I was sitting at a cafe waiting for my food and I started thinking about the site for no particular reason. Drawing small parallels at first, I soon found that RERN was a lot like a restaurant. Looking at regular members like customers, mods would be the equivalent of waiters and the admins would be like the chefs.
Intrigued, potential customers would come in because of good reviews or simply because the place looks decent and active. They sit and look over the menu, scanning over the full list of possible choices. Some will know exactly what they want while others will take their time considering the the various appetizers, entrees and what have you. Of course, there are always those who would rather skip the menu altogether and just order randomly while the waiter informs them that such dishes are not available.
Generally, few people are brave enough to order a full course meal right off the bat and most start with something small - perhaps a soup or a salad. They order and the waiters scurry to the kitchen and can prepare such dishes quickly and efficiently. The patrons are often pleased with the level of quality in the food and service and eventually order their main dishes. Seldom do people leave before ordering an entree, but it does happen. As demand for larger and more complex dishes increases, the waiters are hard pressed to keep up with the orders and service suffers. Discontent, the patrons flag down their respective waiters.
"Excuse me, I've been sitting here for 24 hours. Can you check if my food is ready yet?"
While the people working at the restaurant may seem like the ever-grinding cogs of a great machine, they are in fact still human. They are susceptible to error, forgetfulness, and the full assortment of flaws that define the human condition. How they deal with customers varies in difficulty. Some are easy to get along with as they make simple orders and are polite and considerate. And then there are those customers. The people who come in laughing and talking loudly; the people who insist on making a thousand specific requests with their dishes; the people who have no respect for anyone else in the establishment and make direct insults against those serving them.
A good waiter would ignore these annoyances and continue with their job as usual, but as stated earlier, waiters are human and humans are rarely saints. These are the situations that morally warrant them spitting in the food they serve. The customer wouldn't notice and even if they did, it would be nigh impossible to prove. Any odd taste or consistency in their dish could easily be attributed to the cooking method, the ingredients or some other factor invisible to the person ordering.
Behind the scenes, the chefs alone determine what is served and what is not. They try to come up with a selection of foods that taste good and won't conflict with too many common dietary trends. They may try to avoid allergies and make everything fat-free and perfect, but the truth of the matter is that it is impossible to please everyone. As such, new dishes are far and few between. The wait staff pass on possible ideas based on frequent requests but that is often the full extent of their influence. Older, distinguished head chefs may not even have to cook at all and still retain their positions.
RERN Restaurant Analogy
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((Mind if I tag along? This is a really thought-provoking idea.))
Unlike some restaurants, this one is constantly changing. Some of the more unpopular items on the menu have been removed, and new "chef's creations" are put on the menu. Some of these dishes were conceived from a mere idea, but all of the chefs and even the waiters try these dishes before being served to the customers. Some new dishes are loved by all and go straight to the menu, but most of the time the other chefs and waiters have suggestions to make it even better.
The restaurant sometimes has fun events for the benefit of the customers, and they also have a feedback-box by the door. The waiters and chefs sift through the multitude of letters, and some of them are so profound that they go back to some of their more popular dishes and realize the customer's idea could make it that much more delicious.
To help with the retirement of some of their staff (and occasional firings), sometimes a "help wanted" sign is posted inside the restaurant, and some of the more regular customers apply to become waiters. The chefs and other waiters look through their resumes and take the select few they consider promising and run them through a 'mock workday' in a corner of the restaurant. Customers are often glad to volunteer as participants in the test, especially since the drinks are free. Sometimes the other waiters participate, and the occasional chef. If the 'waiter-hopefuls' impress the chefs and waiters with their work ethic and creativity, they get to wear the blue vest and name tag to join the ranks of the staff.
As the waiters work throughout the years, some of them watch the chefs carefully and communicate with them; they learn about cooking, brainstorm ideas about new spices and other ingredients, etc. This rarely goes unnoticed, and sometimes the chefs come together and ask one of those waiters if he/she wants to don the green chef's apron. Some are hesitant to take on such a responsibility, but they often take the chefs' offer.
Unlike some restaurants, this one is constantly changing. Some of the more unpopular items on the menu have been removed, and new "chef's creations" are put on the menu. Some of these dishes were conceived from a mere idea, but all of the chefs and even the waiters try these dishes before being served to the customers. Some new dishes are loved by all and go straight to the menu, but most of the time the other chefs and waiters have suggestions to make it even better.
The restaurant sometimes has fun events for the benefit of the customers, and they also have a feedback-box by the door. The waiters and chefs sift through the multitude of letters, and some of them are so profound that they go back to some of their more popular dishes and realize the customer's idea could make it that much more delicious.
To help with the retirement of some of their staff (and occasional firings), sometimes a "help wanted" sign is posted inside the restaurant, and some of the more regular customers apply to become waiters. The chefs and other waiters look through their resumes and take the select few they consider promising and run them through a 'mock workday' in a corner of the restaurant. Customers are often glad to volunteer as participants in the test, especially since the drinks are free. Sometimes the other waiters participate, and the occasional chef. If the 'waiter-hopefuls' impress the chefs and waiters with their work ethic and creativity, they get to wear the blue vest and name tag to join the ranks of the staff.
As the waiters work throughout the years, some of them watch the chefs carefully and communicate with them; they learn about cooking, brainstorm ideas about new spices and other ingredients, etc. This rarely goes unnoticed, and sometimes the chefs come together and ask one of those waiters if he/she wants to don the green chef's apron. Some are hesitant to take on such a responsibility, but they often take the chefs' offer.
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Aaand then the roof gets smashed in by BoxNix.
I like the metaphor, though, Pocket. Very cool.
I like the metaphor, though, Pocket. Very cool.
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Sometimes, when a customer is acting out of place, a waiter is given the power to talk the customer into behaving. Whether that be harshly or softly, that would be up to the waiter. Though others cannot see it, these reprimands are put on a 'permanent record' of sorts, visible only to the receiver and the restaurant's staff. When these reprimands reach a determined maximum, the customer is forcefully banned from the restaurant for a period of time. Banning procedures are done to preserve the mood of the restaurant, so as not to disrupt the dining experience of other customers. Very rarely does a customer get permanently barred from the restaurant, though it does happen from time to time.
Awesome analogy, Pocket.
Awesome analogy, Pocket.
