General Chat

[DrDestiny]

I was just playing my Juggernaut and was in DK when I had to quit out because of the astonishing level of crude racism in General Chat.

 

When did this bollocks become OK? This simple-minded vile idiocy is now OK on General Chat? Is anything being done about it? I reported it and complained about it in General, but there were 100+ others there too, and there was silence from them.

 

Is this OK Bioware? Is this OK EA? Is this OK for us Players? If it is, then it's not my game anymore.

[Anzel]

I just use "ignore" when people become too much for me to take. Some people spam random crap. Some people go on and on and on about religious stuff. Some people talk about politics or racist crap as well. I really don't care as along as I can block them and don't see it anymore.

 

I wish the block feature here on the forums worked the same way it did in game and on some social media sites. Blocking someone here should make them completely disappear from me... and me from them. I can think of a few people that would login to the forums and literally see no posts whatsoever because everyone would block them LOL.

 

Also, be very careful what you wish for. I've been online since 1991 and would rather participate in a cesspool discussion than the hyper-moderated one that we have here on the forums. Moderation gets out of hand, in a hurry. It also gets applied in an extremely uneven way as there is always someone with the ban button who has an agenda.

 

Just use the ignore feature...

[DrDestiny]

I just use "ignore" when people become too much for me to take. Some people spam random crap. Some people go on and on and on about religious stuff. Some people talk about politics or racist crap as well. I really don't care as along as I can block them and don't see it anymore.

 

I wish the block feature here on the forums worked the same way it did in game and on some social media sites. Blocking someone here should make them completely disappear from me... and me from them. I can think of a few people that would login to the forums and literally see no posts whatsoever because everyone would block them LOL.

 

Also, be very careful what you wish for. I've been online since 1991 and would rather participate in a cesspool discussion than the hyper-moderated one that we have here on the forums. Moderation gets out of hand, in a hurry. It also gets applied in an extremely uneven way as there is always someone with the ban button who has an agenda.

 

Just use the ignore feature...

 

Ignore cannot and must not be the only option. We hear hate-speech and all we're supposed to do is stick our fingers in our ears and shout 'la-la-la I can't hear you'? Your argument seems to be that so long as you can no longer hear it, then it's no longer a problem (" I really don't care as along as I can block them and don't see it anymore.").

 

That is not a solution, that's hiding.

 

I'm not having a go at you, but rather seeing this crap spewed out unopposed in General Chat really did make me sick to my stomach, and has certainly made me consider ending my Sub., since I don't want to contribute cash to anything that acts as a platform for this.

[Radzkie]

I turn general chat off. Im far from a social justice warrior, but I dont care about anything they talk about. I also turn off trade. If I want to raid or need anything crafted etc I speak with guildies. You might want to do the same.

[Psychopyro]

Its protected under first amendment rights, so long as its not a threat on someones life, deal with it or ignore button.

 

Also welcome to the non politically correct world were everything is more truthful and not liberal filter propaganda on a strict bias to promote certain democratic agenda's like the anti-Israel UN resolution (Thanks Obama for pissing off our only sane ally in the Middle East).

 

Actually in game chat is NOT protected by the 1st amendment, nor are your forum posts. EA as a private company has the right to and can ban or censor what you say.... Think of the game as their front lawn, they own it, and if you screw up, they can kick you off said lawn, just like real life...

[TUXs]

I was just playing my Juggernaut and was in DK when I had to quit out because of the astonishing level of crude racism in General Chat.

 

When did this bollocks become OK? This simple-minded vile idiocy is now OK on General Chat? Is anything being done about it? I reported it and complained about it in General, but there were 100+ others there too, and there was silence from them.

 

Is this OK Bioware? Is this OK EA? Is this OK for us Players? If it is, then it's not my game anymore.

It's ALWAYS been like this. Yes, it's gotten worse over the years, but that's what happens when there's NO accountability in game...EVER! It's disgusting, it's disturbing and it's completely out of hand. A few vagrants run the entire default chat channel...and Bioware is OK with that. If they weren't, they'd do something, but they haven't in over 5 years...they won't start now. Not only does Bioware clearly think it's OK, they encourage it with their lack of policing the issue.

 

I admire you for trying to speak up, but it's futile. Eventually you'll give that up too...just like the other 100 players have.

[Jagaimee]

Sorry for your experience, but... yeah, as others have said, there's the ignore button. There's also the "turn off chat" button, which I do pretty much all the time because I don't want to be bothered by the chat.

 

I mean... you can't go around being so riled up by what you see that you react and just quit. There's more to the game than some idiots running their mouths. Ignore, report, turn off chat, and move on.

 

Honestly? It only bothers you if you let it.

And before you start whining that it's seriously racist/sexist/whatever-ist, and just SO mean and HATEFUL, and obviously I've never had to deal with "discrimination"... no. I've seen some fairly disgusting, malicious, and downright disturbing things in chat that slander my religion, gender, political views, etc. I just turn off the chat and forget about those idiots. What do I care? They don't affect me.

[Psychopyro]

I just turn off the chat and forget about those idiots. What do I care? They don't affect me.

 

Personally, I like to mock them... See how angry I can make them (and boy can you). They are usually pretty thin skinned and can easily be provoked. Since BW won't do anything about them, it's really the only recourse if you want something done about it....

[DrDestiny]

Sorry for your experience, but... yeah, as others have said, there's the ignore button. There's also the "turn off chat" button, which I do pretty much all the time because I don't want to be bothered by the chat.

 

I mean... you can't go around being so riled up by what you see that you react and just quit. There's more to the game than some idiots running their mouths. Ignore, report, turn off chat, and move on.

 

Honestly? It only bothers you if you let it.

And before you start whining that it's seriously racist/sexist/whatever-ist, and just SO mean and HATEFUL, and obviously I've never had to deal with "discrimination"... no. I've seen some fairly disgusting, malicious, and downright disturbing things in chat that slander my religion, gender, political views, etc. I just turn off the chat and forget about those idiots. What do I care? They don't affect me.

 

In-action is an action, and in-action here means my cash is going to provide a platform for this filth, which is something I find unacceptable.

[DarthSpuds]

In-action is an action, and in-action here means my cash is going to provide a platform for this filth, which is something I find unacceptable.

 

Then do the grown up thing and stop paying.

 

Trying to force the rest of the playerbase to conform to your sensibilities (which they may or may not agree with) is, I must say, somewhat fascist.

 

All The Best

[Jagaimee]

In-action is an action, and in-action here means my cash is going to provide a platform for this filth, which is something I find unacceptable.

 

Might as well quit any and all online games with this sort of chat function, since trolls are everywhere. [shrug] I can understand your frustration - it really is irritating when the trolls go off - but...it's other people. Other people + immaturity + the anonymity of the internet + conflicting opinions = garbage.

 

And that happens no matter where you go.

[Neoforcer]

Ignore cannot and must not be the only option..

 

it is sorry to tell you but Customer support will do nothing other then direct you to the ignore feature. Why because of this one reason they pay you pay so we the company will do nothing to harm what money they get. They put stuff in place for you to use what is appropriate for you to see..

Edited December 28, 2016 by Neoforcer

[TUXs]

Personally, I like to mock them... See how angry I can make them (and boy can you). They are usually pretty thin skinned and can easily be provoked. Since BW won't do anything about them, it's really the only recourse if you want something done about it....

I'm thrilled you do Nothing beats seeing how bent outta shape they get when they're challenged on their stupidity.

[Anzel]

the company is a USA company so the 1st Amendment's stands again sorry to tell you this

 

LOL, the 1st Amendment protects you from reprisal by the government. It has absolutely nothing to do with a video game unless they try to somehow press criminal charges against you.

[Neoforcer]

You can take action. Ignore them. You already have an ultra moderated, filtered, super biased, radically leaning platform here on the forums to enjoy. I would prefer to see EVERYTHING and decide for myself what to ignore than to rely on someone else to do it for me.

 

True provided with tools to silence stupidity but refuses to use it only to say EA do some thing for me silence them lol. That not how this works..

[Joonbeams]

the company is a USA company so the 1st Amendment's stands again sorry to tell you this

 

Sorry to tell you, but nope.

[DrDestiny]

Interestingly, from the Terms & Conditions: Rules of Conduct:

 

"Behavior that is always considered harassment includes derogatory and/or hateful comments that are sexual, racist, religious, or related to gender or creed."

 

So, let's see if they can enforce their own rules.

[Tsillah]

So, let's see if they can enforce their own rules.

 

Don't hold your breath. They can't.

[Radzkie]

Don't hold your breath. They can't.

 

They havent ever to my knowledge and I'm a SWTOR founder.

[Andryah]

Interestingly, from the Terms & Conditions: Rules of Conduct:

 

"Behavior that is always considered harassment includes derogatory and/or hateful comments that are sexual, racist, religious, or related to gender or creed."

 

So, let's see if they can enforce their own rules.

 

If you do not report players in game, you are part of the problem. When you report them, it enables the security team to actually check logs and take appropriate action, after the fact. They also log such findings to a player accounts and multiple reports by multiple players over time will eventually result in a ban stick on the head of the offenders. When you do not report.. then you are letting them get away with the behavior unchallenged.

 

Yes yes.. it would be cool if game companies employed paid staff to fish the chat channels for trolls and nuke them before you log in. But that is neither practical (because people literally log in and out all through the day, and move around in game as well..hence different chat channels), nor is it practiced by game companies, because it is impractical. So they give you tools to ignore not only individuals, but also entire chat channels, as well as tools to report offensive chat.

 

From a practical standpoint.. if you don't want to see it.. close the channel except when you actually need to use it. OR... you can counter-troll them.. but expect to get reported for it (because some of these players are actually fishing for reportable responses so they can grief others, this is a growing metagame for some players in games, on forums, and in social media channels).

Edited December 28, 2016 by Andryah

[TUXs]

Interestingly, from the Terms & Conditions: Rules of Conduct:

 

"Behavior that is always considered harassment includes derogatory and/or hateful comments that are sexual, racist, religious, or related to gender or creed."

 

So, let's see if they can enforce their own rules.

They DON'T! You don't have to wait and see anything...it's clear as day when you log in. They DO NOT! They WILL NOT! They NEVER HAVE!

[aerockyul]

These people don't necessarily believe anything they're saying/typing, they're trying to rile you up enough to acknowledge their tiny existence. They succeeded pretty well if you engaged them in general chat and now you're giving them even more attention by bringing it up in the forums.

 

The goal of trolling general chat: link

 

Ignoring them wipes them out of your existence and eliminates one more link in the chain.

 

I'd like to believe that there's some magical thing you could say to these people that would make them change their behavior, but since there's not, the most powerful thing you can due to eliminate them is make them not exist*

 

*I mean by ignoring them, not necessarily by hunting them down and ending their actual existence

[TUXs]

If you do not report players in game, you are part of the problem.

That's absurd. The problem is Bioware doesn't do anything, even when it's reported. THEY are the policing force, not the players.

[Nempo]

The game's not just played in the States, so your 1st Amendment's about as valid as that UN resolution.

 

This is a US Company owned game, thus the US amendments and rules are exactly what matters. Games are under the direct control over the country the company resides in that controls it.

 

European games must follow the regulations of the EU, up until recently this included British companies but they are back to using the old British rules (which means they no longer have to be offered in languages other than English). Games made out of Canada typically follow American rules (it is their biggest market) however the French Canadian block has rules in place that every game must have a French language version, subtitles, voice, and all text. Many Korean games are only offered in Korean and English, they allow bots of every type and even allow the selling of accounts/game money/items. Things that in most other games are considered completely taboo. There are Japanese games that are not even offered in Japanese, they are tied that closely to America that several games are only offered in English even among their own country. French MMOs are known for allowing betting...or rather were before the EU.

 

As for the wanting to quit a game over what is spoken in general chat...you may as well give up on the entire MMO market. I will leave the PC mentality individuals with this extremely true and valid thought;

 

The first amendment wasn't designed to protect your fragile feelings. It was designed to harbor free thought. You have two choices if you don't like something:

Ignore it or say something back.

But, if you're unable to do either of those things, it makes you a fool. Being offended is not a valid third option.

 

Time to act like adults, being offended and crying about it ends at high school.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Nempo

[Tsillah]

If you do not report players in game, you are part of the problem. When you report them, it enables the security team to actually check logs and take appropriate action, after the fact.

 

Problem with these automated systems is that it requires a certain amount of reports within a period of time before it is actually flagged. What these thresholds are is up to BWA of course, but every investigation costs resources so chances are the thresholds are not too low. Since most people don't care enough to report or don't see it as a problem that needs more than their ignore button, these thresholds are likely never or rarely reached.