- Kilroy
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I'm sure you've heard of something called a "Forum Cop." Someone who tells people if they fracture rules, and helps them with questions relating to bnet. These "Forum Cops" are commonly found in The Septagon, and in Chapter Founders as well. People encounter them everyday. But what are they? How are they helping? Isn't this technically against the rules? How can I contribute by playing Forum Cop? Well, these are the questions I endeavor to answer for you.
Everywhere on Bungie.net, rules are broken. It's a fact. It's always going to happen. That's the way life is. But there is a group of people trying to change this, regardless of what odd's they are up against. Some people refer to these people as "Moderator Wannabes." But, we'll simply refer to them as Forum Cops.
Forum Cops do a few things to help the community. I'll start by telling you about the most common occurence. Off-topic posting. People post in the wrong forum everyday. Some, because they're new. Others, because they misunderstand the rules. I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons, but these aren't important. The thing I'm getting at, is Forum Cops try to correct this. Every day, Forum Cops can be seen helping people to know what forum they should have posted their thread in. In many cases, this is found to be rude. Almost as if the Forum Cop thinks he/she is better than the person they are attempting to help. Their aid isn't always heeded. They often encounter Flames(insults) for what they are trying to do, but the still do it.
The second thing they do, is answer questions. Everyone has questions. At least half of the threads made on Bungie.net are questions. Be they opinions, cries for help, or just curiosities. They are asked. Forum Cops attempt to answer these questions. If someone has any question regarding Bungie.net, you can bet a Forum Cop will show up to help. If someone has a question regarding people's opinion on a matter, a Forum Cop will probably give their two cents. If someone just doesn't understand something, or needs help with something, a Forum cop will try to answer it.
The last thing is contribution. This is what I'm trying to get at with this statement. A real Forum Cop will contribute. This is what I mean by answering questions, and helping people with misconceptions regarding the Rules. They try to make the community better for all. A real Forum Cop is just trying to help and contribute to the community. The point of a forum is discussion, right? Well, forum cops are the kinds of people who try to generate positive, productive discussion. Your typical Forum Cop rarely makes posts merely saying things like "I dunno." or "You're dumb!" These are unbecoming of someone trying to contribute. Real Forum Cops also try to be kind and understanding in all their posts. When they point out a broken rule, it isn't to rub it in someone's face, it's to help them and the community understand the rules, so they won't be broken in the future. This is what playing Forum Cop is all about.
But isn't this against the rules? Well, if you read them, yes. Technically, it is. However, this is sort of a rule that doesn't apply to you until a moderator says it does. Take myself as an example. I used to be the typical Forum Cop. Pointing out rule fractures and off-topic posting left and right. I did it well, I did it often. But one day, I made one simple mistake of pointing someone to the wrong forum. A Master Moderator decided my chance for playing Forum Cop was up. The rule now applies to me. If I go around telling people when they fracture rules, I get banned. The end. Understand?
So, how do I play Forum Cop, and not get banned? Well, this isn't a difficult task. Mainly, it's your goal. Your goal should not be to simply correct people, but to help them understand if they did something wrong, what it was, and how they can go about fixing it. That is the ultimate goal of a Forum Cop. To contribute(theres that word again). They do this by helping. You have to be nice about it though. If you just tell someone they broke a rule, that may come across as rude. In the end, that isn't good for anybody. However, you can easily help people by kindly helping them understand what they did wrong, and what to do in the future.
Here is an example of proper Forum Policing. You are in New Mombasa. Someone makes a thread advertising their awesome new chapter. They urgently want people to join. What do you do? This is the wrong forum. The best way to help and contribute is to say something along these lines: "Hey dude. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but you have the wrong forum. This belongs in The Classifieds." That is a helpful post. You just guided a member along the path to becoming a good contributor to Bungie.net. You may also wish to tell someone of a mistake via PM. This is much more personal. It makes it seem less like you're trying to publicly mock them. PM's are a very useful tool. Use them.
At any rate. A Forum Cop contributes. Don't try to flame someone who helps you understand the rules. When trying to help someone understand the rules, be nice about it. Don't be rude, for that gets you nowhere. Be kind, be courteous, and always always contribute.