So, it is becoming clear that soon you won't be able to even log on without offending people. How someone can walk in to someone and see the bad words being used for example, even if it is to their friends because thats how friends speak together sometimes, can get you banned. (Doesn't have to be English btw, it could be any language, still the same principle) The same should apply here, reports are being thrown around to maliciously ban people, where we are a small community and should help each other. Fair enough if they target someone specifically and call them names, but just passing by and seeing someone use a bad word should not be grounds for a ban. Same goes for KSing, stealing bosses etc. instead of screaming 'stop or report' maybe explain to them that the map is no longer theirs, and it's tough luck for them, rather than just filling a report out where the only thing you said to them was 'see you in 3 days' or something toxic like that. It needs to stop for the good of the community, ESPECIALLY now we have so many none-English fluent speaking players (perhaps translations of the rules need to go up?) else they will get banned and probably quit if no one tells them anything. Just my 2 cents into the matter, I know a few people I spoke to have the same feelings.
There are too many people on this server who report people for really no good reason. It seems like some people just simply like to see other people get banned. It's annoying but there will always be people like that whether at school or on a maplestory privateserver. It seems like people have lost their skills to communicate with other humans and instead of confronting the person who may have offended you, they head to the forums and go to the report abuse section.
Although I agree some people do report just for fun and don't try to explain the rules before reporting, your example is awful. This is what I gained from your analogy: "Since homophobia is tolerated in the real world through the bystander effect, we should tolerate it here too!" Only two words are forbidden in public and are both listed in the Terms of Service (which every player, English-speaking or not, agrees to before signing up for this game). The admins allow them to be used in private chats (BL, Guild, whispers) because they can delete the person from BL, leave the guild, or block the person if they feel offended but to FORCE everyone in your area to listen to your bullshit by using All-Chat is ridiculous. Just because racism/homophobia or any sort of discrimination lingers in the real world doesn't mean we should allow them here. Let's show some basic human decency and recognize that other people play this game along with us and realize that these words have power and lots of history behind them.
Why use those 2 words? There's only 150k+ other english words ! But don't take me too serious on that, else this thread will explode and there's no need for that.
Alright, to settle this, since you seem to think I am homophobic and/or are promoting it in any way. The example was there because it's a perfect example of how some people interact; they do not use the word with any negative connotations in mind at all, they use it as a funny way to speak together. It's EXACTLY the same as me greeting my friend with 'hello slut' - am I calling them a slut? No. Do I mean it in any way negative? No. Also, to clear anything up, this is assuming the conversation is OUTSIDE the FM, since I know you can't use such words there. If we can report people based on words offending an individual even when they are not part of the conversation, then god help us. (inb4 I offend atheists with that statement)
This is ridiculous but doesn't getting banned from having a conversation with your friends in All-Chat even more ridiculous? not trying to be rude... Maintaining a "clean" community and someone getting offended are both different things,I personally think that they should not be mixed together..
There are two words that'll get you banned on the spot. TWO. Just don't use them in all chat or smegas, period. Like someone mentioned you can use them in buddy list, guild, whisper (as long as you're not attacking anyone) If you can't speak without using those words then I honestly question your intelligence. I've said it like a million times but those words exist for one reason. To disparage an entire group of people. They will not be tolerated here.
Some people are just too uptight, I agree with the ksing (that applies to glitching etc.) part, but I'm actually glad the 2 words are not tolerated. You would probably have a different perspective on that if you were black or gay, I doesnt bother me much when someone uses it in a "friendly" way, but I still wish people stopped using these slurs.
I think you misunderstood my original post. Let me give you a very EXTREME analogy: You see someone next to you get murdered and you don't care because you were neither the murderer nor the victim. That's the bystander effect that I talked about; not promoting murder nor murdering but still tolerating it. By saying we should allow homophobic slurs, you are tolerating homophobia. Once again, continuing with the extremist example; what if the murderer had no negative intentions? He just wanted to murder someone because he couldn't think of anything else to do. He had no negative intentions. So is murder okay because he didn't mean for anything bad to happen? Are these slurs okay because you don't mean anything bad? I am fully aware this is as extreme an example can get and slurs are not even close to the severity of murder but your logic just makes no sense to me and this is just getting long winded so I'll stop. I do agree that if it's just your friends in All-Chat where not many people come it shouldn't warrant a ban but I don't think I have seen anyone get banned while talking in a very remote location. All the bans are from PQ areas or FM or private whispers/trades
Sometimes when I get insulted/cursed or someone said something mean to me, I'll always reply with "Having a bad day?". Usually that person will talk and complain about what's going on in his/her mind and I'll listen After getting a beating by those verbal insults they seems to calm down for a bit and I'll end off with something along the line of "I'm glad I made your day better". And that person hit me with a short response of "Ok" and changed channel. This is my little way of solving issues with random verbal insults. Happy ending for everyone. Saves the trouble of me reporting, saves time for the GMs/Admin, and also saving the mean person's soul.
If only more people could be like you, instead of taking everything to heart and taking everything as a personal attack on their gender/sexuality/age/race/height/weight/whatever it may be. EDIT: And to reply to Eli, it can apply to anyone. Someone used this exact phrase 'you are white trash' - did I care? Nope! I found it kind of funny actually!
I'm actually half black and have been called the n word by a very close relative on the white side of my family and seeing the word used without any harmful intentions doesn't bother me whatsoever. Even seeing it used in a harmful way only makes me think that the person using the word is uneducated and beneath me. It doesn't actually offend me in any way. I'm of course only speaking for myself but I think it's wrong for it to be reported by someone for whom the word doesn't apply, just to be a white knight. Both the n and f words aren't in my immediate vocabulary but that being said, we agreed the to the terms and conditions when we started playing so I guess punishment isn't uncalled for, though many people seem to report others simply for the high of getting someone banned. This is apparent due to the mocking tone that is often seen in evidential screenshots saying things like "gg cya in 3 days, hahaha banned." Just trying to give some insight from someone who one of the words can apply to.
White people have not been systematically disenfranchised because of their race. That comparsion of "white trash" to the n-word or f-word is frankly completely inaccurate and very diminishing to the real struggles people face because of their race or sexuality. also yes, i would. i'm not very fun at parties, to be honest. however it's slightly more difficult because in real life you have to worry about your safety when confronting people. Luckily, the internet gives an option to create a safer community for our members where they shouldn't have to hear slurs like that. also, @Daniel, I'm very thankful to be a part of a community that has people like you representing it.
Or, you know, people can be more mindful or considerate of other people's feelings... Can that be a possibility? I've said this plenty of times before (sorry to everyone who's heard this spiel from me before, I don't mean to annoy anyone, just trying to make a point), so I'm going to keep this short, but while you (and others) might not see those words as a big deal, please know they still can be hurtful to people like me or anyone for that matter. I know some people have been reporting others with the sole intent of either getting back at that person, or just reporting them for the sake of reporting and not because they were offended. Those people are idiots and are toxic to our community. But I would like to stress though that whenever I see that word it hurts, and while that person might be using it in a joking way, it still hurts. People have used that word to hurt me throughout my life because of my orientation and who I am. And while I won't rush to report anyone who has used that word (unless they're harassing me, which, thankfully hasn't happened yet), I wish people were more mindful and aware of other people's feelings. I have never used any of those words, because I myself know all too well the pain that they can cause. So please keep that in mind. And as a side note: to those who say "they're just empty words," I get the feeling you have never had any words of those words thrown at you constantly to put you down in real life. So while they may seem meaningless to you, please know that is not the case for everyone else (as I've stated above). And I'm not trying to single anyone out, just saying in general to people who have said that to me before.
^ Thats what I meant when I said that people would have a different perspective on this if they were black or/and gay and somebody used these words to offend them in the past.
Real life =/= Virtual reality. I've been called names before that I do not prefer to be called by other people I dislike or never met before. But I do something about it; I intend to ignore what they just said and move on OR I just punch that guy's face so hard he won't be able to step outside for months.
Honestly, Chris, as white straight men we really should stay out of this one since we have no idea how it feels to constantly be beaten down by society. There is no way to disparage us, since we are the majority. There is no word that anyone can call us that can even compare to those two 'forbidden' words. These are words that should never be used, and that's that. EDIT: I'm just going to add that I'm not trying to insinuate that you can't insult a white straight man, all I am saying is that there isn't a single name that anyone can call me that has the same history/hate behind it as those two words.
This bares repeating again In my opinion, screenshot reports should only be accepted if you take the entire chatbox at the time in full context. If you're going to provoke someone, your report should be outright ignored.
