Legix
Inactive Member
While I do understand a point that has been brought up here and before (by @Fred currently), I will highlight something to make a very significant difference in the truth here. NTSE mods are not volunteers.
They are selected volunteers at best. This is why I've always held issue with the idea of "oh well, they're just volunteers so we shouldn't expect quality from them to be consistent/present at all!!!" or some bogus side-step. If it was as simple as being a volunteer, then honestly? I'd probably be an NTSE mod (I've both offered and stated I'd like to join before). But the reality is that people get picked for qualities that don't seem to relate to their actual work. This is why I opposed Talarn's appointment and why I wasn't sold entirely on @META_mahn and birbo being included into the NTSE. They were new (back at the time) and hadn't dealt much with the NTSE. It's a stark contrast to someone like even Cadet. Despite my disagreements on Cadet's practices, he had been involved in the NTSE before getting appointed a mod and had been involved in much of the setting.
If it was as simple as "they just volunteer to do it", then I could understand us not expecting something from them... but in every "voluntary job" I ever did in forums, I never once saw a site like SARP where someone could completely not do their job for a month or more and not get replaced. Especially in a job that has supposed importance as being "essential" to some plots. My personal dislike for the inactive group is simply because the NTSE mods should be people who want and CAN do their job. If someone stepped down because they just simply didn't have the time, I'd understand. But that doesn't happen. And it results in the slow down and issues that stemmed the NTSE for months when I had joined, on-and-off for the last year, and has started to rear its head in the rise of submission numbers.
I'd never consider anyone on Staff, hand-picked by @Wes, to be a volunteer. Because their job has importance on the site and enough so that he wouldn't pick just anyone. The NTSE moderators fulfill that exact same conditions. The payment is the privilege to get to help improve the site. They most certainly aren't volunteers, though. Calling them that, with how they get selected, is just silly.
They are selected volunteers at best. This is why I've always held issue with the idea of "oh well, they're just volunteers so we shouldn't expect quality from them to be consistent/present at all!!!" or some bogus side-step. If it was as simple as being a volunteer, then honestly? I'd probably be an NTSE mod (I've both offered and stated I'd like to join before). But the reality is that people get picked for qualities that don't seem to relate to their actual work. This is why I opposed Talarn's appointment and why I wasn't sold entirely on @META_mahn and birbo being included into the NTSE. They were new (back at the time) and hadn't dealt much with the NTSE. It's a stark contrast to someone like even Cadet. Despite my disagreements on Cadet's practices, he had been involved in the NTSE before getting appointed a mod and had been involved in much of the setting.
If it was as simple as "they just volunteer to do it", then I could understand us not expecting something from them... but in every "voluntary job" I ever did in forums, I never once saw a site like SARP where someone could completely not do their job for a month or more and not get replaced. Especially in a job that has supposed importance as being "essential" to some plots. My personal dislike for the inactive group is simply because the NTSE mods should be people who want and CAN do their job. If someone stepped down because they just simply didn't have the time, I'd understand. But that doesn't happen. And it results in the slow down and issues that stemmed the NTSE for months when I had joined, on-and-off for the last year, and has started to rear its head in the rise of submission numbers.
I'd never consider anyone on Staff, hand-picked by @Wes, to be a volunteer. Because their job has importance on the site and enough so that he wouldn't pick just anyone. The NTSE moderators fulfill that exact same conditions. The payment is the privilege to get to help improve the site. They most certainly aren't volunteers, though. Calling them that, with how they get selected, is just silly.