Forum Merger Discussion/Suggestions

[Emma]

We typically get ads (and I think we actually had our first porn spam in.... years last week). But it's usually one post every other day and it's all generated by bots. We have the usual captcha and such in place, but really outside of manual account approvals, bot spam is present in every forum. It's pretty mitigated as is though. The popularity of a board rarely has correlation to the amount of spam you get. Spam is just automated by bots that crawl various websites. I typically delete the posts and ban the accounts straight away. To get on our boards requires getting through capcha and then approving your account via email. We easily clean that up.

We have those on the forum and wiki. But the wiki did one more step and consequently has had maybe at half dozen spammers total in a whole year. A few months after we first publicly launched it, we were very literally getting anywhere from 30 to 50 spammers... PER DAY. It was agonizingly exhausting and Locke and I were the only ones handling it. We started adding layers of security. First a captcha, but it wasn't enough, they had zero trouble getting through it. We tried a different captcha and it worked better but a lot were still getting through. So we added email confirmation and it stopped more but still many made it. Then we added the last feature that the forum never tried. Blocking certain email services. Particularly ones meant to provide quick, easy, disposable email addresses, which are commonly used by bots to automatically bypass email confirmation requirements. After having this in place for years, we decided to risk gambling that the bots targetting us had given up and relaxed the restriction.

My concern about expecting an increase in spamming at any merged forum doesn't have anything to do with the change in size, but instead with the fact that we're already being constantly targeted by bots, and they'd naturally follow us if the forum gets redirected.

But in any case, sounds like those existing safeguards should be enough unless it becomes too inflated. And to not overly inconvenience people we should only use more if it's absolutely necessary. One simple trick the wiki tried when bots started to get through our barriers was simple changing something about captcha (going to a different kind of captcha, different questions for a question captchas, anything to switch up what the bots expect) and that usually worked.

 

[Dan]

Would be awesome if someone could consolidate all the questions AND answers into an FAQ to go into the OP with a source to prevent duplicate questions and answers, especially as we have questions in 3-4 different threads on different forums.

I think this one may have already been asked so I apologise in advance. In regards to the rules will we be using ZD's current ruleset or ZI's? From what I read on ZI you haven't really established any rules since your recovery, in a sense ZD is somewhat the same, there's no book of rules, we essentially go by "Don't be a dick and you won't be banned".

 

[Night Owl]

Would be awesome if someone could consolidate all the questions AND answers into an FAQ to go into the OP with a source to prevent duplicate questions and answers, especially as we have questions in 3-4 different threads on different forums.

I think this one may have already been asked so I apologise in advance. In regards to the rules will we be using ZD's current ruleset or ZI's? From what I read on ZI you haven't really established any rules since your recovery, in a sense ZD is somewhat the same, there's no book of rules, we essentially go by "Don't be a dick and you won't be banned".

You're right our Rules and their code of conduct are very general and are somewhat open to interpretation as to how they will be implemented. The staff of both ZD and ZI will be working together to come up with policies that will suit both our communities. These will be policies that apply equally to both staff and members. Ideally these policies will be clear enough that, for example, a member would be able to see a derailed thread and know what will happen to that thread.

We are interested in hearing any suggestions for policies you might have.

 

[Nathanial Rumphol-Janc]

Would be awesome if someone could consolidate all the questions AND answers into an FAQ to go into the OP with a source to prevent duplicate questions and answers, especially as we have questions in 3-4 different threads on different forums.

I think this one may have already been asked so I apologise in advance. In regards to the rules will we be using ZD's current ruleset or ZI's? From what I read on ZI you haven't really established any rules since your recovery, in a sense ZD is somewhat the same, there's no book of rules, we essentially go by "Don't be a dick and you won't be banned".

You're right our Rules and their code of conduct are very general and are somewhat open to interpretation as to how they will be implemented. The staff of both ZD and ZI will be working together to come up with policies that will suit both our communities. These will be policies that apply equally to both staff and members. Ideally these policies will be clear enough that, for example, a member would be able to see a derailed thread and know what will happen to that thread.

We are interested in hearing any suggestions for policies you might have.

Lots of stuff to really work out here.

 

[Lozjam]

So @Nathanial Rumphol-Janc
I really appreciate you coming here. I also really appreciate your transparency and communication.
I do have one question for you.
So, just merging the two forums, incorporating both cultures is a scary thought, as it is indeed change. A lot of things will end up different, most likely not in a good way, nor a bad way. However, what is in it for us, both the communities of ZI and ZD? In short, what will changes will happen that will serve as a benefit for this forum, and that of ZI? What will you do, that will be a clear improvement for both forums?

It's a shame my thread was locked however..... Oh well, I do agree that it got way too off topic.

 

[Emma]

You're right our Rules and their code of conduct are very general and are somewhat open to interpretation as to how they will be implemented. The staff of both ZD and ZI will be working together to come up with policies that will suit both our communities. These will be policies that apply equally to both staff and members. Ideally these policies will be clear enough that, for example, a member would be able to see a derailed thread and know what will happen to that thread.

We are interested in hearing any suggestions for policies you might have.

We don't want to get too specific though. From my experience, rules that are too specific have a very negative effect. Two bad situations very commonly happen as a result. One common incident could be people being punished for something isn't really that big of a deal. Another is people who are badly misbehaving aren't punished because it wasn't exactly to the letter of the rules. Keeping them more generalized and non-speciifc makes them easier to manage. In practice, a staff always should err on the side of caution and give people the benefit of the doubt. They shouldn't instantly believe complaints that people are a problem, but they should look into it when they do hear that, keep an eye on it. And use reasonable judgement. And they should only use their abilities if that person is actually doing something wrong, not to stop people's complaining. If they don't, they'll only encourage sensitiviity and the mindset that the staff can be used as tools to silence people they don't like. We've had it happen before, I've been a common target of it. In fact, for non-forum staff being targeted, we've actually had a long, sad history of the forum staff constantly using their abilities to punish people simply because they take reports of people who want to shut up someone who's opinons they don't agree with at face value. Despite the obviousness of their motives it happens. And despite the much improved nature of the staff now, the current staff has done it before when they were among other incarnations of the leadership and they still do it now. However since they're reasonable, I think they can see the harm it causes.

You have to find a very delicate balance between enforcement and individual freedom. If you are too strict, you create an atmosphere of fear where mostly innocent people are harmed and people are afraid to speak their mind about anything. If you are too lax, bullying runs rampant and innocent people get hurt. There has to be equilibrium. And there has to be transparency with the rest of the people. And most of all everyone should be allowed to question any decision of the staff without having to be afraid that they'll be told to shut up if the staff decides they don't agree with their opinions. Which has happened here a lot in the past and still happens despite how much you might be told it doesn't. If someone gets an infraction they believe is unfair, they should have every right to challenge it. AND have it wiped from their record if it is reversed. We have had many examples in the past where people got punished more severely (either for a real offense or another unfair one) because the staff took into account a previous infraction that was reversed but still on record and used it against them. If a thread gets locked for bad reasons, members should be able to protest that instead of constantly being treated with contentment or even completely ignored for daring to suggest it may have been a bad idea. Almost every time that happens, the staff member who performs the lock is always kind enough to ridicule the people involved, typically voicing whatever complaints were being made about them, whether or not they were true. Or in some cases, locking a thread because of a problem that happened a very long while before, that was no longer the case in its most recent posts.

What we need to ensure is limits and barriers for the staff too. They can't just use their abilities on a whim. And they need to think about the consequences of their actions. In such visible positions of power, you have to remember that no everyone is going to have nice motives. There will always be a group of people looking to use the staff as blunt instruments of censorship of ideas they don't want to hear. There will always be outspoken people, particularly those who will question anyone, who get targeted by the staff because they're tired of hearing complaints about them even though they're not true. There will always be people who area true problem who are ignored by the staff. It always happens. No matter who seems to be running things, the cycle can't stop repeating.

For bonus points, I guarantee you people will instantly start complaining to the staff about this post. Some will demand I be banned, some will demand the thread be locked again. And the staff will strongly consider it. And people will ridicule me both here and elsewhere saying I'm just causing trouble again, and few people will actually listen to a word I said because I once again dared to question staff conduct, which as we know, is the single greatest crime you can commit on ZD.

 

[Nathanial Rumphol-Janc]

So @Nathanial Rumphol-Janc
I really appreciate you coming here. I also really appreciate your transparency and communication.
I do have one question for you.
So, just merging the two forums, incorporating both cultures is a scary thought, as it is indeed change. A lot of things will end up different, most likely not in a good way, nor a bad way. However, what is in it for us, both the communities of ZI and ZD? In short, what will changes will happen that will serve as a benefit for this forum, and that of ZI? What will you do, that will be a clear improvement for both forums?

This is a very good question and I think it's one that is on the minds of many at ZD that are trying to accept the fact this is really happening. So, the big thing here is that there is going to be uniformity. I can't tell you what the policies will be, the rules, punishments, and all that jazz because the two mod/admin teams haven't started full discussions on this yet, though we've made some progress. But there will be a united front. There will be equality in treatment of everyone - admins/mods/admins/site staff, and what have you. Equality is very important and while I don't have any exact details as they are still be worked out, this will be the focus of things moving forward post merge.

So, based on the complaints I have seen, this should be a welcomed "change" in terms of attitude and mentality. You can also feel more secure in that I'll be here - this likely isn't a security for anyone here just yet, but I can ensure there is no delay on responses and decisions, and if corruption in the mod/admin ranks is happening that it will be dealt with.

One complaint I have seen is that Mases is too hands off. He's still the boss, but under the ZI flag I "am the Boss Man" as it were (a literal nick name staff gave me that turned into a video series). Mases's work at ZI will mostly be on behind the scenes stuff, plus his mailbag. Meanwhile, I will be the one making sure everything goes like clockwork. Obviously I will be delegating the forum moderation and admining to the trusted mods and admins from both communities, but I won't just hand them all the keys and walk away. I'll still be actively involved in the community and helping staff address concerns, while also helping members out too when need be. The only way an equality standard in policies can prevail is when accountability is in place - and that starts at the top. With me being the new "top guy" for the forum folks to come to, I hope to prove that what I am saying isn't just words meant to make you like me - it's what I truly feel and what our collective teams feel too.

So, the benefits to ZD will be a more conhesive staff unit with accountability and equal treatment across the board, regardless of position.

The benefits to ZI's community is first and foremost, it gives us an already active group of people. Ever since you and a handful of other ZD people came over to our boards to check them out, we've had 4 or 5 old timers from our boards come out the woodworks. As the boards get more and more active, I see this happening more and more. As they say, if you build it, they will come. And for the old ZI forum folks to come back the biggest thing they really want is an active forum community. Even as mentalities change, they care far more about an active and friendly community than being a giant group of trolls.

So it will reinvigorate our long standing members. Beyond that, it allows for me to crossover forums with the rest of Zelda Informer's community and outreach, giving a consistent flow of new members into the boards. It's really hard to promote and encourage crossover to a dead forum without a skin. Mases has ensured me that skinning the boards is important (basically a ZD themed skin and a ZI themed skin). I'd assume the ZI skin would be default due to the banner it flies under, but really I am a big promoter of community health and forum growth. Where as at ZD the forums may have been a bit of an afterthought at times, I view that as an integral part of the site that works in sync with the rest of our site.

I also think a lot of people here may find they really enjoy the content ZI makes once they give it a chance.

It's a shame my thread was locked however..... Oh well, I do agree that it got way too off topic.

Indeed. What lead to this (thread derailing) is a topic I talked about briefly with the current ZD forum staff. It's something we are looking to address. Because locking a thread doesn't treat the cause (thread derailing), it treats the symptom. There will be some form of a policy after the merge that will take care of thread derailing before it reaches a point of needing to be locked. I feel terrible your otherwise productive thread had to be shut down, but there wasn't any policies currently in place to really deal with it. I wasn't even sure if the mods would lock the thread when I asked them. I just didn't want to overstep. But, I do want there to be transparency between all of us.

 

[Nathanial Rumphol-Janc]

We don't want to get too specific though. From my experience, rules that are too specific have a very negative effect. Two bad situations very commonly happen as a result. One common incident could be people being punished for something isn't really that big of a deal. Another is people who are badly misbehaving aren't punished because it wasn't exactly to the letter of the rules. Keeping them more generalized and non-speciifc makes them easier to manage. In practice, a staff always should err on the side of caution and give people the benefit of the doubt. They shouldn't instantly believe complaints that people are a problem, but they should look into it when they do hear that, keep an eye on it. And use reasonable judgement. And they should only use their abilities if that person is actually doing something wrong, not to stop people's complaining. If they don't, they'll only encourage sensitiviity and the mindset that the staff can be used as tools to silence people they don't like. We've had it happen before, I've been a common target of it. In fact, for non-forum staff being targeted, we've actually had a long, sad history of the forum staff constantly using their abilities to punish people simply because they take reports of people who want to shut up someone who's opinons they don't agree with at face value. Despite the obviousness of their motives it happens. And despite the much improved nature of the staff now, the current staff has done it before when they were among other incarnations of the leadership and they still do it now. However since they're reasonable, I think they can see the harm it causes.

You have to find a very delicate balance between enforcement and individual freedom. If you are too strict, you create an atmosphere of fear where mostly innocent people are harmed and people are afraid to speak their mind about anything. If you are too lax, bullying runs rampant and innocent people get hurt. There has to be equilibrium. And there has to be transparency with the rest of the people. And most of all everyone should be allowed to question any decision of the staff without having to be afraid that they'll be told to shut up if the staff decides they don't agree with their opinions...

Wanted to address this a bit. Because some of what you're saying here is true to form, but also contradictory. A lot of times when it appears mods or admins are abusing their "power" (and I hate that term, it's not power, it's a responsibility), it's because they are free to use their own judgement. Judgement that say, maybe another mod or admin may not have made. That simply can't happen. However, there is always a differences between minor offenses and more obvious ones, but there is also things such as a pattern of behavior that eventually has to lead to actions for the betterment of the community. It's not that policies need to be strict - Dan mentioned at ZI we always had a rule of "don't be a dick" and you'll be fine. That's been expanded upon since the old days with our code of conduct, but that's basically the same base mentality we'll likely have. As in, we understand that mistakes are made. Innocent mistakes that were never intended. We're people, not robots.

But we also have to show a united and consistent front for how we deal with those actions, small, large, or otherwise. That doesn't mean we necessarily have to detail out every possible situation, but we do have to have an appropriate action in place as well that is understood. That way no staff member is truly making a decision that doesn't fit with the collective. Take banning someone - that's really the top level thing that can be done to a member and banning someone is never taken lightly. But we need to take as much indecisiveness out of this process as we can. We're here to care for the community and help foster it, and we'll do just that, but eventually push comes to shove and we can't actually be allowed to be pushed as a mod/admin team. We have to have a clear organized response to nearly every situation that is equal for all. No special treatment. So strict in a sense, but understanding as well. There is a happy medium there that can be achieved. In general, it really won't be that hard to just be here and enjoy yourself.

What we need to ensure is limits and barriers for the staff too. They can't just use their abilities on a whim. And they need to think about the consequences of their actions. In such visible positions of power, you have to remember that no everyone is going to have nice motives. There will always be a group of people looking to use the staff as blunt instruments of censorship of ideas they don't want to hear. There will always be outspoken people, particularly those who will question anyone, who get targeted by the staff because they're tired of hearing complaints about them even though they're not true. There will always be people who area true problem who are ignored by the staff. It always happens. No matter who seems to be running things, the cycle can't stop repeating.

The thing is, the way I hope we "change" things going forward is that it will be impossible to use staff in such a manner. All decisions and actions are taken based upon the actual facts. Not because some member told us another member is bad. No favoritism here. We look at the actions and take an appropriate action that is consistent with actions we would always take. In that way, we hold the individual accountable. This includes the staff. We all fall under the same rules and if myself or another staff member doesn't notice when a mod or admin steps out of line, I hope the community lets us know so it can be dealt with - but it will be dealt with based on the facts and evidence rather than simply because someone said so.

I also hope, long haul, we can slowly eliminate the idea that we as a staff hold "power". This isn't power. It's a responsibility we have to you and ourselves, not power. Becoming a mod isn't about having power, it's about being responsible enough to cater to the needs of the community.

For bonus points, I guarantee you people will instantly start complaining to the staff about this post. Some will demand I be banned, some will demand the thread be locked again. And the staff will strongly consider it. And people will ridicule me both here and elsewhere saying I'm just causing trouble again, and few people will actually listen to a word I said because I once again dared to question staff conduct, which as we know, is the single greatest crime you can commit on ZD.

I think it's always good to question staff when it is deserving. I've been questioned at ZI and it has lead to great change and improvement. Criticism is good when it comes from a good place. I wouldn't say you're derailing things just yet. But it could go that direction still. I feel like we're still talking about the grander changes moving forward in the merge - and that is all fair grounds to talk about in a thread about that merger.

 

[Emma]

I also hope, long haul, we can slowly eliminate the idea that we as a staff hold "power". This isn't power. It's a responsibility we have to you and ourselves, not power. Becoming a mod isn't about having power, it's about being responsible enough to cater to the needs of the community.

Basically the point of what you said. This I really like. I've tried to get people here to think about it that way. When I say "power" it's when people are acting like it is. I've always been trying to tell everyone that it's an important responsibility and service that has to be handled carefully based on concrete facts and not personal grudges. People here never seem to get personal grudges right. Either people use personal grudges to attack the innocent, or they assume that trying to raise awareness of a problem is a personal grudge. How do we tell which one is the case in a given situation? Careful experience, objectiveness, and collective cooperation and differing points of view to get a wider perspective. From my experience ZD has the history of almost never being able to get correct which is just a petty grudge and which is a legitimate complaint based on what's actually happening. It's gotten better lately but still too often complaints intending on seeking censorship are given more weight than others.

 

[Lozjam]

This is a very good question and I think it's one that is on the minds of many at ZD that are trying to accept the fact this is really happening. So, the big thing here is that there is going to be uniformity. I can't tell you what the policies will be, the rules, punishments, and all that jazz because the two mod/admin teams haven't started full discussions on this yet, though we've made some progress. But there will be a united front. There will be equality in treatment of everyone - admins/mods/admins/site staff, and what have you. Equality is very important and while I don't have any exact details as they are still be worked out, this will be the focus of things moving forward post merge.

So, based on the complaints I have seen, this should be a welcomed "change" in terms of attitude and mentality. You can also feel more secure in that I'll be here - this likely isn't a security for anyone here just yet, but I can ensure there is no delay on responses and decisions, and if corruption in the mod/admin ranks is happening that it will be dealt with.

One complaint I have seen is that Mases is too hands off. He's still the boss, but under the ZI flag I "am the Boss Man" as it were (a literal nick name staff gave me that turned into a video series). Mases's work at ZI will mostly be on behind the scenes stuff, plus his mailbag. Meanwhile, I will be the one making sure everything goes like clockwork. Obviously I will be delegating the forum moderation and admining to the trusted mods and admins from both communities, but I won't just hand them all the keys and walk away. I'll still be actively involved in the community and helping staff address concerns, while also helping members out too when need be. The only way an equality standard in policies can prevail is when accountability is in place - and that starts at the top. With me being the new "top guy" for the forum folks to come to, I hope to prove that what I am saying isn't just words meant to make you like me - it's what I truly feel and what our collective teams feel too.

So, the benefits to ZD will be a more conhesive staff unit with accountability and equal treatment across the board, regardless of position.

The benefits to ZI's community is first and foremost, it gives us an already active group of people. Ever since you and a handful of other ZD people came over to our boards to check them out, we've had 4 or 5 old timers from our boards come out the woodworks. As the boards get more and more active, I see this happening more and more. As they say, if you build it, they will come. And for the old ZI forum folks to come back the biggest thing they really want is an active forum community. Even as mentalities change, they care far more about an active and friendly community than being a giant group of trolls.

So it will reinvigorate our long standing members. Beyond that, it allows for me to crossover forums with the rest of Zelda Informer's community and outreach, giving a consistent flow of new members into the boards. It's really hard to promote and encourage crossover to a dead forum without a skin. Mases has ensured me that skinning the boards is important (basically a ZD themed skin and a ZI themed skin). I'd assume the ZI skin would be default due to the banner it flies under, but really I am a big promoter of community health and forum growth. Where as at ZD the forums may have been a bit of an afterthought at times, I view that as an integral part of the site that works in sync with the rest of our site.

I also think a lot of people here may find they really enjoy the content ZI makes once they give it a chance.



Indeed. What lead to this (thread derailing) is a topic I talked about briefly with the current ZD forum staff. It's something we are looking to address. Because locking a thread doesn't treat the cause (thread derailing), it treats the symptom. There will be some form of a policy after the merge that will take care of thread derailing before it reaches a point of needing to be locked. I feel terrible your otherwise productive thread had to be shut down, but there wasn't any policies currently in place to really deal with it. I wasn't even sure if the mods would lock the thread when I asked them. I just didn't want to overstep. But, I do want there to be transparency between all of us.

I think that is great, however, I was perhaps thinking more of things that can perhaps be fuller and more realized that deals with ZD's culture.

Perhaps, we can make an even greater emphasis on Forum Games, and maybe even integrate them within the whole website as well. For example, I think ZeldaInformer as a whole would have an absolute blast with Mafia. We can create other unique forum games as well, that are perhaps more Zelda related as well.

I know you may not understand fully, but I truly think that this can bring the community together, especially since we will be getting many more new members like you hope to get.

I also think that things such as the advice thread could be more prevalent within the forum as well.

One other concept that could make things pretty fun, would be special events. These can be quirky little things such as temporarily changing everyone's avatars(we should so do this for a Zelda CDI day), providing little special effects during certain days(such as snow during Christmas season), changing the logo for a day or two(such as changing Zelda Informer to Zelda Misinformer like you did for April Fools that one time). Just these small things that happen like once a month would make all of the difference, and add a whole new level of charm to the whole forum. This would promote people coming back daily so that they can see what else is new and exciting in the forum.

One final idea, is one to promote forum within the main site of ZeldaInformer. Perhaps weekly, we could have a short editorial of a newly created Zelda related thread with some of the best responses listed. I think this will definitely promote both more activity, and keep the quality of posts up to par with that of ZD's. I think that would be a great thing to help promote the community, and compliment users that put in work into the forums.

 

[Djinn]

I would agree that we could use some more promotion of the forum on the main site.

We used to do this before with things like thread of the week/month/etc. And we used to post the winners of the community contests each week. But even things like a mention on the bottom of articles like "discuss this some more *here*" with a link to a thread or section would help.

 

[Nathanial Rumphol-Janc]

I think that is great, however, I was perhaps thinking more of things that can perhaps be fuller and more realized that deals with ZD's culture.

Perhaps, we can make an even greater emphasis on Forum Games, and maybe even integrate them within the whole website as well. For example, I think ZeldaInformer as a whole would have an absolute blast with Mafia. We can create other unique forum games as well, that are perhaps more Zelda related as well.

I know you may not understand fully, but I truly think that this can bring the community together, especially since we will be getting many more new members like you hope to get.

I also think that things such as the advice thread could be more prevalent within the forum as well.

One other concept that could make things pretty fun, would be special events. These can be quirky little things such as temporarily changing everyone's avatars(we should so do this for a Zelda CDI day), providing little special effects during certain days(such as snow during Christmas season), changing the logo for a day or two(such as changing Zelda Informer to Zelda Misinformer like you did for April Fools that one time). Just these small things that happen like once a month would make all of the difference, and add a whole new level of charm to the whole forum. This would promote people coming back daily so that they can see what else is new and exciting in the forum.

One final idea, is one to promote forum within the main site of ZeldaInformer. Perhaps weekly, we could have a short editorial of a newly created Zelda related thread with some of the best responses listed. I think this will definitely promote both more activity, and keep the quality of posts up to par with that of ZD's. I think that would be a great thing to help promote the community, and compliment users that put in work into the forums.

Agree on most of this, but I'm going to take a step back here a bit and until more is worked out behind the scenes. But I can promise all of you'll be more actively involved and can do extra promotion.

 

[Jamie]

Why not do something akin to gamefaqs and gamespot, where they share a forum server but have their own respective domains. The gamespot forum and the gamefaqs forum have the same accounts, posts, etc, but when you click them you still stay on their respective websites.

 

[Emma]

Agree on most of this, but I'm going to take a step back here a bit and until more is worked out behind the scenes. But I can promise all of you'll be more actively involved and can do extra promotion.

I really like this idea of everything being considered equal parts of a large whole that helps each other function and prosper. Trying to get people involved in the various aspects. I think it's a good idea to try to get a degree of fun involved. It helps people unwind. And creating outlets to have a good time together can really help everyone bond and form positive connections.

 

[DARK MASTER]

Nathan, I’ve got two questions.

Could we implement a force ignore option within the new setup? Without going into details some people feel they’ve had stalkers and want to be protected.

Nathan, what would you say to those that think you’re simply putting on an act to gain our favor? This isn’t meant to say you are, but most of us do not know you, so I hope you can understand our apprehension despite your claim of good intentions.

I think if you'd like to be well received among this community, just hanging out like a normal user and listening to our concerns when they arise will do wonders. Nobody is against you being around, but we're just a bit concerned since we've gone through long periods of time where ZD was in turmoil. Sorry if this was a bit jarring.