Guild Wars 2

1. I would make a terrible forum specialist, and I think even people who often agree with my sentiments would agree with that. I’m not applying.

2. This is not the place for sarcasm or insincerity. Only genuine commentary, please.

3. If you want to rant about flaws you see with the concept, have at it- in your own thread, kindly.

4. Please list people you feel would be solid choices for the Forum Specialist program.

Thanks!

My list, just off the top of my head (and I have no idea who is or is not in the US):
Nike
dlonie
bluestocking
Lishtenbird
Vayne (Yep. You heard me right.)
Behellagh
Donari
Infernia
Wolfheart
Rauderi
Illysharia
Hamfast
Wanze
Ashen
Mystic
pdavis
minbariguy
Redenaz.8631 (So that the name isn’t censored, I looked up the exact number)
Danikat

I know I’m missing a few people, and- with the exception of Nike- this list is in no particular order. If any of you are considering applying to this program, consider this my vote of confidence!

Reason for edits: People I forgot!

I’m all for Behellagh,Wanze, Mystic, and Grimm.

(BTW: idk if this counts as naming and shaming or not since it’s positive, at least for the time being).

Dasenthal.6520:

I’m all for Behellagh,Wanze, Mystic, and Grimm.

(BTW: idk if this counts as naming and shaming or not since it’s positive, at least for the time being).

I will report for moderation ANY post that’s attempting to shame anyone. I will also edit my list to remove the names of anyone who doesn’t want to be mentioned. I strongly hope that this thread can be moderated effectively, rather than locked, if need be.

Would it not be more apropos to PM forum-users you find good candidates, rather than exposing them to possible commentary on the forums?

Maybe just a PSA to all the forum-users to PM their favorites. Just a thought.

Thanks for listing me, but I don’t qualify. Though I’m a US citizen I don’t reside in the US.

Guhracie.3419:

Lishtenbird (I think might be a Brit, though)

Russia.

As a side note, I’m pretty sure that this thread has too much potential to turn into a list of “i dont liek these persons point ofview, NO!!!” posts. While the idea behind it is nice, I’m afraid it can hurt the community more than help.

I admire the sentiment and applaud the engagement ehind this thread, but I really think that it should be closed. It really does seem likely to be a toxicity magnet aimed at named individual forumites.

Whats a Forum Specialist?

Like a Hall Monitor?

edit:

nvm: Caught the official.

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but the time I’ve spent trying to squeeze blood out of stone (ie. get ArenaNet to talk to us) has earned me quite a few infractions :-(

That, and I get the feeling I’m “too much of a pest” for them to consider me :-P

Plus, some other reasons.

And, even more reasons.

I might consider applying to be a dungeon forum specialist if there are some changes made to how the dev teams are allowed to communicate with us, but it wouldn’t be worth the effort/hassle otherwise. Oh, and if my infractions wouldn’t disqualify me :-)

I’m all for posting suggestions on the players people would nominate, if that was an option. I respect the opinions of most you listed as well (although some i haven’t really read). Still it’s not up to us and many can’t apply for whatever reason too. I’m curious if Arena could actually come up with that many people to begin with.

dlonie.6547:

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but the time I’ve spent trying to squeeze blood out of stone (ie. get ArenaNet to talk to us) has earned me quite a few infractions :-(

That, and I get the feeling I’m “too much of a pest” for them to consider me :-P

Plus, some other reasons.

And, even more reasons.

I might consider applying if there are some actual changes made to how the dev teams are allowed to communicate with us, but it wouldn’t be worth the effort/hassle otherwise. Oh, and if my infractions wouldn’t disqualify me :-)

I echo your issues as well, being “part of the problem” instead of part of the solution. But, who knows, maybe this program is step toward improved communication? I’m optimistic about it.

munkiman.3068:

dlonie.6547:

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but the time I’ve spent trying to squeeze blood out of stone (ie. get ArenaNet to talk to us) has earned me quite a few infractions :-(

That, and I get the feeling I’m “too much of a pest” for them to consider me :-P

Plus, some other reasons.

And, even more reasons.

I might consider applying if there are some actual changes made to how the dev teams are allowed to communicate with us, but it wouldn’t be worth the effort/hassle otherwise. Oh, and if my infractions wouldn’t disqualify me :-)

I echo your issues as well, being “part of the problem” instead of part of the solution. But, who knows, maybe this program is step toward improved communication? I’m optimistic about it.

Believe it or not, I’m trying to be optimistic as well. If there are some policy changes so that two-way communication becomes a possibility, I think it would be a great program.

I am also not US Citizen but thanks for the vote. Would have liked to apply for the BLTC or Crafting Forum but those seem to be closed anyways as of now.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Would it not be more apropos to PM forum-users you find good candidates, rather than exposing them to possible commentary on the forums?

Maybe just a PSA to all the forum-users to PM their favorites. Just a thought.

Good idea, considering that publishing personal information (country of residency, nationality) of other users is against the CoC.

Mystic probably been one of the most helpful person in trading and crafting forums. Many others make bad recommendation just so they can sell their own goods.

What a silly way to go about things.

I’ve been an admin and mod on a lot of sites and you never…EVER….let the posters pick or influence your choice of mods (specialists). That just ends in disaster, usually based on little more than forum favoritism, and really all it says to me is the mods and admins here must be to lazy to be bothered.

They should have already taken notice of who posts/trolls/contributes/argues/etc/etc and promote such people given their demeanor and/or knowledge. That’s part of being an admin/ mod or PR. This should have been done already without our knowledge.

The community knows who to go for when it comes to lore, or the market, or improving my terribad Guardian build. Why don’t the mods?

“Clearer path of communication…”…kitten. That’s their job…they get PAID to sort that yet the community is being played to do that job for free with the smokescreen of having some sort of “specialist” nomination or “shinie!!!!” title on the forum.

Lazy.

I have my votes but I’d never ask such people to do Anets job for free.

fireflyry.7023:

What a silly way to go about things.

I’ve been an admin and mod on a lot of sites and you never…EVER….let the posters pick or influence your choice of mods (specialists). That just ends in disaster, usually based on little more than forum favoritism, and really all it says to me is the mods and admins here must be to lazy to be bothered.

They should have already taken notice of who posts/trolls/contributes/argues/etc/etc and promote such people given their demeanor and/or knowledge. That’s part of being an admin/ mod or PR. This should have been done already without our knowledge.

The community knows who to go for when it comes to lore, or the market, or improving my terribad Guardian build. Why don’t the mods?

“Clearer path of communication…”…kitten. That’s their job…they get PAID to sort that yet the community is being played to do that job for free with the smokescreen of having some sort of “specialist” nomination or “shinie!!!!” title on the forum.

Lazy.

I have my votes but I’d never ask such people to do Anets job for free.

I think you must have been confused. ArenaNet did not ask for any recommendations, as far as I know. Except for oneself, by submitting an application.

I’m not saying they did, my post is directed at the OP, not the official thread on this topic else I’d post it there.

fireflyry.7023:

What a silly way to go about things.

I’ve been an admin and mod on a lot of sites and you never…EVER….let the posters pick or influence your choice of mods (specialists). That just ends in disaster, usually based on little more than forum favoritism, and really all it says to me is the mods and admins here must be to lazy to be bothered.

They should have already taken notice of who posts/trolls/contributes/argues/etc/etc and promote such people given their demeanor and/or knowledge. That’s part of being an admin/ mod or PR. This should have been done already without our knowledge.

The community knows who to go for when it comes to lore, or the market, or improving my terribad Guardian build. Why don’t the mods?

“Clearer path of communication…”…kitten. That’s their job…they get PAID to sort that yet the community is being played to do that job for free with the smokescreen of having some sort of “specialist” nomination or “shinie!!!!” title on the forum.

Lazy.

I have my votes but I’d never ask such people to do Anets job for free.

Personally, there are actually benefits to this sort of volunteer work. For one, it helps hone your personal relations skills, which is always important in the real world. Another is contributing to something you’re passionate about, even if it is “just a hobby”. If you can personally take pride in knowing you’re contributing to positive growth in a community relations position, that’s yet another perk.

Being a community leader for forums that don’t reflect a business is a much different animal than what is being implemented here. Any person involved in this is a reflection of a companies choice of character and ability to communicate in a productive way. There is far more at stake here than in most community systems you could participate in.

I just don’t feel it’s as “pathetic” as you have made it sound.

Fair call.

A shiny poop is still a poop to me but that’s purely my take. I have no issue with people embracing such a concept, I just disagree with it as I’ve personally experienced it turning pear shaped and in this case it reeks of lazy PR/mods and admins as opposed to embracing the forum community as it’s put across.

But hey…the mods and admins will get more holiday time. Contribute to your passion I guess?

To each their own.

ponders

Not sure who I would nominate. I know who I wouldn’t nominate. So that at least culls the list. lol

I nominate the Forum Communications Team.

I nominate myself for the achievements, special snowflake and exclusivity specialist.

fireflyry.7023:

What a silly way to go about things.

I’ve been an admin and mod on a lot of sites and you never…EVER….let the posters pick or influence your choice of mods (specialists). That just ends in disaster, usually based on little more than forum favoritism, and really all it says to me is the mods and admins here must be to lazy to be bothered.

They should have already taken notice of who posts/trolls/contributes/argues/etc/etc and promote such people given their demeanor and/or knowledge. That’s part of being an admin/ mod or PR. This should have been done already without our knowledge.

The community knows who to go for when it comes to lore, or the market, or improving my terribad Guardian build. Why don’t the mods?

“Clearer path of communication…”…kitten. That’s their job…they get PAID to sort that yet the community is being played to do that job for free with the smokescreen of having some sort of “specialist” nomination or “shinie!!!!” title on the forum.

Lazy.

I have my votes but I’d never ask such people to do Anets job for free.

You misunderstand. I’m not asking anyone to do anything. Nor am I trying to start a vote. But there are people who must be wondering if they should even consider applying, and I’d like to encourage them.

I know there is the potential for toxicity, but I’m hopeful that with the help of the moderators, we can keep this largely positive. I’ve already reported one post that clearly violates the intention of this thread.

That seems a bit off. Reporting posts for violating forum policy sure, but not just b/c it doesn’t adhere to your intent.

Essence Snow.3194:

That seems a bit off. Reporting posts for violating forum policy sure, but not just b/c it doesn’t adhere to your intent.

This thread is about recommending people, if people talk bad about others, it is off topic and therefore violates forum policy.

Wanze.8410:

Essence Snow.3194:

That seems a bit off. Reporting posts for violating forum policy sure, but not just b/c it doesn’t adhere to your intent.

This thread is about recommending people, if people talk bad about others, it is off topic and therefore violates forum policy.

Recommendations go both ways. As long as it’s not off colored or against forum policy there shouldn’t be any more issue with one than the other.

Essence Snow.3194:

Wanze.8410:

Essence Snow.3194:

That seems a bit off. Reporting posts for violating forum policy sure, but not just b/c it doesn’t adhere to your intent.

This thread is about recommending people, if people talk bad about others, it is off topic and therefore violates forum policy.

Recommendations go both ways. As long as it’s not off colored or against forum policy there shouldn’t be any more issue with one than the other.

I rather let the mods decide about that than you.

You obviously forgot my name.

You mentioned my name! Although I’ve seen about 3 or 4 of us around here, so no idea which one in particular you mean. if by some serious error of judgement you meant me, I’d be happy for the vote, but am not eligible.

My own vote of confidence would go with Vayne, despite his ineligibility. While he has the overwhelming reputation of White Knight, he isn’t blind with it, and i’ve seen some fantastic posts from him both praising and criticising Anet, and it certainly nice to see someone who tries to see the bright side.

Nike, Ashen, Mystic and Lyshtenbird also immediately strike me as people who would be very good at the role. Even after that, there have been many great posters around who I think would be really good at he role. For the most part I see no shortage of worthy candidates, and provided Anet tailor this system to be truly meaningful,a nd it works like that, there are a lo of people who would really do this initiative, and both Anet and the community, justice.

How come my name isn’t on there? :P

I’ve PMd a couple of those people concerning this when the announcment was first made, and they didn’t seem to thrilled with the idea. While I am sure there are a bunch of names that we all would like to see, until some of the issues regarding the exact role and nature of the forum specialists, and solutions to the problems that have been brought up concerning said role are realized, I don’t think that there are many people jumping onto this.

While the idea is good in general it still needs some more tweaking. Also I like the nominations list, but in the end it’s up to the individual to apply.

I’m flabbergasted to see my name on there; I certainly have no special expertise to offer.

Mostly, though, you wouldn’t know this: I suck at paperwork deadlines. Let me post what I feel like when I feel like it and I might be prolific or I might go off and do my own thing for a few days. Make it a regular reporting requirement and I’ll just flake out or get resentful and stressed I looked at what was involved and realized it just wouldn’t suit my low energy, even though I now have lots of free time, have no intention of moving 3000 miles to try to work for ANet, believe I could be objective, and know I could handle the confidentiality requirements. I am amazed I can manage my low-end guild officer duties as it is; our GM had to sort of trick me into accepting an officer position when we founded the guild.

As to infractions, I don’t know if it counts but I have gotten one warning (made me sick to my stomach when it came) when trying to be helpful to warn someone she might have been hacked, because I named her character as doing shady things in game. I might be disqualified right there!

So thanks for the encouragement, but I won’t be applying. I hope some of those on your list do step up for it, though.

im not on anyones list, but i might have considered applying except for 2 things:

1. i dont want responsibilities and duties to this forum. i like having no strings attached to coming here.

2. that requirement to have few infractions is ridiculous when mods infract for things like simply saying “lol”. my infraction history is lame.

I’ve been thinking for a while that part of the problem with this system is that the type of person best suited to do the job is also the type of person who is very likely to have concerns about their own suitability.

It’s like recruiting forum moderators. You never, ever choose the person who posts a topic detailing why they should be a moderator. You don’t choose the person who asks how long you have to be a member or how many posts you need before you become a moderator. You don’t even choose the person who looks up to moderators and treats them like they are automatically always right, even when they’re just posting their opinion – because there’s a good chance they’ll expect people to treat them that way.

You go for the person who pretty much does the job already – helping new posters, trying to diffuse contentious topics, accurately reporting inappropriate posts without making a huge fuss about it (before or after) and whose first reaction on being offered the responsibility is doubt as to whether they’re up to the job or can commit the time it needs.

But whilst IMO it’s a very good sign when they express that doubt that they’re up to it, it does mean you have to approach them and sometimes talk them into trying. That type of person isn’t likely to submit an application for the job.

Wolfheart.1879:

You mentioned my name! Although I’ve seen about 3 or 4 of us around here, so no idea which one in particular you mean. if by some serious error of judgement you meant me, I’d be happy for the vote, but am not eligible.

My own vote of confidence would go with Vayne, despite his ineligibility. While he has the overwhelming reputation of White Knight, he isn’t blind with it, and i’ve seen some fantastic posts from him both praising and criticising Anet, and it certainly nice to see someone who tries to see the bright side.

Nike, Ashen, Mystic and Lyshtenbird also immediately strike me as people who would be very good at the role. Even after that, there have been many great posters around who I think would be really good at he role. For the most part I see no shortage of worthy candidates, and provided Anet tailor this system to be truly meaningful,a nd it works like that, there are a lo of people who would really do this initiative, and both Anet and the community, justice.

Very well stated, and exactly why you’re on my list- you are indeed the one I intended. I’m sorry to hear you’re not eligible.

pdavis.8031:

How come my name isn’t on there? :P

I know this was in jest, but the answer is genuine oversight. Updating my post to add you.

Donari.5237:

I’m flabbergasted to see my name on there; I certainly have no special expertise to offer.

Mostly, though, you wouldn’t know this: I suck at paperwork deadlines. Let me post what I feel like when I feel like it and I might be prolific or I might go off and do my own thing for a few days. Make it a regular reporting requirement and I’ll just flake out or get resentful and stressed I looked at what was involved and realized it just wouldn’t suit my low energy, even though I now have lots of free time, have no intention of moving 3000 miles to try to work for ANet, believe I could be objective, and know I could handle the confidentiality requirements. I am amazed I can manage my low-end guild officer duties as it is; our GM had to sort of trick me into accepting an officer position when we founded the guild.

As to infractions, I don’t know if it counts but I have gotten one warning (made me sick to my stomach when it came) when trying to be helpful to warn someone she might have been hacked, because I named her character as doing shady things in game. I might be disqualified right there!

So thanks for the encouragement, but I won’t be applying. I hope some of those on your list do step up for it, though.

I totally get this. I had to keep checking to see if you were me with your explanation, except you’re so much more diplomatic and well-spoken overall. I hope you don’t take my recommendation as pressure. I mean it as a compliment.

I also want to note to everyone that if I haven’t included your name, it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. Lots of people I like and agree with are people that I don’t feel would do well in this position, and I might very well be wrong. It happens frequently. And there are quite a few people I’ve overlooked by mistake (my original list has nearly doubled), and by no means do I know everyone on the forum extensively. I’m not out to make anyone feel badly.

Thanks for helping to keep this positive, folks! I really appreciate it.

Guhracie.3419:

pdavis.8031:

How come my name isn’t on there? :P

I know this was in jest, but the answer is genuine oversight. Updating my post to add you.

I also want to note to everyone that if I haven’t included your name, it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. Lots of people I like and agree with are people that I don’t feel would do well in this position, and I might very well be wrong. It happens frequently. And there are quite a few people I’ve overlooked by mistake (my original list has nearly doubled), and by no means do I know everyone on the forum extensively. I’m not out to make anyone feel badly.

Thanks for helping to keep this positive, folks! I really appreciate it.

While I WAS joking, I appreciate your including me in that list. While I do spend a considerable amount of time on the forums, I fear that I have no area of expertise to offer, and must decline any such appointments.

Unless the roles and duties of the forums specialists dramatically change, I don’t feel that this is anything I want to be a part of.

Thanks for the confidence though