MAA Policies: Difference between revisions

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The [[Master at Arms]] oversees a wide range of activities in the Brotherhood -- [[awards]], [[rank|promotions]], competitions, [[title]]s, transfers, name and email changes, as well as managing rosters and positions. The page details various policies connected to these activities. Some items detailing more in depth policies, such as promotion guidelines, can be found in the [[:Category:MAA Policies|Master at Arms Policies category]]. Any questions concerning these items should be directed to the MAA, currently {{MAA}}.


== Awards and Promotions ==
===Awards & Promotions===
# While unit leaders are given the authority to award medals and grant promotions, the Master at Arms maintains the authority to approve, remand, or deny requests according to Brotherhood-wide standards that are known to all members and leaders. Any questions regarding a request’s authenticity should be directed to the MAA prior to submitting.
## Do not presume Independent Unit institutions confer validity on recommendations. How an Independent Unit is run is determined by the Independent Unit leaders, not the Master At Arms. However, any authority specific leaders and bodies within an Independent Unit may have (other than official Brotherhood positions) does not carry to the awarding of medals or promotions.
# All recommendations for rewards are required to contain specific, concrete details for activities described. While recommendations should detail a member’s character and personality, factual data should be provided in a contextual manner. Straight lists of activities, however, will not be accepted.
## Summits are encouraged to keep activity trackers of their members, or request members to keep personal trackers, so that medals and promotions may be granted at appropriate times.
# Awards cannot double dip activity. All activity, once recognized by a medal or [[rank|promotion]], cannot be used toward future awards. This does not apply to promotions, which are the sum total of all activity since the member’s last promotion.
##For the purposes of time-in-rank requirements for a promotion, a demotion is the equivalent of a promotion.
# All medals and promotions should be directed up and down the chain of command appropriately so each leader knows what is being requested and can avoid instances of denial due to double dipping.
# The Master at Arms maintains authority over all promotions. If you think a member deserves a promotion but does not yet satisfy the stated [[Promotion Requirements|promotion guidelines]], contact the MAA and explain the discrepancy.
## All promotions have time-in-rank guidelines. At the [[Journeyman]] level, time-in-rank is a hard requirement that can only be bypassed under rare and exceptional circumstances. At the [[Equite]] level, time-in-rank may be bypassed if the MAA agrees the member has accumulated the appropriate activity.
#Medals and promotions, once granted, can only be revoked by the [[Chamber of Justice]]. This includes instances in which new medals may be created, resulting in the conversion of old medals.


# All recommendations for rewards are required to contain specific, concrete details. We are not interested in the fact that someone is great; we are interested in how they are great.
=== Transfers ===
# The Promotheus function on the Brotherhood website is an excellent tool for tracking member progress for the purposes of promotion – but it is not the arbiter of promotions, the [[Master at Arms]] is. If you feel that a member has earned a promotion based upon the written [[Promotion_Requirements|requirements and guidelines]] for the rank, but for whatever reason the site does not recognize it, you absolutely should request the promotion and explain the discrepancy.
# Transfer requests are not a forum for argument or discussion. Problems with unit superiors should be addressed directly between the relevant members. Transfers that are a result of conflict should be brought to the attention of the Master at Arms prior to submitting, so the MAA may ensure the transfer is a last resort option.
# All [[medals]] and promotions should be known up and down the chain of command in an Independent Unit. The Independent Unit leadership should know what is going on in their sub-[[house|Houses]] (if applicable) and the [[Battleteam|Battleteams]]. This will lessen confusion, and avoid unfortunate (insofar that someone has a medal removed from their profile) situations of double awarding.
# Transfers between Independent Units are given a 48-hour cool down period during which time the summit of each unit is contacted to confirm the transfer. Leaders are given the opportunity to contact the member to attempt to maintain their current state.
# Do not double dip when recommending awards. Activity, once recognized by award or promotion, cannot be used for further awards. This does not apply to promotions, which are the sum total of all activity since the last promotion.
##The direct recruitment of members from one unit to another with promises of medals, promotions, or other entitlements is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
# Time in rank and time in the Brotherhood factor into promotions. [[Journeymen]] ranks have specific requirements, which can be waived under certain circumstances. At higher levels there are no set limits on how much time you must spend at a certain rank or in the Brotherhood, but it is expected that people spend a reasonable time at each level.  It is also expected that competent leaders consider this.
###This does not include application periods for positions open to the entire Brotherhood.
# It is strongly suggested that all Summits start keeping a close account of all activities their members engage in. This ranges from hanging out on IRC, to participating in a competition, to completing a massive Unit project. Record what your members do.  It will make it easier for you to justify an award when you want to reward them.
##Rogue hopping, wherein a member transfers to Rogue status before transferring to a new Independent Unit, is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action when discovered.
# The promotion and medal awarding authority of Unit leaders is important, but is not a guarantee of approval. That said, the Master At Arms staff adopts the presumption that the member is deserving of an award and that the unit leader is honestly working within the system. However, the Master At Arms staff will ensure that the appropriate award guidelines are followed.
#Members accepting leadership positions in units to which they do not currently belong should first request a transfer to the appropriate unit with confirmation of the appointment given as reason.
# Do not presume that Independent Unit institutions confer validity on your recommendations. How an Independent Unit is ultimately run is determined by the Independent Unit leaders, not the Master At Arms. However, any authority that specific leaders and bodies within an Independent Unit may have (other than official Brotherhood positions) does not carry over to the awarding of medals or promotions.
#Independent Unit Summits maintain the authority to decline transfers into their unit by members currently on probation with sufficient reason given to the Master at Arms and [[Justicar]].


== Transfers ==  
===Competitions===
#Members wishing to organize a competition for a unit they are not a member of, including Brotherhood-wide competitions, must get approval from their superiors.
#Regular Competition type is the standard as it allows the submission of documents and text through the website. If a competition requires alternate submission methods, Manual type should be used with appropriate reasoning in the request.
#All competitions are expected to be judged and closed within (30) days of the end date. Competitions still open after this time will result in a warning email to the organizers. Competitions that remain open after (45) days without appropriate explanation will be judged and closed by a member of the Master at Arms staff.
##Any competition with valid participation is expected to place crescents accordingly. Competitions closed without crescent placement will be re-opened and judged by a member of the Master at Arms staff.
#Crescents levels are tiered based on a breakdown explained in [[Awards]] with appropriate upgrades or downgrades.
##Flash and mobile games are subject to a one tier downgrade due to low effort required, as determined on a case-by-case basis.
##All competitions of the “Fiction/Run-on/Poetry” type automatically award [[Cluster of Ice]] based on word count. Competitions which do not award CIs but are still writing-based should be submitted as “Other” type.
##In the event of a tie during a non-group competition, the Master at Arms expects the next placement to be one less than the previous. This means that if two members place first, the next placement should be for third, not second.


# Do not use the transfer request form as a place for argument. If you have a problem with your superiors, address it to their superior. Do not just run away without addressing the problems. Transfers are the last resort. If you are transferring due to problems within your current Independent Unit, you are to email the Master At Arms office prior to transferring.
===Titles and Names===
# Transfers from Independent Unit to Independent Unit are examined and each one will be investigate by the Master at Arms office. Be sure to have a legitimate reason and any such requests should be discussed with your leaders before a transfer request is made.
#Official dossier names are limited to four total words. Hyphenated words are counted as two words, and nicknames or shortened names are counted toward the total.
# Rogue hopping will not be allowed.
# Refer to [[Banned Names]] for a list of names not accepted for members.
# In the case of transfers, the Master at Arms office may impose a 48-hour cool down period; this period can be ended early with the consent of the leader of the originating Independent Unit.
# Refer to [[Honorary Clan and Family Name Policy]] for more information about clan titles and Brotherhood families.
# Members accepting new positions in a Unit to which they do not already belong must first submit a transfer request before they will be appointed. Confirmation from their new unit leadership is required before appointment can be made.
# Refer to [[MAA Policy: Titles and Honorifics|Titles and Honorifics]] for more information about the granting of honorary, clan, and legacy titles.


== Competitions ==
===Other===
 
# No Emperor’s Hammer Dark Brotherhood ranks or awards are transferable to the Brotherhood except those obtained prior to the split (April 12, 2003). Evidence of the pre-split dossier is required before a dossier can be restored.
# If you want to run a competition for a group that you are not currently in charge of or that you are not a member of, you must get prior approval from someone that is. If you wish to award a medal that you do not have access to recommend, you must get approval from someone that does. You must indicate this approval in competition requests that are submitted to the database.
# Members who wish to leave the Brotherhood should consult the [[Deletion Policy]] for their options. Permanently deleted dossiers cannot and will not be restored under any circumstance.
# When using the competition submission form on the website, manual competitions should ideally be the exception rather than the rule.  Regular competitions allow for uploading of files and centralized storage of records. This is not meant to suggest that choosing the manual option will lead to a denial if the competition meets other guidelines. Regular competitions that have the submission through something other than the website will need to be submitted as manual competitions.
# Refer to the [[Clan, House and Independent House Guidelines]] for information on requirements for clan status.
 
== Legacy Titles ==
# The same rules governing valid names for your DB character also apply to your Legacy Title.  For example, use of words such as Darth or Lord will be declined unless you have previously earned the Sith Lord title.  Now defunct DB positions should only be used as Legacy Titles by members who once held the position.
 
== Other ==
 
# Recruiting from other Independent Units is strongly discouraged. Blatant attempts to get someone to join your unit from another unit by offering people medals, promotions, or positions will be referred to the Chamber of Justice. This does not include legitimate open application periods for positions wherein someone could join another unit by applying for and being offered a new position. Other recruiting attempts (those without bribes) are strongly discouraged. If you develop a reputation for siphoning off members, you will not be protected from the harsh criticism of your colleagues.
# No Emperor’s Hammer Dark Brotherhood ranks or awards are transferable to the Brotherhood except for those that were obtained prior to the split (April 12, 2003). Evidence of the pre-split dossier is required before a dossier can be restored.
# Members who wish to leave the Brotherhood have several options. They may transfer to the Rogues, have their dossier marked as inactive, have their dossier made invisible and inactive, or have their dossier permanently deleted. Permanently deleted dossiers cannot and will not be restored.
# Official dossier names are to contain only four parts for names. Hyphenated words will not be counted as one word, but as two. Nicknames or shortened portions of the original name are counted towards the four parts you are permitted to have.
# Families cannot exceed 10 members in size.
# Being in a family does not confer or allow any additional authority or privileges to do anything in regards to how Independent Units are run, or how medals or promotions are distributed within said Units. Families are merely a semi-formalized representation of a group of members that are friends. Membership in any family does not allow for any additional authority or privileges to do anything in the wider Brotherhood institutions as well.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
# Last updated December 7, 2013
* Last updated September 2014 by [[Aabsdu Dupar]]
# Current version of this document was prepared by Dark Jedi Master [[Howlader]], with editorial assistance from Dark Jedi Masters [[Korras]] and [[Kalen Aquillarum]]
* This document was prepared by [[Howlader]], with editorial assistance from [[Korras]] and [[Kalen Aquillarum]] in December 2013
# Initial document prepared by Dark Jedi Master [[Syn Kaek]]
* Initial document prepared by [[Syn Kaek]]


[[Category: MAA Policies]]
[[Category:MAA Policies]]

Revision as of 23:07, 25 September 2014

Real World Perspective.

The Master at Arms oversees a wide range of activities in the Brotherhood -- awards, promotions, competitions, titles, transfers, name and email changes, as well as managing rosters and positions. The page details various policies connected to these activities. Some items detailing more in depth policies, such as promotion guidelines, can be found in the Master at Arms Policies category. Any questions concerning these items should be directed to the MAA, currently Howlader.

Awards & Promotions

  1. While unit leaders are given the authority to award medals and grant promotions, the Master at Arms maintains the authority to approve, remand, or deny requests according to Brotherhood-wide standards that are known to all members and leaders. Any questions regarding a request’s authenticity should be directed to the MAA prior to submitting.
    1. Do not presume Independent Unit institutions confer validity on recommendations. How an Independent Unit is run is determined by the Independent Unit leaders, not the Master At Arms. However, any authority specific leaders and bodies within an Independent Unit may have (other than official Brotherhood positions) does not carry to the awarding of medals or promotions.
  2. All recommendations for rewards are required to contain specific, concrete details for activities described. While recommendations should detail a member’s character and personality, factual data should be provided in a contextual manner. Straight lists of activities, however, will not be accepted.
    1. Summits are encouraged to keep activity trackers of their members, or request members to keep personal trackers, so that medals and promotions may be granted at appropriate times.
  3. Awards cannot double dip activity. All activity, once recognized by a medal or promotion, cannot be used toward future awards. This does not apply to promotions, which are the sum total of all activity since the member’s last promotion.
    1. For the purposes of time-in-rank requirements for a promotion, a demotion is the equivalent of a promotion.
  4. All medals and promotions should be directed up and down the chain of command appropriately so each leader knows what is being requested and can avoid instances of denial due to double dipping.
  5. The Master at Arms maintains authority over all promotions. If you think a member deserves a promotion but does not yet satisfy the stated promotion guidelines, contact the MAA and explain the discrepancy.
    1. All promotions have time-in-rank guidelines. At the Journeyman level, time-in-rank is a hard requirement that can only be bypassed under rare and exceptional circumstances. At the Equite level, time-in-rank may be bypassed if the MAA agrees the member has accumulated the appropriate activity.
  6. Medals and promotions, once granted, can only be revoked by the Chamber of Justice. This includes instances in which new medals may be created, resulting in the conversion of old medals.

Transfers

  1. Transfer requests are not a forum for argument or discussion. Problems with unit superiors should be addressed directly between the relevant members. Transfers that are a result of conflict should be brought to the attention of the Master at Arms prior to submitting, so the MAA may ensure the transfer is a last resort option.
  2. Transfers between Independent Units are given a 48-hour cool down period during which time the summit of each unit is contacted to confirm the transfer. Leaders are given the opportunity to contact the member to attempt to maintain their current state.
    1. The direct recruitment of members from one unit to another with promises of medals, promotions, or other entitlements is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the Dark Jedi Brotherhood.
      1. This does not include application periods for positions open to the entire Brotherhood.
    2. Rogue hopping, wherein a member transfers to Rogue status before transferring to a new Independent Unit, is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action when discovered.
  3. Members accepting leadership positions in units to which they do not currently belong should first request a transfer to the appropriate unit with confirmation of the appointment given as reason.
  4. Independent Unit Summits maintain the authority to decline transfers into their unit by members currently on probation with sufficient reason given to the Master at Arms and Justicar.

Competitions

  1. Members wishing to organize a competition for a unit they are not a member of, including Brotherhood-wide competitions, must get approval from their superiors.
  2. Regular Competition type is the standard as it allows the submission of documents and text through the website. If a competition requires alternate submission methods, Manual type should be used with appropriate reasoning in the request.
  3. All competitions are expected to be judged and closed within (30) days of the end date. Competitions still open after this time will result in a warning email to the organizers. Competitions that remain open after (45) days without appropriate explanation will be judged and closed by a member of the Master at Arms staff.
    1. Any competition with valid participation is expected to place crescents accordingly. Competitions closed without crescent placement will be re-opened and judged by a member of the Master at Arms staff.
  4. Crescents levels are tiered based on a breakdown explained in Awards with appropriate upgrades or downgrades.
    1. Flash and mobile games are subject to a one tier downgrade due to low effort required, as determined on a case-by-case basis.
    2. All competitions of the “Fiction/Run-on/Poetry” type automatically award Cluster of Ice based on word count. Competitions which do not award CIs but are still writing-based should be submitted as “Other” type.
    3. In the event of a tie during a non-group competition, the Master at Arms expects the next placement to be one less than the previous. This means that if two members place first, the next placement should be for third, not second.

Titles and Names

  1. Official dossier names are limited to four total words. Hyphenated words are counted as two words, and nicknames or shortened names are counted toward the total.
  2. Refer to Banned Names for a list of names not accepted for members.
  3. Refer to Honorary Clan and Family Name Policy for more information about clan titles and Brotherhood families.
  4. Refer to Titles and Honorifics for more information about the granting of honorary, clan, and legacy titles.

Other

  1. No Emperor’s Hammer Dark Brotherhood ranks or awards are transferable to the Brotherhood except those obtained prior to the split (April 12, 2003). Evidence of the pre-split dossier is required before a dossier can be restored.
  2. Members who wish to leave the Brotherhood should consult the Deletion Policy for their options. Permanently deleted dossiers cannot and will not be restored under any circumstance.
  3. Refer to the Clan, House and Independent House Guidelines for information on requirements for clan status.

Notes