Poll: New Forum Rules: Yay or Nay?

[sky14kemea]

Everything else on the list is illegal in the United States, so admitting to using it is admitting to a crime. Since The Escapist offices are in the US, they abide by all the same laws.

I don't think Adblockers are illegal in the United States, but I know what you mean

Does this mean posts laden with profanity would be banned? If we're trying to take "PG-13" then, as per the MPAA's guidelines:

A motion picture?s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context.

How are we to interpret this?

Don't go nuts with your swearing, then? =P

If you're post consists of mostly swears and slurs, chances are you're going to get a warning for that. There's really no need to overdo those things.

However, a few fucks here and there is probably fine.

...Is the "spoiler your images and videos" now an enforced rule or is it still "just good etiquette"?

It's still just good etiquette, but with more attention brought to it. Not everyone has a high bandwidth so loading lots of images and videos in a thread is really going to eat at their internet speed.

This goes for auto-playing videos as well. Just don't do it, please. (Not directed at you, just in general)

 

[Tanis]

I'm a little worried about the 'offensive post' point.

Maybe it's because I've worked in retail, and everyone seems to be offend by everything and thus demand some insane refund/coupon because, reasons.

But I'd rather like that rule to be a bit clearer.
Or, at the very least, make it so you get a verbal warning first and then, if you post the same thing (I hate Cats, Dawgs Rule!) like again...
THEN give out the warning.

I was also hoping they'd fix the system so that you could look at your own, previous, warning, so folks would know what they did in the past.

I don't know about most of you, but I sometimes have problems remembering important stuff like where my keys are...
Let alone what I may or may not have post that pissed off a mod/was against forum rules in the last week/month/year.

 

[BQE]

SNIP

I think that the necro stuff might still be a bit vague. If memory serves, there have been a few threads that moderators have allowed to come back from the dead saying that they 'still apply and are relevant to current interests'

 

[IceForce]

Unfortunately, there are perhaps a couple of oversights. Regrettably, this section still exists:

Regardless of what some of our content creators may say, do or provoke within their videos or articles, this does not give members the ability to act in the same way. They are entertainers and if they brought their language or flaming into the forums, they would be held accountable, just as any other forum member of The Escapist would be.

While moderating content creators would obviously be unhelpful, we know from several examples that it doesn't occur and so this section is at best misleading.

Agreed.

I've brought up the following examples before, asking why nothing had been done in these cases, but I got no replies:

Low content: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/7.398156.16275670
Calling another user a troll: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.834524.20420620
Calling another user illiterate: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.829148.20201954

Not meaning to be rude, but to me it doesn't look like staff are "held accountable" when they make oopsies on the forums.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

After reading the new rules, overall I'd say it's a pretty good change, and I especially like the definitions they added to the "Don't be a Jerk" rule, although the "Offensive Posts" part of it is still overly broad -- anything can and will be offensive to /someone/, and on a forum this size, there's a good chance such a someone will be around to complain.

Also I like the way they reworked the "Use These Forums Appropriately" section, although I wish they had added the clarifications to the other subheadings that they did to the piracy and ad blocker rules. It kind of looks like they were trying to make it clear that the advocating or admitting to parts only applied to the ones it was right after, but that's not quite what it actually did, if you want to get legalistic about it -- in other words, it's still technically against the rules to advocate the legalization of marijuana or admit to enjoying pornography.

That said, while it's not perfect, it's much better than it was.

I just wish they'd hire a lawyer to write up a set of rules that actually say what they're supposed to, or if they can't afford one, a good rules lawyer to go over these things with a fine toothed comb. I mean they've /got/ to have at least one avid MTG player on staff, and you have to think like a lawyer just to understand the card interactions in that one

 

[Lionsfan]

This goes for auto-playing videos as well. Just don't do it, please. (Not directed at you, just in general)

Granted, I know you're not in charge of the site, but the irony of this made me laugh out loud.

Also, I don't agree with the 30-day necro rule. That's pretty short

But whatever I guess

 

[Soviet Heavy]

It's not the words I worry about. It's the people. I got an argument from the staff over the word 'silly' in a post once. Fortunately, I overturned that one, but I don't think it should have ever been considered offensive to begin with.

My last warning/probation came from making an in good humor jab at another user, using the word Twerp. Still kind of annoyed by that, especially after a number of people in the thread pointed out that it seemed a little out of line for a warning.

 

[sky14kemea]

I was also hoping they'd fix the system so that you could look at your own, previous, warning, so folks would know what they did in the past.

I don't know about most of you, but I sometimes have problems remembering important stuff like where my keys are...
Let alone what I may or may not have post that pissed off a mod/was against forum rules in the last week/month/year.

You can always PM a Mod and ask what you've had previous warnings for. I'm sure most of us won't mind giving you a heads up on things to avoid.

This goes for auto-playing videos as well. Just don't do it, please. (Not directed at you, just in general)

Granted, I know you're not in charge of the site, but the irony of this made me laugh out loud.

Also, I don't agree with the 30-day necro rule. That's pretty short

But whatever I guess

There's a difference between clicking on a site video and clicking on an article to read it. =P

As for the 30 day rule, it does seem a bit short, but considering how many new topics are made every day, you'd be surprised how many threads could happen in that time period.

There is always the option of remaking the thread to start the discussion off again, if a Mod isn't willing to bump it for you.

 

[Darks63]

Unfortunately, there are perhaps a couple of oversights. Regrettably, this section still exists:

Regardless of what some of our content creators may say, do or provoke within their videos or articles, this does not give members the ability to act in the same way. They are entertainers and if they brought their language or flaming into the forums, they would be held accountable, just as any other forum member of The Escapist would be.

While moderating content creators would obviously be unhelpful, we know from several examples that it doesn't occur and so this section is at best misleading.

Agreed.

I've brought up the following examples before, asking why nothing had been done in these cases, but I got no replies:

Low content: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/7.398156.16275670
Calling another user a troll: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.834524.20420620
Calling another user illiterate: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.829148.20201954

Not meaning to be rude, but to me it doesn't look like staff are "held accountable" when they make oopsies on the forums.

Not at all surprised that 2 of those are Grey Carter. Despite this change the "do as i say not as i do" attitude will likely continue when it comes to content creators.

Also that line about if the topic is provocative topics/content is bs too. That gives any content creator basically a license to troll if they really wanted and some have in the past.

 

[Lionsfan]

There's a difference between clicking on a site video and clicking on an article to read it. =P

As for the 30 day rule, it does seem a bit short, but considering how many new topics are made every day, you'd be surprised how many threads could happen in that time period.

There is always the option of remaking the thread to start the discussion off again, if a Mod isn't willing to bump it for you.

Actually I was talking more about the auto-playing video ads....

 

[FalloutJack]

It's not the words I worry about. It's the people. I got an argument from the staff over the word 'silly' in a post once. Fortunately, I overturned that one, but I don't think it should have ever been considered offensive to begin with.

My last warning/probation came from making an in good humor jab at another user, using the word Twerp. Still kind of annoyed by that, especially after a number of people in the thread pointed out that it seemed a little out of line for a warning.

A couple guys were BANNED for defending me one time. Fortunately, that particular member of the Escapist left.

 

[sky14kemea]

There's a difference between clicking on a site video and clicking on an article to read it. =P

As for the 30 day rule, it does seem a bit short, but considering how many new topics are made every day, you'd be surprised how many threads could happen in that time period.

There is always the option of remaking the thread to start the discussion off again, if a Mod isn't willing to bump it for you.

Actually I was talking more about the auto-playing video ads....

Ah, sorry. I wouldn't know about those due to Pubclub. You should talk to the Tech Team [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Tech-Team] about those. :/

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

Le sigh, I still stand by my belief that necroing is much better than new threads and should be allowed. Just because a thread is old does not mean that something new can't be added to the discussion, especially with how circumstances can change. Being punished for adding to a discussion just because of the age of a thread will continue to seem wrong to me.

Still gotta look over the rest of the new rules, but the sound of that being forbidden does bother me.

 

[soren7550]

I'm a dummy, so I didn't notice any difference, except the bit about warnings seems to imply that I should of gotten that Neo badge.

 

[Asita]

This goes for auto-playing videos as well. Just don't do it, please. (Not directed at you, just in general)

No, no, that's a good one to direct at me [and others]. I've historically been rather fond of spoilered autoplay videos (usually short ones, but still)

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Wow, there was an agree button? I resent that I wasn't given the chance to not read the changes and blindly agree.

Doesn't make any difference to me. People got banned for that anyway. And yes, I'd still like the ability to discuss things that are pertinent to this site that content creators frequently discuss, and to have threads about those pieces and not officially allow the discussion is pretty fucking mixed message to me.

Although to be fair I've never been penalised for it. But it's a matter of principle. I'd rather be officially allowed to talk about something than rely on the mods being cool.

EDIT: There we go.

 

[blackaddicus]

Overall i personally think that the changes to the rules, relating to Harassment & Bullying are a good thing. When it comes down to it bulling in forums, really isn't appropriate given that there are many well documented consequences of cyber bulling.

In relation to the necroing of old threads, i think that 30 days is about right as finding a thread older than that, would be like looking through a swamp for a pin.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I skimmed over it and it doesn't look all that different than the old CoC so whatever.

 

[IceForce]

A couple of other things I'd like to mention.

These rules will be vigorously enforced so that a handful of bad apples don't spoil it for everyone else.

So, the many (possibly hundreds) of people who have been banned on this forum, are only a "handful"? Okay then.

Offensive Posts
Please read what you wrote before you post it and think if anyone else could find it offensive.

This bit is so vague and arbitrary, it's pretty much useless.

Having said all this, I do like the bit about targeted harassment & bullying. That rule is definitely appreciated.