[hippoface]

So, in your opinion, attracting new players' attention or the attention of people doing wrong to rules so they do not get banned for not obeying the rules is poking one's nose into other peoples' affairs or playing sheriff?

I think there's a difference between an occasional friendly reminder to new players, which i agree is totally legitimate, and certain players thinking of themselves as being mods when there aren't any mods around (and even sometimes when they are).

Helpbot does a good job of informing people of some basic rules, which I agree is necessary. But consider the following scenario which happens on a DAILY basis:

New Player: Oh, I died! (SWEAR WORD)

Helpbot: New Player, if you swear again, you will be banned.

New Player: Oops! Sorry, I won't swear again!

Mini-mod: Hey New Player! I got a screencap of you swearing! If you don't do whatever I tell you, I'll post this screencap and you'll get banned!

New Player: It was an accident, I already said I won't do it again.

Mini-mod: I don't like your attitude! If you give me any more lip, I am submitting a ban request. Apologize to me immediately.

New Player: Look, I didn't know that on this server, (SWEAR WORD) is considered swearing.

Mini-mod: That's it. Ban request submitted.

Friend of Mini-mod: I also posted in the ban request. I don't like New Player because he's obviously a troll and a troublemaker and a (SWEAR WORD). (SWEAR WORD) him, and (SWEAR WORD) his mother.

Thing is, that wouldn't happen. You can't ban people for swearing once. And, I've heard it so many times, if you are banned, you are not considered part of the community for a while. Players have lots of power.... I don't see a reason to do this. Give reasons, and I bet there will still be huge flaws.
Edit: In the picture below, you can tell he's joking....

[Anarchaos]

cont 2

[ewana1991]

Anarchaos, i may have missed something, but as far as i can tell Falareborn did not swear in that screenshot. as far as cuzusuck is concerned, he did not avoid the filter as such, he more used another word than the one you think he meant to. don't get me wrong, i'm not defending him at all, and agree that a world filter avoidance ban is appropriate, because i, being old enough to know, know what he was meaning, you should however keep that for a ban request. you cannot say folks ignored it either, without being able to see everyone's msg's, guild chats etc, as they may have used those methods to reprimand cuzusuck.
Please, drop the subject, as you really can't talk, being a "mini-mod" yourself when it pleases you.
KingSpartacus

P.s. thats only sexual harassment if you have screenshots of other instances, and they are all directed at you. otherwise its just a joke/warning. get your facts straight

P.p.s. sounds to me like you, initially want all of the mini-mods to stop trying to make the chat a nice place, and in your second breath, you're telling us off for not reprimanding every instance of foul/inapropriate language or joke ever present in the chat? you need to stop, take a minute and get your story straight.

[Anarchaos]

Falareborn said that "Soviet russia sucks balls"

Making a reference to a sexually explicit activity is not "swearing" to you?

sounds to me like you, initially want all of the mini-mods to stop trying to make the chat a nice place, and in your second breath, you're telling us off for not reprimanding every instance of foul/inapropriate language or joke ever present in the chat? you need to stop, take a minute and get your story straight.

I'm pointing out the obvious bias and double standards some people have.

Minimods and even some mods will completely ignore blatant rule violations if they personally like someone, and they will greatly exaggerate and persistently whine about minor infractions of people they DON'T like.

I'm saying either ban every single person who swears/sexually harasses/evades ban filter, or ban none at all. As it stands, there is clear and obvious bias in how some mods and mini-mods "enforce" the rules.

[ewana1991]

Falareborn said that "Soviet russia sucks balls"

Making a reference to a sexually explicit activity is not "swearing" to you?

It isn't. sucks is not a swear word, and it is not sexual harassment towards any particular player. it is simply an everyday example of the propaganda fired at the factions by their opposition. simply a morale inhibitor. if it is deemed to get too much, staff will deal with it

[Anarchaos]

So let's make this crystal clear for you.

Saying "Dam*" is a swear word, as per the swear filter.

Making explicit reference to oral sex, where a man's testicles are in someone else's mouth, is not a swear?

[ewana1991]

So let's make this crystal clear for you.

Saying "Dam*" is a swear word, as per the swear filter.

Making explicit reference to oral sex, where a man's testicles are in someone else's mouth, is not a swear?

dam is not a swear word, damn is. a dam holds back water, seems like you need an english lesson! as for the soviet russia thing, drop it, you won't be getting anyone banned for it. and no, it is not a swear as it does not contain a swear word, it is simply an insult to a guild/faction/fight club/whatever you want to call it

[luelle]

Any screenshots of that conversation?

So here was the situation. I was playing the other day, Luelle was there, in addition to a bunch of other players.

Luelle banned me for "showing others how to evade the swear filter", because mitchie and other mini-mods were continuously whining and complaining about it.

At the same time that mitchie was telling luelle what a terrible player I am and how I should be banned, I grabbed a small sample of all the infractions that get ignored completely by both mods and mini-mods alike.

I submit the following screenshots as proof that I am being targeted specifically while other more serious infractions go unnoticed.

For starters, these screenshots didn't even happen at the same time. One is from a different time and the others were from last night. I don't even think I was online for the first one or I was afk, because I don't like that language and I would have said something.

For the second set, at the time of those screenshots, I was dealing with your ban request and trying to get your side of the story. I'm sorry that I missed someone's bad language while looking at what I was typing, trying to figure out your point of view. Next time I'll just ban you straight forward, if you'd like.

Lastly, please do not insinuate that the staff and I do not do our jobs. We miss things that happen in chat sometimes. Sometimes we go afk or we get preoccupied with projects. So while we may be "online", we might not actually be paying attention to the game. We are players just like everyone else and that's why I personally appreciate these "mini-mods" that you're against. When I'm not present or when there isn't staff on, the rules still apply and should be known.

[mitchie151]

I think 'mini-mods' are a good thing. Take for example your case. It seems the 'mini-mods' actually had reasonable grounds for a ban request.

All you are asking in this thread, is for something that will help your situation.

You got yourself into this mess, and the 'mini-mods' helped you to suffer the consequences.

No ones coming to rescue you, perhaps you need I change your attitude.

Good day to you

Mitchie

[Anarchaos]

Let me take this opportunity to recap what I've clearly shown in this thread.

(1) Mods/minimods show bias

Mods and minimods are far more likely to notice, report, ban request and ultimately ban players who they dislike personally. They are far less likely to treat people they like the same way.

(2) Ban requests can be and have been abused

There are clear cases where ban requests are used to further someone's personal agenda and have little or nothing to do with "enforcing server rules". Ban requests are used by players who hold grudges to get rid of people they don't like, regardless of what infractions may or may not have occurred. Players with multiple ban requests against them are assumed to be guilty until proven innocent.

(3) Many rule infractions happen on a daily basis, but if the person who breaks the rules is popular, that's ok

There is a certain core group of players, some who have been here a long time. They have much more leeway when it comes to minor infractions than do unpopular players, new players or players who don't understand the poorly written/unwritten rules. So if everyone knows and likes you, you can probably get away with breaking a few rules every day and you won't get banned. Everyone else risks the full brunt of the banhammer for every conceivable minute mistake.

(4) It's 100% ok to harass, insult, swear at, disrespect and mock unpopular players

This can be done even while a mod/admin is right there watching. Unpopular players apparently don't deserve the same respect afforded to everyone else.