How many positions can one person hold in the Grey Tower?
The basic answer is that each player is allowed to hold only one position. However when necessary, in the best interests of the Tower, players may be given a second position under the following rule which was submitted and approved by the Hall of Sitters and approved on November 1st of 2006:
1. Players at the Grey Tower may hold only one voting position. As detailed in the Hall of Sitter the voting positions are:
2. A single character may hold more than one 'voting' position where the two are compatible, and where there are so few candidates that whichever of the two positions the character in question does not already hold would go unfilled. Examples of compatible positions would include "Ajah Head and MoN/S, Gaidin Captain and Master of Training, or Ajah Head and WCR." Examples of noncompatible positions would> include Channelers taking Warder positions or vice versa, or the Amyrlin, M'Hael or Keeper of the Chronicles taking any Ajah-related position.
3. A single author may hold a Sittership with one character and another Sittership/Admin position/Head of Ajah position as another character.
4. Should a new candidate appear for one of the positions and make their wish known, and should there be sufficient nominations/support, (not counting cases of appointed positions) the author in question will step down from one position in favor of the newly available candidate.
5. Authors with two or more characters are allowed to hold two or more noncompatible positions, as long as each position is available to the characters in question. Examples: An author who writes a Blue Ajah Aes Sedai and a Warder could hold Head of the Blue Ajah with her Aes Sedai and Master of Training with her Gaidin.
6. Players who hold more than one position would still only have one vote within the Hall of Sitters regardless of how many voting positions they hold.
7. Each case of allowing more than one position per character or author would only be allowed with specific permission from the Hall of Sitters.
8. In the instance that there are multiple vacancies in positions that require elections, the order of election shall be dictated as such:
a. Amyrlin Seat and M'Hael.
b. Keeper of the Chronicles, and Keeper of Archives.
c. Master of Soldiers and Mistress of Novices.
and, for the Warders:
a. Master of Arms.
b. Gaidin Captain.
c. Master of Training.
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What is Admin and what does it do?
Admin is the group of people who have, well, Administrative access to the Grey Tower message boards and website, for the purpose of adding new members, making updates, and (occasionally) enforcing our rules of conduct. Admin members act as our representatives to new members, casual visitors, and representatives of other sites, so politeness and good conduct is an essential part of our job. (People’s first impressions of the Grey Tower are often shaped by the contact with one or more Admin members.)
Because the Grey Tower’s organization is modeled (with some changes) on the White Tower of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, each Admin position has a corresponding role IC. For example, the Mistress of Novices is responsible (as Admin) for screening new membership applications and handling Raisings. She is also responsible (IC) for assigning Novices and Accepted to their rooms, punishing those who break the rules, and various other duties that appear only in roleplay.
Admin can be divided into two sections: Channeling Admin and Warder Admin. For the most part, their duties do not overlap, but it is important for the two groups to maintain good communications with each other. (In fact, one of the duties of the Warder-Channeler Representative is to encourage good communication between Channeling Admin and Warder Admin – something we’ve had problems with in the past.)
For a list of the actual individuals who comprise Admin, consult the “Who is Admin?” page:
http://www.grey-tower.net/who_is_admin.html
A list of specific duties and responsibilities is given for the channeling Admin in the Hall of Sitters page:
http://www.grey-tower.net/hos/officers.html
Specific duties and responsibilities for Warder Admin can be found in the Warder FAQ:
http://www.grey-tower.net/GTWarders/library/faq.php
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Areas of Authority
One of the important things for new Admin members to realize (and more experienced Admin members to keep in mind) is that Admin – either individually, or as a group – does not make decisions for the entire Tower. It’s easy to get confused about this, because Admin members do have some authority, particularly IC.
OOC, though, it is the Hall of Sitters which makes decisions affecting the entire Tower. Admin positions are leadership positions because of their roles in the Hall. Unlike the White Tower of the WoT books, our Hall of Sitters includes Ajah Heads, Officers (Master of Training, Mistress of Novices), and Warder Officers. Once the Hall has come to a decision – usually after conducting a vote – various members of Admin may be responsible for implementing that decision. However, Admin members cannot give orders to the Hall. Admin votes count exactly the same as those of Sitters or Ajah Heads in the Hall.
The other area in which Admin has some authority is in the enforcement of Tower rules and policies. (For details, see the page on GT Aims and Rules, here: http://www.grey-tower.net/rules.html) When these rules are violated, Admin members are responsible for removing the offending posts and dealing with the offenders. Generally speaking, first offenses merit a warning, while continued rule-breaking or extreme cases may merit expulsion from the Tower.
The Grey Tower is not a rules-heavy environment, and such cases come up rarely. In the entire history of the Tower, we have had to expel only five people.
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Who exactly owns the Grey Tower?
The Grey Tower is a community site. No one person is the all-powerful ruler of the Tower, and no one ever has been, however since the website requires a monthly payment and an annual subscription, there is technically one person who "owns" the Tower. This position has been designated the "Tamyrlin", and he or she is most often to be either one of the two leading Admin (The M'Hael, and the Amyrlin Seat). If neither the Mother or Father is willing or able to assume the role of Tamyrlin for a period of time, then the Hall will be called to choose someone else who is willing to support the Tower financially. This person may or may not be of any special rank IC, but OOC they will be named "Tamyrlin".
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Has anyone ever been expelled from the Tower?
Yes, but only rarely. As mentioned above, expulsion is generally only used to punish major infractions of the Grey Tower's rules, or in situations where the disruptive behaviour is ongoing. Here are the people who have been expelled from the Grey Tower:
- LeBow Elb – A former Trainee who may Rejoin *if* he roleplays at another site long enough to get Raised, even a single rank.
- Joe al'Sheen
- Joson
- Piper
- Sephiroth Darksbane
- Sebastian
- Vairen Tammal
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What roles do the different leadership positions have in the Tower?
At the present time, leadership in the Tower is directly associated with having a voice in the Hall of Sitters. This has not always been the case; originally, Sitters could vote and speak in the Hall, but Ajah Heads could not. Likewise, there has been some ongoing controversy about whether or not the Warder Yards need to be represented in the Hall, since some of the Hall’s decisions do not affect them.
Decisions which affect the whole of the Grey Tower are made in the Hall of Sitters. However, there are other ‘spheres of authority’ in the Tower, and people with leadership roles will generally have some authority in more than one area. Specifically:
The channeling Officers (Amyrlin, M’hael, KoC, KoA, MoS, and MoN) have some say in decisions which affect the entire Tower through their roles in the Hall of Sitters. In their roles as Admin, they also have the authority to deal with inappropriate posts and other violations of the Tower’s OOC rules. This has some reflection IC as well, in that their characters may act to punish misbehavior among the Learning Ranks, but any rules-breaking which occurs in roleplay should not be caught and punished without the OOC permission of the player whose character is misbehaving. (This is common courtesy, but I want to make it clear that the players of channeling officers should not be going through the message boards looking for people misbehaving IC.)
The Sitters and Ajah Heads help make decisions which affect the entire Tower through their roles in the Hall of Sitters. They also have authority within their particular Ajahs – in particular, the Ajah Heads can remove inappropriate or offensive posts from their Ajah’s message boards – and make decisions which affect that Ajah.
The Warder Officers make decisions which affect the Warder Yards, and have authority within the Yards equivalent to what the Sitters and Ajah Heads have within their Ajahs. This must be handled carefully, as some things which are traditionally the responsibility of the Yards (such as the Weapons Skill system) actually affect the entire Tower and therefore should be dealt with through the Hall of Sitters. As the Warder Officers also hold voting positions within the Hall of Sitters, they help to make decisions which affect the entire Tower. While they traditionally abstain from any votes which do not affect the Warder Yards (such as the election of channeling Officers), they are not currently required to do so. Warder Officers also have a third role as Admin members, which gives them the authority to remove inappropriate material and deal with violations of the Grey Tower’s rules. (These sorts of problems are usually handled by the channeling Admin – In fact it is actually one of the duties listed for the Amyrlin and M’hael).
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What types of authority is it possible to have in the Grey Tower?
There are four basic types of authority with the Grey Tower. Specific positions usually fall into at least two of these categories.
IC Authority: This is authority which applies only in roleplay, and it is usually a matter of ‘the respect due your rank.’ For example, an Aes Sedai may expects curtsies from Novices and Accepted, and bows from Soldiers, Dedicated,
Drin’far’ji, and Ji’alantin. She may commandeer the services of any of the learning ranks, provided they are not already busy chores, training, or some other task. Similarly, an Aes Sedai is expected to be respectful to a Sitter or Ajah Head, even if they are not members of the same Ajah.
Local Authority: This is decision-making authority which applies to a specific area, such as a particular Ajah. Generally, these are areas in which the Hall of Sitters does not have specific authority (see the section on HoS authority, below). Local authority generally includes the ability to make decisions for that area and resolve disputes within that area.
Hall of Sitters Authority: The Hall of Sitters makes decisions (usually by vote, sometimes by consensus) which affect the entire Tower. However, the Hall of Sitters does not – indeed, cannot – interfere in issues which affect only a single Ajah. Thus, the Hall could discuss a measure to limit all Ajahs to two message boards, but could not decide that the Brown Ajah (specifically) needed to get rid of some of their boards.
It is possible to hold more than one position within the Hall. However, no individual can vote more than once on any given issue. All votes are weighted equally.
Admin authority: While all Admin positions can speak and vote within the Hall of Sitters, the main authority that Admin has is to enforce the rules of the Grey Tower. Admin is not, in and of itself, a decision-making body.
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What does the Grey Tower's IC hierarchy look like?
This is a somewhat complex topic, and it changes somewhat depending on the situation. (For example, when someone is teaching a class, they automatically outrank their students, regardless of their ‘actual’ rank.) However, there is a formal hierarchy which most people acknowledge, even if they do not think much about it.
|
Amyrlin Seat, and M’hael |
The Amyrlin, and M’hael act to guide
(but not control) discussions in the Hall of Sitters, and are largely
responsible for handling OOC discipline. They are the final court of appeals
for resolving disputes within the Tower. |
|
Keeper of the Chronicles, and Keeper of the Archives |
As assistants to the Amyrlin and
M’hael respectively, the Keepers are just below them in Rank. They should be shown
respect, but generally are not involved in resolving disputes, except to
remind the Amyrlin and M’hael of matters of protocol and precedent. |
|
Master of Soldiers, Mistress of
Novices |
Because their responsibilities are
Tower-wide, the MoNSters rank just below the Keeper of Chronicles, but above
Sitters and Ajah Heads. * |
|
Ajah Heads, Master of Arms |
The Master of Arms is considered
equivalent to an Ajah Head in terms of IC rank. Because they are in charge of
their particular areas, Ajah Heads are ranked above the Sitters who also
represent those areas in the Hall.* |
|
Sitters, Master of Training, Gaidin
Captain, Warder-Channeler Representative |
Because they represent the
interests of their areas to the the Hall, Sitters are given a degree of
respect somewhat above regular Aes Sedai and Asha’man. |
|
Aes Sedai and Asha’man |
Aes Sedai and Asha’man have a
certain amount of authority IC, and may generally expect to be treated
respectfully by the learning ranks and the Gaidin. They may assign tasks or
request help from the learning ranks when needed, though this should not be
done if the learner is already busy. |
|
Gaidin/Gaidar |
Gaidin and Gaidar are generally considered
to be just below Aes Sedai and Asha’man in rank. (Some progressive channelers
may choose to treat them as equals, however.) Thus, they may expect
appropriate courtesy from all members of the learning ranks, and may request
their services just as Aes Sedai and Asha’man do. |
|
Accepted, Dedicated, and Ji’alantin |
As advanced students, Accepted,
Dedicated, and Ji’alantin are given limited authority over Novices, Soldiers,
and Drin’far’ji. They may also expect to be treated respectfully, though not
as respectfully as a fully Raised member. There is a special case of
Ji’alantin called Sa’ji’alantin. They rank just above regular Ji’alantin in
the Warder Yards, but are still considered equal to Accepted and Dedicated. |
|
Novices, Soldiers, and Drin’far’ji |
These are the students of the Grey
Tower. They have essentially no authority, though their complaints and
concerns are addressed by the MoNSters. (OOC, of course, they deserve the
same respect as everybody else.) |
*Note that in the Hall of Sitters, these ranks often do not apply. The Amyrlin and M’hael are responsible for guiding the discussion, but this should be done by leadership and not by fiat; in the Hall, they are first among equals. Likewise, Sitters, Ajah Heads, and other officers are all accounted equal within the Hall.
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Is Admin a clique?
This is a tricky question, and it has been the topic of complaints and discussion since the early days of the Tower. I’m not sure I have any sort of final answer for it, but I’ll try.
First of all, let’s define the term ‘clique.’ A quick search on dictionary.com gives me the following:
- A small exclusive group of friends or associates.
- A narrow circle of persons associated by common interests or for the accomplishment of a common purpose; -- generally used in a bad sense.
- an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
- And, as a verb: To associate together in a clannish way; to act with others secretly to gain a desired end; to plot; -- used with together.
Admin is definitely a small group (unless you count former Admin, in which case it’s rather larger). There are only a set number of positions, and people do not move in and out of them frequently. The folks in Admin are – or should be – in close communication with each other; in fact, there is an Admin-only message board for exactly that purpose (it’s easier to keep track of things there than through email).
The main question that I see is, does that qualify Admin as ‘exclusive?’ As with most things, it depends on how you look at it.
The answer, as I see it, is that Admin is not a clique – but in order to function efficiently, the group has to have some qualities which are “clique-like.” For example, there are only a small number of ‘members,’ and they do not change frequently. This is because there are only a set number of Admin positions (for several reasons, not the least being it limits the likelihood of people accidentally screwing up the site). One of the qualities that people look for in potential is Admin is whether or not they will stick around – it takes some time to learn each job efficiently, so we don’t want people changing positions constantly.
Likewise, even if you have the basic html and ftp skills to make updates, it helps if you’re familiar with how the Tower runs and how the various Admin jobs work. This makes people who have been at the Tower for a long time and/or people with former Admin experience very appealing candidates. However, that alone doesn’t make Admin a clique… unless there is a deliberate effort to keep other candidates out. So far, I have not seen any such effort.
Admin members tend to talk to other Admin members – we have to stay in pretty close communication to get things done, and to keep from undoing each other’s work. This is not actually cliquish unless it becomes exclusive. If the people in Admin are talking only to each other, and not to the rest of the Tower, then it has become a clique and we do have a problem. In my experience, that has not been the case.
There is a similar issue when it comes to making decisions which affect the whole of the Tower. Admin does not make that kind of decision, and no member of Admin should ever try. However, the nature of the job means that people in Admin will tend to hold similar – or at least compatible – mindsets, and will tend to approach problems from similar directions. Also, because of the need for close communication, Admin folks will generally have talked over most potential problems.
Taken to an extreme, any of those qualities can be a bad thing – for Admin, for the Hall, and for the Tower. However, without those qualities (for example, if people in Admin didn’t talk much, and members came and went frequently) there are delays in updates, arguments among the Admin members, and other problems. The trick is to strike a balance between the two extremes.
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What is the relationship between the Warder Yards and the Hall of Sitters?
In essence, the Warder Yards are considered equivalent to
an Ajah within the Hall of Sitters.
This means that:
1)
The Master of Arms is roughly equivalent in rank to an Ajah
Head.
a)
This is an elected position. (The election is customarily
conducted by the Warder-Channeler representative.)
b)
Just as Ajah Heads are usually elected by the members of their
Ajahs (and occasionally by aspirants), the MoA is elected by the Warders (and
occasionally the WiTs).
i)
NOTE: Per the FAQ, “If an Ajah Head leaves of his/her own volition, he/she will
consult his/her Ajah members and together, they will decide on a successor in a
manner of their choosing.” This does not have to be a vote, as long as some
sort of consensus is achieved. The important thing here is not how individual
Ajahs choose their Ajah Heads, but that the method is determined by that Ajah.
ii)
Therefore, the fact that the MoA is an elected position should
not be taken to mean that all Ajah Heads must be elected.
c)
Just as an Ajah Head can appoint Sitters in any manner he or
she sees fit, the Master of Arms can appoint the Master of Training and the
Gaidin Captain. Removal of the Master of Training or Gaidin Captain is also at
the discretion of the Master of Arms.
d)
The Master of Arms can vote in the Hall of Sitters.
2)
The positions of Master of Training and Gaidin Captain are
roughly equivalent in rank to Sitters.
a)
These positions are appointed by the MoA.
b)
The MoT and the GC can vote in the Hall of Sitters.
3)
The Warder-Channeler Representative is a unique position which
was created to act as a bridge between the Warder Yards and the Channelers, and
to help keep the Warder Yards running smoothly in emergencies.
a)
This position is appointed jointly by the Master of Arms, the
Amyrlin Seat, and the M’hael. In ‘problem’ cases (when there is no MoA
available), the WCR may be appointed by the Amyrlin and the M’hael.
b)
The position of WCR is held by a Channeler who is ‘in good
standing’ (usually a Sitter) and who is active in and around the Warder Yards
(thus, usually a Green).
c)
The position carries
with it the right to speak and vote in the Warder Council (recently renamed to
“executive council”) and the right to speak (but not vote) in the Hall
of Sitters. The WCR is a member of the Warder Council.
d)
In terms of IC rank,
the WCR is considered equal to a Sitter, even if the WCR is not a Sitter
already.
e)
WCR is an
Administrative position.
i)
The WCR is responsible
for encouraging good communication between channeling and non-channeling Admin.
ii)
The WCR maintains and updates the promises/bonds list.
iii)
The WCR conducts the vote for the Master of Arms.
iv)
The WCR helps the other Warder Officers with site maintenance
as necessary.
v)
In the event of administrative difficulties within the Warder
Yards, the WCR is responsible for keeping the Yards running until a new Warder
Council can be established.
4)
The Hall of Sitters does not interfere in the internal
workings of the Warder Yards, any more than it does in the running of the
Ajahs. The Amyrlin and M’Hael may not infringe on the running of the Ajahs or
other Ajah business without just cause or situations as outlined in the
guidelines of the Tower, and the same policy applies to the Warder Yards.
a)
If complaints are brought against the Gaidin Captain or the
Master of Training, it is the responsibility of the Master of Arms to
investigate, mediate, and take other action as necessary.
b)
If complaints are brought against the Master of Arms, it is
the responsibility of the Amyrlin and the M’hael to investigate, mediate, and
take other action as necessary.
5)
The fact that Warder Officers are part of Admin is irrelevant
to the relationship between the Warder Yards and the Hall of Sitters. For more
information on what Admin is and does, please consult the section on Admin.
a)
Tower-wide policy is decided by the Hall of Sitters, not by
Admin.
b)
Any ability to influence Tower policy possessed by the Warder
Officers is derived from their (Ajah-equivalent) positions within the Hall of
Sitters. This is not an undue amount of representation; if anything, the Yards
are under-represented (3 officers, as opposed to 1 Ajah Head and 3 Sitters).
c)
The reason for Admin jobs (in general, not just Warder
Officers) is that they perform the OOC duties – updates and maintenance –
necessary to keep the Tower running.
d)
Having access to the Admin email account and the servers does
not grant, imply, or constitute any sort of special privileges.
Further notes:
1. Channelers are
not under-represented in the Warder Yards; if anything, the opposite is true.
There are three warder officers who can vote in the Hall of Sitters. Since each
of the seven Ajahs can have as many as four representatives in the Hall, plus
the five Channeling Officer positions... ::does math:: ...There are
(potentially) 36 voting positions in the Hall, of the which the 3 Warder
Officers comprise 1/12. On the Warder Council, by contrast, the channelers are
represented by the WCR, who controls 1/4 of the vote. Even if the Hall is not
full - I think the last few votes have run between 21 and 26 participants - the
Warders represent no more than 1/7 of the total votes there.
2a. The Warder Yards
have 4 officers in Admin, while the channeling majority has 5. On the surface,
this seems disproportionate. However, this is a misperception. Administration
is not a representative body, and the Warder Officers are members of
Admin because they do a disproportionate amount of Admin work (applications,
raisings, site maintenance). Having access to the Admin accounts is necessary
for the Warder Officers to perform these duties. Being a member of Admin is not
a reward; it’s a job.
2b.The fact that the
channeling members of Admin are elected by the Hall in no way implies that
everyone who works as Admin should be elected. For one thing, channeling
officers have not always been elected; the decision to make that the 'usual
practice' is a recent development. For another, voting in no way ensures that
the 'best' or most responsible people will end up with access to the Admin
accounts. (That's not a criticism of anyone here; we have a good team right
now.) As several people noted during the discussion on Appointment of Admin
Positions, the only difference between voting or appointment is how many people
the candidates have to blame if they are not selected.
3. There are two
basic things which distinguish the Warder Yards from an Ajah:
3a. Warders
cannot channel. This is primarily an IC consideration, but can have an
effect on OOC interactions as well.
3b. All Warder
Officers are Admin. The reason for this is simple: unlike the Ajahs, the
Warders process their own applications and Raisings. However, it is a genuine
imbalance, in that it gives the Warder Officers three roles in the Tower.
Specifically:
3bi. Sitters and
Ajah Heads have their roles in the Hall, and their participation in their
Ajahs.
3bii. Channeling
officers have their work as Admin, and their role in the Hall.
3biii. Warder
Officers have their work as Admin, their role in the Hall, and their role in
the Yards (which can be considered loosely equivalent to a Sitter or Ajah
Head’s participation in the Ajah).
3biv. Note that
“imbalance” does not necessarily equate to “problem.”
4. The Warders are represented in the Hall of Sitters
because the Hall of Sitters makes decisions which affect them. This is not
“true” to the Wheel of Time books, but seems to be necessary in order for the
Warder Yards to function as part of the Tower (as opposed to functioning as a
separate entity, an approach which has led to a great deal of trouble in the
past).
5. The Hall of Sitters and/or the channelers in general do
not need to be represented in the internal business of the Warder Yards. While
the Warder Yards do maintain and operate things which affect the other members
of the Tower (such as Weapon Skills and Advantages), any changes which affect
the entire Tower must be approved by the Hall of Sitters. Generally, this
applies to major changes; for example, adding a new Advantage to the list in the
Advantages System does not change the actual system, and so can be done
without the Hall’s approval.
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How should tied votes in the Hall of Sitters be resolved?
The Hall decided that instances of tied votes should be resolved by taking the votes of three officials as the deciders. These three people vary according to the nature of the vote, as follows:
- For general votes, they are the Amyrlin, M'Hael, and Master of Arms.
- For votes related to channeling, they are the Amyrlin, M'Hael, and Keeper of the Chronicles.
- For votes related to the Warders, they are the Master of Arms, Master of Training, and Gaidin Captain.
Should this still not solve the problem - e.g. if one of these officials does not vote, for whatever reason - the issue will be decided on a case by case basis.
