Community Discussion: Should Ex-Hackers be Considered for Mod?

[Blazerboy | Noah]

Does anyone remember those guys, teamAvolition? They were popular a while ago.... they might still be.
It seems to me like the few friends I had who used modded clients were just looking to have fun and have some laughs. They weren't ever serious about having a committed experience on servers they played on when they used clients, and they just did it to have a short laugh while they caused mayhem to a few people on a video game.

However, some people end up really enjoying the idea and theme of a server like MCSG, so continue to play it to have fun. Then, they get banned for cheating. They feel bad because they just wanted to play, and they were having as much fun as any other player who is good at the game, but because they were cheating, they're banned. Then, they realize their mistake, and understand that they have to stop cheating to continue playing.

And so, they're unbanned, and they have a good time. They notice that moderating the servers seems like a pretty cool job, and by this time the player has a pretty good reputation as a cool guy and has tons of friends. He's mature and responsible, and would make an excellent moderator-

but he's been banned.
And so, he's replied to on his application with "sorry bud, you've been banned, nice try." And that's that.

Think of it like a convict who's put on parole (being unbanned) and then gets his act together. He wants to become a teacher and be around normal people again, but he's denied the position because he went to jail at some point. He might be perfectly fixed and capable now but based on his past, he's cut short.

That's what these players feel like. Aaaaaaaaand I have no idea why I typed all this up, I'm not going anywhere else with this hahaha

my opinion is, give em' a shot if they seem like they're cool.

 

[boboy1999]

Many people made some valid points on this thread about this topic- http://www.minecraftsurvivalgames.c...mod-if-theyve-been-banned-for-hacking.103945/
I think it is worth taking a look at.

 

[RC_4777]

http://www.minecraftsurvivalgames.c...mod-if-theyve-been-banned-for-hacking.103945/

My opinions on this matter are spread throughouty this thread, but in short, yes, with a rigorous exception process.

 

[Cat_On_A_Poptart]

If hackers can be considered for mod, why can't people who have previously been banned for something like spamming or using all caps? I mean, if they get the chance to prove themselves worthy, even after breaking the rules in one of the worst, and possibly most annoying ways, why can't everyone else?

But in my opinion, yes. I think everyone should get a chance as long as they seem like they are mature enough and can handle being in a spot of authority.

 

[overthetopgaming]

I say yes, but no. First, I believe they should be able to apply for mod because they know what hacks look like. Being previous hackers can benefit them in telling what hacks would look like. Now to the reason why not. When you join MCSG, you are supposed to look at the rules. These rules include to not hack. When someone hacks, they disobey the rules, which can make you untrustworthy. What makes you think they won't do it again? All of this is about trust and forgiveness basically.

 

[Scott]

In my opinion, hackers should not be able to be moderators in the future. Here is why:

• Hackers have broken MCGamer's rules and, by doing so, broken the trust between the staff and that user. We want to trust staff members, not wonder everyday if they are doing something wrong.
• There are 2,506,662 (and counting) players total on MCGamer and about 150 staff members. There are, although many, not near as many hackers as players. For every hacker, there is about 300 better people to give the job to. Sorry to all hackers, but you do not qualify to be a moderator.

 

[Edog]

In my opinion, hackers should not be able to be moderators in the future. Here is why:

• Hackers have broken MCGamer's rules and, by doing so, broken the trust between the staff and that user. We want to trust staff members, not wonder everyday if they are doing something wrong.
• There are 2,506,662 (and counting) players total on MCGamer and about 150 staff members. There are, although many, not near as many hackers as players. For every hacker, there is about 300 better people to give the job to. Sorry to all hackers, but you do not qualify to be a moderator.

Y'know a former mod did actually used to hack (and the staff knew), and mind me, but he was a pretty damn good moderator. So hackers can be good mods, js.

 

[Manos]

In my opinion, hackers should not be able to be moderators in the future. Here is why:

• Hackers have broken MCGamer's rules and, by doing so, broken the trust between the staff and that user. We want to trust staff members, not wonder everyday if they are doing something wrong.
• There are 2,506,662 (and counting) players total on MCGamer and about 150 staff members. There are, although many, not near as many hackers as players. For every hacker, there is about 300 better people to give the job to. Sorry to all hackers, but you do not qualify to be a moderator.

So you don't believe in repentance

 

[MCGamerzism]

Deffo! People change, some are immature, but they always become some of the best people around! I mean, as long as no one knew a certain moderator hacks, I'd think they'd get treated the same as everyone else and not get highlighted.

 

[Sean]

Ok time for my opinion on this touchy subject. I will start by saying I apologise if I misspell any words or use incorrect punctuation as I am currently on my phone in work pushing a trolley full of coke cans around.

I have witnessed threads about this before and I have seen some valid points for and against this matter. I am still a bit indecisive with my conclusion to it but after a few hours pondering on the subject I think I have concluded a few points/ suggestions.

Let's start, at first I would have said no straight away as there is a huge trust issue. How can we trust a player that has used a hacked client on our servers with sensitive information and the power to punish users. But saying that a user can build trust back up with dedication and if they show commitment to the servers wether this be via a high number of abuse reports, being mature and respectfully to other users, informitive posts on the forums. In general they must show that they have changed and matured.

Also that being said you would need the user to show there trustworthiness by not breaking any rules in quiet some time. But then again you cannot have LeafyGreenTea's running around as mod.

Then you have the topic of users that have been falsely banned/ banned for admiting to hacks. There is no doubt that a few users have been unfairly banned, if so why don't they deserve a chance? Of course if they were unfairly banned they deserve a chance but how can you be 100% sure they did not hack unless they provide solid proof but in which case they would be unbanned via a ban dispute. Next onto people that admit to using a hacked client, once again I can assure that there has been quiet a few people who have been banned for joking about hacking. But once again how do we know that they do not hack. We don't that is the problem.

On to the people who have hacked. Once again trust is an issue. Yes they may show dedication and commitement to the servers but how do we know that is not just a cover up so they can get into the staff team and cause havoc. As the saying goes, one a cheater always a cheater.

Lastly we will move onto the topic of general rule breakers (spam, abuse etc) .
I say a complete no to this, the main reason being that you get enough warnings for minor offences and if you have been banned for a chat offence it means that you are blatantly imature and have no respect for other users. Fair enough if you have been kicked or muted once but as we alreasy knownthat does not impact your chances when applying for mod.

Now I am going to move onto my proposed way of letting ex hackers into the staff team. Before they even apply I believe that they must show they have changed there ways. In the application there should be questions such as how manny abuse reports have you filed? In what ways have you matured and how do you show your dedication to the servers? How can you prove to us that you are a trust worthy candidate?

There should also be a background check on all aplicants. Things that need to be looked at. There actions in game, if they post any imature chat responses, there activity on all aspect of MCG. There willingness to contribute to the community in multiple ways via abuse reports, helping users etc.

The application process should work as proposed.

1) The candidate applies via a special set of questions + the usual questions. The application is reviewed by administration and background checks are taken.

2) If sucsesfull the user moves onto an interterview with members of the administration.

3) They then apply the normal way with a link to there sucsesfull aplication.

4) If they pass everything and obtain mod they should then be watched regularly by the Sr Staff until they can trust the user.

TL;DR, they should be able to apply once they have proven them selfs.

 

[RC_4777]

In my opinion, hackers should not be able to be moderators in the future. Here is why:

• Hackers have broken MCGamer's rules and, by doing so, broken the trust between the staff and that user. We want to trust staff members, not wonder everyday if they are doing something wrong.
• There are 2,506,662 (and counting) players total on MCGamer and about 150 staff members. There are, although many, not near as many hackers as players. For every hacker, there is about 300 better people to give the job to. Sorry to all hackers, but you do not qualify to be a moderator.

I actually disagree. I find some players who have been banned for things like hacking more qualified in my eyes than some current mods.

 

[roguehh]

If this thread was titled "Community Discussion: Should Users Who Have Been Banned for More Than One Day be Considered for Mod?", I would be more inclined to answer in the affirmative. But hacking is an offense so heinous that I can see no way how a hacker could ever serve in the staff team. No matter how reformed they may be.

Let's put hacking in perspective. Hacking is one of the most serious offenses in this community. It is also punished the harshest, only exceeded by a few instant permanent ban offenses. There's a good reason for that; hacking ruins the game in the most meaningful way possible. In real world terms, this isn't just a speeding ticket.

Hacking is not a heat of the moment decision. It involves the a series of very conscious decisions. Firstly, there's the act of searching for, downloading and installing the hacked client. After installing, the hacker has another chance to change his mind. He can either use the hacked client or not, or even uninstall it.

By using a hacked client in-game the hacker willfully and purposefully breaks the rules. While other rules can be quite technical and not as easy to comprehend, hacking is naturally wrong. You don't have to read the rules to know that it isn't allowed.

Considering all this, I don't understand why people who have been banned for hacking complain about their mod apps being declined. They've made their own bed and they'll have to lie in it. Being a moderator isn't a right. It's a privilege that's only given to the best and the brightest. When it comes to hiring staff people always say "quality over quantity". And that's just the thing. I can see no other advantage to open up mod apps to ex-hackers than the possibility of hiring more mods.

Certainly, it has nothing to do with quality. It may be true (in some cases) that ex-hackers have a better initial understanding of hacked clients than a recently hired moderator. But I can speak from experience when I say that after a few weeks the recently hired mod is just as capable as any other staff member or ex-hacker. The new mod will quickly learn to notice suspicious behavior and determine if the user is actually hacking. So apart from a slight advantage when the ex-hacker would start as a mod, there's nothing that would make him more qualified for the job.

Then there's the case for the reformed hackers who would make excellent mods, if it wasn't for having hacked in the past. While I understand that people can change, I still don't believe that ex-hackers should be hired for a staff position. Moderators are expected to make sure everyone follows the rules and play fairly. It would be hypocritical for ex-hackers to enforce the rules they couldn't abide by themselves.

People talk about trust. This isn't just the trust the Sr. Staff places in the ex-hacker. But the community should also be able to trust the staff. The actions of one staff member reflect on the staff as a whole. If an ex-hacker would commit any misconduct I think it would hurt the trust of the community in staff even more so than when it was a 'normal' mod. This is a risk that isn't worth the possible value.

Not when the value is just having another mod. I don't think there's a shortage of good candidates who could become mod. Not when this community keeps growing and keeps attraction more and more people. The reason we deny ex-hackers in the first place is out of principal. So, if there isn't a real need to open applications to this group, why should we?

Lastly, there's the chance that it could cause unneeded tension between staff members if ex-hackers would be allowed in the staff. Consider this. A still serving moderator banned the ex-hacker who got mod. There's a chance the ex-hacker doesn't like the person who banned him. This could be even more true when the ex-hacker feels he was unfairly banned. The ex-hacker could also dislike certain Sr. Staff for having upheld the ban.