Poll: Is it just me or is it too easy to get banned here?

[FamoFunk]

I think the Mods are ok, it's true, stay within the rules and you're ok here.

On the other hand, I think some people genuinally didn't mean any harm and may of accidentially just broken a rule.
PMing a Mod can help with this, I've never done it, as I've deserved my warning, but I hope they are reasonable and not just "tough".

 

[sky14kemea]

The problem with this site is that the mods don't moderate people who mask their insults. They're almost bots. One word insults get moderated, but long drawn out things like:

"Your American ignorance is so apparent, I'm surprised you're not a member of Fox News. A child has stronger arguments than you, and children lack the cognition of an adult. Perhaps your development ceased at the single digit age range? I wouldn't be surprised if you're also overweight and can only speak English. Go watch Nascar with your trailor buddies and leave the discussion to the intellectuals, silly American."

Posts like that rarely if ever get moderated. Basically, flaming on this site is perfectly acceptable and probably encouraged as long as you're condescending while doing so.

Actually if a post like that got reported, we probably would mod it. The problem is we can't be constantly checking every single post made here, it's a very big forum. So we have to rely on the Report button (Which is why we're always telling people to just report and move on). :/

It's true, sometimes we do miss some posts that deserve punishment, and sometimes there are misunderstandings, but if this happens, there's an appeal form at the bottom of every warning/probation etc. or you can PM one of the Mods you feel more comfortable approaching. :0

 

[Mikeyfell]

The mods are way too punishment happy.

With the implementation of the (fucking stupid) forum health bar thing bans are determined by amount of infractions rather than severity of infractions.

Oh this is going to end well. I guess I just have to post it.

That is all.

For instance^^^ the mods would consider this a low content post which used to be worth a warning. but if this guy has done this one to many times he could get banned for it.



The Escapist mods are power hungry I got put on probation for saying that Bungie has no reason to make Halo Reach any good because it's the last Halo game they were going to develop.

But in most cases Moderators on internet forums are completely unnecessary, all they really offer is a "tell on you" button for extremely thin skinned people. Maybe one in a hundred people actually deserve the ban their getting.

Here's a thought only let the mods delete specific posts and only use the ban hammer on advertizing and spam accounts.

Eh mine is actually just long enough that it will probably get a pass. Unless a mod is having a particularly bad day I am probably safe. You on the other hand are probably in the line of fire for referring to the rule system as "fucking stupid." You aren't guaranteed to have action taken against you but I would not be surprised.

Trust me I'll never be surprised if the mods feel like abusing their power, which they have way to much of.

I've been warned for longer posts. I think they should start Banning the OP's that ask yes/no questions.

 

[Mikeyfell]

The mods are way too punishment happy.

With the implementation of the (fucking stupid) forum health bar thing bans are determined by amount of infractions rather than severity of infractions.

Oh this is going to end well. I guess I just have to post it.

That is all.

For instance^^^ the mods would consider this a low content post which used to be worth a warning. but if this guy has done this one to many times he could get banned for it.



The Escapist mods are power hungry I got put on probation for saying that Bungie has no reason to make Halo Reach any good because it's the last Halo game they were going to develop.

But in most cases Moderators on internet forums are completely unnecessary, all they really offer is a "tell on you" button for extremely thin skinned people. Maybe one in a hundred people actually deserve the ban their getting.

Here's a thought only let the mods delete specific posts and only use the ban hammer on advertizing and spam accounts.

The mods keep this forum clean, and if they hand out punishment, person appeals they can reconsider anyway, so if you can show the politeness in an appeal for a "borderline" infraction, nothing is lost anyway.

And someone who constantly makes useless and offensive / rule-breaking posts, is a scourge to the community, even if they never break 7 rules in one post, these infractions continually pester the community, they need to go.

He would have gotten 7 warnings for it in the past. And that is not low content, he has 2 sentences on top of the picture.

In what words did you say it? Because you could so "that is nice" in a manner that is worth a warning.

The report button is there because the mods can't be everywhere, and it has to be pressed at least 2 times on one post for that post to even be looked at.

And have you seen the comments on youtube? That is why we need our good mods here. And they are not too strict, I have nearly 3000 posts, no warning, some people who stick to religion and politics, >10 000 posts, no warnings. If they can do it, so can you.

The mods shouldn't hand out punishments for borderline infractions that's like a cop pulling you over and saying "you were going exactly the speed limit so if you're polite to me I won't give you a ticket" plus the rules of (no low content posts, no advertizing and don't be a jerk) are so vague the mods can ban at their discretion. and not be held accountable to anything.

If someone is constantly making offensive posts (they're probably the one in a hundred that should get banned) you could also just ignore them. It's not an unheard of response. The really racist, sexist, homophobic etc. people are the ones that should get banned. but every time I see "user was banned for this post" I always read it I never see how it was more offensive that the quoted post that it's a response to.

I know you can say anything offensively but the problem is that I was punished for expressing my opinion. I made a prediction and backed it up with a reason and I got punished for it. You can't stop someone from being offended. if I could ban everyone who offended me no one on this site would be using the word "biased" anymore. Maybe they should change the report button to a report form that they have to fill out with a reason for the report. That way the mods can ignore all the "He DoSeN't LiKe HaLo!!! BANHAMMER!!" reports.

I've been on Youtube, Youtube shouldn't even really have a comments section. If the spelling doesn't render the post unreadable they're asking a question that's been answered in the description. But the Escapist is a forum site. A good forum topic is going to stir up debate. If an argument is going to result in punishment or a ban what's the point of posting?

 

[Canid117]

snip

Maybe if this wasn't a thread that should have been locked and nuked out of existence ten hours ago due to breaking the rules about creating threads regarding forum moderation then I might consider posting something more substantive. However as this very thread is apposed to the rules and therefore should not be posted in any way I chose to have a little fun by posting an entertaining and harmless gif. It is not my fault that the mods have yet to get around to bringing the hammer down yet.

 

[Brandon237]

The mods shouldn't hand out punishments for borderline infractions that's like a cop pulling you over and saying "you were going exactly the speed limit so if you're polite to me I won't give you a ticket" plus the rules of (no low content posts, no advertizing and don't be a jerk) are so vague the mods can ban at their discretion. and not be held accountable to anything.

If someone is constantly making offensive posts (they're probably the one in a hundred that should get banned) you could also just ignore them. It's not an unheard of response. The really racist, sexist, homophobic etc. people are the ones that should get banned. but every time I see "user was banned for this post" I always read it I never see how it was more offensive that the quoted post that it's a response to.

I know you can say anything offensively but the problem is that I was punished for expressing my opinion. I made a prediction and backed it up with a reason and I got punished for it. You can't stop someone from being offended. if I could ban everyone who offended me no one on this site would be using the word "biased" anymore. Maybe they should change the report button to a report form that they have to fill out with a reason for the report. That way the mods can ignore all the "He DoSeN't LiKe HaLo!!! BANHAMMER!!" reports.

I've been on Youtube, Youtube shouldn't even really have a comments section. If the spelling doesn't render the post unreadable they're asking a question that's been answered in the description. But the Escapist is a forum site. A good forum topic is going to stir up debate. If an argument is going to result in punishment or a ban what's the point of posting?

If someone has no prior offences or is in their very low post counts, the mods will not give for borderline infractions, I am almost dead sure I have been reported at least twice on one post, probably a few, but I don't try to cause a stir, and I do not blatantly break the rules. Many many many posters are like myself or simply have one warning for that one unlucky time. But if you either frequently cause a stir, crit the mods and rules, or often do something infraction worthy, same lenience does not apply. It is simple.

They are not that vague, no insulting another poster, punting your own blog, product et cetera and no one to three word answers or replies that add nothing. No picture only replies either. Give your own opinion, if it has been said before, it gives an idea of scale, that is literally all you must do to be safe.

Just ignoring them is what encourages that type of behaviour, and it leaves the person to continually bring down the Escapist, which is not fair on everyone else. For this forum to remain as good as it is right now, such people MUST be removed.
And that is because that person has been behaving like that for a while with 7 prior infractions. The person they quoted normally will also get punishment, but they have done less in the past. Makes sense to me.

You haven't said HOW you expressed your opinion, copy / paste your exact words, PM them if you do not want a repeat incident, because you likely broke one of three major rules you mentioned or something else that the rules forbid.

Because of strict regulation mentioned above, you are not likely to have people pushing report because "he doesn't like Halo", and the mods check the post themselves, and they will not give punishment if that is all, and it takes two pushes of that button for the thing to even come through to the mods attention...

Arguments do not generally end in warnings, only ones where people are blatantly trolling or being disrespectful. You can be scathing of another person's opinion, but do not insult them for it.

 

[Brandon237]

snip

Maybe if this wasn't a thread that should have been locked and nuked out of existence ten hours ago due to breaking the rules about creating threads regarding forum moderation then I might consider posting something more substantive. However as this very thread is apposed to the rules and therefore should not be posted in any way I chose to have a little fun by posting an entertaining and harmless gif. It is not my fault that the mods have yet to get around to bringing the hammer down yet.

Wait what did I do to you? O.O
I was arguing with MikeyFell... I am very confused here =/
And the .gif was funny. And true, but eh, when the mods keep these going, they can see criticisms, and it allows them to get a better feel of how they are thought of and in general how to better mod the Escapist, so while it may be against the rules, it can also be the proverbial "trial by fire" of modding techniques, the mods have my approval, but it can be helpful for them to see the problems others may have or have had in the past.

Captcha: rum do ... err... what?!

EDIT: Double post. I am ashamed I tell you, ASHAMED... ah well.

 

[MrMrAwesom]

Well, a big part of people getting "Banned too easily" is because people mistake privately owned virtual space for flesh-and-blood public ones.

Freedom of speech does work the same way when you're in someone else's territory. If Boy Scouts can discriminate against openly gay people, then certainly no one's going to fight for the privilege of random people on the internet to be disrespectful.

There's also this misconception that I see floating around on the internet where people mistake being opinionated with insulting things they don't like. You know, the whole "I think Pepsi is shit" instead of phrasing it as, "I really don't like the taste of Pepsi."
If there's no way to phrase what you're trying to say politely, then don't post.

Of course, the big thing that gets many people with minor infractions is that, when you're in a bad mood, don't post. I get the PMS from Hell, and I try to keep to myself, or warn those I'm around when I feel a certain way. Same goes for the internet.
Just because things feel like they're one way or the other doesn't mean your perception isn't being affected by your mood.

But yeah, the mods are a big part of what make the Escapist what it is. If this isn't the place for you, then there's somewhere on the internet that suits you better. There is no point in sticking around on a site that you are not enjoying.

Not saying, "GTFO," mind you. Whether or not we're truely happy somewhere is a question we should all ask ourselves from time to time.

Personally I love these forums and have never had a problem with the mods (runs off to knock on wood) so I don't think they are "to" harsh.


It says right there in the rules that they will moderate low-content posts, even if its the response to a question.
There is always something to elaborate on.
If not, then it probably isn't worth posting.

LOL PMS from hell. Nice way too put it
& to the other guy I have absolutely no idea why you said " "to" harsh."
Why the "to" harsh? excuse me for being a grammar but I was taught "too much" is the correct way to put it.

WOOT (1,2,3)!! 3 pages YAY!

Lastly I never really used forums before so I didn't have anything to compare to 'sept youtube so I guess out of the two this certainly is the cleanest on the internet XP

 

[Canid117]

snip

Maybe if this wasn't a thread that should have been locked and nuked out of existence ten hours ago due to breaking the rules about creating threads regarding forum moderation then I might consider posting something more substantive. However as this very thread is apposed to the rules and therefore should not be posted in any way I chose to have a little fun by posting an entertaining and harmless gif. It is not my fault that the mods have yet to get around to bringing the hammer down yet.

Wait what did I do to you? O.O
I was arguing with MikeyFell... I am very confused here =/
And the .gif was funny. And true, but eh, when the mods keep these going, they can see criticisms, and it allows them to get a better feel of how they are thought of and in general how to better mod the Escapist, so while it may be against the rules, it can also be the proverbial "trial by fire" of modding techniques, the mods have my approval, but it can be helpful for them to see the problems others may have or have had in the past.

Captcha: rum do ... err... what?!

EDIT: Double post. I am ashamed I tell you, ASHAMED... ah well.

Whoops misread your post sorry. I apologize for my over reaction.

 

[MrMrAwesom]

ive never gotten so much as a warning, and ive never felt like i was walking on egg shells or anything. the mods seem pretty fair

How hilarious would that be if you got a warning for low content?
BTW anyone know what the minimum is for not being low content is?

 

[Arsen]

1. No one cares about reading the rules. We're on this forum because of a fast talking Brit who makes funny, slapstick videos. No one should have to give a damn what the "forum rules" are. If we all of a sudden have to care...then it means there's an issue with the rules themselves. Everything should be basic, down to earth, common knowledge. Which leads me to my next point...

If you're only here to watch Yahtzee then you don't actually need a forum account and could simply avoid being banned by never posting anything. By creating an account and posting you have acknowledged that you are here for the forums themselves. Saying "I'm only here to watch shows so the forum rules don't matter" is like saying "I'm only a tourist so the laws of the country I'm in don't matter."

Also, I'm relatively sure that at some point when you were creating your account/posting on the forums a little thing would've come up saying "here are the forum rules, please read them and click 'agree' if you agree or 'disagree' if you don't".

Nevertheless, most forum rules have only certain stipulations are extremely reasonable. The Escapist on the other hand has rules geared towards "Not discussing piracy in a favorable light" which basically amounts to them telling you what you can and can't say just because they want to be seen as a credible establishment...and are fearful of the prying eyes of the public on a videogame MESSAGE BOARD. Incredibly weak reasoning if you ask me. It's basically them saying "you cannot have this opinion and vouch for this position".

And it's a message board. It does carry any equivalent argument of the law's of another land. This board is overwhelmingly punishing. People, who as you may have noticed keep this message board worthy of attendance, have the right to speak up about it. "It was in the rules" doesn't carry any worthwhile argument overall.

Not t mention the fact that many message boards have common sense, bottom of the barrel rules: No porn posting, no advertisements, no trolling, be kind, etc. The problem overall is some of the rules are without neccessity and are extremely nitpicky overall.

 

[Mikeyfell]

crit the mods and rules, or often do something infraction worthy,

You know who else banns people for criticizing the rules?
Stalin.

They are not that vague, no insulting another poster, punting your own blog, product et cetera and no one to three word answers or replies that add nothing. No picture only replies either. Give your own opinion, if it has been said before, it gives an idea of scale, that is literally all you must do to be safe.

That makes it even worse because the closest I've ever come to "insulting another user" is pointing out that they're using is pointing out that their argument is invalid or circular. And if that's considered an insult I don't want to live anymore

Just ignoring them is what encourages that type of behaviour, and it leaves the person to continually bring down the Escapist, which is not fair on everyone else. For this forum to remain as good as it is right now, such people MUST be removed.

The forums are not good right now, the moderation rules are so strict that they actively discourage conversation. It doesn't take more than 3 words to say "I agree" and if you disagree somebody might get butthurt and report you. after 7 infractions you're gone.
That's why every other thread is "The main character from the last game you played etc..."
Eventually the forum will be full of Yesmen and people who are too scared to post. If it isn't already.

You haven't said HOW you expressed your opinion, copy / paste your exact words, PM them if you do not want a repeat incident, because you likely broke one of three major rules you mentioned or something else that the rules forbid.

That was a long time ago I wouldn't know how to pull up the old post.

And I'm willing to admit that I most likely did come off as a dick but unless a Bungie employe was the one who reported me I didn't insult any users.

Because of strict regulation mentioned above, you are not likely to have people pushing report because "he doesn't like Halo", and the mods check the post themselves, and they will not give punishment if that is all, and it takes two pushes of that button for the thing to even come through to the mods attention...

Arguments do not generally end in warnings, only ones where people are blatantly trolling or being disrespectful. You can be scathing of another person's opinion, but do not insult them for it.

 

[Brandon237]

You know who else banns people for criticizing the rules?
Stalin.

That is Godwin's law's essential partner... and this is NOTHING like Stalinist Russia, so that comparison does not even work, The Escapist is a site you CHOOSE to frequent, it is a profit-making establishment that offers great service to many people for free, and even better service for a measly ten dollars, it is not your country, you are not being oppressed here, you can leave any time, but choose to only complain about what they have? And you are not pub club, so leaving will cost you nothing. It is a free service, take it and enjoy, or leave it alone. Don't criticise a free service.

That makes it even worse because the closest I've ever come to "insulting another user" is pointing out that they're using is pointing out that their argument is invalid or circular. And if that's considered an insult I don't want to live anymore

Although the way in which you say things is as important, if not more, than what you say when the rules are concerned. Almost any criticism can come off as blatantly dickish if you say it in a certain way, and that will get you a warning.

The forums are not good right now, the moderation rules are so strict that they actively discourage conversation. It doesn't take more than 3 words to say "I agree" and if you disagree somebody might get butthurt and report you. after 7 infractions you're gone.
That's why every other thread is "The main character from the last game you played etc..."
Eventually the forum will be full of Yesmen and people who are too scared to post. If it isn't already.

I have never noticed that. Do you frequent religion and politics? If you do, then you will see that discussion of a... dangerous and volatile nature continues unhindered so long as someone does not actively try to be an ass.
And as for the I agree, say why you agree, or add little bit of your own opinion, same for disagree, you are helping no-one by saying "this", it is boring to read, discuss the answer you agree or disagree with, and do it decently and not all to vulgarly.

That was a long time ago I wouldn't know how to pull up the old post.

And I'm willing to admit that I most likely did come off as a dick but unless a Bungie employe was the one who reported me I didn't insult any users.

If you made a very harsh general insult, against a race, religion, company et cetera, then that is still considered "being a jerk", so that may have been your problem.

And for the old post, look under the posts section of your profile if you are willing.

[HEADING=1]___________________________________________________________________________[/HEADING]​

Snippety von Snipe to: Whoops misread your post sorry. I apologize for my over reaction.

Ehh, it's cool, I was just wondering what I did O.O

 

[Mikeyfell]

You know who else banns people for criticizing the rules?
Stalin.

That is Godwin's law's essential partner... and this is NOTHING like Stalinist Russia, so that comparison does not even work, The Escapist is a site you CHOOSE to frequent, it is a profit-making establishment that offers great service to many people for free, and even better service for a measly ten dollars, it is not your country, you are not being oppressed here, you can leave any time, but choose to only complain about what they have? And you are not pub club, so leaving will cost you nothing. It is a free service, take it and enjoy, or leave it alone. Don't criticise a free service.

That's another thing I hate about this site. No one has a sense of humor. It's like exaggerating for effect is an alien concept to everyone on this site. And I find that almost impossible to believe on a site that features a weekly Zero Punctuation episode. I know you can't hear my tone of voice from reading text but come on, I tried to make that one obvious.

That makes it even worse because the closest I've ever come to "insulting another user" is pointing out that they're using is pointing out that their argument is invalid or circular. And if that's considered an insult I don't want to live anymore

Although the way in which you say things is as important, if not more, than what you say when the rules are concerned. Almost any criticism can come off as blatantly dickish if you say it in a certain way, and that will get you a warning.

You don't think the blame could be laid on the people who took what was said personally?
To me those are the people who hamper discussion. The people who think everything is a personal attack on them.

(I can't get to my actual post) but it had valid points in it. Everyone and their dog had preordered Reach from the second Halo 3 was over, Bungie had already sold the franchise before the release, bugger all was added to the game from CE to 2 to 3(Besides dual wielding and forge), They've proved with ODST that they're not above selling us full priced DLC. Based on the evidence Reach had no reason to be any good. So what if my post began with this is why your stupid for preordering Reach.
(or something like that, my actual post is gone)

instead of arguing against my point or saying "the game is fun, so what?" or calling me an elitist and telling me to fuck my self right back to Halflife 2. they reported me

The forums are not good right now, the moderation rules are so strict that they actively discourage conversation. It doesn't take more than 3 words to say "I agree" and if you disagree somebody might get butthurt and report you. after 7 infractions you're gone.
That's why every other thread is "The main character from the last game you played etc..."
Eventually the forum will be full of Yesmen and people who are too scared to post. If it isn't already.

I have never noticed that. Do you frequent religion and politics? If you do, then you will see that discussion of a... dangerous and volatile nature continues unhindered so long as someone does not actively try to be an ass.
And as for the I agree, say why you agree, or add little bit of your own opinion, same for disagree, you are helping no-one by saying "this", it is boring to read, discuss the answer you agree or disagree with, and do it decently and not all to vulgarly.

I have never gone to religion and politics, and for good reason. Talking to religious people is the one time where I am blatantly insulting, rude, vulgar, and all those other words, even by my definition.
I try to refrain from talking to religious people unless I'm close enough to physically punch them. Politics isn't much better.

That was a long time ago I wouldn't know how to pull up the old post.

And I'm willing to admit that I most likely did come off as a dick but unless a Bungie employe was the one who reported me I didn't insult any users.

If you made a very harsh general insult, against a race, religion, company et cetera, then that is still considered "being a jerk", so that may have been your problem.

And for the old post, look under the posts section of your profile if you are willing.

That thread is gone now. I got the access denied page. I guess it turned into a flame war, big shocker there.

 

[Brandon237]

That's another thing I hate about this site. No one has a sense of humor. It's like exaggerating for effect is an alien concept to everyone on this site. And I find that almost impossible to believe on a site that features a weekly Zero Punctuation episode. I know you can't hear my tone of voice from reading text but come on, I tried to make that one obvious.

It depends, in a serious debate that is for reasons not entirely whimsical, then the humour is a little... misplaced. If you look at the casual threads and Role-playing, the humour is great. And where it belongs. The tone of this thread, but more specifically this debate, is not really welcoming of humour at the moment, not unless it is very good.

You don't think the blame could be laid on the people who took what was said personally?
To me those are the people who hamper discussion. The people who think everything is a personal attack on them.

Uhh... no. Because if you say something that can be taken insultingly, and you do it intentionally, and the mods see the reports that you are not watching your words, then you will get the moderation that is needed. You hamper discussion once you get insulting. Because that irritates a lot of people, and making good points as opposed to retaliation which escalates into flame wars...

(I can't get to my actual post) but it had valid points in it. Everyone and their dog had preordered Reach from the second Halo 3 was over, Bungie had already sold the franchise before the release, bugger all was added to the game from CE to 2 to 3(Besides dual wielding and forge), They've proved with ODST that they're not above selling us full priced DLC. Based on the evidence Reach had no reason to be any good. So what if my post began with this is why your stupid for preordering Reach.
(or something like that, my actual post is gone)


instead of arguing against my point or saying "the game is fun, so what?" or calling me an elitist and telling me to fuck my self right back to Halflife 2. they reported me

Valid points in no way removes the insulting points. If you simply put all those points and said "I would not buy it because", you would be fine, but blatantly calling people stupid or anything like that for doing so, is insulting people (remember the 3 cardinal rules we discussed, that breaks one). Anything along those lines would have gotten mod intervention.

Because them telling you to do that would make them the insulting ones. So they didn't, they did as they mods say you should do: Report and move on. Comments like that create a painful atmosphere for civil discussion.

I have never gone to religion and politics, and for good reason. Talking to religious people is the one time where I am blatantly insulting, rude, vulgar, and all those other words, even by my definition.
I try to refrain from talking to religious people unless I'm close enough to physically punch them. Politics isn't much better.

Most of the people on religion and politics are not religious... And I find the preview button to be very good, because it lets you actually take stock of what you are going to put there, instead of just treating it like a vocal argument where what you say is done and you cannot take it back.
But the R&P sub-forum would show you that controversial and hot topics can be discussed in a relatively civil manner. The people aren't always all rainbows and sunshine, but they refrain from insults and the like, allowing the discussion to continue without escalation to flame war.

That thread is gone now. I got the access denied page. I guess it turned into a flame war, big shocker there.

It turned into a flame war because of comments that were rude, and people who would not show respect in what they said. Hence why the mods and rules, while being strict here, are very good, very necessary and why I appreciate them very much.

 

[Mikeyfell]

I've figured it out! The Escapist is a website inhabited entirely by robots. Not to far of a stretch seeing how the core staff reviews games.

That's another thing I hate about this site. No one has a sense of humor. It's like exaggerating for effect is an alien concept to everyone on this site. And I find that almost impossible to believe on a site that features a weekly Zero Punctuation episode. I know you can't hear my tone of voice from reading text but come on, I tried to make that one obvious.

It depends, in a serious debate that is for reasons not entirely whimsical, then the humour is a little... misplaced. If you look at the casual threads and Role-playing, the humour is great. And where it belongs. The tone of this thread, but more specifically this debate, is not really welcoming of humour at the moment, not unless it is very good.

No humor outside the designated humor zone. It's not like people are capable of emotions or spontaneity or anything like that.

You don't think the blame could be laid on the people who took what was said personally?
To me those are the people who hamper discussion. The people who think everything is a personal attack on them.

Uhh... no. Because if you say something that can be taken insultingly, and you do it intentionally, and the mods see the reports that you are not watching your words, then you will get the moderation that is needed. You hamper discussion once you get insulting. Because that irritates a lot of people, and making good points as opposed to retaliation which escalates into flame wars...

Here's a serious point to consider. Adding to a discussion regardless of inflection is better than trying to remove someone from the discussion. What we're engaged in right now is a discussion (Even if I think you're a robot)
If you ban me, and I go away the discussion never happens, neither of us gained anything, (even if what we gained is that you think I'm a massive ponce and I think you're a robot)

(I can't get to my actual post) but it had valid points in it. Everyone and their dog had preordered Reach from the second Halo 3 was over, Bungie had already sold the franchise before the release, bugger all was added to the game from CE to 2 to 3(Besides dual wielding and forge), They've proved with ODST that they're not above selling us full priced DLC. Based on the evidence Reach had no reason to be any good. So what if my post began with this is why your stupid for preordering Reach.
(or something like that, my actual post is gone)


instead of arguing against my point or saying "the game is fun, so what?" or calling me an elitist and telling me to fuck my self right back to Halflife 2. they reported me

Valid points in no way removes the insulting points. If you simply put all those points and said "I would not buy it because", you would be fine, but blatantly calling people stupid or anything like that for doing so, is insulting people (remember the 3 cardinal rules we discussed, that breaks one). Anything along those lines would have gotten mod intervention.

Because them telling you to do that would make them the insulting ones. So they didn't, they did as they mods say you should do: Report and move on. Comments like that create a painful atmosphere for civil discussion.

I'm back to the "Humans have emotions" thing again. This might just be a difference in the level of thickness of our skin (or circuits). You think mean people are a blight I think people who are willing to talk are valuable. This might have something to do with the fact that The Escapist is not my first forum. I used to frequent other forums that had much better moderation rules. Pretty much all the mods did were ban Add bots and delete the N word. Mot that they even needed to do that because the people on that site were mature enough to mock them for their bigotry instead of freak out about it.

I have never gone to religion and politics, and for good reason. Talking to religious people is the one time where I am blatantly insulting, rude, vulgar, and all those other words, even by my definition.
I try to refrain from talking to religious people unless I'm close enough to physically punch them. Politics isn't much better.

Most of the people on religion and politics are not religious... And I find the preview button to be very good, because it lets you actually take stock of what you are going to put there, instead of just treating it like a vocal argument where what you say is done and you cannot take it back.
But the R&P sub-forum would show you that controversial and hot topics can be discussed in a relatively civil manner. The people aren't always all rainbows and sunshine, but they refrain from insults and the like, allowing the discussion to continue without escalation to flame war.

Relatively and civil are not two words that go in a sentence with Mikeyfell and Religion

That's why I stay away from that thread.

That thread is gone now. I got the access denied page. I guess it turned into a flame war, big shocker there.

It turned into a flame war because of comments that were rude, and people who would not show respect in what they said. Hence why the mods and rules, while being strict here, are very good, very necessary and why I appreciate them very much.

No it turned into a flame war because the discussion valve was flammable.

Do you think Halo Reach will be good?

That is an internet keg of gasoline. If the mods aren't going to hastily ban the OP for even thinking that was a good Idea no one who posted it the obviously flammable thread should be punished.


TL;DR
I don't actually think you're a robot, I just think we have very different outlooks on how emotional people should be handled. Just because someone couldn't get their point across with out yelling (or calling someone a robot) doesn't mean their not contributing.

Refusing to respond and/or trying to prevent someone from posting does mean they are not contributing.

 

[puffy786]

Be respectful seems to be a difficult one. It seems that if you ever want to tell you side of a opinion thats one sided, someone else will find it offensive and report you. I discouraged people from participating in the Cei Shaddai challenge in a post because it would require far too effort to win. Someone found that offensive and as a result i received a warning.