So, The Escapist is in the news again...

[IceForce]

I'm guessing this doesn't happen very often.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140306/06471226459/escapist-website-content-creator-puts-up-video-about-adblock-moderators-warnsuspend-people-discussing-adblock-comments.shtml

Interesting read. I thought I'd share it with people who hadn't seen it.

Any thoughts on this whole fiasco? (And for the love of god, keep things civil in this thread, and don't mention that thing that starts with "a" and ends with "lock".)

EDIT: The thread they're talking about:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.843934-Jimquisition-The-Adblock-Episode?page=26

 

[Elfgore]

I'm going to be honest. I read every single post in that thread, and what an adventure it was. Wombat of war was banned. LacktheKnack got very aggressive, almost to a quite scary level, and an aardvark along with scrumpmonkey were locked in a brutal multi-page argument with the mods. I noticed two users stand quite strongly in opposition of the A-word, lasting multiple pages at war with for the A-word.

It is a perfect example of the so ugly you can't look away saying. I can't believe it hit news worthy ugly though.

Edit: Silly me, I forgot I also saw Kross rise up from the abyss to fight for the reason of ads. That may have been the best part.

 

[tippy2k2]

Whoooooooooooo! Go Escapist!!!

As much as I love Ze Escapist, that thread and sub sequential fallout did seem like a bad idea (I still love you though!).

Now I didn't pay much attention to it but it seemed like it was a case of the left hand and the right hand not telling each other what they're doing. Jim seemed under the impression that talking about the A-word in that thread was a good thing and should be open for discussion. The Mods either were not told this or were told by Ze Escapist that there will be no mercy.

It was a bit of a clusterfun that probably could have been helped with a bit clearer language (granted, this info was made clearer later). The A-word is a giant can of worms that just got away from Ze Escapist. It's unfortunate really since it does look really bad that the video is asking for open discussion on the A-word with the Mods waiting outside to smush anyone using the A-word.

I get the pickle of people using the A-word for websites but I personally think this is something that should have either been left unsaid, the video put up with comments down, or allowed anarchy to reign as people in that one thread to talk about the A-word.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I'd rather The Escapist made headlines for more positive things but that was just going to be a mess from the beginning, though the actual moderation does seem fairly scattershot.

As I posted in the thread itself, what I really hope The Escapist gets out of that thread is not really whether or not it's users make use of ad stopping/blocking software. What I hope they get out of it is why those who do use it have chosen to do so. Based on the responses it doesn't seem to be because of ads in general. There seems a general understanding that, yes, ads are part of being online. Instead the choice is made because of the specific sometimes potentially dangerous but almost always annoying and browsing experience damaging ads that are being used.

 

[Fappy]

Man, I wonder how Kross feels about being called out like that XD

I'm not sure if I'd be amused or upset, honestly.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

The few times I popped into that thread for a quick view warmed me up. The flames were shooting out of my monitor.

I guess we made the news. Wish we could do that for something like something amazing and unique happening in the Escapist Expo and not a forum war. I remember when someone introduced me to the thread that was a flamewar about math...

Still, I love this place too much to leave over any issue our community starts foaming at the mouth over. It all blows over eventually.

 

[momijirabbit]

Things like this is why I hate posting on this website, it feels like a dictatorship.
Say anything off and it's the firing squad for you. This place is way to damn strict.
(Also if I get a warning for this post it just goes to show)

 

[lacktheknack]

I'm going to be honest. I read every single post in that thread, and what an adventure it was. Wombat of war was banned. LacktheKnack got very aggressive, almost to a quite scary level, and an aardvark along with scrumpmonkey were locked in a brutal multi-page argument with the mods.

Well, that's what happens if you insult the family of a stressed-out student on a notably bad day.

I gotta say, that article is kind of terrible. We totally ARE allowed to say "", just not advocate or admit to using it. You know, sort of like how telling a developer that you pirate his games makes you a tool.

EDIT: Wait, I missed that line from Kross. When did that happen?

Things like this is why I hate posting on this website, it feels like a dictatorship.
Say anything off and it's the firing squad for you. This place is way to damn strict.
(Also if I get a warning for this post it just goes to show)

But they won't warn you, because you didn't break a rule.

 

[IceForce]

That thread got more flaming then ANYTHING i've ever seen.

I make a point to observe what happens in particularly bad and nasty threads here, and I have to agree.
That thread has more warnings in it than any thread I've ever seen here before, (certainly in my time here, at least).

I personally think this is something that should have either been left unsaid, the video put up with comments down, or allowed anarchy to reign as people in that one thread to talk about the A-word.

These would be my thoughts also.

 

[Remus]

Ya know, I had this whole paragraph talking about the importance of not experimenting with recombination gene technology on aardvarks, but I think the metaphor would be lost. I'll just reserve further judgement on the still-expanding thread in question until Jim addresses it in his next video, something he had promised to do but got sidetracked by yet another game not living up to its E3 trailer.

 

[dyre]

I really wouldn't consider Techdirt to be "news." It's more like a trashy tabloid for tech nerds...something along the lines of Wired. I like how it takes a stab at Ars Technica's well-written, well researched article on Adblock (which I read awhile ago), as well as misrepresenting Jim's video. Honestly, I'm amazed that Techdirt had the nerve to bring up such a vastly superior news outlet (Ars Technica) without huddling in shame...

That said, the Escapist handled that thread really, really poorly. Really took the wind out of the sails for Jim's well-reasoned, good-natured argument.

 

[Padwolf]

I read a great lot of that thread and my gods it was ugly. I feel that Kross's post was quite accurate, that people should have been discussing it rather than saying "yeah, I do, and you should too". I just have to ask; how hard is it to take less than a minute to go over the rules? I enjoyed Jim's video and I understand where he was coming from. We were allowed to talk about it, just not advocate it or admit to using it. Ah well, time to grab a nice cold pint and wait for all of this to blow over.

 

[krazykidd]

I read a great lot of that thread and my gods it was ugly. I feel that Kross's post was quite accurate, that people should have been discussing it rather than saying "yeah, I do, and you should too". I just have to ask; how hard is it to take less than a minute to go over the rules? I enjoyed Jim's video and I understand where he was coming from. We were allowed to talk about it, just not advocate it or admit to using it. Ah well, time to grab a nice cold pint and wait for all of this to blow over.

I agree. However i would have expect that perticular thread to be exempt from that rule since one of the content creators for this website ( Jim) opened the can of worms ( more like pandoras box). It's not like random user number 7461845918 created the thread.

Also, quite a few people don't actually posts on the forums , just on the "featured content" after they watch a video, so i understand why some of them didn't read the rules.

It was handled really poorly though.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

That thread pretty much made me feel pretty opposed to visiting the site more frequently, to be honest. Too many reasonable people getting warnings for explaining legitimate reasons that they used Adblock. Sure, some might have gotten warnings for being a bit too blunt, but there were plenty who added no amount of snark to their posts who were warned anyways.

Seriously didn't do much good in my eyes.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I didn't follow it past the first few pages, but I did find it a bit puzzling that Jim would pick this highly controversial topic to talk about, and then expect us to not talk about it... too much.

The Escapist should either not have allowed Jim to make that particular Jimquistion, or should've only had it watchable on Youtube, to avoid the shitstorm.

You can't just hand us a get-out-of-jail-free card and expect us not to use it. Thankfully I stayed out of it since I don't really know a damn thing about A(...)ock.

 

[Flatfrog]

I thought it was a fucking disgrace (speaking as one of the slappees). I love this site very much but their total refusal to engage with criticism over this issue pisses me off something rotten.

 

[O maestre]

if it wasn't for zero punctuation this site would not have anywhere near the userbase it has. Ive had an account since 08 and been a lurker for longer than that. The direction has gone down an alarming path, there is little journalism left, hell there isn't even a magazine anymore, and adverts are often masqueraded as articles. I don't understand their reasoning, many other sites can exist without treating their community as criminals.

trim down on your employees and unpopular content that is the best solution, and perhaps consider being community driven, most people are willing to pay not to be inconvenienced. The only reason I am not a pub club member is that I don't want to support all the content on the site, I wish support could be selective.

In regards to the article, the escapist won't care, they have shown in the past several times that they don't care about the fans at all. They will shrug it off and either blame us for bad press or ignore it completely.

 

[Headsprouter]

I dunno, I watched Jim's video, but didn't touch the thread. I didn't disagree with him, so I saw no need to discuss, not to mention seeing that post count and feeling a bit like THIS [http://i.imgur.com/eej2jwm.gif]. I don't remember him ever saying or even implying that we should feel very, very naughty for using

[REDACTED]

, just that he said it does affect him and if you really do want to continue using

[REDACTED]

you can, but if you still feel guilty for affecting him you should maybe buy him a little present. I recall the words "consider". Doesn't a subscription save you from ads, too?

Even so, I'm an apprehensive type, so I'm especially good at keeping my nose clean around here, it's not like I'll be saying anything controversial anytime soon.. Then again, this thread is pretty risqué.

*tries to hit post*

*tries again*

*grows testicle*

*posts*

 

[Zontar]

Things like this is why I hate posting on this website, it feels like a dictatorship.
Say anything off and it's the firing squad for you. This place is way to damn strict.
(Also if I get a warning for this post it just goes to show)

Oh please, have you been to the IMDB forums in the past few years? That place is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. The rules and mods may be stronger here then on most forums, but it is with good reason.

 

[Spambot 3000]

That one user complaining about those fucking unmutable ads that play in the corner of the screen was right though. Seriously, this site needs to cut that shit out.