Introduction Rhizome - who has been handling one of the most difficult positions on the team with great dedication and skill - will now be taking a much deserved break from his duties as a GM following the phased time off for the GM team. While Rhizome is on his leave I shall be taking over his duties in the Disputes and Grievance forum. I will do my very best to give all a fair hearing and I hope I can retain a least part of the professionalism that characterizes Rhizome. The procedure I wish to remind all that only requests following the described outlines will be considered. I realize this may seem overly pedantic and bureaucratic, but those guidelines have been put in place for a number of reasons not the least being to give all a fair and even hearing. While I will be responsible for making sure that all requests are handled appropriately many decisions will involve team discussions. Unfortunately this also means that requests – especially more serious requests – will take time. For this I am grateful of your understanding. A few reminders I wish to respectfully remind the community that disputes are handled on the forums. While I or other team members are online as players or running quests we will not be able to answer questions on any current disputes in the forum. If you have a question or wish to present evidence not suited for the general public send me a PM and I will try my best to answer your question; however I will also respectfully ask all not to spam my inbox with requests. Offensive postings will not be given consideration. The team members are all players ourselves so we do realize how stressful some situations can be, however respect towards your fellow players and a civil behaviour in general is paramount in keeping Layonara a friendly and thriving community. If you are angry or upset make a short statement and then follow up a day or two later with a full report. Grief avoidance 101 Make sure you are update on bugs Reading the bugs section of the forums will save you from much grief. Likewise if you do experience a bug please check the forums to see if it is known and if not post a bug report. Manage your inventory carefully If you do drop something pick it up and relog. Relogging will ensure that the cleanup script does not destroy the item. Never assume an area is safe When travelling anywhere assume the worst and prepare for it. An ounce of preparation can save a pound of trouble. Remember we are an international community Some cultural differences are obvious but most are subtle and these can easily cause misunderstandings. Being respectful and civil in your behaviour towards other players will avoid most of these Avoid irony Please avoid irony or sarcasm with players you are not very familiar with. Humour relies heavily on non-verbal clues and these do not translate into text messages. Finally let us all give Rhizome a big hand for the dedication he put into handling one of the most ungrateful positions on the team.
