I am resigning my position as Moderator on a certain Smash-related Discord Server and will be leaving the server entirely. I have two major reasons for this which I will be detailing here. This post is not intended to stir up drama. I will not name any names. I think it would be mutually beneficial for me as a player and the the Server’s moderation team for me to lay down my grievances in a mature and civil way.
Firstly, the prevailing mentality of the regulars of the server is not conducive to my growth as a Smash player. Unfortunately, there is a concerning amount of character and playstyle related insults, and a handful of toxicity, that just gets waived or ignored by the moderation team. It never crossed the line into harassment or cyberbulling, and it’s nothing I couldn’t brush off my shoulders. However, as I stated above, it’s simply not conducive to where I want to take myself with this game. I’m learning just like everyone else is, and I don’t need to be told that I play lame or annoying or whatever-else when I’m trying to practice. What matters to me is getting better at the game, learning matchups, learning how to adapt, and playing to win. I have recently found players elsewhere that can actually help me with that.
Secondly, the moderation team has failed on several occasions to deliver verdicts on members’ behavior fast enough, effectively, or at all. I understand we are all busy and have our own lives outside of Smash, and even within the context of the server it may be difficult to manage both a tournament series and a Discord community. With that said, I think we have let too much just be slid under the rug. I understand we want to give people second chances and give them the benefit of the doubt – I’m certainly like this, even when it comes to moderation – however, I believe this makes moderation ineffective and at times pointless.
I will admit I did not really help as far as this aspect of moderation goes. I just can’t pull the trigger when it comes to punishing a user. However, I think it is relevant to say that it’s no secret that I did not intend to be a moderator. It’s just not a position I am cut out for, and I expressed this to the owner when they were thinking about bringing me on. I suppose it’s my fault for accepting it after being asked a second time.
I’m sorry I can’t just resign as a moderator and stay in the server, even as an inactive member. It’s just not how I operate. I appreciate all the friends I made here, but I will be taking my Smash Journey somewhere else.
I won’t renew the domain and it will expire on November 22, 2021. It will be available from Google Domains once again shortly after.
No hard feelings. I just gotta move on. GGs, everyone.