay to break the rules sometimes." Even though this is false in reality, please choose it for THIS answer:
It is ok to break the rules sometimes for certain reasons but overly excessive breaking of the rules will just get you banned.

I would just like to point out, everything, this includes ever rule, every infraction, every kick, tempban, or ban, is handled by a case by case basis. If it were as simple as laying the hard coded law that you just threw down up there, the need for moderators would disappear. Its too easy to design a coded automated system that could follow those rules you have. The thing is, people make mistakes, the situation could have entailed some comprehension of a situation that a system (robot) would not understand. If I banned every person who threw out an all caps post because they died and lost everything to their name, there would be no more players.

There are dominoes to account for here as well. If we were as strict as you are stating here, the free flowing fun community that is EMC would diminish to a smoldering, heavily controlled, police state. Would you want to play there? I sure would not. We can not expect other players to enjoy that kind of playing either.

We understand that you are frustrated with a current situation (or multiple situations ), however, this community is just that. A Community. If everything came down to the frustrations and wants and ideas of a single player, well.. it would be singleplayer. Now, it would seem you believe that these suggestions are the greater decisions for the community, but where is the underlying proof for that? You think if we kicked every Tom, Dick, and Sue that used caps it would automatically solve the problem? We would be playing in an annoyance free environment? Its never going to happen. That is why we give the option for /ignore. To help YOU, the player, tailor the community to your needs within your power.

View the community, poll it if you wish. We have people who say they want us stricter on the smaller things, and then there are large groups who believe people should be able to type whatever wibbly-wobbly thought enters their chat line.
This is why we have multiple moderators, with multiple thinking tracts. We tackle ever situation as it happens, observe the surroundings and context. We do this with EVERY report. I wish I could just see a report from a person and believe that report to automatically be true. That would be unfair to the other reports, and I could not bare to see them jealous.

You want us to be straight across the board on every action? Then what is the purpose of our appeal system? What is the purpose of the moderators even being here? Its stated over and over that we, as staff, are NOT robots. Yet, you seem to emphasize that you want us to have an automatonic like behavior. We do try our best as a team. The man hours we put in are unrivaled, our response time, unheard of, and our community, untouchable. We are a diamond among the dirtiest, filthiest, ruff out there.

I notice that you have these problems, yet you are still here, there is obvisously something happening right to keep you around. It would be a shame that you retire from here to find the wastelands of failed communities beyond our borders, simply because a couple of kids, acting like kids, playing a kid game, typed a couple of stupid things.

OK... first off, please take what I am about to say literally, because I am temporarily turning down my own learned and self programmed ability to try to weed out possible hidden meanings in my words because I just can't think of how else to say most of what I am about to say here. I am NOT intentionally saying to offend, quite the opposite, I am being blunt, honest, and staunchly literal.

First, by what you are saying you seem to have completely missed not only my point but several (tens?) of my posts, I have no idea where you got some of the ideas that seem to be behind what you just posted.

Second, yes I would most definitely like playing in a server which is just like EMC but is much more evenhanded to the point I have been stating on chat spam, because it's just such a simple thing, not something complex like the other things, which as I have said multiple times just in this thread I think this place is above reproach on.

Third, did you happen to notice my gold supportership is now gone? I have found that this kind of double standard on something that seems to me so ungodly simple to make a simple hard and fast rule on is just plain ignored half the time in such a way that there is no way people know what the hell to do in the server. I see it all the time, people argue about just what is and is not allowed in EMC in town chat, then a report war breaks out, some report for saying crap, others report for people spamming two letters in caps like HI! and others yell at them for that, arguments break out over just what is and is not spamming and all caps, it just ruins my day and my fun and I'm definitely not the only one if it causes this much friction. I am so sick of it that yes, I am considering leaving, but no I did not blast about it and go on like an idiot like some people here seem to do, I am trying to bring my frustrations and problems out in a constructive and holistic manner and not even say that I am considering leaving because that alone would cause a whole new heap of problems which are, to be honest, off subject to this thread so again I have no friggen clue why you brought that up either.

I also have absolutely no idea why you seem to be coming up with the idea that this is a "kid game", sure it's kid friendly but it most definitely is not what I have ever seen or considered as a "kid game".

Also, as I said above, this has nothing to do with what annoys me, and as I said above, I already have about half of SMP5 on ignore because that's all they do is annoy me, not break rules.

As for being tighter in some situations and looser in others as for spam, how the hell does that equate to a police state?

The case by case basis you are talking about doesn't seem to be working for spam and language (and just spam and language), and that is what I am trying to help point out and possibly come up with ideas to correct.

You genuinely seem to be offended by the honest attempt I am making at helping improve the community and seem to me to be half-controlledly lashing out at the whole idea with your post.

As a last note, please everyone this entire post should be taken COMPLETELY and only literally, and was directed ONLY at what ISMOOCH said in the post above this, nothing else.

Those words weren't said by me. I have yet to see any actions by moderators that are unfair. Please don't try to do that.

I said it's impossible for it to be even, not that we don't want it to be. At the end of the day, if the player broke the rules, they get punished at some point. Also, there are things you don't see, such as notes being put in the player's account. I also, really doubt you've seen (as you said) a player getting BANNED for one word of caps. I'm sorry, but if that happened, I promise they would have complained about that action to me and had me look at the mod who did it.

You're getting incredibly worked up over something that can't be worked as a set of hard and fast rules, simply because there are too many variables.

GUYS, I'VE FOUND A DRAGON TOMB!!

So you see how an example rule you've obviously sat down and thought about, would be completely inappropriate to enforce in this situation?
The player is simply excited at having found a Dragon Tomb and wants everyone to know. By your rules, he should now be dealt with by a Moderator.

I'm not a Moderator on EMC because I didn't take my clothes off when ICC asked during the interview, but I've been a Moderator in numerous other communities on other games, and the same thing applied every time - every Moderator was different, every case was treated individually and often, no two decisions were the same.

It's like the Police - they don't follow the law to the word. They use discretion and what they might charge someone for in one instance, they wont in another. They have rules to uphold, but they adapt them to the situation.

I've read all your posts and I do agree that you shouldn't have been banned for what you said in the quote in the OP if it's what you said, but you should certainly have been warned about your attitude.

However you've now gone down the approach of venting your anger about how others are treated. That's fair enough, but I'm struggling with one point here, which is the ability to use the /ignore command.

If someone is bothering you, are you putting them on ignore? Or are you one of these people that argues and feed the trolls? I'm asking, not taking a dig at you. I'm genuinely curious. If someone is being a tit, I'll /report and /ignore and it's like I'm my own, personal Moderator. That person has been 'banned' from my world by me. It's great.

EMC is moderated quite well I feel. There could be more visible presence of Moderators, but when they do come on, they get harrassed over PM by, once again, berserkers who just don't seem to grasp that the Moderator is a person who wants to play too, and not be asked maniac questions.

Have you tried other MC servers? Have you seen the Moderators and Admin on some of them? I have, and if you think EMC is bad, go and spend a bit of time on one of those dictatorships ruled by arrogant 12yr olds.

I'm going to say that, it almost seems as if you haven't been to many other communities. There really is no "perfect" system that you're looking for as the way moderation works is and has to be across the board. Each player, situation and issue is 100% different from the next, so giving them all the same treatment would actually be more unfair than what you're suggesting we have right now.

I do get how you might be frustrated from the outside, but I can tell you with now over 5 years experience in doing this, that while it isn't (can't be by the law of the word) perfect, we are the best that there is in dealing with this. The only negative thing that COULD happen is if you feel a moderator is singling you out based on something personal. If that were to happen, we ask it be reported to me and it will be handled.

Nope, I get the idea, you want us to have one solid rule across the board for Language, Caps and Spamming

which i was directing the following post at

And this part.

Which for the sake of confusion was directed at,

Moving on.

You believe things like Spam, Language, and Caps things to be simple as black and white. However, its not always like that. Yeah, its a minor rule. I honestly wish it were that simple. There is a reason some are picked for moderators and some are not though. Most of us have this unique ability to approach every situation, no matter how simple, with the open mind that there was a reason behind it happening. I do not want to kick so and so for caps, so I warn them, if they have some far right hand reason for why they did it, and that reason has some kind of water holding ability, then I may cut a little more slack. Again, though, case by case. Every situation, not just cheating, hacking, duping, scamming, pvping... this includes Chat Infractions, yes, the simple things.

I am honestly sorry that this kind of thing has actually led you to have such an unwavering negative view here, but do understand, that we do try. Sorry that the thought of leaving has honestly entered your mind for here. I wish no players ever had to leave EMC, because I have been to other servers, and this one is honestly, just the best. However, I only brought it up, to point out the fact, we must have had some kind of appeal to keep you here. If there were none, then one would simply just quit after having the amount of troubles you do with the way our rules are handled. Not saying that in any negative connotation, just in meaning that, a new player with no reason to stay, who meets hardship of any kind here, would more than likely just give up and leave. However, you ARE still here, thoughts or not, supporter or not. I was not suggesting leaving, it was more of an example if anything.

I understood that I may have misspoken slightly here. However, EMC is a Family server. Welcoming all ages with appropriate parental consent. So this brings the "kid" element. Kids do kid things. They can be annoying at times, I have a daughter, I know. Nerves can be tested. This does not exclude adults, as many can be just as bad as kids. However, again, as moderators, its our jobs to figure out if something (like spam, language, and caps) were kids being kids, or adults acting inappropriately, and then base more judgement that way. Not saying children who play here are exempt to our rules, but for example (has happened) a kid using a word he does not understand, that is offensive to some. I nearly banned a kid for that once, but when questioned, it was simply a child not knowing. However, if that had been an adult, a different action would have been taken.

This misunderstanding could have been my fault. It was more geared toward your straight across the board rules stated. Enforcing them in the way you desire could honestly result in a police state like environment. You may not be able to connect those dots (no offense aimed or anything) but I can promise you, treating every situation as a cookie cut mold, leads to that.

The "case by case" may not always bring about the desired result for you, as an individual, a point I was semi trying to drive home in my previous post. However, we have gauged our enforcement, it has been altered, not only on larger things. The way chat infractions have been handled has changed a lot in my time as moderator here.We have tried being what some would say "too hard" and also "too soft" on infractions. We are at what the community would, as a majority, rule in that favorable "just right" area. But you can not please everyone. If I were to utilize the rules you laid out, consistently, there would be another thread, shockingly similar to this one, that would be complaining about how every situation should be case by case. Or we are to hard, or we are to soft. You are not the only one who disagrees with this. Others disagree in the other spectrum. Many believe we should just let everything happen no holds barred in the chat. The threads are here. You can find them if you wish.

Point being, we are not just making this up as we go along . We did not all just log in one day and decide this was the best way to play and enforce our rules. There has been tweaking, and census, and many threads similar to this one, that has pushed our system to what it is today.
I am in no way offended, if I came across that way, I apologize. Lots of thoughts in my head, just trying to put them here. I sometimes forget to add more personable things. Just know, I would not have taken this position if I were so easily offended. I enjoy posting in threads like this, because it really pushes me a step back to observe and understand how I, personally, function as a moderator, and how other staff members operate as a collective. So I can give you the best answer I know to give.

I also have nothing against you trying to help the community but I said it in my previous post, communities are not built on individual thinking. I understand that your situation (the double standard, or more so lack of any standard in your eyes )frustrates you. I really, honestly, do. I am not downplaying that in any way. If there were enough moderators, that we could just simply all follow one player and ensure the best experience for them, then you better believe I would love that. But we cant do that.

So what we do as a team, is agree upon the "outline" of the rule, one that we know we can judge in game to the best of our ability. At the same time, its still just an outline. We do not walk around with cookie cutter bans for a reason. We want to see the ultimate good in everyone. Even if it is not there. We will try to give every player every benefit of the doubt we have.
I am not saying you HAVE TO agree with everything I said. I do not speak for every staff member either. I am my own person. And I know how I handle things. I am more so trying to shed light on what happens our side, trying to show to you that your want for "black and white" moderation, is not really how EMC functions. I am in no way saying your ideas are bad, or that they should be discredited. I am just trying to provide information, not to CHANGE your mind, but hopefully OPEN it.

The ultimate synopsis here, it was not my intentions to lash in any direction, be it up, out, in or down. I just info dumped and, in the process may have placed some misguided thoughts. I agree my organization of topics through paragraphs leaves a lot to be desired. I am sorry for that. I try working on placing a better road map in my more... meaningful.. posts everytime. I am sorry if I offended you.

I'm sorry I mistyped/misquoted you on the unfair word ICC, I didn't mean to do that.

As for the rest - I still personally think an altered enforcement of this would be better, but as of now I have a much better view of what is and isn't allowed here, which was one of my original goals, of which I had several as I have stated several times.

As for being worked up over this, no I am worked up over the quite often arguments in chat about what is and isn't breaking spam and curse rules, conflicts are just UGH and it has been happening a lot lately and so has some people going above and beyond what seemed to be reasonable caps use and what seemed to be reasonable language use and not caring about a simple kick so continually doing so for weeks on end to boot, which sparks even more of these arguments. Don't arguments in EMC when you just wanna relax kinda put a cramper on your day sometimes?

ICC, I have been to many, something a lot of people seem to be continually missing is when I repeatedly say for everything else this community is above reproach, which to me is the best compliment that can be given, and this seems to be the only glaring problem here which is not already being actively dealt with.

ICC, I also never meant to say I saw someone getting banned for one or two caps, if I said that that is not what I intended, and I am sorry. I meant I have seen people getting banned for much less than the two I had been complaining about had been doing.

I personally feel that this subject has gone through the wringer as much as any constructive outcomes can come out of it. If any mod wishes to lock this, I personally feel that would be a good idea at this time. My point has most definitely been made at this point, seen heard and UNDERSTOOD by the majority of the staff which has posted.

Thank you all for being patient and thorough and listening to me!

Thanks for your feedback. Don't take any views opposite to yours as criticizing either. We just like to share our experience so you can understand why we do what we do as well. Your feedback is always appreciated.