Community Table: Thoughts on Moderation? We invite your feedback!

Both good points - I’m not sure how much exactly is required to be toxic, but AFK/gamethrow/skype/leavers should definitely be higher priority than people being rude.

Racist comments and the like should still be moderated harshly, of course.

my thoughts on this are very strong, but i will stay mute on this as I like my head on it’s shoulders

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Please feel free to speak up.

Added to backlog to do ;D

However, much like #justice , I wouldn’t say how long they were suspended for, or if it was even just a warning (it could be 1st offense, for example – or there may be more info that we discover in the full logs that would lower their sentence – for example, if they were baited into reacting… or even trollboxed). Including the actual action may get people upset if they don’t know the entire story. That’s why we leave that, too, out of #justice :slight_smile:

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I feel like i could be banned for something I say as it could be labeled as “toxic” or “offensive”. i really don’t want to choose my words when I am town…I’m personally very harsh to bad plays and will say so…Why should I be punished for speaking my mind? Words to me at least have no affect, maybe its just me having thick skin so I’m not bothered, but someone’s feelings to me doesn’t matter. AFKers, Throwers, and the such should carry more harsh punishments than words. Sticks and Stones may break bones but words never hurt.

I’ll go more in-depth later as I wrote this in like 15 minutes

My conclusion: Focus on moderating issues that affect actual tangible gameplay and not abstract industry buzzwords like ‘toxicity’, and leave it up to players to decide who they do and don’t want to hear.

Abusive behaviour is not abstract, it is abuse. It harms people. We don’t do that to each other here.

I’m personally very harsh to bad plays and will say so…[…] Words to me at least have no affect. […] words never hurt

The words you use can hurt people. Please choose them with appropriate care. Take this as an opportunity to adjust and improve the way you interact with others. The game will be more fun for everybody if you do.

Appreciate you getting back to me on this. I feel like we have a fundamental disagreement if you honestly think that someone using “toxic” language ruins a game more than a person who actually decisively alters the gameplay of the match intentionally to create what is essentially a waste of everyone’s time. It isn’t ‘refreshing’ at all actually, it’s a plague in gaming that moderators think it’s up to them to decide what is kosher language and what is not. “Toxicity” and “harsh language” are very abstract industry terms that devs like to vaguely throw around in order to enforce moderation as they see fit - it blurs the line and almost always leads to administrative abuse.

The fact that mods think they can “oust toxic behavior” through censorship is an unattainable farce, and really speaks to the undeserved savior complex they have - which usually includes their own personal opinions as well. I honestly think the best way to handle the issue is to create a chat filter, make it as PC as possible censoring as many words as the admin team can possibly find offensive; then give players the ability to turn the chat filter ON or OFF. Many games, including Overwatch, use this function and it works very well. It allows a safe space for those who are afraid of words on a computer screen, and a space for those who don’t mind such things. I think you’ll be surprised how many people will choose to have their game experience NOT censored.

A friendly welcoming community won’t just spring out of the ground after harsh bans and flagrant censorship, it will come when the community is allowed to grow organically through their own expression, and respect from moderators who pay attention to gameplay and not terminology they find offensive.

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TBH I would be fine with NO TOXICITY. But eh what can I do

imo there’s a difference between being a jerk and being toxic, and we shouldn’t punish people chosing to be jerks

Being mean, insulting people’s actions, etc. should be allowed

Using slurs to do so? No.
Making threats outside of the context of the game? No.
Repeated and targeted harassment of a player’s character? No.

I’m not sure how strict the moderation is on this front at the moment, but I would be concerned if slinging insults at players you feel are dumb could get you a warning.

Also a chat filter is a great idea, just make attempting to bypass it a reportable offense and bam.

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Love how you take it out of context

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I haven’t gotten a warning yet, so I think we’re good :wink:

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Lord knows how I haven’t either.

I strongly support a toggalable chat filter.

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I understand where you are coming from and I do agree to an extent, but there is no reason why both throwing and toxicity cannot be moderated together. I do think it is up to the developers to see which one carries a higher weight. Fundamental disagreement it is.

I am not sure on this, as a moderator themself could better address your concerns, but a player actually has to report another person to put that person on a moderator’s radar. In that sense it is the community’s voice on what is deemed acceptable and what is not, and not the moderator’s themselves, so it is not simply them imposing their worldviews on all players. Someone actively was bothered by someone to the point that they deemed it necessary to report them.

In the same sense as you tried to trivialize that words on a computer screen can hurt someone. I can say that you are trying to make the argument that some other game-result words on a computer screen are hurting them more. It’s just words, it’s just a game.

I also don’t see how racial/homophobic slurs, or naming your character after some serial killer/deadly disease/recent school shooting/whatever can really be seen as helpful to the community organically growing, because they are allowed such expression.

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BREATH IN
I feel as if moderation is too centered around feelings, just because my words could hurt someone’s precious little feelings when they made a bad play doesn’t mean I should be punished for speaking the truth. Hell I am writing this as politely as possible so I don’t get a warning. Sticks and stone may break bones but words never hurt. as @poopmaster said a friendly welcoming community won’t just spring out of the ground after harsh bans and flagrant censorship.

I believe that AFKers/Leavers/Gamethrowers are the problem, not people’s words. Now I’m not saying the report system is bad, it’s fucking amazing but I would like a bit more transparency, like show us a brief summary of the mods review in the justice log and just not the reason they were suspended. If we shift away from words and “toxic” people and focus on people who are actually ruining games. I realize once mud is slung and it is slung back and it keeps going on the game is ruined, but we can avoid that be just ignoring them

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Hmm, I think you underestimate the type of reports we receive. It’s not just about words – you only have a very limited time to debate/interrogate/process information and if 1/2 the chat is spammed with all-caps racial slurs, often contributing 0 useful words an entire game. This disrupts the game and leaves a slimy feeling. It’s not like people are using words as an empowering adjective like

“He’s f–ing guilty”.

Those reports don’t go through. Heck, in that phrase he at least progressed the game and that’s perfectly fine. It’s when you go spammy/off-topic with toxicity is when it causes trouble.

Example (NSFW if you enlarge it):
https://imgur.com/9rIXGiy

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If you were suspended for 1-day for racism, what would discourage you from revenge reviewing?

I was suspended 3 days for naming myself “Heil Hitler” (my first and only offense). If I were a revenge reviewer, that would have triggered me. The punishment was excessive considering the options of a 1-day suspension or even just a warning (which would’ve sufficed).

I have not reviewed the game yet, but if I did, I would say the pros are its the best in its genre by far and there are always new updares. The cons would be too low of a skill ceiling (this game easily has potential to have a much higher skill ceiling when a vet lobby is implemented) and moderation is too harsh regarding offensive jokes.

Welp.

They do not want people to get offended by the offensive joke.

And it was supposed to teach you a lesson.

I don’t think that a three-day ban is all that bad at all?

72 hours isn’t that long.