The Care Taker

[TerrorFox1234]

Edit: I no longer oversee this account. Please do not send me a DM regarding this service.

It has been passed to the moderation team and requests should be made per the instructions below. If you have a question regarding The Care Taker that is not covered in the following description, you may contact Nexus Mods' Community Managers via the usual channels.

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I’ll try to keep this brief. I’d been working on an idea involving a special Nexus Mods account specifically used for hosting mods by authors that no longer wish to be active as a mod author, but still wanted their mods to be available to the community.

As it turns out, a former moderator already created an account, The Care Taker, with the same intent. We have taken over that account and will be using it for the purpose mentioned above.

Here are the details:

• The service is entirely voluntary.
  
• Requests related to The Care Taker must be made here. (Only accessible via the General Mod Author Discussion forums).
  There are a few types of requests you can make, that we have provided templates for:
  
  - Opt-In Request - Nothing changes as long as you remain active. If you are inactive for a certain amount of time (that you specify) we will transfer the requested mod(s) to The Care Taker and add the disclaimer to the description.
  
  - Transfer Request - Use this if you would like your mod(s) transferred as soon as possible.
  
  - Permission Request - Looking to patch/edit/port/mutilate a mod that requires permission but has been transferred to The Care Taker?
  
  - Return Request - If you are returning to modding and wish to have your mods transferred back to you. Bear in mind that you will need to be able to prove that you are the original author.
  Your best bet, in this regard, is to make the request using the account that the mods were originally uploaded to.
  (If you had your account deactivated you will need to fill out the unban request form and work with staff on regaining access to your account)
  
  - Other Request - This is for any request that doesn't fit one of the above templates.
  
• Nothing about the mod’s Nexus Page (permissions, description, images, credits, etc) will change unless requested.
  
• Your account will be given editing permission on the mod, should you need access but don't want to transfer it back.
  
• If you change your mind before the transfer is made, simply remove your request.
  If the transfer has already been made, please make a new request. A moderator will message you for verification before transferring the mods back to you.

 

 

The disclaimer added to the description of mods hosted by The Care Taker reads as follows:

Attention: This mod is no longer being supported or updated.

This mod has been uploaded by "The Care Taker". This account is run by Nexus Mods for the purpose of hosting mods created by authors who are no longer active within the community.

If you are a mod author and would like to learn more about this service, you can find details regarding The Care Taker HERE.

Happy modding!

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As mentioned this is entirely voluntary. A lot of you may be fine with simply leaving your mods up on your own accounts and putting your own “no longer supported” disclaimer on it. That is totally fine. This idea spawned after seeing a few MAs leave the community and pull their mods down simply because they didn’t want to leave them up unattended. After receiving permission from a couple of them to rehost their mods, I decided to move forward with the idea.
The bottom line is that if you like the idea of the service, use it. If you don’t think it’s necessary, don’t use it. No big deal either way.

When you make a request regarding this service (as outlined above) feel free to include any other details or changes you think are important. We've had MAs ask us to transfer their mods as quietly as possible (no announcing that their mods are available again on other modding sites/chats). Others have requested that we switch their permissions to open source upon their departure, so that others may continue their work or make use of assets. You may have other stipulations you’d like to specify. If your request is within our ability, it will be done.

Thanks for your consideration and I hope someone finds this helpful.

Regards,
TF

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F.A.Q.

Q: What's the point? Can't mod authors simply leave their mods up and say it's not supported?
A: They certainly can. It's mostly a "peace of mind" thing. Some authors would prefer their mods left in the hands of someone capable when they leave. That was the reason given to me by one of the author's that initially gave me permission to host their mods.
Another wants to continue to use their account as a member but doesn't want their mods listed under their name anymore. Again, it's a "peace of mind" thing. This person can now use Nexus Mods as a normal member without being "tempted" to check in on their mods or getting DMs from users about the mods.
If you think the service is useful and something you would like, use it. If not, don't. It's not a big deal either way and this isn't something we're really trying to "sell" on anyone.

Q: Will The Care Taker host mods made by authors who have been banned?
A: That depends on the details of their ban. Obviously, if they were banned for using stolen assets, no. If they were banned for behavior, then it is possible. They would have to be the one to request it, as is the case with all mods hosted by The Care Taker.

Q: Do I still have access to my mod? Can I ever get my mod back? Can I change my mind once I opt in? Can I request that detail X be changed to suit my needs? Some other question answered in the OP?
A: All that and more! Right in this very post!

[Anqayas]

Great idea.

[Habalak]

YES! YES! YEEEEEEESSSSSSS! This is exactly what I've been wanting! Thank you so much! This is a dream come true for modders everywhere! :D

[TerrorFox1234]

YES! YES! YEEEEEEESSSSSSS! This is exactly what I've been wanting! Thank you so much! This is a dream come true for modders everywhere! :D

Happy to be of service!

[darkceo]

Great idea, there are so many good mods that were lost because modders decided to quit and take down their work.

[Niborino9409]

As a general question; as this concept grows(as it's a great service I bet it's bound to do so) will there be multiple care takers? Because it feels a bit impossible for one person to keep track of all the mods. :huh:

Edited November 14, 2017 by Niborino9409

[TerrorFox1234]

As a general question; as this concept grows(as it's a great service I bet it's bound to do so) will there be multiple care takers? Because it feels a bit impossible for one person to keep track of all the mods. :huh:

 

Part of what makes this so easy for one person to manage is that, realistically, I don't need to manage anything. When a mod is transferred to The Care Taker, it is done so with the disclaimer that the mod will no longer be supported or updated (see the orange disclaimer in the original post). Thus, I have no need to constantly be checking in on all the mods. I am not working on them or supporting them. This is simply a way for mod authors to free themselves of any association with their mods (and the burden of support that may come with that), while still ensuring that the mods are available, in an "as is" state for anyone who still wants to use them. Beyond that, I also give full editing access to the original author after the transfer so that, in the event that they need to a crucial update later down the line, they can do so without needing to reach out to me or take the mod back over. They can do what they need to from behind-the-scenes while leaving the mod in the hands of The Care Taker.

 

Make sense?

[Niborino9409]

Yeah but I think I had read a comment on mod support or adding a feature but that was from the original author. Doing it the way I described would be kind of impossible though but the way it's actually set-up makes more sense =)

[Duzellx]

im honestly surprised more mods arnt being done by caretaker i have dozens of such that authors no longer maintain that id gladly provide if i could do so

[decopauge123]

This is a great service you provide, TerrorFox1234. It saddens me to see popular mods that are still in use suffer deresolution because the author is unable or unwilling to continue supporting their mods.

 

"This has been posted in the General Mod Author Forums for awhile (as it really only pertains to mod authors), but I've had quite a few requests, from users and authors alike, that the information be made public."

 

Have anyone ever considered taking a proactive step, sending a single message/PM/E-mail to mod authors with mods that appear to be candidates for this service?