ANSWERED:New Member Group: Description Approvers

[gistofeverything]

I've been thinking. And thinking and thinking. And thinking some more.

 

Some of our community takes the time to go through and describe their dragons, and they usually get to have them in about a few days.

 

But what if some select members can Approve descriptions as well, instead of only moderators? Why not Description Approvers?

 

I believe that having a few other Approvers will be efficient, and will provide for a new spark in our community. Please, discuss.

 

Some notable suggestions:

 

I would like to see this, but because these people would not be mods I want to propose that they cannot approve their own descriptions, another discription approver or mod must

 

My elaboration of her suggestion:

These Approvers would not have any modly powers on the forum, like the Chat Moderators. What you're suggesting is like our RP Approval system? Approvers can't approve their own RPs, another Approver has to come check it for them.

 

Dracocharky's suggestion:

actually, I've had a thought. you know how users can accept and reject descriptions? what if, a desc. automatically got approved/rejected if it went over a certain number/ratio/percentage of one type of vote? like, if 90% of users are voting one way or another, then they're likely to be right.

 

Sock's suggestion:

My point was really - if we're going to have description mods, why can't we trust them? It defeats a lot of the purpose if they can only approve or if they can only reject. Either way, that's a lot of descriptions that these users now can't moderate, which doesn't really ease up the job on the mods already around. x3

 

Another of hers:

If we changed descriptions to be simply user-based, it would make more sense to just remove the whole moderation system.

 

Past Poll History: (Question? -Popular Answer)

Do you support this? -Yes.

Should Description Approvers have their own Group on the forum? -Yes.

Edited April 29, 2013 by gistofeverything

[brairtrainer]

I would like to see this, but because these people would not be mods I want to propose that they cannot approve their own descriptions, another discription approver or mod must

[gistofeverything]

These Approvers would not have any modly powers on the forum, like the Chat Moderators. What you're suggesting is like our RP Approval system? Approvers can't approve their own RPs, another Approver has to come check it for them.

[RainDear]

TJ had open applications for "Description Moderators" at one time, but apparently not enough "qualified" members were interested in applying. Perhaps if there is enough interest, he may try again.

 

There was also a "point" system in planning, which if put in would have given different members "points" based on how closely to the rules they reviewed descriptions, so that descriptions with more points would more easily be approved by the moderators. I'm not sure what happened to this plan. It may be still in the works, or may have been scrapped for some reason.

[brairtrainer]

These Approvers would not have any modly powers on the forum, like the Chat Moderators. What you're suggesting is like our RP Approval system? Approvers can't approve their own RPs, another Approver has to come check it for them.

Yes this is what I was suggesting Gist. Could you possibly add it to the OP?

[pinkieseb]

I like this idea,

It would help for the people online at the time no mods are ever online...

I have a description still sitting there for a few weeks now.. This would really help

 

 

I voted yes!

[gistofeverything]

Could you possibly add it to the OP?

Done.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

I support this. Descriptions are still extremely backlogged. About a month and a half ago I wrote a handful of descriptions... and it took over three weeks for them to be approved. And that was only because I PM'd a mod and asked them to look at them for me.

 

Having a large group of approvers without any other special privileges would really help move things along, I think.

[Purpletail162]

This is an excellent idea...i would be more than willing to volunteer to review and approve descriptions should this get put into play...it might even give me the spark to write more descriptions for my dragons that they might get published sooner...

[Pixxelation]

+1 support.

[Ember_Silverly]

I think this idea has a lot of merit, though I believe ideas to hasten the approval process have been tossed around before, usually when there is a large backlog of descriptions.

 

It also seems to be an annual thing, since I remember a similar problem last year around this time (my guess is the start of school in Sept, holidays in Nov and Dec makes the mods too busy to keep up with descriptions) and the only reason the backlog disappeared was Socky's Description Force.

 

But then again, there have been times (like during the Description Force months and the summer) when I can write a description and have it approved seconds later. So, perhaps we need seasonal help for descriptions?

[Emeraldmay]

Yes - oh please yes

 

There's been a backlog since Halloween I know for sure (though I did get some approved last night - thanks)

 

Considering the activity on the Description Comments thread, I would say this would be much more popular

[birdzgoboom]

I've been thinking about describing some of my dragons myself lately, but knowing that there's a long waiting period is kind of discouraging because...well, it would take so long just to see what I wrote on my dragon's page.

 

I would like to see some approvers for that, definitely-- besides, it puts less pressure on moderators that stress to get descriptions accepted too. Which would be nice for them.

[Ashes The Second]

No. Think about what happens when a name is colored, period. 'We will put more weight to what you say than what we actually know to be right.' The mods aren't always right -- far from it. If this was implemented, I want there to be no way of knowing who is a descriptor or not, because that would give them a higher status than everyone else. There's a reason DC doesn't have mod helpers like CS, or a few other places.

 

We're equal.

[xeyla]

I support! I helped during the Great Description Backlog, and I sat here reviewing for hours on end. Lucky me I was on vacation from work . I would gladly join in again, if given the chance.

[gistofeverything]

No. Think about what happens when a name is colored, period. 'We will put more weight to what you say than what we actually know to be right.' The mods aren't always right -- far from it. If this was implemented, I want there to be no way of knowing who is a descriptor or not, because that would give them a higher status than everyone else. There's a reason DC doesn't have mod helpers like CS, or a few other places.

 

We're equal.

I'm "staff", and I'm not colored, nor do I have a voice in any official DC thing. You could only know that they are a Description Approver is within their Group.

[Ember_Silverly]

No. Think about what happens when a name is colored, period. 'We will put more weight to what you say than what we actually know to be right.' The mods aren't always right -- far from it. If this was implemented, I want there to be no way of knowing who is a descriptor or not, because that would give them a higher status than everyone else. There's a reason DC doesn't have mod helpers like CS, or a few other places.

 

We're equal.

A higher status for what? I'm not sure they would have any special privileges other than approving descriptions. Certainly, no forum powers, as was already discussed. In fact, we might not even know who they are on the forums.

[brairtrainer]

A higher status for what? I'm not sure they would have any special privileges other than approving descriptions. Certainly, no forum powers, as was already discussed. In fact, we might not even know who they are on the forums.

This, and if for somereason TJ wanted us to know who they were, I assume it would show up like the RP approvers, with it only showing up in their group area so members have people to contact to look over their descriptions. Heck if we do applications through the main site some may not show up on the forum.

[LibbyLishly]

I like this idea - obviously the ability to approve descriptions would be given with care, much like RP Approver status, and it would go a long way to getting through the backlog of descriptions, as others have mentioned, around certain times of the year. I don't mind really when my descriptions go for long periods of time without being approved, as it's always a nice surprise to find, oh, that one's approved now, but I still think an added amount of efficiency to the process would be greatly beneficial.

Edited November 30, 2012 by LibbyLishly

[olympe]

There's been a backlog since Halloween I know for sure (though I did get some approved last night - thanks)

Halloween? I did one in late September that yet has to be approved. But since I understand that mods have a life, too, it doesn't bother me too much.

 

The idea to create the office of description approvers seems sensible, though, and obviously needed. However, the description approvers should be chosen/trained by TJ or his mods, I think.

[_Charky]

+1 post of supporting

 

 

actually, I've had a thought. you know how users can accept and reject descriptions? what if, a desc. automatically got approved/rejected if it went over a certain number/ratio/percentage of one type of vote? like, if 90% of users are voting one way or another, then they're likely to be right.

Edited December 2, 2012 by dracocharky

[angelicdragonpuppy]

+1 post of supporting

 

 

actually, I've had a thought.  you know how users can accept and reject descriptions? what if, a desc. automatically got approved/rejected if it went over a certain number/ratio/percentage of  one type of vote?  like, if  90% of users are voting one way or another, then they're likely to be right.

I still support this the most, although it's been shot down in the past (or at least heavily frowned on), sadly. Apparently the general userbase can't be trusted to know what proper writing is... which I think is silly. T____T

 

I also think there was talk at one point where if a user's reviews of other people's consistently matched with the mod's decisions, they would gain 'points' and their votes would get more worth. Don't know what happened to that suggestion, either, but I think it'd be another nice way to go--after enough matched description reviews (perhaps 90% mod agreement on 100 descriptions +?) they'd be given a chance to apply for mod status/be given limited mod status (where it required three of the mini-mod's approvals or disapprovals to approve or stop a description) or something along those lines.

Edited December 2, 2012 by angelicdragonpuppy

[brairtrainer]

I still support this the most, although it's been shot down in the past (or at least heavily frowned on), sadly. Apparently the general userbase can't be trusted to know what proper writing is... which I think is silly. T____T

 

I also think there was talk at one point where if a user's reviews of other people's consistently matched with the mod's decisions, they would gain 'points' and their votes would get more worth. Don't know what happened to that suggestion, either, but I think it'd be another nice way to go--after enough matched description reviews (perhaps 90% mod agreement on 100 descriptions +?) they'd be given a chance to apply for mod status/be given limited mod status (where it required three of the mini-mod's approvals or disapprovals to approve or stop a description) or something along those lines.

What I don't like about the point system is that eventually the blank reject trolls would get through and cause more trouble. Even if it took along time I've seen enough in description comments about the blank rejects, received several myself and it was made a rule of dc(like rules of the internet) that all descriptions would end up with at least one blank reject. Considering their are a plethera of reasons a description may be rejected I could only imagine what would happen if one of these people got lucky and got the status through a point system.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

What I don't like about the point system is that eventually the blank reject trolls would get through and cause more trouble. Even if it took along time I've seen enough in description comments about the blank rejects, received several myself and it was made a rule of dc(like rules of the internet) that all descriptions would end up with at least one blank reject. Considering their are a plethera of reasons a description may be rejected I could only imagine what would happen if one of these people got lucky and got the status through a point system.

I really, really doubt that someone who rejects everything would ever have a 90% agreement ratio with the mods. From what I've seen, the mods approve just about every description that isn't ridiculous or rule-breaking. As such, I think your fear is most unfounded!

 

You have to understand that it's not AMOUNT of descriptions in which they agree with a mod, it's PERCENT. So even if a troll rejected 1,000 descriptions and 90 of them were also rejected by a mod, they still wouldn't be anywhere near 90% OVERALL agreement with mods and as such would never have a shot of getting approval status.

[brairtrainer]

I really, really doubt that someone who rejects everything would ever have a 90% agreement ratio with the mods. From what I've seen, the mods approve just about every description that isn't ridiculous or rule-breaking. As such, I think your fear is most unfounded!

 

You have to understand that it's not AMOUNT of descriptions in which they agree with a mod, it's PERCENT. So even if a troll rejected 1,000 descriptions and 90 of them were also rejected by a mod, they still wouldn't be anywhere near 90% OVERALL agreement with mods and as such would never have a shot of getting approval status.

Maybe so, but it still leaves that hole, and even though it would be rare statistics says there is always a possibility, and where there is possibility it will happen at least once.

 

Anyways, I'd prefer having people picked by moderators and TJ who tend to write descriptions and get them approved, behave themselves on the forums or iirc (if applicable), and can prove that they can give good constructive feed back (perhaps have the mods write a couple of challenge descriptions, some good some bad and ask the person to respond with which ones would be approved or not, but no point system, because that could also add too many people with power, or the scenario I mentioned above.