Speaking as one of the people who lost a lot from those chests, this definitely seems pretty silly all around. On the one hand, yeah, it's just a game -- getting worked up about it is ridiculous, and there's certainly no cause for out of character threats and such.
On the other hand, burning mere building materials (chests full of cobble and the like) is definitely a dick move. It's within the rules, sure... but it's way more douchey than necessary. Typically, if you're gonna raid, you go in, kill some characters, steal what you have room for, and leave... and then return to fill up your inventory again later. You don't just destroy all their progress. "Oh my god, they have a double chest full of DIRT! If I leave this, they'll be a town in no time! BURN IT ALL!"
While, yes, Proctors aren't really treated as Staff in game, I do think this is outrageously dickish behavior for a Proctor (or -any- member of staff). From what I've read while preparing
my own application for Proctorship, Proctors serve a dual purpose:
- Whitelisting -- Getting good people in, and keeping the assholes out
- Making a good/professional first impression -- Convincing new players that this is the best server there is, and welcoming them.
That second point doesn't mean you should pull punches, of course -- this is still a hardcore server, and it wouldn't be as great as it is if it weren't. It does mean being less of a dick than others though -- plain and simple, if you're an asshole, you shouldn't be a Proctor. Just my two cents, and I may be risking my own welcome here by saying so, but... it needs to be said. This server is notable in part because of its highly professional and respected staff, and I feel that iTzDeXy has failed to uphold that reputation. Again, he was well within his rights, and there's nothing in the rules, ToS, or EULA to suggest otherwise... But I'm disappointed to see that the staff isn't as uniformly respectable/good-natured as it seemed at first glance.
There's a difference between Hardcore and Dickishness. Hardcore means progress is difficult, trust is limited, and nothing is guaranteed. Dickishness is all that, plus a driving desire to ruin others' experiences. Worse, dickishness breeds dickishness -- just look at how badly this spiraled out of control. Call me a hippy, but I don't get why Hardcore and Maturity/Respect can't coexist in a symbiotic relationship.
All that aside, as a proponent of the emergent stories inherent in playing Minecraft online, I'm looking forward to the narrative this has created -- purely in-game, we must now utilize our resources to gain our righteous revenge.