We’re back where we were – gardenfulloflies has been removed as a Sandbox Owner due to inactivity. Oh, the memories. Anyways, roadman’s temporarily taking over, and currently scouting a new Sandbox Lobby owner. Let’s look at the contestants of the poll he made. Jimbei, Reamix, cub, error, Bebop, peach and tricksterer. I’m not here to bash roadman’s choices, y’know, but I feel like most of these… just wouldn’t actually be good owners. Hey, I might be wrong. Perhaps Sandbox will advance immensely with an owner I never expect to do well. But that’s entirely uncertain.

roadman’s refused to comment on his choices, but whatever. Time to go back to an old post of mine – the prequel to this one, I’m sure some of you remember it – the Declaration of ChaoticDoom (https://epicmafia.com/topic/75737) in which I address my vision of Sandbox then, and what it takes to have a decent community with a decent moderation. I thought gardenfulloflies could handle this, but I suppose inactivity is a pretty good reason to usurp the throne.

So, the few points I’d like to (re)state: - The owner needs to be active. - The owner needs to be unbiased. - The owner has to have a good connection with the community - The owner needs to make the right choices

Activity is obvious – an owner that’s only online once a week does a lot less work than an owner that’s online every single day. Then my favorite one – “unbiased”. As in, don’t circlejerk. I love that word. Too often have incompetent moderators be modded because they were friends with the owner. Take mod applications, ask the community, do some research yourself – but don’t just go and mod your first best friend. Handle reports based on whether you think the violation is actually in place or not, and do consider previous offenses – but don’t give lesser or increased punishments based on how big of a friend someone has been to you.

Now, about the whole community thing. A Lobby Owner who’s active, but spends all of their time circlejerking in the Lobby Chat isn’t just ‘circlejerking and biased’ – they’re also not really in touch with the community, as in, the entirety of Sandbox. A good owner would actually play games, regularly use the forums and hang out in chat. We need somebody who knows the ins and the outs of the various surfaces of the lobby, not just someone to moderate a spammer in the Lobby Chat.

From the aforementioned names, I actually voted for cub – quite a step above most other contestants, honestly. The main problem I have with the poll – aside of being partially popularity contest – is that the names themselves haven’t really stated anything about being in the poll, or if they would make a good owner, or what they would do, or anything. Now, judging on experience with the names isn’t an entirely bad thing – this is without usual politician spout where everyone claims to be the best. But it’s also pretty empty, actually. You tick one out of a few boxes and the choice is made.

Of course, I know this poll isn’t an end-all, be-all poll. And I know that discussion on the Sandbox Lobby Owner hasn’t even really started yet. But I wanted to get the message out on what I think would make for a good owner.

“And here’s the kicker!”, I can hear you yelling already. I think I would do a good job – if I were to be selected as Sandbox Lobby Owner, everything I’ve talked about will be in full execution. No more circlejerks, an owner who knows the entirety of Sandbox, and is actually active. I would take mod applications and judge and appoint accordingly, while also keeping up with the opinions of the actual Sandbox users instead of just modding my friends. After all, I don’t really have friends. I would listen to the people, and do everything a Lobby owner could to make Sandbox as good of a community as I truly think it has the potential to be. I would love to get hated and despised if it meant Sandbox turning into a wonderful place.

But it is what it is, I suppose. Chances of me – or someone like me – being appointed Lobby owner are incredibly slim. As is Sandbox custom, it’s probably just gonna be a popular name who will be replaced in no time anyway. I’ve seen a few promising users myself, although sadly, I doubt they’re the popular picks.