Titan Reform

Preamble

The Titan system has been around for a while now, and many of us have gotten a feel for how it works, from firsthand experience on both sides of the aisle, as well as from what we've heard from others. In general, the system seems to do what it was designed to do far better than the systems we have had before. However, there are many who feel there is room for improvement. We also feel that, as the Titans' predecessor systems were scrutinized, improved, and finally dropped, so, too can the Titan system be improved without invalidating the principles behind it or weakening its authority or credibility.

We feel that there are a variety of issues that could be addressed, ranging from the minor to the major, from structural issues to communication issues to jurisdiction issues. This is not a complaint about any specific cases, even if specific cases are referenced as having highlighted the problems: it is a perception of systemic problems, that detract from the efficacy and credibility of the system, and thus from the fun and fairness of the game. Listed below are the perceived problems, along with, where applicable, some preliminary proposals for remedying them.

Further issues can be added, and existing ones amended, but please retain the focus on systemic, rather than specific, problems, and the relatively neutral language. This is not a list of complaints, nor a forum to air grievances, but rather a sincere proposal for reform.

Issues

No Defence Allowed

Under the current system, the accused is given no chance to respond to the accusations against him. Even if he has been reported for words taken out of context, which, when placed in the proper context, would not be found to be offensive, he will be judged only on the evidence presented to the Titans. Though the Titans can (we understand) check messages sent and received, it cannot be assumed that the context would be found, as it might not be immediately obvious that it is relevant, or it might require long participation in the realm to understand (inside jokes, etc).

The obvious remedy to this is to add a simple process by which the accused can attempt to explain the offending speech or behaviour.

No Clarification Allowed

On the opposite side, the text on the Titan Report page in-game clearly states that the complainant will not be asked for any further information. This seems shortsighted, as many people, particularly new players, might not know what information would be relevant, but would be more than happy to provide it given the chance. As a programmer, this seems analagous to having a bug reporting process that does not allow the developer to ask the reporter for clarification--even if the bug report is well-written and correct, but missing one crucial piece of information.

The obvious remedy to this is to simply allow the Titans to request further information if it seems as if it is really needed.

Must Target Single Player

There have been cases where a Titan report targeting a small group, or an entire realm, seemed most appropriate, as there was no one person who seemed more responsible than the rest for a perceived abuse. However, the only option given is to complain about a single player.

The obvious remedy to this would be to allow multiple accused players to be named in a single Titan report.

Often Unresponsive

(Closely related to the first issue) As the only appeals for a Titan decision are the Titan mailing list and Tom himself, many people who feel they have been wrongly judged have attempted to contact the Titans directly, feeling that it should not be necessary to bother Tom if they can get the decision reversed by the Titans. However, we have heard on multiple occasions that the some such contacts went unanswered.

Unclear Responsibilities

Though the Titans are said to have jurisdiction over "cheating, abuses, and violations of the Social Contract", there have been cases where something that does not obviously fall into that realm is accepted, and cases where something that would seem to fall into that realm is not.

"Not the RP Police"

The most notable area of this problem is RP. There have been conflicting cases where the Titans took one complaint, but rejected another, when the issues at least appeared to be very similar, giving as a reason for their rejection that they do not deal with roleplay issues. Even leaving aside the problems of the FEI, and the actual enforcement of RP consistency and sensibility, there is the issue of OOC information being used IC, which is at best frowned upon throughout the game.

This is something that could be tested with some certainty by the Titans, with their ability to look at all in-game messages: if someone is accused of using knowledge gained through OOC means, and there is no record in-game of it ever having been communicated to them, chances are the accusation is correct.

No Positive Side Visible

One of the biggest problem with the perception of the Titans is that they are often seen to be no more than the sum of the complaints against them. There is no way for us to know how many cases have been completed without incident--and, perhaps more importantly, what the decisions in such cases have been. It may be true that the Titans do not rule based on precedent, but it is also true, simply because of human nature, that the way they ruled on a case in the past is likely to be the same as the way they will rule on a similar case in the future.

The obvious solution to this is to post a list of Titan cases with the decisions made in them, with the complainant's name kept private (and, if desired, the accused player's).