I Will Be The Last Factory Administrator

[Tefka]

Well, probably. Who knows what the future holds.

...But I wanted Chaos to come in here ready for a fight. It's been a while since you and I swung it out, so let's roll.

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I'm currently the newest Factory Admin (again) but I do plan on turning over with someone when I'm done doing what I feel to be necessary changes to the Factory to ensure its continued survival.

I have, before me, several issues with the Factory. I've known about them for quite some time, and while I think many of you agreed then with the overall sentiment that was being expressed, from Admins down to the newest member nobody really expressed a willingness to be on board with fixing or even addressing the problems.

I've always been upfront and honest with ya'll (to the best of my ability), so lets start stating facts.

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1. Jamie Pyne, the last Factory Admin, inevitably burned out like those before her and told me her issues with the Factory upon turning over. It's the same song, different singer. Factory Judges eventually have to be begged to fulfill their positions' duties. We continue to have to restrict members' abilities to submit and in what quantity in order to keep up. Factory Judges burn out so fast that turnover rate is insanely high and 90% of a Factory Admin's job is constant recruitment.

2. I notice that Factory Judges are not fulfilling their position's duties, which corroborates with the Factory Admin, and the consistency in which it happens cannot be explained by "laziness" or "incompetence". It is an eventuality.

3. Factory-oriented RPJs are pulling way more weight than they should, and cannot be depended upon for normal Staff activities because of how stretched thin they are by the Factory.

4. Because of all of this, submissions are taking longer and longer to get pushed through.

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I said this more than a year ago, and it still rings just as true today. I'm now ready to acknowledge that one of Chaos's largest assets is currently a failure, and cannot be sustained.

I will not hire another FJ to sacrifice into this crucible, I will not appoint another Factory Administrator knowing the timer until they are mentally exhausted has begun. Not until we change things so that they once again become sustainable.

So, I've found a solution.

And out of transparency, almost every Administrator hates it, and I suspect we're gonna be very divisive as a community about this decision... much like we were with Rebellions and opening up Force User Ranks.



But I'm going to be dismantling the Approval Process for the Factory to the point that it almost no longer exists, and submissions will be subjected to similar rulesets regarding how Character Bios are treated. "Assumed innocent until proven guilty", automatically approved until denied.

To accomodate this new mentality, some aspects of the Factory will be forced to change. But for the most part, I will leave the rules and integrity of the Factory alone as much as possible. The Factory will be shutting down tonight, for the next few weeks, to allow myself and the Factory Judge team to tackle how to implement this with as little change to the rules as possible, as well as formulating a new strategy for how the Factory Team will work after it is done.

However, I can throw ya'll a bone right now as for some rules that will be axed:

There is a cap of three active or pending submissions permitted in the Factory per writer.

The factory will not base judgements on precedents or the approval of prior submissions.


Etc, etc.

We're also probably gonna be tearing this page apart, as the Codex will not be following the Factory into the Abyss.




As for hiring new Factory Judges, maybe one day, but not today. I am not seeking nor do I require extra help at this moment. When I do, it will be announced and very visible to the forum.




Rage below.

Support below.

Or ignore this thread and go back to blissfully role-playing knowing the Factory is not really that big of a deal.

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These next few months, Staff is going to sit down and discuss what insane amounts of time we’re wasting, ​

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and how to get members into roleplaying faster while also accomplishing the goals of what they want to do - Factory, Codex, Companies, etc. ​

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I’m going to be coming after unnecessary Development threads. ​

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I’m going to be coming after the Rules that delay and waste time. I’m going to be shining a light on every process, every detail of this website in an effort to make it simpler - ​

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not batter it down with more rules. ​

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We already have too many.​

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Challenge it. Question it. Ask more for yourself. Join in the discussions.​

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You deserve to spend your time as YOU choose.​

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We only have a limited amount.​

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-Tefka, Owner of StarWarsRP.net​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

This is going to be complete madness. I welcome it.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Considering the amount of time it's been said that most of the subs don't need to be subbed anyway, this looks like a welcome change.

Just to make sure I understand correctly though - members will still be able to post their cool toys, but the stampu procedure will simply no longer be there, much as it is with biographies, correct?

 

[Tefka]

Just to make sure I understand correctly though - members will still be able to post their cool toys, but the stampu procedure will simply no longer be there, much as it is with biographies, correct?

Correct.

If your submission does not get pulled for review or denied, you may use it in RP once you're done creating it, not once you get done talking to an FJ for two weeks.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Correct.

If your submission does not get pulled for review or denied, you may use it in RP once you're done creating it, not once you get done talking to an FJ for two weeks.

Awesome!

 

[Valgærd]

Whatever takes the pressure of the poor staff sounds good to me. *Offers all the support*

 

[Thraxis]

If everything is accepted in some form or another as I understand it... Wonder what'll happen to the auction house.

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

Four years ago I would've thrown a fit about this.

Four years later I sit here and wonder why new-to-the-site-me would even have cared about the sanctity of some approval process for something like the Factory. I mean, just look at how important it was for force user ranks.

Burn it all, arise anew. I'm all about it.

Though hey since it's the topic of discussion, does this include even bigger SSD's as being ok?

 

[AMCO]

 

[Tefka]

Though hey since it's the topic of discussion, does this include even bigger SSD's as being ok?

Things to keep in mind, just off the cuff from me:

Templates will still be required. If they're not used, you can be denied.

Factory Judges will still exist. Their job? To review subs as a background process, to help train/spread information/help members with ideas, and to take subs that do not conform to our standards and deny them. I told the Admins, my idea is to transform the FJs from a "Approval Authority" to a "Denial Force".

My way of attacking the issue of repeat offenders? Factory Bans.

Our way of policing, on paper, seems much more strict. But I've told Staff it won't get that bad.

Especially after the first couple of Factory Ban Waves go down.

 

[Tefka]

To continue on that note...

Stuff like restricted items/SSDs?

If you violate the rules regarding them and submit, it will be pulled, denied, and an FJ will help you correct the situation.

And if you knew better and are not a new member, hopefully you will feel bad.

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

I love you [member=Tefka], and continue to support your changes Boss.

PS- thanks for approving my recent company! I always love seeing your stamp of approval on my submissions.

 

[Jsc]

This is wonderful news!

And I'll talk big picture here. Change the website all you want guys and gals. Go for it. Go nuts. But the old staying still rules supreme; "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Because cool people will still be cool. And uncool people will still be uncool. And we'll all still write with people we think are cool. And ignore the people we think are dumb. Smashing the Report Button merrily along the way. Happily, imperfectly, ever after. In a galaxy far, far who cares.

 

[Delsin Shaw]

[member="Tefka"],

First all, Glad to see you back/more active from your Admin Duty Hiatus. Secondly, I would like to say I have enjoyed the factory for a very long time. It is one of the main reasons why I have stayed upon the site for so long. The ability to make something, even if it is fake and imaginary, as an accomplishment. Third, Thank you and all of the staff for the hard work you have done already, as I know that the process will take quite some time and discussion.

So are you returning it to an upgraded version of the factory when the site first started, or will this be a completely different beast all together?

I am open and optimistic for either option as I enjoy the idea of a "Deny at discretion" kind of factory, rather than requiring approval for every single one.

Being a former Factory Judge I always found the process we have/had rather pinpoint and scrutinizing rather than constructive criticism. Many times someone would make something that could be easily approved just as something fun to use, when their submission is ripped a new hole just because its missing one or two things. This caused many submissions that were easy approvals to be argued over for the smallest of reasons.

Anyway, if there is anything else I can think of that may add to the discussion, I will post here I would assume. Unless you will throw out a different discussion thread later down the line.

Thank you again.

 

[Hansen]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Yup. Absolutely.

 

[Tefka]

[member="Shaun Castanic"]

This will be a different beast. I do not walk backwards.

In our Admin discussion, however, I said “Despite this major change, I think you will be surprised by how much will stay the same.” I think that will be true.

We will have to find out together.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

I've read this twice just to be sure I know what's going on. I've read everyone's replies to see if I fall into a minority or a majority. Annoying it seems like the minority.

Both the factory and the codex serve important roles. They're basically the filter paper to stop stupid/OP/mental things from getting into the community and causing arguments and headaches and clashes. What it sounds like is happening right now is that the filter paper is being removed and kept on the sideline. To me, it sounds like things will only be subjected to that filter paper after they've caused these arguments, headaches and clashes and finally someone snaps and reports these submissions that should have been filtered out from the start.

I can't realistically get behind this. It's going to cause arguments and situations. It's moving the stress from one group of people (The FJ's) to another group of people (The RPJ's). Stupid things should be filtered out before they can become a problem, not after they've already started a massive fight.

 

[WolfMortum]

Very interesting...-I cannot say I'm opposed to the idea, and I look forward to seeing how this all plays out.

I shall have to remind myself it's 3 Submissions per Writer, not per Character...As this may indeed motivate more submissions out of me.

May we wish the best of luck to this new hell the Factory Staff are creating for themselves!

 

[Tefka]

To me, it sounds like things will only be subjected to that filter paper after they've caused these arguments

Your argument is very valid, and is the main counter to this process in my opinion.

And I think, to some extent, we will see it come to fruition. But I will be overseeing the beginning stages of the actual implementation of my suggestion, once finalized with the Factory Team. And I will be ensuring the harshest consequences dealt out once problems are found - because our problems aren't OP items, it can't be. It's pen and paper. It's cooperative role-playing. IC, you're basically immortal unless you decide otherwise.

But I want to be very clear on this final point: It has never been, nor will ever be, my job to make bad writers good. I will, however, provide them either the knowledge to not abuse our systems - or deny them access to those systems altogether if they refuse to adapt.

The Factory is one of those systems.

At first glance, I will not know who those people are who constantly abuse the system. But time is on my side, not their's.