[chelllman]

Ingame Name: chelllman

Steam ID: STEAM_0:0:104538552, gametracker: https://www.gametracker.com/player/chell...134:27015/

Time Played: 218

When First Joined: Beginning of March, 2021

Availability (Approx. times you play, and time zone): Available during lunch 11am-1pm, and I typically play Mon-Sun for 1-3 hours between 6-11pm.  The week before a conference paper is due I will not be on at all (usually 2-3 times a year).  The week after a paper submission I do absolutely nothing but play games so I can play 4-5 hours a day.  All times are EST.

Rank Desired: Trusted.

Current Rank: Regular.

What can you do to help the community?: I have regularly played on the Dink’s PH server since April and have had a great time on the server (for the most part).  The biggest issue (that I’m sure the staff are aware of because of the constant complaining in discord) is that there are frequent periods of time where no staff are online to handle problems.  This is compounded because people will ping staff with no response sometimes.  Even worse is when no donors are online to help “calm” the VC when no staff are present.  I regularly play at consistent times each day, and would like to give back to this community that I’ve been a part of for the last 5ish months.  In summary, I will provide consistent times where staff can be online.

Why do you want to help the community?: Roughly 7 weeks ago, I attended the wedding of one of my cousins.  This event also happened to be a family reunion (pandemic prevented anything before this).  During this event, one of my cousins called John (not his real name) asked me what games I was currently playing.  I responded with the various games I enjoy including prop hunt.  As a result of this, John bought Garry’s Mod, joined the top PH server (dinks), and experienced the dumpster fire that is the VC when no staff is present.  I should mention that John is 10, and he is what you would call “sheltered” by his parents.  Through Dinkleberg's PH VC he learned the N word.  He asked his mom (my aunt) what the N word was.  You can imagine how that went down.  As a result, I got a wonderful (sarcasm) voicemail from my aunt regarding this.

This was the final tipping point that made me decide to apply for staff on the PH server.  I normally keep the VC disabled (voice_enable 0), but occasionally I activate it because some people I know on the server rarely use text chat.  I’ve been on the server plenty of times where no staff members are available, and I’d like to help keep the server free of harassment, racism, ghosting, hacking, etc (basically everything that prevents players from having a fun time on the server).  Garry’s Mod is getting older and older making player retention even more important.  New players experiencing the VC when no staff are present may turn them off to the server.

Have you previously been banned? (Link relevant posts): No.

Have you previously applied for staff? (Link relevant posts): Negatory.

Do you have a way to record video or take screenshots? Yes, I have OBS studio setup with hotkeys for quick recording.  In addition to the 3.5TB of NVMe storage on my computer, I have two 4TB hard drives connected.  I have 0 issues with recording every minute I play (if that is desired).  Eventually, I’ll get around to writing a Python script to search videos for the player rosters that appear when the tab key is pressed (maybe in October).  That should make indexing easier.

How did you find us?: Dinkleberg’s PH had the most players one particular day, so I joined. 

Other: I would like to say that I have zero desire to progress past the rank of Trusted.  The rank of Trusted is enough to help keep the VC safe for kids, deal with ghosters, and collect evidence on potential hackers.  If there ever comes a time where there is a severe lack of higher staff, then I’ll apply higher.  For now, what’s needed is an extra Trusted with a flexible schedule that can hop online quickly to deal with ghosters, hackers, and general VC degenerates.  As I've discussed with staff privately, I would need training for how to deal with these issues from a staff perspective.

To staff currently reading this application, I promise you these things:

1. I will be vocal (respectfully) about what changes I believe need to be made (if they need to be made).  I have zero problems expressing my opinion about rules, rulings, and the conduct of anyone (regardless of rank on the server).
   
2. Regardless of my opinions of certain rules for the server, I will follow the current staff guidelines to the letter.
   

Possible Questions: 
Q: “Why do you rarely use the VC?”
A: When concentrating, I can type at 70+ wpm.  When staff are not online, the VC is usually people talking over each other, and I’d rather not add to the chaos.  Typing allows the lobby to read what I say without it being garbled by someone singing over their microphone.

Q: “You rarely interact with others over Discord.  Why is this?”
A: The simplest answer I can give is that I’m very private with my information.  A friend of mine was swatted a few years back when I lived in CA.  I primarily use the discord to alert staff to issues, post the occasional successful vending machine prop round, or ask a question.

Q: “You have been critical of staff on the forums before.  Have you tried reaching out to staff privately to address comments/concerns?”
A: Yes, I’ve sent suggestions/questions to staff via Discord DMs in the past.  As I’ve stated above, if I see what I believe to be are double standards, hypocritical conduct, uneven application of rules, rules that I believe need to be changed, etc, then I will speak up.  Of course, once consensus is reached amongst staff members, I’ll default to the group consensus even if my opinion is the minority.  The benefit of being staff would be I can voice my concerns in the staff chat.


Questions, comments, concerns, and constructive criticisms are always welcome.  I will respond as I'm able (usually in the evenings).

[Ryzif]

Ayo Chelll! Figured this was going to happen but I thought you were waiting a little more? Well it's an app that I can comment on now so let's a go!

I'll start off by saying that I think you have some good potential in becoming staff. You know a decent chunks of the rules, I've not had any issues out of you that I can remember. You have a pretty good amount of ban requests and have been helping with ghosts and by letting staff know in lobby if someone is suspicious. You ping when needed and have been over all helpful with trouble makers. You're not worried about throwing your game in the pursuit of dealing with ghosters or people trying to ruin the fun of the lobby.

I have a couple things that I shall bring up before I let you know my solid answer on this. 

First things first. 
You'll need to learn how to handle that floating dumpster of fire. Dealing with trolls and such. Of course most of this is going by the guidelines and knowing when to step in and when to not. This isn't a massive concern for me since you'll get this experience through actually dealing with them. This is simply something I'm bringing up. Do try to familiarize yourself with any guidelines that you might not have down yet. Heck it's super helpful to keep them open in a tab just incase something sounds strange when you're thinking about it. It's something I did for a while and still do from time to time.

My second concern which is an actual concern. 

As far as staff goes, there are things that we can't talk about in the open. Topics, items of interest. Anything in staff discord that is to be considered need to know by those in staff must not be talked about outside of there. The only reason I am bringing this up is because I know that you have a lot of friends in the community. This isn't me attacking you or not trusting you. This is me confirming with you that you understand. I know some people are always wanting to know about what's going on that they can't know about and they're going to try and pry that information. It's important to keep it under locks unless specifically said that we can talk about it.

That's about as far as my concerns go considering your app. I await your reply!

[Ryuji Yukihyo]

Konichiwa Chell-san,

I had sense that you will make this application, for I kept track of potential staff players

You have meet all the requirements of being a Trusted, from hours on the server indicated by your gametracker, introduction post on forums as well as pinging staff when serious stuff needs to be taken care of on the discord.

You even made a few ban request that gives pointers that you know that some player's activity were questionable and abled to record their actions as evidence.

As, Ryzif said above, only issue is abled to handle times when there troll fest on the server and how to deal with it the correct way as well as the second pointer that also important.

We, Staff do have some players, donors or regulars, friended on steam and on discord, however we do have to keep staff topic only to staff since outside parties aren't really involved in it nor have any reason of their own affiliation to be involved because some things are meant for only certain group to know and not to be the gossip girl of the community letting private or sensitive topics be shout out spread more wildfire....

Key point from me is, you can be on the server at times, but not always, many in the past attempt to be online as available staff during active hours of their time zones, however this wont work in reality since Real life situation on far more above important in ones life then an online gaming community, so if you do in future join the ranks of staff, know that when it's time for a break from the server, then it's time for a break.

All of this can be learn and way to be handled easily, only if one can listen and understand the main objective and any consequence they comes with it.

Overall, No issue I could find about you, SO

+1

[chelllman]

@Ryzif and @"Ryuji Sakamoto" , thank you both for your thoughtful replies.  Since you both touched on some of the same topics, I figure I can answer you both at the same time (for conciseness reasons).

Dealing with the VC:
I absolutely do need to learn how to deal with the VC.  Over the past month and a half, I've been closely watching how staff online approach different situations in the VC.  Every staff member has their own particular flair, but the current staff do a great job following the guidelines.  I've read over the staffing guidelines multiple times, as Ryzif said, they are quite nuanced.  If promoted to staff, I plan to keep the staff guidelines open on my second monitor while I play so that I may quickly reference them.  Additionally, I have zero issues uploading small videos in order to ask higher staff if the way I handled a situation was correct. 

Confidentiality:
I live by the idea that if I expect trust and respect from you, then you're getting both from me.  You have my word nothing from the staff chat will leave the staff chat by my hand.
I have a lot of friends in the community, but if they are actually my friends, they won't ask me for information they know I can't give.  If they do ask, then are they really my friends?
Having read through some of the past forum threads dealing with sensitive matters, it's clear that a lot goes on behind the scenes to keep this community running and, most importantly, safe.
If a friend gets mad at me for not divulging information that is staff only, then that's their problem and not mine.
I would also be happy to discuss with staff via discord DMs about the confidentiality agreements I'm bound by for my past/current work if additional character tests are required.

Life outside of staffing:
This is a point that Ryuji brought up that I think is very interesting.  It's important to recognize when it's time to take a break.  Should I need a break, I will notify staff of the start and expected end of the break.  However, I don't expect any break would be longer than a few days.  I really enjoy PH.

Again, thank you both for your replies.

[Ryzif]

-Snip

Thanks for the reply addressing my concern!

I think you'll do great moving on to Trusted. 

+1 From me!

[VolfVoss]

Before I give my answer, I will reference a few points you make. 

"I will be vocal (respectfully) about what changes I believe need to be made (if they need to be made).  I have zero problems expressing my opinion about rules, rulings, and the conduct of anyone (regardless of rank on the server)." 

With this statement, I feel you already have some idea's or changes in mind. Why haven't you built a thread about them as to get community input on things? (I do see that you talk about sending DM's to staff about ideas)

Q: “Why do you rarely use the VC?”
A: When concentrating, I can type at 70+ wpm.  When staff are not online, the VC is usually people talking over each other, and I’d rather not add to the chaos.  Typing allows the lobby to read what I say without it being garbled by someone singing over their microphone.

As a Staff member you are the final say on things in server. Just typing things can create more chaos due to people that don't read chat. It's best to do a combo of text and voice. Being able to type fast is irrelevant really, as the ability to bind keys is fairly common knowledge.

Q: “You have been critical of staff on the forums before.  Have you tried reaching out to staff privately to address comments/concerns?”
A: Yes, I’ve sent suggestions/questions to staff via Discord DMs in the past.  As I’ve stated above, if I see what I believe to be are double standards, hypocritical conduct, uneven application of rules, rules that I believe need to be changed, etc, then I will speak up.  Of course, once consensus is reached amongst staff members, I’ll default to the group consensus even if my opinion is the minority.  The benefit of being staff would be I can voice my concerns in the staff chat.

What kind of changes are you wanting to make or adjust? I'm curious of your vision/perspective. 

[chelllman]

@"The Triangle", thanks for the reply.

With this statement, I feel you already have some idea's or changes in mind. Why haven't you built a thread about them as to get community input on things? (I do see that you talk about sending DM's to staff about ideas)

There are a couple of reasons why I haven't made a dedicated thread for ideas I have:
1. Some of the ideas I have would require some knowledge of the backend for the server.  I'd rather not make a community thread when the answer is as simple as "Not feasible, sorry".  This is the reason why DMs can be more useful.  If promoted to staff, I could just ask them offhand in the staff discord.  However, I'll mention a few of them when I address your third question below.
2. Some of the concerns have been voiced in past threads.  I've read quite a few of the past forum drama threads (because who doesn't enjoy a little drama reading while drinking their morning coffee?), and some concerns I've had were voiced by other former (ie: resigned) staff members in the past.  I don't believe this community benefits from another "broken record" on the forums.  Certain concerns can be brought up to staff personally.
3. Private DMs have worked out well for smaller things.  For example, I've talked with staff about my concerns for the (past and present) racism and ghosting guidelines.  We've seen positive changes to the PH guidelines because several people have privately voiced concerns to staff (ie: it's quicker to get banned for racism now, ghosting is now a temp ban instead of forceswap).

As a Staff member you are the final say on things in server. Just typing things can create more chaos due to people that don't read chat. It's best to do a combo of text and voice. Being able to type fast is irrelevant really, as the ability to bind keys is fairly common knowledge.

I fully plan on making key binds and using the VC for staffing.  If I remember correctly, Nuru posted a great thread about suggested key binds.
I was merely mentioning why (in the past) I avoided using the VC and typed my responses instead.  Sometimes the VC was so chaotic that typing made it easier for me to talk to some of the others.

What kind of changes are you wanting to make or adjust? I'm curious of your vision/perspective. 

I'll mention a few of the ideas I have here (and hopefully not derail this thread by accident).
Since the recent and severe decline of the GFL server (idk what's up with that, the server used to be packed), there has been an uptick in the number of ghosters and hackers joining the Dinks server.
1. A couple of servers I've visited in the past with far fewer staff than Dinks dealt with new player ghosting by restricting the ability to spectate props to those with 6-8+ hours of play time on the server.  The majority of ghosters I've made ban requests for in the past have under 6 hours of play time.  Implementing a system like this might reduce the headache for both staff and players on the server.  The con to this is that it can be detrimental to new players (seeing where regulars hide when you spectate props is informative!).  The pro to this is that ghosting should (in theory) become less common.
2. We have ranks (that sometimes do/do not work).  It's clear that our time played is stored in the backend database.  Having hidden ranks designed to restrict prior ghosters is also a solution (assuming the backend would support such an idea).  You get caught ghosting, then you're restricted from spectating props for a month.  While this may be a nice idea, I have no idea if it's practical because I don't know anything about the backend for the server.
3. Racism in the VC is a near constant when staff/proactive donors are not online.  One thing I've noticed is that if someone is overtly racist in the VC and gagged, then many times they will start spamming the chat.  It might be helpful for dealing with racism and targeted harassment to lump the VC and chat together.  If you are racist in the VC, then you are both gagged and muted at the same time.  Of course, this would not apply to normal mic spam.

Of course, there are other ideas that have been talked about before (map changes, prop changes, etc.), so I will avoid talking about those here.  Most importantly, if I have concerns over a staff members conduct, then that will be voiced privately.  I don't like public mudslinging.

One last thing: I've been vocal about being even more strict than the guidelines currently are for racism/toxicity/harassment in the past.  Just because I have a differing viewpoint does not mean that I will apply my own version of the rules.  I will follow the guidelines as they are written.

Thanks again for your reply, please feel free to express any followup questions/comments.

[EDIT: fixed minor grammar, needed coffee]

[Mother Nuru.]

You remind me of me. So much. Like the admin version of me. So with that said the only negative criticism I'll pass along is be sure to take time to sit back and breathe, and listen to others. In moments like this it's very easy, but when worked up, if you're anything like me, what is in your head stays until you relax/calm down.

I'm all for this app in all honesty. Staff could use more people that's hardheaded(in a good way) like fish and voss and I was in the earlier days before we had an admin right after traitor. LMAOOOO.

Just never forget this is a team.

As for working on handling VC, it takes some practice, but the more you take charge and do it (when staff isnt on ofc) the better you'll get at it, and find a way that works for you. For example, pre dinks staff I had minor experience and also let things get awry, but found with dinks, for me personally, my best approach is to joke with the trolls(remember light joking, dont encourage things worse) and get them to simmer(unless they're pretty bad) and then change topics. Works almost every time for me. Other times I have to slap down a strict cease and desist on topics/chat. You'll get to where you need to be and find your own way of working with things. I have a high amount of faith after reading on all of this honestly.

You're going to be annoying in all the best kinds of ways, imo.

+1

[chelllman]

@Mother Nuru., thanks for the encouraging reply! I regret that I didn't discover PH until this year because so many people have come and gone from Dinks.

Stress management is something I'm very familiar with since I have quite a bit of teaching experience.  I coached swim team for 4 years, completed two teaching internships, and I've taught multiple freshman undergrad classes (fondly called "Tall Toddlers" by some of the lecturers).  I have no problem admitting that I will be the "rookie" for staff and will need coaching.

I will grant you that I can be hardheaded, but I'm always open to changing my view on different ideas.  If I provide solution A, but someone else likes solution B better, then I'm open to adopting solution B after discussing the pros/cons of both ideas.  The research group I'm a part of frequently disagrees on approaches, and it's honestly improves the end result because more ideas are explored.  Staff are part of a team.  Not everyone needs to be friends with each other, and it's okay to frequently disagree with each other.  However, constructive discussion of ideas is the cornerstone of good team dynamics.  As such, I'll hear anyone out if they disagree with me.

...my best approach is to joke with the trolls(remember light joking, dont encourage things worse) and get them to simmer(unless they're pretty bad) and then change topics.

This is actually a very good approach, thanks for the suggestion!  It will take time, but I think I'll get the hang of handling the VC with guidance from past/present staff.
Say hi to your hamster (Hammy right?) for me!

[chelllman]

this dude has a big ass dump +1   @yomama

For the uninitiated who read this, this is an inside joke amongst a bunch of the PH players.  I'm an avid weightlifter, so it's been nothing but "chelll is 800 pounds and built like a tractor" jokes since I mentioned that.