Do you report offensive behavior that occurs in general chat?

[Brosephiine]

females who are mad because they tried to be funny and someone told them to get in the kitchen are running this thread.

 

I make the best sammiches, you got a problem with that?

[BigBadEdward]

Offense is always taken, not given.

 

 

FWIW, I don't get offended because I agree with you, no one can offend me unless I let them.

 

However, it comes down to intent. It's easy to tell the difference between someone who is just insensitive, uneducated or just downright stupid and someone who is trolling for a reaction. There is no benefit to keeping a griefer around, we're all playing a game here to relax and have fun, listening to some pathetic loser spout his nonsense is neither relaxing or fun so he needs to go. There is no defense anyone can mount for these people, they need to go play by themselves or learn some manners. Option two is not my responsibility but I have the power to help option 1 on it's course.

[Subatia]

I've went back and re-read this entire thread. There have been 65 different people who have responded. Of them, 39 (60%) agree that extreme vulgar language has no place in general or Ops chat and would report it. 13 (20%) say that they have the right to say whatever they want, with the other 13 making posts that I could not determine intent.

 

So, by a 3:1 margin, people have rejected the idea that you can say whatever you want in general chat.

[Romanticyde]

lol because a thread where the majority of the posts are from the same 3 people is a good measure

 

shut up seriously

 

 

forums are always the vocal minority in every game, go in game and do the same survey you are greatly outnumbered and you know it

[Brosephiine]

I don't think Romanticyde has read the entire thread.

 

I have difficulty believing Subatia did, but I'm willing to take his word for it lol.

 

I've only hopped in here and there, I didn't bother to read the entire thread.

[Romanticyde]

I don't think Romanticyde has read the entire thread.

 

I have difficulty believing Subatia did, but I'm willing to take his word for it lol.

 

I've only hopped in here and there, I didn't bother to read the entire thread.

 

 

actually I have, was bored in my SQL database classes and have been reading through this

 

problem?

[Subatia]

lol because a thread where the majority of the posts are from the same 3 people is a good measure

 

shut up seriously

 

 

forums are always the vocal minority in every game, go in game and do the same survey you are greatly outnumbered and you know it

 

65 different people posted.

 

60% say no to vulgarities in general chat.

 

Irony: you telling me to shut up while you argue for the right to use offensive language.

 

So, here, you are in the minority.

[Brosephiine]

actually I have, was bored in my SQL database classes and have been reading through this

 

problem?

 

Meh, I'll take your word for it, but there have been plenty of different people posting in this thread so to generalize it down into 3 is juuuust a little inaccurate. Makes me think you'd like to have less people share our views.

 

Also makes me think you're the type of person to look down your nose at someone because they don't share your views.

 

By the way? Thanks for jumping to the conclusion that we're all a bunch of feminist idiots, as per your "they mad they got told to go to the kitchen" post. Good to know us females are always looped into the same pot.

[Romanticyde]

65 different people posted.

 

60% say no to vulgarities in general chat.

 

Irony: you telling me to shut up while you argue for the right to use offensive language.

 

So, here, you are in the minority.

 

again i implore you to ask this in game, and you know what the result will be

 

on the forums, people wont bother to reply to this trash because it's not a concern, heck the only reason I replied is because I was annoyed by the females in this thread giving female gamers a bad name by devolving the discussion into senseless cutsie talk and carebear "omg don't be mean" pats on each others backs

[BigBadEdward]

What's the purpose of using profanity in general chat? Do you go to the mall and scream out profanity? Do you use it when talking to your grandmother? Just because you can do something isn't an excuse to do it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I could out cuss any of you on my worst day but there is a time and place for everything. Screaming obscenties in public, yes general chat is "public", is just flat rude and there is seldom an excuse for rude behavior.

[Brosephiine]

again i implore you to ask this in game, and you know what the result will be

 

on the forums, people wont bother to reply to this trash because it's not a concern, heck the only reason I replied is because I was annoyed by the females in this thread giving female gamers a bad name by devolving the discussion into senseless cutsie talk and carebear "omg don't be mean" pats on each others backs

 

This right here proves you haven't read the thread LOL.

[firequill]

 

We've been over this and over this in the past few pages, by the way. A lot of it has to do with context. Generally you can tell when someone means no harm and they're just joking around. But when someone is actually using a racial slur as a derogatory term, yeah I'm gonna report them.

 

I would also report someone for talking about sex or violence in an overly graphical way that's just downright obscene.

 

Case in point:

I was leveling a Jedi Consular a while back on a random server just trying out the game and this kid starts talking about cooking meth in his own lab and selling it and how he likes to beat up women and children and was generally just being a sexist pig. I reported him for it. He was either trolling or he was downright serious, the way he spoke made it clear that he was trying to come off seriously. While yes it was amusing to watch people tease this kid in General chat and watch him shoot off any number of derogatory slurs at them, I felt that it had no place in the game and went against the rules, so I reported him. Him specifically because he was the one that was actually mouthing off being an idiot, the others were teasing him but they didn't take him seriously and never said an actual bad word against him other than, "Is this kid for real? Who does this kind of stupid ****?"

 

I'm fairly certain this is the kind of thing the OP was referring to when the thread was made.

 

 

We?

Whos this "We" business?

Why are you speaking on the behalf of others?

 

Excuse me, but did i pick on you?

Did i Offend you?

 

 

The point still stands.

the person broke the rules, you reported him for it, or her, wichever the case may be.

Well done for playing by the rules.

 

what you "Feel has no place in the game"...

have you really thought that one through?

 

If it goes against the rules, by all means, report away.

If you find the rules to be wrong, then please work to change it, that is your right if you wish, and noone will blame you for it.

 

 

The trouble is precisely that some people are offended by a lot of things, some more than others, should they then have the capacity to keep you from speaking?

 

If you are easily offended by everyday mmo-morons, then the profanity filter should be your best friend..It's what it's there for..

heck even having the general chat open probably gives you a hernia.

 

i mean really, what'd you expect?

humans behaving like anything other than humans?

 

I haven't seen anything worthy of a report as of yet, but then again, i'm busy playing the game most of the time.

 

If someones mouthing off in chat, just generally i don't feel the need to go "ZOMG" and slam the report button.

that's not how I work.

And no, YOU may not dictate what i should react to or not react to. like you just did by replying specifically to me, implying there was some kind of consensus standard i have to adhere to.

 

 

Tl:dr

Yes, there is a report-function.

Yes, you may use it when you see fit.

NO, you may not tell me when i have to use it.

Especially not using emotional arguments and guilt trips.

(That offends me, and i will report you for it.)

 

 

 

/Peace

[TItanten]

I don't report for swearing unless it is directed at one person, excessive, and purposely skips the filter.

 

Racist remarks I'll report instantly.

 

Homophobic remarks I'll report instantly.

 

Political remarks, especially stupid stuff like killing political leaders, joke or not, I report instantly.

 

 

Remember, if you act like an ******e bad stuff will happen to you.

[Brosephiine]

 

 

 

We?

Whos this "We" business?

Why are you speaking on the behalf of others?

 

Excuse me, but did i pick on you?

Did i Offend you?

 

 

The point still stands.

the person broke the rules, you reported him for it, or her, wichever the case may be.

Well done for playing by the rules.

 

what you "Feel has no place in the game"...

have you really thought that one through?

 

If it goes against the rules, by all means, report away.

If you find the rules to be wrong, then please work to change it, that is your right if you wish, and noone will blame you for it.

 

 

The trouble is precisely that some people are offended by a lot of things, some more than others, should they then have the capacity to keep you from speaking?

 

If you are easily offended by everyday mmo-morons, then the profanity filter should be your best friend..It's what it's there for..

heck even having the general chat open probably gives you a hernia.

 

i mean really, what'd you expect?

humans behaving like anything other than humans?

 

I haven't seen anything worthy of a report as of yet, but then again, i'm busy playing the game most of the time.

 

If someones mouthing off in chat, just generally i don't feel the need to go "ZOMG" and slam the report button.

that's not how I work.

And no, YOU may not dictate what i should react to or not react to. like you just did by replying specifically to me, implying there was some kind of consensus standard i have to adhere to.

 

 

Tl:dr

Yes, there is a report-function.

Yes, you may use it when you see fit.

NO, you may not tell me when i have to use it.

Especially not using emotional arguments and guilt trips.

(That offends me, and i will report you for it.)

 

 

 

/Peace

 

By "we" I mean the thread as a whole. This point has been covered. It's all about context.

 

What I feel has no place in the game as far as chatting is anything that goes against what the rules have stated. For my example, he broke the rules and I reported him. Simple as that. I myself wasn't actually offended by what he posted, but I happened to notice it (while questing) and I decided I could take a moment and report it. I never said anything about the rules being wrong.

 

If someone is offended by something I say and they actually bring it to my attention, I'll apologize outright because that's just how I was raised. If someone is offended and they report me... Well, I generally make sure they never have much to report me on. Here's the thing: I agree wholeheartedly with the rules and I adhere to them. Swearing up a storm in general? I'll even join in. Using derogatory comments to inflame others? I'll report it if I see it. If someone finds my swearing to be offensive? Well, there's a filter for that as you said. Bioware has taken care of that issue and I won't be punished for it because I haven't broken a rule.

 

My point is that I am NOT offended by every day MMO-morons and I like joining in General chat and contributing to the fun. But some people take it too far by breaking the rules and THAT is when I report them. THAT is what the OP is asking about, not simple swearing. Both the OP and I have stated that neither of us have a problem with it.

 

I never used a guilt trip at all, nor did I say YOU need to use the report button. I specifically remember this thread asking a question about when/if people use the report feature and I was merely trying to explain the initial question of the thread and give an example of what I do, not demand you adhere to my standards. You have your own standards and that's just fine by me.

[-Aarioch-]

Thank you for your thoughts. I can totally see where you are coming from and I'm afraid I may have come off as a bit rigid and high handed in my original post.

 

I do not have an issue with swear words in chat nor do I have an issue with people using gratuitous swear words in guild chat. I myself am guilty of it. I'm not some goody goody who tries to foist her morals and values on everyone.

 

My problem is when chat turns into something that the majority are likely offended by, to varying degrees.

 

It's just since the launch of SWTOR have I begun to get fed up with the community on my server. It was constant. I keep seeing people in this thread saying I haven't been specific about the offenses that get under my skin so much. Since I never SS anything, I'll give you a few examples of what I'm talking about.

 

"Hey Suchandsuch, why the hell did you kick me from the group?!?"

"****, noob, learn to heal. You're probably American, ."

"I was healing, but everyone was on different targets, taking damage..."

"Just like spoiled rotten Americans, expecting everything to be handed to them...go kill yourself, loser."

"**** you, ***-hole"

 

and so on and so forth and it just escalates. At this point, you have several players getting in on the discussion, ripping into Americans, making the environment even more hostile.

 

That is just one example, though hating on certain national groups is pretty commonplace. How can something like that be taken out of context?

 

Can anyone honestly tell me that this type of behavior should be allowed to continue without consequence when the developers themselves outlined specifically that it is NOT ALLOWED?

 

I did not take you as rigid or high handed, and I actually agree that people should know better than to act like a d-bag in public chat, I just felt the need to point out that just because we feel they should doesn't mean they have to do it or face the wrath of [insert judgmental entity here].

 

Much like sosold(and I forget the way he/she spelled their forum name..) was saying we are not the ones to judge what is appropriate... and the support people could swing either way on some pretty innocuous commentary.

 

Either way, I don't think you should not report them, but I don't do it unless the commentary is pretty aggressive/derogatory and directly aimed at an individual.

 

I was mostly just compelled to state my perspective, not trying to imply what yours should be.

 

Edited January 26, 2012 by -Aarioch-

[Brosephiine]

Ahh, Aarioch has the right idea imo. :]

Edited January 26, 2012 by Brosephiine

[Appletaz]

 

[snip]

 

So again, where are you getting the idea that Bio Ware is supposed to police General Chat and the Forums? I've looked at the Company Ethos, Policies, Forum Rules and I've found no such policy stated that they are required to do such a thing.

---

 

I honestly think you are a little obsessed with overkill. And while you may be correct in legalities, you forget we are talking about the spirit of the thing.

 

Why do I think that they should moderate their general chat and the forums??? Because it is in their best interest to do so. Without doing that, you get something like what goes on in DK chat all the time. It speaks well of the company to do so, lending a certain quality to the experience of playing their game. That is what society does, by the way.

 

No one seems to really be freaked out that they moderate the forums... though many are pretty happy they do so. For some reason, General Chat is this sacred cow. It is perplexing.

 

I am sorry you spent so much time researching your response to me. Having to read all of that was a lot of time to spend. But at least now you are informed.

[Uruare]

Different time zones are different. I passed out after my post last night lol.

 

That's not a bad idea. I kinda just threw something together with a sloppy title because I wasn't feeling creative enough to do better. xD I posted the topic because I was tired of seeing people's need for instant gratification and their subsequent bashing of Bioware as a terrible gaming company. "It can't be this hard to fix!" Well, yes it can lol.

 

 

Oh, I wasn't saying the title of your guide is pretentious. My concept-designation of a 'Community Values Guide' might be though.

 

Still, as a concept, the thrust of your guide is in, I feel, a good direction.

 

Bioware's not a terrible gaming company either, no. Your reference to instant gratification, I think, hinges on hugely different rates of player experience versus developers' capacities to react.

 

Takes me all of 20 minutes to make a new Imp marauder, putz around Korriban for a bit and, because I (for whatever reasons, real or imagined) didn't like how it played, decry the class as broken and demand it be fixed.

 

There's no way developers, no matter how awesome they are, can look at that sort of feedback and even begin to make use of it, even if they assume its a valid opinion sample of a reasonable segment of their playerbase.

 

Utterly impossible. It takes them weeks and a lot of hard work on the parts of dozens of people to arrive at even desperate, probably less-than-ideal changes to balances and systems.

 

It can take a player all of one bad experience in a twenty minute isolated circumstance to set them howling.

 

So, I think your guide's thrust is not merely accurate, but good. We need more things like that.

 

Again, stuff people can reference for perspective and possibly point others to when Internet Word Dueling isn't getting, or really just can't/won't get, anywhere.

 

Me, I tend to be good with ideas and behind-the-scenes engineering. You've got a readily obvious good head for presentation and disarming reparte'.

 

Wanna see if we can't drum up a team to collaborate on a values-perspective guide sort've...thingy?

 

Someone else might have to title it and be the face of the matter. I'm far too prone to going "You're an idiot!" and kicking things (read: people) to be ideal for that sort've task.

 

I'd also quite possibly name it something alienating like "Idiot's Guide To Not Being Retarded" or something entirely unhelpful.

 

I know me. Foibles and all.

[Brosephiine]

Oh, I wasn't saying the title of your guide is pretentious. My concept-designation of a 'Community Values Guide' might be though.

 

Still, as a concept, the thrust of your guide is in, I feel, a good direction.

 

Bioware's not a terrible gaming company either, no. Your reference to instant gratification, I think, hinges on hugely different rates of player experience versus developers' capacities to react.

 

Takes me all of 20 minutes to make a new Imp marauder, putz around Korriban for a bit and, because I (for whatever reasons, real or imagined) didn't like how it played, decry the class as broken and demand it be fixed.

 

There's no way developers, no matter how awesome they are, can look at that sort of feedback and even begin to make use of it, even if they assume its a valid opinion sample of a reasonable segment of their playerbase.

 

Utterly impossible. It takes them weeks and a lot of hard work on the parts of dozens of people to arrive at even desperate, probably less-than-ideal changes to balances and systems.

 

It can take a player all of one bad experience in a twenty minute isolated circumstance to set them howling.

 

So, I think your guide's thrust is not merely accurate, but good. We need more things like that.

 

Again, stuff people can reference for perspective and possibly point others to when Internet Word Dueling isn't getting, or really just can't/won't get, anywhere.

 

Me, I tend to be good with ideas and behind-the-scenes engineering. You've got a readily obvious good head for presentation and disarming reparte'.

 

Wanna see if we can't drum up a team to collaborate on a values-perspective guide sort've...thingy?

 

Someone else might have to title it and be the face of the matter. I'm far too prone to going "You're an idiot!" and kicking things (read: people) to be ideal for that sort've task.

 

I'd also quite possibly name it something alienating like "Idiot's Guide To Not Being Retarded" or something entirely unhelpful.

 

I know me. Foibles and all.

 

Ohhh I've been very tempted to name threads like that lol. I'm not opposed to the idea of collaborating, I've got time on my hands and some brainstorming would be good for me I think. I play games too often, need something a bit more substantial.

[Uruare]

Ohhh I've been very tempted to name threads like that lol. I'm not opposed to the idea of collaborating, I've got time on my hands and some brainstorming would be good for me I think. I play games too often, need something a bit more substantial.

 

 

 

 

Maybe we should start a new thread focusing on this. In fact...here it is.

[ImperialRebel]

I honestly think you are a little obsessed with overkill. And while you may be correct in legalities, you forget we are talking about the spirit of the thing.

 

The conversation here has never been about the 'spirit' of moderating general chat or, "spirit of the thing" as you refer to it. This whole forum topic is dedicated to people reporting offensive behavior; what they consider offensive behavior, why they report it and how they report it with the tools given to the community to combat this particular issue.

 

 

I would like to point out that there's a difference between being "obsessed with overkill" and wanting to put enough information out there on a topic so there is no question as to what I mean(t). You have a tendency not to do this and have tried to say I 'jumped to conclusions' about issues on this topic previously, when really the statements you made weren't entirely clear and concise.

 

 

What you've basically stated, is that Bio Ware has an obligation to go above and beyond the tools already provided to the community, to combat people that continually persist in bad behavior in general chat. This is simply wrong and inaccurate if you're basing this on a legal standpoint. If it's a moral standpoint then it's subjective between the person and their own ideals (often influenced by religion) of what's right and wrong and if you wanted to implement a change in policy, then you'd have to do so legally in order for it to be recognized by more than just yourself.

 

 

As others have stated that they aren't offended by certain things that you might be offended by, so too they will not have the same moral compass that you do on certain issues. Upbringing, personal experience and growth, environment can all play a part in how a person comes to their moral decisions.

 

 

Why do I think that they should moderate their general chat and the forums??? Because it is in their best interest to do so.

 

This is your opinion and you are entitled to it though; in order for the above opinion to have any merit beyond what you think is in Bio Ware's best interest, you need to show quantifiable proof as evidence, to back up your claim. As long as you understand that Bio Ware is not required (morally or legally) to abide by your personal morals in this matter, we can continue this conversation. If you don't understand that, then please don't respond.

 

 

I will say that if you feel so passionately about this issue (perhaps because of it's frequency in on DK?), I would think you would be doing more to get people aware of this issue and support to change it, beyond providing your own personal opinion.

 

 

 

That is what society does, by the way.

 

This is too vague a comment to attempt any sort of dialogue. What exactly are you trying to say here and what are you basing this on? Examples please.

 

For some reason, General Chat is this sacred cow. It is perplexing.

 

No it isn't. The EULA, rules (as repeatedly stated) and guidelines posted by Bio Ware constantly state what is and isn't allowed in chat and on the forums. You've been given tools to combat this issue. It's your choice to use them.

 

I am sorry you spent so much time researching your response to me. Having to read all of that was a lot of time to spend. But at least now you are informed.

 

The information I posted specifically for you and others; that might not have taken the time to visit the sites, read and comprehend said information and it's relevancy, in my responses to you. I do my best to make it a point in knowing the subject matter I discuss with others and I try to show where I base the logic I use. If people are willing to remove themselves from their own ego and irrational behavior, sometimes people understand what I'm saying.

 

 

People that purport apologies and sympathies are rude. I don't understand why you would give your heartfelt sympathy to a faceless stranger on the internet and then follow it up with your closing sentence. It's reductive to your credibility and integrity to any future responses you might make.

 

 

 

---

Since you and other people that may not have yet posted, but have a similar viewpoint in that Bio Ware has a moral obligation to monitor general chat let's breakdown what that might cost them and how it might be implemented.

 

There are currently (approx.) 125 Servers with 14 planets and several instances of each planet per server, 12 are dedicated to RP purposes for the US side alone. There are also (approx.) 91 Servers with 14 planets, with several instances of each planet for the UK, 11 of these are RP specific.

 

If Bio Ware were to implement a chat monitoring system for a single (24 hour) day on a single server, they would need at a minimum of three people. Each person would have an eight hour shift. Each person would be paid $7.25 (as of 2009 this was the Federal Minimum Hourly wage).

 

So the cost to implement a general chat monitoring service on one server and one planet, for a 24 shift would equal:

 

$7.25 * 8 (hour shift) = $58.00 * 3 (people that day) = $174.00

 

Compound that by adding planets:

 

14 planets * 3 (shifts per day) = 42 people needed for that day.

 

Figuring the cost to implement a chat monitoring service on a single server, for one day looks something like this:

 

42 (people required for a day's shift on a single server, one person monitoring a single planet, per shift) * $174.00 (cost of three shifts for 1 day) = $7,308.00 a day

 

Now compound that by adding in additional servers for a single day:

 

If there are 125 US Servers, 14 planets on each server and three shifts required per day to operate this service at $58.00 per person a day, what is the total cost of this service?

 

125 (servers) * 42 (people required to be monitor one planet) * $174.00 (rate of three shifts a day) = $913,500.00 to run a chat monitoring service for a single day on the US based servers.

 

If you were to run this service for a full year (365 days):

 

365 (days) * $913,500.00 (cost for day) = $333,427,500.00 Cost to run this service for the year.

 

My math might be a little off and if it is I do apologize, it isn't my strongest area. If you know something is wrong and doesn't add up, please comment and I'll defer to you.

 

-

 

More importantly though, where would this money come from? If Bio Ware did implement this sort of service it's almost a safe guarantee that subscription costs would increase. In which case the dialogue should start with topics like:

 

How much is too much, for a monthly subscription with this sort of chat monitoring service?

Would you pay for this service if it increased your monthly subscription cost to $20.00 a month?

What about $25.00 or $30.00?

If Bio Ware offered an 'elite' server where this service was standard but only those that chose to pay for it (not every player in the game), would you move to that server?

Do you think your friends would?

-

 

Implementing this would probably cause a lot of heartache within the community too. People who already know better and do their best to not respond or get upset to the (vocal) minority might probably leave the game. It all depends on Bio Ware to take what people are saying, to heart and decide to change how it offers the protection and monitoring some of you seek.

 

Personally I wouldn't mind if Bio Ware offered a service like this for people. I think it would allow them the ability to go to their own private server where they know it's safe and monitored from people that would seek to disrupt their gameplay, because they're paying for that luxury. I also think those players should be the ones to pay for it themselves, not the entire player base. Those are just my opinions though, and we're all going to have one about something like this.

 

 

 

Let's face it, a chat monitoring service for general chat in this or any other game is a luxury service. It doesn't seem like it should be because you're already paying for the game so why pay extra for a feature that should be included, right? Wrong, other people are playing and paying for the same game you are and don't think that they have to abide by rules or common decorum. Let's not forget that this is and has been the industry standard business practice for the last 10+ years.

 

These people exist in real life too and you have to deal with them. You make money at your job just like everyone else. Rude people are part of the territory, no matter the setting. It's your choice to figure out how to deal with and interact with them or if you even want to say anything to them. It's all a choice.

Edited January 27, 2012 by ImperialRebel
typos in BB code

[Listerman]

Unless the offender in question is spamming the chat with how Hitler was right and going into graphic detail on how Obama and Osama Bin Laden had crazy monkey sex together, I tend to make the chat tiny and just ignore it.

[DarthChagras]

How dare THEY tell me what SHOULD or SHOULD NOT offend me? Who are THEY to judge me for simply wanting a healthier, more welcoming community for everyone?

 

How dare you tell anyone what SHOULD or SHOULD NOT be public mannerism? Who are you to tell anyone they should have been raised differently?

 

I don't have a problem with people reporting for reasons within the TOS/EULA, and Noah brings up great points, the game really is contradicting it's TOS/EULA. I'm merely saying you're ridiculous for reporting players that are chatting amongst other players in-game, when it's not *********** directed at you. Not once have you claimed for the chat to be directed (like a troll) at you, you've merely stated that it's public debate in general chat.

 

If anyone is acting all self righteous here it is you.

 

 

and for whoever was spouting off about stuff like BW having to maintain the standards, and such. That is pure false. They do not have to continually raise, and maintain the profanity filter, etc. Once it's in place and it does it's job that's all there is to it. They have the option of continuing to but it is not a legal requirement.

Edited January 27, 2012 by DarthChagras

[Brosephiine]

How dare you tell anyone what SHOULD or SHOULD NOT be public mannerism? Who are you to tell anyone they should have been raised differently?

 

I don't have a problem with people reporting for reasons within the TOS/EULA, and Noah brings up great points, the game really is contradicting it's TOS/EULA. I'm merely saying you're ridiculous for reporting players that are chatting amongst other players in-game, when it's not *********** directed at you. Not once have you claimed for the chat to be directed (like a troll) at you, you've merely stated that it's public debate in general chat.

 

I'm just going to throw this out there as some food for thought.

 

If a person were walking down the street and overheard someone talking loudly about a certain race, throwing out degrading racial slurs and such, that person could actually be offended by it without the chatter being directed at them. The same goes for General Chat. It doesn't need to be directed at a specific person for someone to feel offended by it, which means that they can in turn report behavior that they feel is offensive if it goes against the ToS.

 

I personally will report things that go against the ToS regardless of whether or not I am offended by it. Call me a goodie two shoes tattle tale if you'd like, but I don't find it difficult to take a moment to report.

 

Honestly what I find so despicable is the number of people that are willing to brush off hurtful things being said so long as the words are not directed at themselves. Our entire society is being degraded into, "It doesn't affect me so I don't care." We lack compassion, tolerance, and understanding for others. This goes way beyond the internet though. But the internet is what I frequent most these days, so I try to hold myself to a better standard at least. I can't expect others to do the same, but maybe I can do something good myself in some small way.

 

I'm also going to go ahead and point out that I myself like to join in silly General Chat conversations and I have nothing against swearing in an online public medium, nor being a little perverted (tactfully, anyway). My issues are with ToS infractions and seriously harmful talk.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Brosephiine

[DarthChagras]

It's the internet, it's words. This is not real-life happenings. This is not some person going out and murdering someone. This is not some person going out and foraging some little girls virginity.

 

It's the internet.

 

Honestly.

 

I'm tired of grinding levels.

I'm tired of grinding gear.

I'm tired of having to pug.

 

But I can't really do **** about it.

 

As for ToS infractions that's my whole point that no one seems to understand. Unless those comments are directed towards you it is not harassing you and is not a violation of BW's ToS/EULA. Otherwise they have free reign over general chat speaking of what they will even if someone finds it to be offensive.

Edited January 27, 2012 by DarthChagras