Parallax Application

1) What do you like about and/or like doing in the Testing Grounds?

Testing Grounds. The word brings back many, many memories, many good, many not so good. But what I like the most about this community is all the memories, I have made, and will continue to make. The memories I made as a moderator being my favorite. I take pleasure in moderating, and running this community in my image. I’ve been called a visionary - I wouldn’t go as far as to say that, but I most certainly have and always have a vision and direction in mind for this community. Again, referring to my memories, we can all rightfully remember. It was me, with BS’s assistance who orchestrated Role Idea mods into existence, it was me who personally sought a better communication with the FM/GMods, and ultimately it was me, the catalyst, who reenergized this community, and while this hand print I left, isn’t as visible as it once was, the mark I left is still very present in the standards I demanded. This shines in BS, and that is what I love doing. Leaving my mark, and ultimately I have left my mark on TG. Whether it be by my balancing - the roles/Ideas I have submitted, videos I have created on behalf of TG, or actions that revolutionized TG.

Additionally, what I also love, would be the opportunity it provides. It keeps me busy, provides a sense of accomplishment, and allows me to contribute to a game that I have been playing for over two years. I still try my hardest to contribute and aid this game, even when I am not a moderator. This is demonstrated by my efforts to bridge the transparency gap between the Developers and the community with SMT. There is also my personal Town of Salem videos that I make and send to ShapeShifter. Plus my Butcher and Jester OH thread both contain images that advertise them to garner views, support, and improve their appeal to the viewer. I want to bring this to the Testing Grounds.

2) Do you believe you are experienced to fulfil the duty as Moderator? Why?

When I went to address this question - I felt it wasn’t explicit enough, it asks if you think you’re experienced enough to be a moderator - when in reality it should be asking, what traits the moderators are looking for, and whether or not you embody them. So I took the time to ask BS4125 - what is it they are looking for? Let’s touch on his four points.

Trustworthiness - Look - I have been a moderator, and not to say I did no wrong as far as being trustable, because I made mistakes. I am more than willing to admit to these failures, but at the time of these wrongdoings, I was trustable. I’ve since changed my behavior to better reflect what is expected of me. Now do I still hiccup here and there? Absolutely, I’m human, but do I stagnate? No. I think part of being a trustworthy person, is being able to trust yourself, is to learn from your past, and make better choices going forward. How can you trust someone whom cannot trust themselves? I am someone you can trust with your life. When I commit to an action, and BS knows this to be true, I am persistent and strong willed. My strong willingness is why I am to be trusted. I will not leave TG, I will not abandon my assignments, I will not abandon my community. Point blank. Final. I am here to get something done, and that requires you trust me, and trust me you will if I’m promoted. BS will be the first person to tell you, I can be trusted with any information, and I can be trusted with any assignment. It will get done. Even if I have to do your task for you.

Efficiency - There are three examples of my efficiency, each individually embodying the three principles necessary to be efficient in my opinion.

Work Ethic - My personal Youtube videos - are work ethic. I am an amateur video creator, using an iPhone. I have had absolutely no training or experience with video making. Yet I still gather all the resources, music, audio, imagery, all of it, to craft a reality I can reflect on as informative and worth the time and energy. Now how is this demonstrating of work ethic? These. Videos. Take. All. Freakin’. Day. I kid you not, I literally spent over 8 hours on my Werewolf Overhaul video. Recording audio, editing pictures, finding imagery, editing it all together, on relatively low-end software. Yet, I still got the task done, and it was of good quality. This is efficiency at its finest, and I’m willing to bring this to the TG.

Oh and not to mention the countless nights and hours I spent on the phone with BS, and BPsycho all to improve and take TG in a better direction. I can’t exaggerate how much I’ve sacrificed to improve and get work done for this community. I have so many threads, documents, and spreadsheets it’s not even funny. It’s something I want to bring to the highest position in TG. Where it belongs.

Vision - My threads, thumbnails, and direction I took TG. Starting with my threads, when I make a role or propose an idea, I always try my hardest to create a welcoming aesthetic and appealing format. This was carried on by BS with SOVAT, and the other threads published by TG. I’m not one to say that was my idea, because it wasn’t, but I did introduce this more so to TG. Furthermore, my thumbnails, are examples of vision. How can I welcome people to my thread? How might I attract a user? These are the questions I ask myself when I create the imagery. Take my Jester OH for example, it’s a nice thumbnail, and it’s inviting. It literally has over 15,000 views, and is on the verge of addition to the game according to Shape. My ability to popularize and attract users to something, is my efficiency. Finally, the direction I took TG. I personally, along side BS, talked to Ender, about Role Idea mods, crafted requests, and personally discussed the possibility with TurdPile. I saw to the rise, of a once great moderator in goose, and managed to motivate BPsycho to involve himself and moderate TG. Speaking of moderating TG, it was me, who initially instilled the moderation schedule and demanded standards for our moderation team, and staff members. Which leads me to my final principle of efficiency...

Standards - I have always been one for no nonsense. I take my position very seriously, and with that comes times where I can be ruthless, but you can’t go wrong can you? Ultimately work gets done, and we’re moving forward. What I respect and admire about the direction TG is going in, would be the newly founded standards that BS has been upholding. I may not agree with them, but good god, they’re necessary and they’re beneficial. I want to be a part of this, and put my own personal touch on this art. I compliment BS well. I can improve upon these standards in ways no other can, with my business agenda, and zero tolerance for stagnation approach. When Flake mentioned holding balancers to a higher standard, I couldn’t have agreed more, and with me as a moderator, not only will balancers be held to a higher standard - as will this community, I’m sick of the disrespect and lack of positive notoriety surrounding TG. It is my ultimate goal to instill a standard and norm that reflects a community not only to people want to be a part of, but recognized as accomplished and respectable. That is efficiency.

Knowledge - There is a reason I have been referred to as a god. There is a reason I have been a moderator before. There is a reason I have been promoted in TG as an unprecedented rate. There is a reason I can leave and come back and immediately be promoted to balancer, or council. Knowledge. Now, I’d like to say, knowledge is much more than knowing information, but it’s also your wisdom, intelligence and understanding. As someone who volunteers their time to studying, and furthering their comprehension of balance for the game, and spending countless hours reflecting on the past, and present, I have increased my wisdom. Which is vital. As someone who has been here and involved, longer than any other applicant, I have that edge. I have made mistakes and learned from them. Been a moderator and experienced the full fledged responsibilities and difficulties. I am stronger and more knowledgeable than any other applicant, that is a garuntee. The key to being knowledgeable, however, is also recognizing how much you don’t know, and that’s where my personal desire to work alongside Flake, Google, Oliy, and BS comes in. With our collective intellect and experience, we can accomplish any task, and set the ultimate standard, in certain. We are all mature and knowledgeable members. This could benefit us individually, and collectively, I very sincerely hope you consider this awesome opportunity to further our knowledge and broaden our horizons in response to what we don’t know.

Amity - Being friendly, and both founding and sustaining friendships and friendly relationships, has never been my strong suit. I’ll be the first to admit this is one of my weaknesses. However, I am also very serious about this position, and sometimes a part of business and life is putting your nose to the grindstone and getting along with people. As someone who personally takes leadership and military classes, I recognize this as a vital trait of leaders, and that is what a moderator is, right? I will try my hardest to demonstrate what is means to have amity. I am more than capable, of establishing team chesmitry and succeeding where Gooose failed. I will not repeat his social ignorance. I know that a large part of success as a moderator, is being able to work with people. And I have my moments where I excel at this. As of recently, I have arranged M4x stickying and helping with my SMT thread, in addition to my interactions with Shape, a developer, whom I have managed to convince to work with me. Oh and by the way, I’m the one who talked to TurdPile when we pursued moderation over RI. I think all these examples demonstrate amity, and the ability to have good social interactions. Not to mention, I’m decent friends with most the moderators, there is no bad blood between any of us.


3) What would you like to change about the Testing Grounds for the future?

Suggestions - I am on bored with suggestion moderation - it will aid the ultimate goal and vision I have for bridging the transparency gap between community and developers.
Reputation - I have a vision for TG. We will be a beacon of hope, the leaders of the crusade lead, against neglect and stagnation, that has plagued this game for too long. It is my ultimate goal to change this community’s reputation, from “Ecks dee they do nothing” to the saviors of this game I will not rest until this happens. I will make more videos, more threads, combine SMT, create more thumbnails, advertise more, anything, I am willing to spend every ounce of freedom towards this desire. It is something much bigger than me.
Standards - This is already occurring. But in order to be taken more serious, we need to conduct ourselves more serious, from head moderator, to host, every user in a staff position needs to be held to a obtainable but appropriate and productive standard. Through good conduct, and work ethic. It is my goal to instill, work ethic, vision, and standard to create an efficiency unrivaled by any other community on this forum.
Promote me and find out - I have a lot to offer. Make TG even greater. Make me mod.

4) Do you worship Benny? (Very important question)
Yes - only thought his blessing shall I be granted access to RI Modship!