I was incorrect (pulled post from the Silence thread):
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I'll still be adhering to that list. If any one of these people come in here posting, expect a mute; further, expect a ban if you continue to cause issues after the initial mute. If I'm demoted for upholding justice within this thread, then so be it. I won't compromise objective integrity over such petty threats...
This isn't some shades of gray ethical dilemma. Its clear who is in the wrong here. That would be Allie and the others continuing to cause unneeded drama. End it. This thread makes our community look like a joke...
Moreover, after further thought, it is uncharacteristic of an administrator or any staff member, in my opinion, to influence community matters in anyway, shape or form. It is viewed as a breach of professionalism. As a staff member, regardless of title, your responsibilities lye first with the community as a whole and second to personal involvement within the game. Any influence that can be deemed as an obstruction to community matters (Game Masters in a specific guild external of Zylon Staff, Administrators influencing players to leave select guilds, etc.), is a breech of this professionalism.
Its best, in my opinion, to seek staff that have no personal attachment to community matters. These individuals comprise qualities that are of most benefit when heading a resolution to community conflict, managing forum/game content updates, etc. This is a bit of an idealistic statement, but, nonetheless it is an achievable one.
This can be considered power abuse, Gavin. It would be silly to deny the fact that positional power wasn't involved, in some form, in the community member's decision. There is a chance that it may not be influential, but even then, a breach of professionalism exists, which is unethical. Unethical decision making and "power abuse" are synonymous in this instance [from my perspective]. The best I can do here is point out that this is improper behavior and hope that it is corrected, as I don't have jurisdiction to mediate a resolution to this matter via "force" by muting, banning, etc.
Kenny and Izy are the benchmark standard. Dare I say that I, myself, am as well.