A Letter from the Creator
Hello my dear reader. Today I bring to you a new little series I like to call "Owners vs. The World". In this blog, I'll be addressing multiple problems and topics that today's Minecraft server owners usually have. I'll also be giving a few tips from my experience as an Admin and Owner to use for your own server. I hope this little blog helps, and I'll be making more in the future!

Also, you might be asking "what's this guy's experience?" I have been playing Minecraft since 2011 and got my first staff job in Late 2012. It wasen't long before I opened my own server and experimented with plugins, staff members, problems, coding, and the usual duties of a server owner. I have since then gotten 3 different jobs as an Admin and that have been sucessful. I retired/resigned/left all those servers on my own terms. I closed down my server earlier this year after a year long run, then decided to retire from Minecraft Server Administration after I stepped down from another Admin job last month. Now, I remain a Minecraft player and strive to use my experience to help today's current server owners!

Again, I hope you enjoy this blog and I'll be looking forward to making more in the future!

Admins - How to Hire Them

It's an age old problem, and it's not constricted to just Minecraft. Admins, peculiar and unpredictable yet powerful and seemenly unrestricted. Some are nice, some are jerks, and some just...well don't know what they're doing. In my opinion, there's no such thing as the "perfect" admin, but if you know what to do, you can hire a pretty darn good one! From a simple application it can be hard to pinpoint the actual intentions of someone. There are defienetly some traits and perks you want to look into before even reading that person's application.


Let's say you're a newish community. You've gained a decent following, but thus far you are the only one maintaining the server. You think it's time to start looking to hire a right-hand man (more specifically, another OP).
Now, here's some things I usually look for in applicants, before I even consider hiring them.

First thing, I WOULD NEVER HIRE AN ADMIN WITHOUT A PROPER APPLICATION. Seriously, if some player comes on and spam "MAY I BEZ OP I HAZ SKLLZ #YOLOSWAG420" then the only thing you should do is laugh and mute him/her without question. I would always request a formal application when someone would like a shot at becoming an admin. There's plenty of ways to create an application form! However, if they do submit an application or go through an interview...

Look at their track record and ask yourself...
Do they have any bans, and if so, were they justified, and has this player repented?
Does this person have a history of harrassing, bullying or trolling other players?
Is this person actually experienced with plugins, player services, etc.?
Is this individual experienced with your server?
But most importantly, is this person generally liked by the community?

Next, research even further. Give your community a voice in the decision. Reach out to them by asking if they think "Is so and so really right for the job?" or "Has <insert name here> done a lot for this server without operator permissions?" Your community should be a large influence on your decision. If that applicant is not necessarily well liked, then hiring him/her could have a very negative influence on your server. Remember, your job is to serve the community, and your decision should benefit everyone!

Now, since you've got more information on the person, actually read the application. There are very specific things I look for here, including...
Does the person use proper grammar? (Seriously, huge one)
Does it look like the person actually tried on their application instead of just putting some lazy, generic answer?
Is it easy to contact this person though Skype, Teamspeak, Enjin, AIM, etc.?
Is this person's credentials/recommendations legitimate? Do they have any proof?
And, do you PERSONALLY think that the application is true?

If you answer these questions, and if you really think that they will be true to their words, then go ahead and give them a chance! AGAIN, I WARN YOU, the admin can sometimes be unpredictable. When hiring a brand new Admin, I would reccommend restricting their permissions a little first, like a "Trial Admin" or "Jr. Admin", to see if they can actually handle their new powers. Be sure to secretly monitor their behavior on the server. I reccommend using Console to monitor the chat. Then, when the time is right, and you begin to trust them more and more, give them more permissions over time. Eventually, you may be able to trust them enough to give them full power, and if you do, congratulations! You've found a good admin who will be your trusty sidekick when running your server!

Good admins are what keep a nice server going. Always make sure to be careful about who you are hiring, and be sure to check their creditionals before even considering hiring them! There are many wonderful and helpful Minecrafters out there, you just need to know where and when to look for them! I wish you the best of luck with your Admin search, and hope you find someone who can support your server and community from behind and in front of the scenes!

Please, if you liked this blog, diamond, favorite and subscribe as I will be adding more! If you have questions, comments, opinions or suggestions, leave a comment below! (Be Nice :) )

Until next time, I'm doofdoof67. Join me next time when I go over some more (possibly) helpful tips that could benefit the growth of your server!