I'm actually kind of scared to post here, on account of all the bans.

[Kaendris]

So, I have a question pertaining to the "gist" of this thread.

How many people have to flag a post for it to undergo mod review? I flagged my first post earlier today, (been active on the forums about 3 days now...) and I noticed it was listed as a "warning post" about 2 hours later. Now I find myself wondering "did I do that?"

For the record, the guy snapped in a forum, calling another poster a troll and attacking him instead of the content of his post. To me that is the thing, you can attack the post, after all, some opinions are just wrong, but you leave the personal attacks out of it.

So, yah? Did I do that?

 

[Marter]

How many people have to flag a post for it to undergo mod review?

One. A single report and it gets added to the queue. At some point after that, one of the moderators will look at it and either clear it or wrath it. The queue is sorted by reports, though, so if a single posts gets more reports it gets moved to the top and will likely be seen first.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

How many people have to flag a post for it to undergo mod review?

One. A single report and it gets added to the queue. At some point after that, one of the moderators will look at it and either clear it or wrath it. The queue is sorted by reports, though, so if a single posts gets more reports it gets moved to the top and will likely be seen first.

Was that changed at some point? I always understood there needed to be at least two reports for it to turn up in the mod queue. Even if it wasn't, it's kind of a good rule of thumb to have. Considering the kind of threads people usually get banned for, a single report would kind of be suspect, as the person on the losing side of an argument trying to get revenge.

I know technically the report can only be acted on if there's been an actual rule violation, but the rules around here are vague enough that just about everyone winds up posting something that can be construed as a violation from time to time, even if it's really not that bad.

OT: I haven't seen all that many bans /lately./ Things have calmed down a lot since the health bar was revised and things like the ad blocker and piracy rules finally got written down. Before that you'd occasionally see people getting banned or suspended almost immediately for, say, admitting to piracy. From what I understand about the rules at the time, they still generally had to have multiple infractions, but depending on the rule it took a lot fewer, and for those two rules in particular, they counted as major inractions, despite, again, not actually being in the rules as written.

 

[XMark]

Yeah, I see a large number of bans, but when I click over to the thing they posted that got them banned, 99% of the time I see that it was justified.

I've been posting here for years, and even got involved in a few spirited debates here and there, and I haven't had a single warning yet. Just use common sense about what is acceptable language and you'll do fine.

 

[Altorin]

the thing with bans on the escapist is, they have a long memory.

Every infraction you do adds up and eventually, it's like that line from batman, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the victim? it catches up with you eventually.

That being said, if you refrain from personal attacks of any variety and make sure your posts contain more then a lone image or a single sentence, you can last a long time before succumbing to villainy.

it's the latter that gets me occasionally... eventually I'll have a heart attack on my many low-content post warnings, but until then, here I am. welcome to the escapist. it's fine, post.

Yeah, I see a large number of bans, but when I click over to the thing they posted that got them banned, 99% of the time I see that it was justified.

I've been posting here for years, and even got involved in a few spirited debates here and there, and I haven't had a single warning yet. Just use common sense about what is acceptable language and you'll do fine.

It's not language, use whatever language you want (provided it's english) just don't attack anyone, even if you vehemently disagree with them and/or think they're completely stupid and covered in poo

 

[Marter]

Was that changed at some point? I always understood there needed to be at least two reports for it to turn up in the mod queue.

From what I understand it was always one and two was just a rumor. But, maybe at one point it was two. I dunno. It's been one since the time I started as a moderator.

 

[TakeyB0y2]

I've currently over 400 posts, with zero warnings or any kind of offense. I feel most people get warnings/suspensions/ect. when they get into an argument; while arguing is allowed, name-calling, threatening, or out-right insulting is not. Simply calling someone an idiot is grounds for getting a warning or worse depending on your forum health, and honestly, I'm okay with that.

You really just have to a handful of things in mind:

- Don't insult anyone, even if it's an insult one might consider minor.
- Try to include at least two complete sentences in any post.
- Don't post links/images/videos of things against the forum rules.
- Don't advocate the use of illegal software, piracy, or file sharing.

 

[Strazdas]

Its not as bad (despite what my heath meter says) as long as you stay coolheaded. jsut be sure nto to call off when somone is trolling, troll is a bannable insult on this site.
BUt recently i did saw A LOT of warnings issued for posts that really didnt deserve it.

Personally, I think this site has one of the best mod policy/executions around(not perfect, but the best), particularly after they started cracking down more after we started raising hell about it(this is particularly important in reference to R&P). It always confuses me how a site demanding that people act no less than in a way that is a few rungs down from "socially acceptable" is seen as tyranny. Perhaps in comparison to 90% of the internet where it's a free-for-all clusterfuck where you have to do some truly horrendous shit in order to be punished this place looks like a totalitarian state, but compared to real life, to basic human decency, this place is pretty lax.

This place is much more strick than "Real life". if real life would get same restrictions as this site does most people would be banned from real life.

Every infraction you do adds up and eventually, it's like that line from batman, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villian

Fixed the quote for you. The actual quote is even better though, as it fits more (villains get banned). And That quote from batman is sadly very try to life, different forum but been there done that. Thats why i do not try to become forum administrator anymore.

 

[Foolery]

You'll be fine. Just do what I do. Never give your honest opinion and stick in the fun threads. Also, stay the hell out of R&P. It's just a passive-aggressive keyboard warrior pissing contest in there.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

I posted plenty of times, and I've only received a warning once for low content, which in hindsight was justified . So I wouldn't say the mods are brutal, just read the rules and you should be fine.

 

[SsilverR]

2 of the major ban spree cats are

1: religious discussions; I'm pretty sure mods are constantly put under pressure by the cries and rages of theists who can't take losing an argument without turning into my 9 year old cousin when I tell him that he can't play playstation today.

2: General taboos like abortion and talks of human rights because some people here are really sensitive .... REEEEEAL sensitive and these poor mods won't get a minutes rest until that hammer comes down, their inboxes will cry untill there is blood.

..... also some mods seriously have no clue what constitutes rule breaking sometimes, like OP said, sometimes I see people get banned for the most minor things/insignificant things.

the worst is when you get banned for an opinion that wasn't particularly THAT offensive

 

[SsilverR]

Honestly, it can appear bad and very strict when you're first introduced to it but actually it's better to have such rules then hardly any. Do you think The Escapist would be the same if we didn't have these rules? Sure there would still be rules but without ours... I don't think it would be pretty.

Anyhow, you can get around without ever getting into trouble and post as much as you heart desires while obeying these simple guides. You may already know the rules but i'm going to state them through my wording.

• Be Nice - Probably the biggest one I must mention. No matter who's right or wrong in the debate, do not ever say anything bad about the user you're interacting with, putting down a group or particular trait in people, or anything you feel is 'mean'.
  
  Post Like You Mean It - It would actually be a bit old if every post only contained a word, or a GIF alone. Treat your posts like they are important and you have a lot of say on the topic. Don't treat them like it's a chat... threads are discussion boards!
  
  Watch The Date of Thread - Threads do have an expiration date. Once people stop posting and the last post is a few days old, do leave that thread alone. Unless it's a RP thread or otherwise continuous thread, treat it like it'll be poison.
  
  Never Post Pictures You Wouldn't Want Your Mom To See - Sort of obvious, but best to state it anyhow. If you post a GIF, picture, or video that contains explicit gore, nudity, or otherwise adult humor in graphic detail... you'll most likely get a warning.
  
  Stay On Topic - Getting a little off subject isn't bad, but if you derail the thread or start going off topic completely then the thread becomes a chat and again we've got to remember it's a discussion board about said topic. If you want to chat with a user or people, PM them or make a Group just to chat then.
  
  Vacation Off - If you're getting warnings all to quickly, it might be best to relax and not post for awhile. You can look back at your posts and see why they got warnings, and ask yourself what's the best way to avoid that the next time around when you're ready to post again.
  
  BE NICE!! - Why am I stressing this? The highest cause of warnings and users being banned is mainly because they have stated something offensive towards a user, or bad mouthed someone regardless of what the topic was about. So remember if you see a thread that upsets you already, or a post that upsets you... just avoid it. You'll feel mature about it and come off free while another user will go for the kill only to be slapped for it.

Whether you're right or not, when it comes to this forum I'd say this is some pretty solid advice

 

[Something Amyss]

It's almost as if this site wants to facilitate actual discussion or something. People often get confused when they join here because we expect people to act a little more like they would in real life rather than flinging shit and hiding behind an anonymous username.

Which is why I don't oppose the low-content post rule, either. Add discussion value. This isn't Facebook and there's a reason there isn't a +1 or "like" button.

 

[Fappy]

It's almost as if this site wants to facilitate actual discussion or something. People often get confused when they join here because we expect people to act a little more like they would in real life rather than flinging shit and hiding behind an anonymous username.

Which is why I don't oppose the low-content post rule, either. Add discussion value. This isn't Facebook and there's a reason there isn't a +1 or "like" button.

I'm not opposed to it either but I do agree with a lot of users that it could use a clearer definition. I don't think it's any of the mods' faults that the low content rule is so inconsistently moderated, but rather that everyone has their own view on what exactly constitutes a low content post. Word is the staff's been tweaking the rules for awhile now, so hopefully it gets addressed soon.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I have gotten a grand total of only two warning, neither of which went on my record as they were sent over PM. Neither of them were unwarranted. In my experience, as long as you don't attack others and add to a discussion, you are good to go.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

It's really not hard to stay unbanned, especially since the mods here seem to be of the understanding sort, all you have to do is (providing you actually weren't intending to offend or attack anyone in a post) dispute the situation, and explain (calmly and nicely) how you did not intend to offend, and that you weren't attacking someone, and maybe change your wording and appologize for the offense, and BAM, forum health restored.

At least that's my experience, it's all about thinking about the words you're using, and not being a dick.

There are no rules about asking for clarification of a person's intention if they are speaking in such a way that offends you something like "I am not quite sure of your intent, are you trolling?" in a quote, you aren't calling a person a troll, and you aren't attacking them, you are honestly asking them if they are being intentionally inflammatory, at which point most rational people will explain themselves, and if they are trolling you may expose them through their actions if they choose to attack you in a reply.

in other words, if you are smart about it, and have a decent grasp on the english language, you can usually avoid being mod hammered, and generally get along with others.

I would however suggest refraining from posting if you're drunk, I got a warning last time I did that, and as I looked at it and saw that I had indeed been a dick, I just let the warning expire naturally, no reason to fight it if it's truly something you deserve eh.

 

[Private Custard]

Flaming
Calling people names (or groups who may visit The Escapist), this includes calling others a troll
Trolling
Posting inflammatory, extraneous or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional

So someone trolls and gets a warning. I call them on their bullshit and also get a warning!

This has happened to me numerous times, hence why I'm one strike from a permaban. But, as I've told the mods before (more than once!), I don't need to run crying to someone else, I'm perfectly capable of slapping someone down myself (possibly too capable!). And I'm always proven right with the people I choose to hate.

My first piece of advice to any newbies, is to master the art of passive-aggression. Be a wuss and fail to insult people properly. Being a sneaky coward will get you far......sticking to your guns won't!!

 

[EeveeElectro]

Flaming
Calling people names (or groups who may visit The Escapist), this includes calling others a troll
Trolling
Posting inflammatory, extraneous or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional

So someone trolls and gets a warning. I call them on their bullshit and also get a warning!

This has happened to me numerous times, hence why I'm one strike from a permaban. But, as I've told the mods before (more than once!), I don't need to run crying to someone else, I'm perfectly capable of slapping someone down myself (possibly too capable!). And I'm always proven right with the people I choose to hate.

My first piece of advice to any newbies, is to master the art of passive-aggression. Be a wuss and fail to insult people properly. Being a sneaky coward will get you far......sticking to your guns won't!!

It's not a case of sticking to your guns, it's a case of you 'feeding the troll.'
A trolls purpose is to piss you off and get a reaction - calling them out on their trollness is exactly that.
Then they can start arguing with you like trolls do and it'll erupt into a pointless flame war which the 'pist tries to avoid on these boards.

Basically, don't give them any attention. They'll act up even more, pissing you off in the process and you both end up looking silly.
They're just kids having a tantrum or they have no purpose in life.
If you see obviously trolling comments such as "I think all people called Steve need to be killed" don't even rise to it.
It's saddening to think some people might have such terrible opinions and I've been unsure a few times myself if people on here are joking or not but arguing will accomplish nothing.

If you MUST say something, send the user a PM. I'm in no way advocating arguing via messages but if you feel you can keep a level head and ask why they hold such a strong opinion (and possibly advise them against posting it online), it stops otherwise good threads from getting locked because of arguments.

Really, you can't change someone's opinion no matter how much you disagree with it or label it as flame bait.

EDIT: If they've received a warning, leave them alone. The mods have already sorted it, you calling them out is just gonna start another fight. Instead of calling them out, report their post if you feel it needs to be moderated.

 

[Wolf In A Bear Suit]

Jesus this threads like school. Play nice and be perfect like me. I think the staff can be overly strict sometimes, particularly when it comes to criticising some of the features. I've never really had a problem with that. Just something I notice. Yeah it's generally difficult to get outright banned but I would definitely avoid posting on a thread where your opinion goes against the general consensus. Only ever got one warning, and that was low content on my fifth or sixth post. I'm clean now though. I like most of you I imagine didn't actually read the rules and assuming that the rules would be the same as normal posted unwittingly.