---

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”) and Star by Star Gaming ("Company", “we”, “us”, or “our”), concerning your volunteer services on any of our services and or platforms such as and not limited to, our websites, game servers, any other media form, media channel, console or PC application, mobile website or mobile application related, linked, or otherwise connected thereto. You agree that by posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these terms and conditions. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM APPLYING FOR A VOLUNTEER STAFF POSITION AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.

You accept and understand that you are not any form of an employee, contractor, or agent of Star by Star Gaming. You accept and understand that the volunteer services you provide will be a donation and under no circumstances will you expect wages, salary, or benefits from Star by Star Gaming for the services provided during your time as a Volunteer Staff member. We reserve the right to remove or let go of any volunteer staff member for any reason and at any time at our sole discretion.

Any and all actions, including and not limited to, player and or user punishment, such as issued bans or otherwise on our game servers, websites, or other platforms, as well as any statements made by you, or any behavioral misconduct, does not express the views of Star by Star Gaming and are conducted at your sole discretion. You agree that all of these are of your own and you withhold full personal responsibility. Your actions, behavior, and or statements will be taken or given at your sole discretion and you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless, including our subsidiaries, affiliates, and all of our respective officers, agents, partners, contractors, volunteers, volunteer staff, and employees, from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand due to the outcomes of your gross negligence, willful misconduct, actions, statements, and or behaviors or any other conduct on your behalf, which cause or may give rise to criminal liability while performing volunteer staff services for Star by Star Gaming.

IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEER STAFF, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions can and may be updated at any time without notice at our discretion, so be sure to frequently check back for any updates to these terms and conditions. An effort to inform you that they've been updated will be made, but not promised, so it's your responsibility to periodically check back. By posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you are accepting and agreeing to these terms and conditions indefinitely regardless of any changes or amendments to these terms and conditions unless or until you are no longer a Volunteer Staff member. If at any point you no longer agree to these terms and conditions, you must immediately resign from your Volunteer Staff position and cease to continue your volunteer services immediately.

---

(1.) Do you agree to and accept the Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions? If so, please answer with "Yes, I do agree and accept these terms and conditions." - Yes, I do agree and accept these terms and conditions.
 
(1a) What name and or alias are you most commonly known as within the SBS community? - Mike Donner
 
(1b.) What is your age? - 17


(2.) Which volunteer community staff position is your application for? - Server Manager
 
(3.) Approximately, when was the first time that you joined our community and how did you initially discover it? - I joined the community midway through 2018 after discovering it through Youtube.
 
(4.) Community staff are held to a much higher standard both in general and with activity when compared to standard game server staff. In this case, do you understand that you can be let go at any time for excessive inactivity at our discretion? - I do understand.


(4a) How can we be certain that you will remain active on the server upon being accepted for a volunteer staffing position? - I have been on the staff team for around a year now and my activity has remained consistent throughout my time as a staff member thus far. I have no plans in the near future that would have any sort of major impact on my activity therefore there would be no reason for my activity to drop if I were to be accepted for this position.
 
(5.) Tell us a little about yourself and why you would like to be accepted for a volunteer staffing position on SBS. (100 words or less) - I’ve been staffing on the server for around a year and I’ve heavily enjoyed doing so for my entire time as a staff member thus far. Over time I have developed a deep care for the server itself as well as the playerbase, which further encouraged me to put my all into staffing and I don’t plan on changing that any time soon. I would love for the opportunity to work on more for the server, not only to help out and contribute towards the server where I can but also for the experience which I would gain from being in the position. 
 
(6.) In your opinion, which quality of yourself do you feel that you need to improve on the most? - In my opinion I could do with improving upon my ability to stay focussed on a single task at once. More often than not I’m going back and forth between multiple things instead of focussing on single things one at a time. I believe that if I were to improve this quality of myself I would become much more productive as well as efficient in things that I do.

(6a) In your opinion, which skill set of yours do you feel that you need to improve on the most? - I believe that I could benefit from working on my organisation. I often find myself leaving things that I need to do until the last minute due to improper planning as well as other situations cropping up which I choose to prioritise. I feel like by becoming more organised I would also resultantly improve in other areas such as efficiency and effectiveness in handled said situations. As Server Manager I would consider organisation to be a very important skill to keep on top given the abundance of situations which need to be handled by myself, which is why I’ve already been taking steps to improve where I can.
 
(7.) How would having you on our volunteer staff team benefit our community and what qualities set you apart from the rest of the applicants? -

I believe that I would benefit the community greatly as I already go out of my way to help out the community where I can, and if given the opportunity to become Server Manager I would continue to do so, being able to do so to a much greater extent than I am already. I care greatly for the server and the community, contributing wherever I can and offering help to anybody who I believe may be in need of it. I involve myself wherever I can in the community and I’m always open to community input or feedback to get an idea of where I can improve or what I can work on. I spent some time considering what I would do to contribute to the server and community as Server Manager; a few examples of what I decided upon are listed below.

As a staff member something which I value to a great extent is good communication, and if given the opportunity to become Server Manager I would work to communicate with others in what I’m doing where possible not only to ensure that staff are up to date with what’s happening in regards to certain things, but also to gather opinions from others where suitable in order to better get an idea on how to approach certain situations. I am understanding of the fact that there will likely be some situations where such discussion cannot occur, and said situations would of course be handled as seen fit. 

I would also take the opportunity to interact with the community as a whole where possible, even if it’s something as simple as encouraging discussions within the community on certain topics in order to get a general idea of varying opinions (e.g. how certain RP scenarios are treated and how they could be changed for the better). At this point in time I feel that the community are very limited in what they can do in order to give their opinions on situations - occasionally a feedback post is made and seeing where people stand on situations is always interesting, especially if there’s a common trend which could suggest that a change of sorts would be beneficial. I feel like encouraging discussions (civil conversations; topics which could see major disagreement would likely not be touched upon) would be a great way of giving the community more of a voice as well as to ensure that changes being made aren’t ones that are heavily opposed. Further, more in-depth conversations and votes would also be held between the staff team to get a general idea of what to work on/change.

Furthermore, I believe that it’s important to keep all rules and information relating to the server up-to-date with respect to the server’s frequent updates to rules as well as server content such as custom jobs. For example, there are some rules in the compendium which I believe could be readdressed due to changes to the server itself. Here’s a fairly specific example taken from the ‘job rules’ section of the compendium:

Quote:6.) You may not assist others with snatching, you must always snatch alone.

This is a rule relating to the Hogwarts Horcrux, however I believe that it was written when there was only one slot on the job. I believe that a change could be made here to account for the fact that the job how has two slots, therefore allowing both HHs to snatch together would allow for a greater range of RP scenarios, however there would also be potential downsides to allowing such a change that would need to be assessed (in this case having two jobs that both have access to deletrius snatching together would be very difficult to take on, therefore adjusting this rule could result in some balancing issues). I like taking an open-minded approach to things, and being able to consider a rule from all angles would be very useful in deciding whether an update to said rule would be appropriate. I would also discuss such changes before making them to ensure in the case of a change being proposed, said change is suitable for the server. I have no plans to review the whole compendium at once and instantly put together an extensive list of proposed changes, however I feel like a more gradual approach to things with a focus being placed upon a certain section of the rules one at a time would be effective.


As for the qualities which set me apart from other applicants:

I consistently involve myself in all staff duties; both mandatory and optional - Whenever I see an opportunity to help out on the team I rise to the occasion, providing assistance wherever I can. I make the effort to help out staff members whenever they have questions, I host staff meetings when needed and I frequently bring up points of discussion to get a staff decision on topics when community members ask questions which don’t have a definitive answer, just to name a few things. I love getting involved as much as possible because the ability to help out others is great, and also contributing to the server is something which I can easily do whilst also enjoying myself at the same time. I believe that this would be beneficial if I were to become Server Manager as I can see myself continuing to involve myself wherever I can, which in turn would make me more efficient in carrying out my duties as Server Manager whilst still maintaining a great connection with the staff team.


I hold great value for communication, communicating with others wherever I can even when not entirely necessary - I often find that discussing various topics with others to be a great way of understanding the different viewpoints and opinions on said topics. Additionally, communication is one of the main key factors in a team, as without it a team would struggle to function, and would for sure be much less efficient and effective in what they’re doing than a team who all maintain great communication with one another. As Server Manager I would consider communication to be extremely important given that at times decisions may need be made which require discussion before any sort of action is taken, and it’s also important to keep the community as well as the staff team updated as alterations/additions are made to the rules or to the server overall.


I have very good availability, responding to messages quickly and having a good amount of free time - Whenever somebody reaches out to me via messages I always find myself responding almost instantly the majority of the time (unless the response needs to be well thought out and longer than usual messages, in which case I make the individual reaching out aware that I intend to respond soon) and failing that I’ll get back to the person within 24 hours of them reaching out. Obviously there are some factors that can’t be helped in this sense such as being asleep, however whenever I am available I’ll always be quick to get back to people who are trying to reach out. I consider it important as Server Manager to keep on top of any sort of concerns brought their way to ensure that anything that is brought my way is handled efficiently and correctly; keeping those reaching out updated where suitable. 


I work very well under pressure, often handling more complex situations well - At times I find myself having to handle situations which are difficult to deal with, and at other times I have a handful of situations brought my way all at once. Whilst I may find myself going back and forth between different situations (this comes back down to my organisation skills, as mentioned above) overall I believe that I handle said situations well and in the most appropriate way possible. I often discuss situations with others if the situation at hand is suitable to discuss and I work with others to solve issues where I can, which is a great way to go about handling an abundance of issues that may be brought to me at a single time. In the position of Server Manager it’s very likely that a lot of people will be reaching out about a range of things such as custom jobs, and there would also likely be times where more sensitive issues are brought my way. I believe that I would be able to handle those situations well, which would help me out majorly in the position.


I maintain complete professionalism as well as confidence whenever handling situations which require said skills to be in effect - It’s important to recognise when it’s important to handle a situation with complete professionalism compared to a time where it’s more suitable to be slightly more laid-back. I find it very easy to differentiate between the two and I also approach situations of the sort with confidence to ensure that I’m able to handle them well, often establishing a general idea of how the situation may pan out before going into it. As server manager I can see there being a wide variety of scenarios which all require utmost professionalism in their handling, and I can see myself being able to perform well in those scenarios. 


I consider myself to be very open-minded, always willing to discuss new ideas with others and able to understand an issue from multiple viewpoints - There are often times where I find myself discussing something with another staff member where they hold a different viewpoint or opinion on the topic at hand than I do. I find it crucial in these situations to understand where the other person in a conversation is coming from with their point in order to then get a better idea of what the most sensible/suitable opinion for said topic is. An example of this would the the discussion of a proposed new rule where one staff member believes it to be a good idea whereas another staff member doesn’t. Even in situations where I’m the only person considering something I still consider other possible viewpoints on the situation to determine which option would be the best to go with. As Server manager I would be faced with situations which require a large amount of consideration such as server suggestions and proposed custom job rulesets. I believe that my open-mindedness would be very useful in those situations to ensure that the decisions made by me are suitable, taking all factors into account.



 
(8.) Have you ever previously maintained a game server staffing position, or currently are, on any other Garry's Mod servers? If so, which ones, and in which staffing positions? (List them if possible) - My staff position on Hogwarts is the only Gmod staffing position which I have ever held before.


(9) How would you rate your skills overall out of 10 (E.g., patience, response time, etc.) -


Communication - 10


Communication is something which I’ve touched on multiple times already throughout this application, and the reason for that is because I value communication very highly and find it to be one of the most important skills to have when working as a team regardless as to which position within said team that you are in. I’ve maintained great communication with all staff at all times both on and off of the server during times such as discussions between the team and at meetings. I see communication as vitally important as it has an influence on multiple other skills such as teamwork and productivity, which is another reason as to why I’ve made every effort to communicate with the rest of the team since I first became a staff member.


Problem Solving - 9


As a staff member I’ve had a wide range of problems brought to me which I’ve found myself able to resolve in a way which I would deem to be both suitable and optimal. I find that when approaching a situation it’s important to always assess the situation before taking any sort of action. This is in order to determine the options at hand when handling the situation and also to consider the possible outcomes based upon how I choose to handle said situation. Furthermore, I find that through having an open mind to the problems being presented to me and being able to understand different perspectives on said problem, I am therefore able to identify the best solution to the problem. Whilst I do pride myself on these things, I’m also fully understanding of the fact that problems are often better handled as a group instead of independently, and I believe myself to be very good at working with others in order to solve problems.


Patience - 9


Throughout my time as a staff member there have been a lot of occasions which required a large amount of patience which in turn has allowed for me to improve my patience massively. Patience is very important overall as without it the likelihood of acting based upon impulse increases and situations which rely on patience in order to handle correctly become much more troublesome to deal with. Overall, having a high level of patience is something which has helped me in a variety of scenarios, and I expect that to continue being the case going forward.


Responsibility - 8


As a staff member - more specifically as an admin - there are often times where I’ve found myself needing to step up and take responsibility for things. For example, I often find myself hosting staff meetings in the event of the usual meeting host being unable to attend. This further extends to other staff duties which I’m asked to help out with, for which I take care in carrying them out professionally and to my best effort. Through finding myself in these positions I’ve been able to increase my skill in doing so by a large amount. Whilst I feel like I’ve still got a fairly long way to go, I can say with confidence that I’m prepared for any future responsibilities that may come my way.


Friendliness - 10

As a staff member I always ensure that my interactions with other staff are positive, and I always try to offer help to other staff when I feel like they may need it. I also try to make myself as approachable of a person as I can to ensure that other staff as well as players in general feel comfortable coming to me if they have a concern or if they need help with something. Overall, I strive to make sure that everybody on the team are happy with their position on the team and I try my best to prevent any sort of issues which may result in staff members having an issue with one another before they occur. Likewise, if staff do have an issue I try my best to work with them in order to resolve said issue. I find it important for the staff team to get along, which is why I try to encourage the team to get along where I can, such as by inviting staff to play other games from time to time just to chill out and get to know one another better away from the server.



(10.) Provide a couple of examples of situations or issues you may encounter and how you would handle them in the position you are applying for -


A player is requesting a change to a rule or ruleset of a custom job which they own:


In this instance I would begin by discussing the change which they are proposing with them. If the change is too outlandish then I would likely end up rejecting said change (e.g. having a dark force job spawn just outside of the castle wall) however if the proposed change is feasible I would proceed to discuss the change further as well as how it could be implemented. I would also discuss the change with Guy if needed in order to get a second opinion on said change as well as confirmation that the change is suitable, and following said confirmation I would look into implementing the change into the server. In the event of a change being rejected, I would explain to the user why said change is being rejected to ensure that they understand the issue with the change that they were requesting, and also clarify that I would be open to discuss a similar, more suitable change if one comes to mind.


A staff member has approached me privately with a concern regarding the team:


My first course of action would be to discuss the concern with the staff member who brought the concern to me in order to ensure that the entirety of their concern is acknowledged and to reassure them that their concern is in fact being taken seriously and not just dismissed. Evidence would be requested in the case of the concern relating to a staff member’s behaviour, and it would be explained to the staff member that I may not be able to provide constant updates on the situation however that doesn’t mean that the concern isn’t being addressed. Once I’ve collected all of the information surrounding the concern I would proceed to discuss said concern with the staff manager in order to decide upon the best way to approach the situation and identify the steps that need to be taken in order to handle the concern properly. In some cases it may be as simple as the staff manager having a discussion with a single staff member to resolve an issue, however in regards to larger-scale issues an announcement may need to be put together which I would address to the team at a staff meeting. In some cases the concern may be a more sensitive case, in which case the situation would be handled privately and would go no further than the managers under any circumstances.


The staff team/community are not taking well to a change in the server rules, and believe it should be reverted:


In the event of a rule being changed that doesn’t receive well, I would begin by gathering the reason(s) as to why the change may not be suitable. Once I have a thorough understanding of the issue with the change I would then start to consider how the rule could be altered in order to make it more fit for purpose whilst also being more agreeable. I would once again take the time to discuss the change with Guy to ensure that said change would be the best option before proceeding with a change to the rule. In the event of a rule having no suitable changes, I would then consider whether reverting the change entirely would be more beneficial than keeping the rule in place. To do so I will use the feedback from others regarding the rule as well as my own judgement. If I do come to the conclusion that the rule isn’t suitable to keep as is I would then revert the change, making the community aware of the change to ensure that no further confusion occurs.


A large amount of players are complaining about server lag, and staff have messaged me requesting a server restart:


The first thing that I would do would be to try and identify the cause of the lag. I would check to see if any players are doing anything which would be likely to cause server lag (e.g. mass spawning cuffs/checks), and if so I would instruct the staff members online to keep an eye out for players on the server doing something of the sort. I would also check the host’s server status to identify whether the issue is an issue with the server or an issue with the host. Regardless as to what the most probable cause appears to be, I would proceed to restart the server as often a server restart can help to make things run smoother than prior to a restart, however in the case of the lag being an issue with the host, I’d inform staff members that the restart would be unlikely to do much in terms of a fix. I would also check in with the staff member(s) who requested the restart around 10 minutes after a restart was carried out in order to see if the restart did improve server performance, and if so then by how much.


A large amount of players are found to be using an exploit to their advantage:


In this scenario I would begin by addressing the issue to the staff team, ideally at the next staff meeting. If the issue is a very important one then I would instead make an announcement in the staff discord to make all staff aware of what the issue is and to look out for players exploiting it and to punish accordingly for rule 10. Any details or information as to how the exploit works would be requested from staff members who saw the exploit being carried out, which would be used in order to identify the problem itself. I would then proceed to consider how the exploit could possibly be fixed before proceeding to discuss said exploit with Guy in order to have a fix put in place. Testing would occur where necessary in order to ensure that the exploit is fully fixed, and staff will be notified when a fix is in place. In some rare instances such as a broken spell that causes clients to crash, the spell would be temporarily disabled whilst a fix is found.
 
(11.) If applicable, please provide a list of all your previous volunteer staff applications, provide a link to them if possible, and list any reasons why they may have been locked. If they were previously accepted, please provide a short explanation of why you are no longer volunteer staff at the time of this application. (Disregard if this is your first application) -


https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?tid=12927 - HW Moderator Application - accepted, still on the team currently


https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?tid=16290 - Forum Admin Application - locked due to another applicant being chosen

---

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”) and Star by Star Gaming ("Company", “we”, “us”, or “our”), concerning your volunteer services on any of our services and or platforms such as and not limited to, our websites, game servers, any other media form, media channel, console or PC application, mobile website or mobile application related, linked, or otherwise connected thereto. You agree that by posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these terms and conditions. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM APPLYING FOR A VOLUNTEER STAFF POSITION AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.

You accept and understand that you are not any form of an employee, contractor, or agent of Star by Star Gaming. You accept and understand that the volunteer services you provide will be a donation and under no circumstances will you expect wages, salary, or benefits from Star by Star Gaming for the services provided during your time as a Volunteer Staff member. We reserve the right to remove or let go of any volunteer staff member for any reason and at any time at our sole discretion.

Any and all actions, including and not limited to, player and or user punishment, such as issued bans or otherwise on our game servers, websites, or other platforms, as well as any statements made by you, or any behavioral misconduct, does not express the views of Star by Star Gaming and are conducted at your sole discretion. You agree that all of these are of your own and you withhold full personal responsibility. Your actions, behavior, and or statements will be taken or given at your sole discretion and you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless, including our subsidiaries, affiliates, and all of our respective officers, agents, partners, contractors, volunteers, volunteer staff, and employees, from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand due to the outcomes of your gross negligence, willful misconduct, actions, statements, and or behaviors or any other conduct on your behalf, which cause or may give rise to criminal liability while performing volunteer staff services for Star by Star Gaming.

IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEER STAFF, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions can and may be updated at any time without notice at our discretion, so be sure to frequently check back for any updates to these terms and conditions. An effort to inform you that they've been updated will be made, but not promised, so it's your responsibility to periodically check back. By posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you are accepting and agreeing to these terms and conditions indefinitely regardless of any changes or amendments to these terms and conditions unless or until you are no longer a Volunteer Staff member. If at any point you no longer agree to these terms and conditions, you must immediately resign from your Volunteer Staff position and cease to continue your volunteer services immediately.

---

(1.) Do you agree to and accept the Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions? If so, please answer with "Yes, I do agree and accept these terms and conditions." -
Yes, I do agree and accept these terms and conditions
 
(1a) What name and or alias are you most commonly known as within the SBS community? -
Jade Skell  
 
(1b.) What is your age? -
28

(2.) Which volunteer community staff position is your application for? -
Helping First Years  
 
(3.) Approximately, when was the first time that you joined our community and how did you initially discover it? -
November 2021, I saw a video of someone playing on your server.
 
(4.) Community staff are held to a much higher standard both in general and with activity when compared to standard game server staff. In this case, do you understand that you can be let go at any time for excessive inactivity at our discretion? -
Yes

(4a) How can we be certain that you will remain active on the server upon being accepted for a volunteer staffing position? -
I have a fixed schedule
 
(5.) Tell us a little about yourself and why you would like to be accepted for a volunteer staffing position on SBS. (100 words or less) -
I love the Harry Potter Saga and I have lots of fun emersing myself in roleplay. When I first started to play on your server I was really lost and had noone to help me. There were a lot of players that tried to get me in trouble because I didn't understand well how to play on the server. I think everyone coming to play for the first time should have someone trusted to help them. I already help some first years that I see on the game so it would just make my help official.
 
(6.) In your opinion, which quality of yourself do you feel that you need to improve on the most? -
My insecurity

(6a) In your opinion, which skill set of yours do you feel that you need to improve on the most? -
My driving  
 
(7.) How would having you on our volunteer staff team benefit our community and what qualities set you apart from the rest of the applicants? -
It would help first years not feel so lost and give up playing on your server. I'm reaaly patient and I love to meet new people.
 
(8.) Have you ever previously maintained a game server staffing position, or currently are, on any other Garry's Mod servers? If so, which ones, and in which staffing positions? (List them if possible) -
No I haven't

(9) How would you rate your skills overall out of 10 (E.g., patience, response time, etc.) -
9/10

(10.) Provide a couple of examples of situations or issues you may encounter and how you would handle them in the position you are applying for -
Explaining first years how the game works and if they are on the server to just troll I would explain them the advantages of being inserted in a lovely community such as this one
 
(11.) If applicable, please provide a list of all your previous volunteer staff applications, provide a link to them if possible, and list any reasons why they may have been locked. If they were previously accepted, please provide a short explanation of why you are no longer volunteer staff at the time of this application. (Disregard if this is your first application) -

(1) What is your in-game name? - Lukas Mlinaric

(2) What is your steam ID (including any banned alt accounts)? - STEAM_0:0:429434457

(3) What is the name of Admin/Staff who banned you? - @Myranda Nova-Aeternalis

(4) How long were you banned for? - 5 Days. 

(5) Have you been banned on any SBS server before? If so, approximately how many times? - A few, don't know how many times, haven't been banned recently.

(6) Have you been banned within the last week? - No.

(7) Why were you banned in this instance? (Explain in Detail) - When the server was in PLAW, I snatched a fellow Dark Force and jumped around with him for a bit.

(8) Do you think you deserved the ban? - Yes.

(9) Why should you be unbanned? - Haven't been banned recently, I only recall warns but not that many, I don't really make ban appeals but I thought that this was necessary as I want to play the server again and am sorry for my actions. I normally don't mess around during PLAW but I was just bored at the time, which I will assure that this will not happen again, it's been around 2 days into the ban.

(10) Have you learned your lesson from this ban? - Yes.

(11) Provide a Screenshot of the message that appears when you try to join the server: - 




For Question 3, you can also tag the Staff Member who banned you so they can receive an immediate notification. To do this, type the: "@" symbol and the name of the staff member after it. If you are not sure who the staff member is on the forums, just list their in-game name and Forum Staff/Server Staff will tag that staff member!

---

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”) and Star by Star Gaming ("Company", “we”, “us”, or “our”), concerning your volunteer services on any of our services and or platforms such as and not limited to, our websites, game servers, any other media form, media channel, console or PC application, mobile website or mobile application related, linked, or otherwise connected thereto. You agree that by posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these terms and conditions. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM APPLYING FOR A VOLUNTEER STAFF POSITION AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.

You accept and understand that you are not any form of an employee, contractor, or agent of Star by Star Gaming. You accept and understand that the volunteer services you provide will be a donation and under no circumstances will you expect wages, salary, or benefits from Star by Star Gaming for the services provided during your time as a Volunteer Staff member. We reserve the right to remove or let go of any volunteer staff member for any reason and at any time at our sole discretion.

Any and all actions, including and not limited to, player and or user punishment, such as issued bans or otherwise on our game servers, websites, or other platforms, as well as any statements made by you, or any behavioral misconduct, does not express the views of Star by Star Gaming and are conducted at your sole discretion. You agree that all of these are of your own and you withhold full personal responsibility. Your actions, behavior, and or statements will be taken or given at your sole discretion and you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless, including our subsidiaries, affiliates, and all of our respective officers, agents, partners, contractors, volunteers, volunteer staff, and employees, from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand due to the outcomes of your gross negligence, willful misconduct, actions, statements, and or behaviors or any other conduct on your behalf, which cause or may give rise to criminal liability while performing volunteer staff services for Star by Star Gaming.

IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEER STAFF, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions can and may be updated at any time without notice at our discretion, so be sure to frequently check back for any updates to these terms and conditions. An effort to inform you that they've been updated will be made, but not promised, so it's your responsibility to periodically check back. By posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you are accepting and agreeing to these terms and conditions indefinitely regardless of any changes or amendments to these terms and conditions unless or until you are no longer a Volunteer Staff member. If at any point you no longer agree to these terms and conditions, you must immediately resign from your Volunteer Staff position and cease to continue your volunteer services immediately.

---

---

(1) What is your in-game name? - Lil Cosby

(2) What is your steam ID (including any banned alt accounts)? - STEAM_0:1:605385375

(3) What is the name of Admin/Staff who banned you? - Jacob Nova Williams

(4) How long were you banned for? - 3 weeks. 

(5) Have you been banned on any SBS server before? If so, approximately how many times? - I have not been banned before this.

(6) Have you been banned within the last week? - Yes.

(7) Why were you banned in this instance? (Explain in Detail) - I was messing around with friends on the server as there was nothing to do at the time and while doing this someone dared me to say the n word in chat. I typed out the n word in chat. Later Jacob pulled me into a sit to tell me to chill out and not do it again instead of banning me right then and there. I heeded his warning and I didn't say it again. After a while of making Bill Cosby impressions I was pulled into another sit where Jacob showed me a text screen with a bunch of slurs and asked me if I said any of them. I said no (cause I hadn't said any of those words since his warning). I got banned for 3 weeks.

(8) Do you think you deserved the ban? - Yes

(9) Why should you be unbanned? - 
  1) Although I did break the rules, I didn't harass, bully, or do go out of way to ruin anyone's experience. People were being pretty chill and didn't seem to have a problem with anything I said, except when Jacob pulled me into a sit and told me to not say the stuff I said in ooc. I didn't say it again.
  2) It was my first ban and I didn't get banned like an hour after I joined so it's clear I wasn't just on there to minge. 

(10) Have you learned your lesson from this ban? - Yes.

(11) Provide a Screenshot of the message that appears when you try to join the server: - https://prnt.sc/1ao5bu0 (I tried inserting the image but it didn't work). 





For Question 3, you can also tag the Staff Member who banned you so they can receive an immediate notification. To do this, type the: "@" symbol and the name of the staff member after it. If you are not sure who the staff member is on the forums, just list their in-game name and Forum Staff/Server Staff will tag that staff member!

---

These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”) and Star by Star Gaming ("Company", “we”, “us”, or “our”), concerning your volunteer services on any of our services and or platforms such as and not limited to, our websites, game servers, any other media form, media channel, console or PC application, mobile website or mobile application related, linked, or otherwise connected thereto. You agree that by posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these terms and conditions. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM APPLYING FOR A VOLUNTEER STAFF POSITION AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.
You accept and understand that you are not any form of an employee, contractor, or agent of Star by Star Gaming. You accept and understand that the volunteer services you provide will be a donation and under no circumstances will you expect wages, salary, or benefits from Star by Star Gaming for the services provided during your time as a Volunteer Staff member. We reserve the right to remove or let go of any volunteer staff member for any reason and at any time at our sole discretion.
Any and all actions, including and not limited to, player and or user punishment, such as issued bans or otherwise on our game servers, websites, or other platforms, as well as any statements made by you, or any behavioral misconduct, does not express the views of Star by Star Gaming and are conducted at your sole discretion. You agree that all of these are of your own and you withhold full personal responsibility. Your actions, behavior, and or statements will be taken or given at your sole discretion and you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless, including our subsidiaries, affiliates, and all of our respective officers, agents, partners, contractors, volunteers, volunteer staff, and employees, from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand due to the outcomes of your gross negligence, willful misconduct, actions, statements, and or behaviors or any other conduct on your behalf, which cause or may give rise to criminal liability while performing volunteer staff services for Star by Star Gaming.
IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEER STAFF, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
These Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions can and may be updated at any time without notice at our discretion, so be sure to frequently check back for any updates to these terms and conditions. An effort to inform you that they've been updated will be made, but not promised, so it's your responsibility to periodically check back. By posting this application and or responding to application question (1.) with "Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.", you are accepting and agreeing to these terms and conditions indefinitely regardless of any changes or amendments to these terms and conditions unless or until you are no longer a Volunteer Staff member. If at any point you no longer agree to these terms and conditions, you must immediately resign from your Volunteer Staff position and cease to continue your volunteer services immediately.

---

 (1.) Do you agree to and accept the Volunteer Staff Application Terms & Conditions? If so, please answer with "Yes, I do agree and accept these terms and conditions." - Yes, I do agree to these terms and conditions.
 
 (1a) What name and or alias are you most commonly known as within the SBS community? - Gina Governatore
 
 (1b.) What is your age? - 20

 (2.) Which volunteer community staff position is your application for? -  Server Manager, I'll also be taking steps to alert the forum staff to remove this question from the format immediately if accepted. I mean, this question is answered in the thread subject. And here you are asking me to answer it? UNFATHOMABLE. Simply unfathomable. It's these... little things, you know?
 
 (3.) Approximately, when was the first time that you joined our community and how did you initially discover it? -
   According to a GM made in 2018, this GM app that was accepted, the answer given was this: Approx. late 2016, discovered via YT video.

 (4.) Community staff are held to a much higher standard both in general and with activity when compared to standard game server staff. In this case, do you understand that you can be let go at any time for excessive inactivity at our discretion? -
Yes

 (4a) How can we be certain that you will remain active on the server upon being accepted for a volunteer staffing position? -
  I should think I leave no room for doubt and can bypass this question.

 (5.) Tell us a little about yourself and why you would like to be accepted for a volunteer staffing position on SBS. (100 words or less) -
'Server Managers', I have seen numerous of them and now know what it can, and unfortunately, cannot do. I would very much like an active server manager, one with a consistent and pervasive presence that can interact with players as well as satisfying the other, more pencil-pushy components/expectations of the role. My relationship with the server owner and server suggestions has been... tumultuous. I have since grown to respect the process and its actors. I would very much enjoy, among other responsibilities, overseeing the implementation of changes to the server and engaging with the ideas of community memers members.




I am fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate?) to have a variety of sources to draw upon to answer this question, even if they be dated.
I have used past applications and community (and manager) feedback on them to answer this question.

I dislike the phrasing of this question as it says "quality", no plural. It seems to afford no room for the cathartic reflexion upon one's character to which I have become quite accustomed. SO, I have put the qualities of myself which may need room for improvement into themes. 

Should I be called upon by those who have written this application format that: "No Gina, you must indeed, just pick one", I will do so. But for me, I feel they should all be afforded attention for the sake of transparency and self-reflection. 

“No experience moderating / being in a disciplinary position”

• Criticism: I lack in disciplinary actions while staffing (concern with how some disciplinary situations got dealt with)
  
• You just don’t know enough about staffing 
  

I would like to think, at this stage, lacking experience banning/kicking/enforcing rules is no longer something I can be faulted for. At any rate, the server manager position is something that was not created just to enforce server rules. Also, being in a disciplinary position (Mod, Admin) is not a prerequisite. I am not disinclined to apply purely because my disciplinary responsibilities would intensify.

• You just want (a superposition) so you can have more permissions to use in events
  

I mean, if you think I’m NOT going to use super permissions for an event, you’d be wrong. Of course I would, all supers have. But do you honestly think I’d apply for a position with MORE responsibilities just for that? I’m crazy, but I’m not insane.

• With respect to lack of interest "moving up" from Gamemaker, lack of promotions, etc.
  

Well of course I'm not interested! The only way "up" is Admin, and yes, I have shown consistent strong dislike and disinclination to the role. 
I should not be expected to assume such an--- unfulfilling role. Moderators, understandably, would. Mods get to perform events, etc. if they wish upon receiving their new admin powers upon being promoted, bringing more fun, enjoyment, etc. But Gamemakers? In stark contrast, they don't "get" to perform sits, it is an additional, mandatory responsibility. Creativity would be stifled with the new responsibilities GMs assume upon becoming Admins... and for what? Granted, the same thing would happen, if not on a greater scale, if a Gamemaker was given a manager role. However, managerial positions are infinitely more fulfilling, I should think, and carry greater opportunities for the change I wish to affect than-- well, with respect, a rather over-glorified moderator position, in my opinion. I simply refuse to wear the mark of the beast for an indeterminate amount of time in the hopes that, someday, this will make me a more palatable candidate. This is why I have applied for staff manager in the past, albeit that role was slightly different and the reasons articulated for why I applied were articulated there, in that app, over a year ago.  




This criticism is significant. My previous application for Staff Manager some two years ago got feedback about this (it was the only bullet point) “from a manager’s perspective”. The feedback suggested I should be more “approachable”, “responsive” and “open”. The guidance that was given, explaining how I could accomplish this: "just attend meetings". This has been done. I really do not know what else I can do. I mean, I’M HERE, I talk--- I’m not going to bite you? If I am doing something fatally wrong here, please do let me know. I remember one person saying it might be because I am prone to talking in high english sometimes (could you tell?). I’m sure I do, but that is just because it is fun. I can of course dial it back.

• Attitude: I have been criticized in the past for “going too far” in terms of my attitude, whatever this means. 
  
• Attitude has been past described as “cold”, “cancer”, “reckless”, “remote”, (and my personal favorite) “sassy”. Personally, I think this all just makes me sound rather based without context. But on a serious note, my attitude has never been a cause for disciplinary sanction-- unless you count the events from some three or four years ago which will not be discussed at length due to the fact we are not allowed to. 
  
• “You are surrounded by drama, have a history of drama” - Yeah and that history is two or three years old now and even back then you will find people begging those who keep going back to it to just-- stop talking. It is really quite tiresome. My response hereon to such criticisms will, unapologetically, be this.
  
• “If you become a manager, your time will be taken up more with manager related things”
  

Yes. That kinda goes for well, every candidate. Should I be disadvantaged solely because I am a Gamemaker? Unfortunately, from reading past comments on this note, that is the vibe I am getting. 

• “Besides there are other candidates who are better”
  

Well, I’m sure they are QUALIFIED, sure. But I am certain that very few have more real goodwill and more real desire to give this position such fit and right purpose than I do.

• This was an interesting theme I noticed too. Some two years ago, I was given general feedback on a staff manager application. A common theme was simply, “I just do not trust you”. The reason I found this so interesting (and alarming) was because other candidates were not given that same treatment. I imagine it was because the position I was applying for was staff manager, which would involve me having the final say on staff applications, and this coupled with the fact I was seen as “unapproachable”, “unresponsive” and not “open” was cause for a general feeling of distrust. Have I built enough trust now? Do you see me potentially abusing this trust? How and why would I do that? I would like these questions answered so I can get a better idea of where this distrust (if it is still present) comes from.
  

(6a) In your opinion, which skill set of yours do you feel that you need to improve on the most? -
 

Experience moderating I would say is necessarily the skillset I would lack more so than other skills. This is not to say I lack any skills here, as explained in Q6. I recall advice that I should be less 'distant' with my fellow staff members, but I have never felt myself to be this cold, distant, remote figure I am characterized as so often. Honestly, you'd think I am a human popsicle or something.

I would highlight moderating in particular, as I recently made an error (See: https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?...#pid137292) with regards to moderation, but the error was more 'unsatisfactory conduct', as opposed to actual misconduct. You know--- I should have brought the player into a sit and explained the rules surrounding arrestable and non-arrestable jobs, etc. Yes, I accept this. If I am to have this role where I would be responsible for changes to the server rules then I will be expected to show a desire to communicate the rules when enforcing them. 

 (7.) How would having you on our volunteer staff team benefit our community and what qualities set you apart from the rest of the applicants? -

• Activity: I am a huge advocate of active managers that are intensely visible on the server and would be one myself if accepted
  
• Creativity: I am presently a Gamemaker, creative thinking is always a plus I should imagine when considering the way to shape server rules while also having regard to practicalities. Gamemakers have to strike a balance between these things all the time.
  
• Succinct communication: I strive to communicate information as succinctly as possible. This is because I'm not overly fond of wasting time, things that are said should be said with purpose. Though, I'm not some sort of puritanical monster that will eat you if you go slightly off-topic: this is simply how /I/ communicate information, "keep it moving".
  

The main reason I am applying is that I feel the Server Manager post has not really been put to great purpose as of late. This is a disappointment, especially when there is so much that needs to be done in my eyes. I would hope to effect change, with no special favor being shown; I am not known for showing bias to any group or class of people. 


 (8.) Have you ever previously maintained a game server staffing position, or currently are, on any other Garry's Mod servers? If so, which ones, and in which staffing positions? (List them if possible) -  N/A

 (9) How would you rate your skills overall out of 10 (E.g., patience, response time, etc.) -

Fairness/Impartiality - 9
I apply the rules to everyone equally when I have to (e.g when there are little to no disciplinary staff and I have to help out... which is often!)

Patience - 4 : I am prone to being extremely impatient, but I make up for this by doing my best to apply standards, self-control, etc. like any other thinking impatient person. That way it is all fair, if something is not done on time, to a standard, without reasonable excuse, I would respectfully highlight this, holding someone else to account or a standard they have set, rather than just ranting.

Response Time - 10 : I mean, if we're talking about getting back to people as server manager this is not in doubt here, my activity is fine and I would not keep people waiting without reasonable excuse.

Transparency - 10 : I cannot stress how much it bothers me when information is withheld without reasonable excuse. 
I rarely make attempts to hide how I feel about important stuff (e.g the work and proclivities of fellow staff members).

Communication - 9

Outside of occasionally forgetting to give staff notice when I disconnect in @ chat, I've not received much criticism about not communicating effectively, except for the attitude shown when I do offer criticism, see Q6. From my experience, communication is important because without it you get this ungodly nonsense where people are too afraid to speak out on particular issues, or uncertain if it is appropriate to do so, especially in regards to matters concerning the rules, their enforcement, because these go undiscussed. So, I, in my personal capacity, adopt the policy of simply speaking my mind, as respectfully as I can, to see what happens. 



(10.) Provide a couple of examples of situations or issues you may encounter and how you would handle them in the position you are applying for -

 

A community member has just asked me a (rules-based) question that has been asked of me and answered by me on several separate occasions now, but the community member does not know this. I am beginning to grow frustrated, as though all questions anyone ever asks of me have already been answered a million times.

Create a google doc where the questions are answered in explicit, succinct detail. Simply copy and paste the answers--- or the link to the google doc if I feel particularly lazy and just say "The answer is there, see Q 11". Follow up if there is confusion and amend the doc if this could alleviate future confusion

The staff manager of the day is attempting to influence my decision in a matter requiring the determination of the server manager, that is, me. OR, contrariwise, the staff manager of the day feels I am overstepping my boundaries and doing the same in respect to a decision reserved for him/her.

The duties of the Staff Manager and Server Manager need to be more clearly defined. The roles are not explained in the same way Mod/GMs are, in fact, even Admins do not have their extra duties/responsibilities explained anywhere, and the process for their selection is unexplained also. All of this should be codified somewhere. Further, in regards to the situation: a formal separation of powers should be articulated, there needs to be guidance on what the responsibilities of the managers are, what "overstepping boundaries" would look like, which responsibilities can be shared between the managers, etc. Also, the circumstances under which it is justified for a Server/Staff manager to be appointed unilaterally, without staff/player feedback, effectively bypassing the application process; needs to be articulated in my view. Again, this should all be codified somewhere.  

(11.) If applicable, please provide a list of all your previous volunteer staff applications, provide a link to them if possible, and list any reasons why they may have been locked. If they were previously accepted, please provide a short explanation of why you are no longer volunteer staff at the time of this application. (Disregard if this is your first application) -


https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?tid=8852 - Staff Manager App, Closed due to the position being filled

https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?tid=5153 
GM App VII - Locked, Accepted ↑

(1) What is your in-game name? - Nigel Rachowsiki

(2) What is your steam ID (including any banned alt accounts)? - 76561198385904512

(3) What is the name of Admin/Staff who banned you? - Misa Sugarplum

(4) How long were you banned for? - 2 months

(5) Have you been banned on any SBS server before? If so, approximately how many times? - Yes, I think around 15 times maybe

(6) Have you been banned within the last week? - No

(7) Why were you banned in this instance? (Explain in Detail) - Just by RDMing, I killed 2 people in the courtyard with low health, I was being a bit arrogant and got bored, and so I just killed them there

(8) Do you think you deserved the ban? - In a way yes but also no, I understand why I got banned, my history is very bad I get that, but it is a simple mistake that can definitely happen again, but this time I was just joking around which is the same thing I say whenever I RDM which has been all my past bans, so yes I deserve this, nevermind.

(9) Why should you be unbanned? - I should not be unbanned tbh, but I just came here to try and see if I can maybe do something. I have done around 2 or 3 appeals in the past and it only worked one time, but i did have to do the appeal like 2 more times until it got accepted, but maybe I can change, I mean people don't change, but in this instance in the server maybe, but then suddenly I might RDM, plus I was playing with a friend and we were playing around, so most probably yeah could happen again, its just that people with low health and verdimillous go together so well.

(10) Have you learned your lesson from this ban? - To be honest I should have learned my lesson a long time ago, and I feel like I have, but whenever I play with my friends everything just goes a different way and I forget. I can totally try and do better, and this is not a game I play too often. I nomally play this game when I have nothing else to play if my friends are not online, but most of the time I play just to talk to people I feel like its the only game I can do that well and sometimes I just need to talk to someone you know so this is a way to go if I cant go out and damn you cant trust people these days but the other students I can for sure trust, my Astronomy teacher, and maybe even a Snatcher. I for sure have learned my lesson, I feel like it has been too many times to not have learned my lesson , its just sometimes I just drift another way and this happens. I also know that next time I get banned it will be a permanent ban.


(11) Provide a Screenshot of the message that appears when you try to join the server: -     




For Question 3, you can also tag the Staff Member who banned you so they can receive an immediate notification. To do this, type the: "@" symbol and the name of the staff member after it. If you are not sure who the staff member is on the forums, just list their in-game name and Forum Staff/Server Staff will tag that staff member!