Driver's Licence! (perhaps an application process)

[Morty]

Inspired by my recent acquisition of a real driver's license, I thought a more concrete way for enthusiastic users to prove their commitment to the PO server would be a good idea. I have been on Smogon for 6 years now, and I would love to give back to the community that has given me so much entertainment, but the newly implemented driver system has me a little confused. I think a more concrete definition of the requirements and responsibilities of a driver should be implemented, as well as the addition of a way to prove one's worth for consideration of the privilege. It might be a good idea to have an application process, where one can submit a resume (similar to the process of becoming a tutor) to a mod and have them look it over.

Here is some criteria that I think makes sense, but of course it will be up to the mods to decide what really matters.

-The user should at least be somewhat active in the smogon forums.

-The user should be friendly and helpful in the main chat

-The user should be in the top 50 on the ladder in at least one tier at the time of receiving drivers (to show they know what they are doing)

-Finally, I think it would be a good idea to give one final quiz to the potential recipient after it has been determined that they have met all criteria. The purpose of the quiz would be to ensure that the potential driver has a firm handle on the rules and expectations of the server.

PS: Please don't assume this is just a plug for my own selfish desires. This is just a suggestion to help ensure that those with a passion for the server have a more concrete way of earning the right to be given responsibility. This is to help all users who are sincere in their desire to make the server the best it can be.

 

[Tobes]

Trust me when I say that the mods and admins keep a close eye on the users who participate in the chat.

This may be a bit of a surprise to you but the Driver system is in fact gone. The main reason we even started giving them again was because we needed mods for the Oceania timezone, and fast. They are also given to tournament directors and temporarily to Smogon Tour hosts, but aside from that they're not likely to be used again. If we trust a user enough to be a driver, then we should already trust him enough to be a mod.

There is also the fact that an application process is an extreme pain in the ass for staff for obvious reasons. "hey bro I'm a big name in the youtube community let me be a driver and check out by channel" is not something I want to deal with every five minutes. Also the ladder requirement is unnecessary.

In short our current system is fine. I appreciate your concern but these aren't needed changes. Trust the judgment of the staff, we know what we're doing.

 

[Delko]

Tobes is right, "drivers" don't exist anymore. Currently the position of driver is for tournament - and smogon tour hosts (so they can bypass spectator clause), and "trial mods" (people who are nominated for mods).
If a person is considered worthy enough to be made a driver, then he is worthy enough to be made a mod anyway.