Community Discussion and Moderation Feedback
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The discussion on the forum's rules, guidelines and moderation is always open. Thanks for everyone providing feedback, both positive and negative, as it ultimately improves our rules and actions !
On the current topic, we already upped the sanctions and will be more punishing toward similar issues in the future. We are keeping the same guidelines mentioned in the thread and reopening it.
We'll be very cautious about making sure the thread stays on track, and will use quicker moderation tools like threadbans or consensual ones like bans to make sure of it.
Quoting this for the new page, because I think it's the best responses so far.So... the elephant is still standing around, being like... super awkward. But I guess I'll talk about it. A few things...
Pt. 1
There seems to be two ethos guiding InstallBase. I'll let it describe itself:
From the Rule Thread: “Install Base is therefore created with the aim of being a welcoming and healthy place, where people can contribute and learn through the members’ insights and the vast amount of data at their disposal. This cannot be achieved without providing a safe place.”
This has a certain synergy to it, as the latter (safety/lack of harm) can serve the former (data/inquiry/conversation) and vice versa. As we recognize that its only when we see people as human beings (aka humanizing) then can we see them as agents of rationalization, agency, and worth. Literally worthy to participate in a conversation to ascertain truth. And that their voice can add to the holistic conversation that will improve us. This is a good thing.
- The first ethos is being a place of data, discourse, and the belief that through evidence, inquiry, and communication greater knowledge, wisdom, and truth can be revealed. That very small slice of rational truth being: that specific rational understanding of the video game sales market and its impact on the world around it. And the world's impact on it.
- The second ethos is the one that Lelouch and Marco have also reiterated these past few days in this thread. The one that literally bookends the former ethos I just mentioned. That InstallBase is a place of safety, health, and welcome. And where harm (key word) towards others should be avoided.
Pt. 2
But... as we've seen this past few weeks, it is not a perfect synergy where both can live out their pure ideals. To speak of certain subjects, even a mention of it (in this case Hogwarts Legacy and specifically J.K. Rowling) is to bring harm for some people. Other websites, such as ResetEra and Famiboards, have outright banned the discussion of Hogwarts Legacy, as they believe that the chance for harm outweighs the ability to converse about the game.
How would you as the staff respond? In my opinion, quite brilliantly. You understand the imperfect tension in your two ethos, but also understand that they are both foundational to who we are as a community. You say that we are adults with agency, who can understand the hard intricacies of discussing hard topics. You mentioned a few, here's a few more that gamers have had to navigate over the years:
Hear me out: oppression and hurt is not a competition, although the limitations of time, effort, and visibility can make it seem so. But the point is that there are a lot of instances of harm in the video game world. And there are many instances we are simply unaware of because of our lack of understanding and knowledge. But the harm is there. So... should that harm have us forgo the ethos of discussion to maximize the other ethos of safety? Again, as you all mentioned, no not at all. We can use that discussion to speak about games and to understand its greater impact on people around the world.
- Koichi Sugiyama receiving royalties on the sale of Dragon Quest video games, despite his denial on the murder of millions and his dehumanization of minority groups.
- Bobby Kotick's leadership with Activision Blizzard, whether it be punishing players for standing for the rights of protesters or creating a culture of sexual abuse and repression.
- Atomic Heart's sales directly financing Russian government owned assets: enriching a country currently in the middle of a brutal invasion (to where even the Ukrainian government is asking for boycotts).
But that means that some harm will endure, even as heavily guided and focused as we can be to avoid it. That the sheer mention of what people perceive to be hurtful or unwelcoming will cause anxiety, confusion, or frustration. That's the price for standing next to the first ethos. That discussion can bring about harm, but we understand that there is a (hopefully) net positive of greater communication, community, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding at the end of it.
Pt. 3
Now, it's clear that there are a few folks on here who disagree with this. That they believe that harm cannot be separated to any mitigated degree. That even the simplest enjoyment of a product means the wholesale endorsement of the creator and their beliefs. To have fun with or even to play (in this case) Hogwarts Legacy is to speak on someone's lesser character. To this I say, and pardon my rudeness, go pound sand.
You do not know the reasons for their enjoyment in casting their first spell. You do not know their memories on the first time they read about Number Four, Private Drive. You do not know the reasons in them finding comfort within the walls of Hogwarts.
You can advocate for your position, you can try to convince them with your arguments, you can petition and argue and boycott and do what you believe is right. That is your right. Good for you.
But you are not not the one to tell them that they are not allowed to enjoy something, or that the enjoyment of an artistic or entertainment property ties them with the views of its creator. To create such a binary is false, and is simply patently absurd to paint those 500 million people who bought the books, billions of ticket sales for the films, millions of people attending Wizarding World, and millions more playing a video game.
That's what a plurality is. That's what liberalism is. A community of people that can coexist despite certain differences. You're going to see people talking about and enjoying video games that will make you scratch your head in the best instances, and cause confusion and pain in the worst. But also humble yourself in that you don't know their story either. You don't know why they enjoy or even love that game. You don't know what it means to them, and to put upon them some malevolence before evidence is simply an exercise in small-mindedness.
I do apologize for being terse, but I really cannot abide by those who so quickly cast judgment on what others find enjoyment. Especially for a video game.
(And especially when a warning was made to not generalize audiences, but it was done repeatedly after that anyways)
Pt. 4
All that to say... despite the post talking about the intricacies and complexities of talking about controversial games: the thread is locked. Right now, we cannot talk about the game.
And does anyone want to? With how saddled it is with controversy, cultural battling, penchant for division, and the like? Yet that, in itself, is a problem. Even if the Hogwarts Legacy thread is unlocked, there is now a certain price for talking about the game and its sales impact. There is a price to be paid for saying you enjoyed the game, there is a price to be paid for saying you're disappointed the game did well. While there is no actual ban on the game, there certainly is now a cultural taboo in this site.
It can now be very easy for us all to say: It's not worth it to talk about this game. And some here are quite happy with that notion, as I suppose its their right to be. But that's precisely the reason that we must allow it to stand. Now such a game with such a huge reach despite its controversy is quite unique, but this wont be the last game that we'll have this conversation about. That much I can guarantee.
So the question remains: does InstallBase's ethos of data, knowledge, and seeking truth in the world of video game sales include such controversies? Things that have the potential for harm? I know it'll be tough. I know that it means a lot of community work, conversations, and a hope in the maturity and empathy in others (and many times this will not come to pass). But I believe that it's worth it. I believe that ethos of understanding and truth, is a net good even when topics are difficult.
We can be a place of discussion, maturity, and treating others as fellow human beings worthy of respect. That doesn't mean it's the perfect symbiosis, and will many times be messy in how we go forward. But that we can work to mitigate the issues through open ended discussion and understanding. Because I truly believe in the mission of InstallBase.
Epilogue
Feel free to cherish this novella or ignore it. This has been something on my mind for the past few days. I understand the tension in here, and I doubly understand that solutions will be issued that will not please everyone. Fair enough. But I wanted to put forth my viewpoint. And of course now I regret posting this giant thing haha. I don't have the stomach or time to have giant forum discussions anymore, so this'll be it for me on here. Do with it what you will.
See you on the forums, have a great day.
My personal stance is that if a sales forum cannot discuss the sales of one of the biggest games of the year, there's no reason for the site to exist. Full stop.
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I meant the conversation between the staff and mods about policy, not the conversation in this thread. Based on this post, can we assume that the staff post in that thread is the definitive statement?
Yes, we are actively discussing between each other on a near daily occurrence with approval by multiple members at once and tacit approval for some (because not everyone in the staff has the same degree of activity* and even the most active aren't there daily, but there has never been any strong disagreement as far as I remember)
Consider the post above as being endorsed by the whole staff.
*on that part I was fairly inactive due to short vacations the last few days and I missed most of what happened, sorry about that and thanks to those who stepped up to help untangle the situation as best as possible.
Consider the post above as being endorsed by the whole staff.
*on that part I was fairly inactive due to short vacations the last few days and I missed most of what happened, sorry about that and thanks to those who stepped up to help untangle the situation as best as possible.
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Thank you. In that case, and this will be my last word on the subject:
You can't have it both ways.
You cannot create a tolerant space for trans people while at the same time allowing celebration of Hogwarts Legacy, which is the text and spirit of that staff post. In this case, as in many others, you have to choose what you want: to be supportive of trans and other LGBTQIA+ posters, or to be supportive of people who want to talk about how much they love Harry Potter and love spending money on it. The latter is exclusive to the former, and by attempting to do both, you are choosing the latter.
It's an active choice, and do not fool yourselves about it. I'm sure the mod team and staff members all have very different views on trans issues; by choosing both sides, you side with people who don't care
If you look around and see a lot of people talking about Harry Potter and no trans people or allies arguing—well, you know what happened
That's all
You can't have it both ways.
You cannot create a tolerant space for trans people while at the same time allowing celebration of Hogwarts Legacy, which is the text and spirit of that staff post. In this case, as in many others, you have to choose what you want: to be supportive of trans and other LGBTQIA+ posters, or to be supportive of people who want to talk about how much they love Harry Potter and love spending money on it. The latter is exclusive to the former, and by attempting to do both, you are choosing the latter.
It's an active choice, and do not fool yourselves about it. I'm sure the mod team and staff members all have very different views on trans issues; by choosing both sides, you side with people who don't care
If you look around and see a lot of people talking about Harry Potter and no trans people or allies arguing—well, you know what happened
That's all
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Hogwarts Legacy is a mass-market entertainment product based on a 25-year old IP that's had billions of dollars worth of investment. It's an important release, and its impact and success reverberate throughout the games industry.
Any commercially-successful game like this has merit for discussion on a sales forum where we seek broad insight on the industry from an analytical perspective. Reacting to sales success is part of the metagame here. We react to any barometer of industry performance.
It's unfair to the community and hard-working staff to make an automatic, implicit association between allowing positive reactions to a game's sales performance and condoning JK Rowling's bigotry. That's not our judgment call to make, and it negatively impacts the community to make such accusations without merit.
Actually you can because people celebrating Harry Potter or Hogwarts Legacy aren't automatically agreeing with JK Rowling and much less are necessarily transphobic.
If trans people are unconfortable with praise about the game or the franchise is their personal view and I respect, but accuse the community of siding with transphobia because being positive about a game is allowed here is unfair.
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You could do with being a bit more aware. Don't make an "actually" post for starters and try to be a bit more empathetic. We're not banning discussion, but you also don't need to take every opportunity to go to bat for Harry Potter, kind of take a bit of self-reflection on how that might look to some folks.
It's a sensitive topic. It should be obvious why people may find the topic distressing. And it doesn't help when you brush that away with "well it's their personal view".
Harry Potter is indeed a big franchise, the problem surrounding JKR are not well known, and many have dissociated the author from the work if they ever even knew the author. It is also one of the largest media IP in the world and a big part of game sales for 2023. Hence we're not banning discussion nor are we preventing discussion of the game, but we're going to be keeping an eye on posts that can potentially come off as insensitive or veiled whataboutism/JKR praise.
Hence I ask that you spend less time going to bat for HP, and just try to understand the point of view of others without just treating as a simple matter of perspective.
If you want to discuss this further hit me up in a DM or discord.
The guy attacked Installbase as a whole basically saying that allow discussions of the game is siding with the anti trans, but you still prefers to call me for "bat for Harry Potter"
I was actually defending this community because I'm sure most people here are respectuful about trans persons, at least is what I'm seeing in the threads, but if you chose to see as a negative thing, ok...
I was actually defending this community because I'm sure most people here are respectuful about trans persons, at least is what I'm seeing in the threads, but if you chose to see as a negative thing, ok...
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Isn't this thread here for discussing topics pertaining to the community? It's in the title...
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I understand, all I was doing is asking that you consider how you word things. As I pointed out, handwaving concern as "a point of view" on this topic is really not a good thing to say.
As I said, we're not banning Harry Potter discussion surrounding the game, it doesn't need defending.
Do you think I'd ban Allan or something if the discussion continued here? DMs can be an easier venue for more sensitive topics. It was meant as an invitation not an ultimatum.
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I thought Auqamarine's post was a pretty good reply to the comment about the community and moderation team as a whole regarding an incredibly sensitive issue.
Don't see a need to defend anything at this point. Just comes across as dragging out a discussion that's run it's course for now.
Don't see a need to defend anything at this point. Just comes across as dragging out a discussion that's run it's course for now.
Thought never crossed my mind.
Anyway.
Sorry in advance if English isn't your first language.
Implication of this so-called invitation suggests DM and Discord are the only avenues you are interested in continuing the discussion since you omitted the place you are already having the discussion. It was also present as a statement rather than a question.
Example of a better way of saying it would be,
"Would you like to continue the conversation through DMs or Discord?"
"If you like we can continue the conversation through DMs or Discord."
Throw the ball back in the other person's court.
Even saying "I would invite/ask you to..." before your statement above suggests a conversation about the community is somehow inappropriate for a thread made more the purpose.
That's a good point. I'll discuss with the team on how to approach this so that it's publically discussable. For now, feel free to create a ticket and we can discuss about it.Is there anywhere we can recommend potential bet ideas? It seems like no other non-staff members have created any bets so I did not want to be the one to jump the gun
1st_horseman
Banned
Rookie
User banned (permanent): Blatant console warring with long and recent history. Ignored moderator instructions to cool off.
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Looks like it is meaningless for making a report about false accusations. Mods don't care about it. Oh well.
Been low on mods this past week due to holidays unfortunately, and we've gotten a lot of feedback from the Survey that we realise we need a lot more work or certain things. We'll try and get to your report when possible.
Just as a heads up to people who love to browse on your smartphones. Don't forget to clean up your data and cookies from time to time.
Sites like here and Famiboards will cause Chrome to chuuuug and even lock up if you're clogged with too much save data.
Sites like here and Famiboards will cause Chrome to chuuuug and even lock up if you're clogged with too much save data.
1st_horseman
Banned
Rookie
User banned (permanent): Blatant console warring with long and recent history. Ignored moderator instructions to cool off.
- Pronouns
- Him
Ok. Good to know
This is what it looks like to get a warning.
These are what the rules look like.
As you see you have to acknowledge a moderate decision and provide consent before even seeing what you make have done specifically.
So which rule did I break? I read the OP before posting. It wasn't that long. I reference specific parts of the OP including the fear of cultural influence, how some of the biggest apps are owned by Chinese companies, calls for government scrutiny and a statement that if you are in media you need to be in gaming. All points referenced here.
I gave my opinion and was punished for it. No counter argument from a moderator. Just a warning.
So this is now what it looks like to
Let's see if it works. I formally appeal.
These are what the rules look like.
As you see you have to acknowledge a moderate decision and provide consent before even seeing what you make have done specifically.
So which rule did I break? I read the OP before posting. It wasn't that long. I reference specific parts of the OP including the fear of cultural influence, how some of the biggest apps are owned by Chinese companies, calls for government scrutiny and a statement that if you are in media you need to be in gaming. All points referenced here.
I gave my opinion and was punished for it. No counter argument from a moderator. Just a warning.
So this is now what it looks like to
Let's see if it works. I formally appeal.
Your post has been taken into account.
We are currently renewing the mod team and we are counting on the new members fresh eyes to work on the appeal and decide whether the warning was warranted or not.
We'll come back to you by the end of the week, I wish you a good day
It should not need to take a week to point the rule you are alleging I broke.Your post has been taken into account.
We are currently renewing the mod team and we are counting on the new members fresh eyes to work on the appeal and decide whether the warning was warranted or not.
We'll come back to you by the end of the week, I wish you a good day
Need I remind you of your own policy.
The opposite has been happening with moderators and staff instead power tripping from the shadows. I do not have many fans among moderators and staff but this move is cowardly.
@MysticGon I like you as a fellow IB-member, so as someone who's literally on the cusp of things: Mods are human beings and sometimes rules are just a framework, but not absolute. Some mod felt you had to get that warning and that's it. I don't think there's some deeper conspiracy behind it. Are you in danger of a permaban due to number of warnings? If not, I'd take it with a shrug, try to avoid the situation that lead to the warning, and continue talking about video game sales with the rest.
Just chiming in here, because I feel we've lost too many longtime users recently. No need to lose another.
Just chiming in here, because I feel we've lost too many longtime users recently. No need to lose another.
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I'm out of the loop. Who did we lose recently?
Thanks. The logic you are presenting is the common path of least resistance most take when in most situations. It's not possible for me to take such a stance in the face of flagrant abuses. I am the same way offline.
That a supposedly normal process needs fresh eyes from a renewal of moderators is a admission impartiality was never a policy but instead lip service. What then, if there wasn't a "renewing of moderators with fresh eyes"? I should consider myself lucky I suppose. I must have great timing, otherwise there would have been no chance. To choose to post something as insolent as my opinion in a discussion on a online forum, what was I thinking.
Lastly it's my intention to post here for a little bit longer but that depends on how determined some of the moderators and staff are at railroading. I would like to carry on keeping track of certain sales milestones but not at the cost of my dignity.
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If you prefer for the appeal to be studied right away, so be it. It made more sense to me to wait and have a fresh take, but let's do it that way.
Lastly, if you believe the mod team is "abusing" or bullying you, despite all the time they dedicated to read and answer to your posts here, then I don't think this will ever change.
It shouldn't have to come to that in the first place.
Furthermore, I was going keep my reports regarding how I feel other members have gotten an unfair shake (you know the ones) a private matter but since you want to characterize it as a persecution complex I will make them public from now on. Nothing will be discreet.
Hey there @MysticGon , me and @Welfare got called in to review this as the Moderation team (and @Lelouch0612 ) wanted a neutral opinion of the situation. This is written from my point of view but we discussed together.
For all observers, this was the post that caused the discussion: https://www.installbaseforum.com/fo...w-they-are-eating-the-media.1464/#post-146371
So, we've taken a look at the article, the posts, the reports, and listened to all of the mods comments.
The main crux of the warning was due to you outright declaring the article as "Alarmist dribble". You are correct about GTAV, Pong, Tetris etc etc, but the article is bringing the opinion (or fact) that gaming as a medium is growing to become the largest market for consumption against other media. Ending your post by comparing the journalist to a "12 year old console warrior" didn't help.
While you are able to state your opinion as always, every time we interact is due to how you communicate is such an antagonistic manner. Just stating that you didn't agree, or that it's been known for a long time would have been fine.
In terms of rule breaking, we would say it falls under Rule 1., however in general after reading the reports that were received as well, the post gave the impression that you didn't read the article fully and appeared to be a "drive-by" (rule 4-ish). As such, to a reader it would appear to be a “bad post” that didn't read the article properly and should be warned.
That said, if you did want to appeal that you actually did read the article and that your weren't misinterpreting it, creating a very long post providing multiple large screenshots (not entirely sure this was even needed?) while again behaving like you're fighting some higher beings doesn't really help.
So in the end after careful consideration and reviewing the posts, we're going to keep the warning based on the comments from all sides.
(PS. Moderation staff are still low due to real life commitments, and staff members (including me) also have day jobs so we do apologise for being slow to these things)
For all observers, this was the post that caused the discussion: https://www.installbaseforum.com/fo...w-they-are-eating-the-media.1464/#post-146371
So, we've taken a look at the article, the posts, the reports, and listened to all of the mods comments.
The main crux of the warning was due to you outright declaring the article as "Alarmist dribble". You are correct about GTAV, Pong, Tetris etc etc, but the article is bringing the opinion (or fact) that gaming as a medium is growing to become the largest market for consumption against other media. Ending your post by comparing the journalist to a "12 year old console warrior" didn't help.
While you are able to state your opinion as always, every time we interact is due to how you communicate is such an antagonistic manner. Just stating that you didn't agree, or that it's been known for a long time would have been fine.
In terms of rule breaking, we would say it falls under Rule 1., however in general after reading the reports that were received as well, the post gave the impression that you didn't read the article fully and appeared to be a "drive-by" (rule 4-ish). As such, to a reader it would appear to be a “bad post” that didn't read the article properly and should be warned.
That said, if you did want to appeal that you actually did read the article and that your weren't misinterpreting it, creating a very long post providing multiple large screenshots (not entirely sure this was even needed?) while again behaving like you're fighting some higher beings doesn't really help.
So in the end after careful consideration and reviewing the posts, we're going to keep the warning based on the comments from all sides.
(PS. Moderation staff are still low due to real life commitments, and staff members (including me) also have day jobs so we do apologise for being slow to these things)
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Did anyone bother to ask if I read the article or not?
What is the threshold for not being considered drive by? What percentage of compliance does it need to be in a moderator/staff's vision for the thread or will?
No broken rules. No problem. We'll sanction the member and think of what to say later.
Yes, not higher beings but, and not every staff and moderator is but a couple of individuals I can think of are misguided, craven average-Joes with day jobs and superiority complexes, delicate egos and again, to emphasize, a prevailing sense of cowardice that underpins every interaction with this community and will fabricate to suit their needs.
It's obvious I care about this community enough to spend the time and energy to do what I do. I was hoping we could turn the page and be civil going forward.
I'm no mod but I can see why you got a warning. In this thread you say you were 'just giving an opinion' but what you posted was pretty inflammatory and lacking in substance. Calling the article alarmist dribble and comparing the journalist to a 12 year old console warrior isn't just having an opinion. I don't have a massive problem with your post but it does come off as a driveby post (one which we all make from time to time) and if you get a warning like that most of us are just like 'yeah I guess I can see that' and move on with our day.
It's hard to read this and believe it considering the way you came into this thread. From the outside it looks like you came in looking for a fight and your posts in this thread have hardly been civil. I'm assuming there is some underlying beef which has lead to you posting in the current manner but calling mods "misguided, craven average-Joes with day jobs and superiority complexes, delicate egos and again, to emphasize, a prevailing sense of cowardice that underpins every interaction with this community and will fabricate to suit their needs" is incredibly inflammatory and comes off as very mean spirited and without knowing what has lead to this animosity it makes you look pretty bad IMO.
If a police officer ticketed you based on a lie it wouldn't take much imagination to anticipate how someone would react.
I would love to get into the topic of modern opinion journalism. I'm not talking your Jason Schreiers. A journalist taking a 30,000 ft and swoops in to say "anybody who's anybody in media needs to be in games, that's where the money is baby" ignores all the nuances of games. Spend your billions and exploit the passions of creative individuals to make the next best thing.
But instead of that conversation a fragile individuals feelings were hurt that I didn't subscribe fully to what the journalist was selling. And instead of engaging in a discussion on a forum (God-forbid) it was easy to reach for the warning button and then lie in the description for the reason the warning was given. Then the traditional circling of wagons occurred and that was that.
I use this for my job. Hopefully it can help some of the moderators here.
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Look at this stuff. This is shitty behaviour and extremely petty. I don't see anything wrong with you being warned, that post was not quite as bad as this one here but it was inflammatory and came off as very respectless. That probably should have been the warning text. You definitely came off as not having read the article.
You are not being some kind of saint who cares so much about this community by picking fights with mods on the regular in this thread. You are the least civil person here.
A report I recently made took over 24 hours to be resolved, I didn't go here and start stirring up shit that the mods don't dedicate their whole life to this job. How dare they be asleep or at work.
A police officer ticketed you because you parked your car where you weren't allowed to. You didn't see the street sign so you go mudslinging in court and call the police officer whatever bs you called the mods here instead of behaving decently and making a good case of the sign being covered by a treebranch.
Behave more civil and respectful.
Simping for people who abuse their power is not a new phenomenon. The rule book is being thrown out for expediency and that is okay with me.
A quick note on gulliverstourism who has been permabanned just today.
Unlike previous cases where I wrote a lengthy post to get into details about how and why, this one will be easier and faster to explain.
As I learned previously we can't link posting history of a banned member, you might still be able to circumvent it using the search function and typing their pseudonym in its entirety (it won't pop up as a suggestion) so if you're curious about it and want to check for yourself I encourage you to try this way.
In any case in 35 posts the bulk of their content tended to be almost exclusively about Nintendo concern trolling and trolling about PS5 sales, ignoring all answers adressed to them, all context, while oddly being very aware of some IB inside jokes (eg. these two logically don't compute if posting in good faith)
Their first warning was there (but a long time coming after multiple reports on previous posts)
The second one here
A third informal one was done here (and one other soon after in case it wasn't clear that was coming from moderators)
Despite that we (I in this case) tried to avoid him being called for his bad takes out of nowhere, because that's not really something I feel we should do even if I 100% agree on a personnal level with the reason he was being called for in the first place.
A final warning just 6 days ago, it wasn't written in plain words but the subtext shouldn't be hard to read, that was their last chance.
And this is what was the final straw just today.
A lengthy explanation for what feels like someone who was fishing for a ban in the first place, had plenty of occasions and benefit of doubt to show otherwise but that just didn't happen.
Only 4 of their 35 posts were longer than a single line (there were two of 2 lines and one of 3 lines), their IP also seem indicative of a native english speaker, so hiding being "poor understanding" doesn't really work there either.
A quick glance at the various reports on them, they came from 13 different members and we of course had messages on the threads trying to adress their takes nonetheless and various other mentions of them on discord complaining about their posts not bringing any value and trying to derail the discussion instead.
And just in case, the three warnings were all done by 3 different mods (none by me), all being discussed between staff members beforehand with no special disagreement, it was an easy case and the only thing to decide was how long leniency would last really.
EDIT : typo
Unlike previous cases where I wrote a lengthy post to get into details about how and why, this one will be easier and faster to explain.
As I learned previously we can't link posting history of a banned member, you might still be able to circumvent it using the search function and typing their pseudonym in its entirety (it won't pop up as a suggestion) so if you're curious about it and want to check for yourself I encourage you to try this way.
In any case in 35 posts the bulk of their content tended to be almost exclusively about Nintendo concern trolling and trolling about PS5 sales, ignoring all answers adressed to them, all context, while oddly being very aware of some IB inside jokes (eg. these two logically don't compute if posting in good faith)
Their first warning was there (but a long time coming after multiple reports on previous posts)
The second one here
A third informal one was done here (and one other soon after in case it wasn't clear that was coming from moderators)
Despite that we (I in this case) tried to avoid him being called for his bad takes out of nowhere, because that's not really something I feel we should do even if I 100% agree on a personnal level with the reason he was being called for in the first place.
A final warning just 6 days ago, it wasn't written in plain words but the subtext shouldn't be hard to read, that was their last chance.
And this is what was the final straw just today.
A lengthy explanation for what feels like someone who was fishing for a ban in the first place, had plenty of occasions and benefit of doubt to show otherwise but that just didn't happen.
Only 4 of their 35 posts were longer than a single line (there were two of 2 lines and one of 3 lines), their IP also seem indicative of a native english speaker, so hiding being "poor understanding" doesn't really work there either.
A quick glance at the various reports on them, they came from 13 different members and we of course had messages on the threads trying to adress their takes nonetheless and various other mentions of them on discord complaining about their posts not bringing any value and trying to derail the discussion instead.
And just in case, the three warnings were all done by 3 different mods (none by me), all being discussed between staff members beforehand with no special disagreement, it was an easy case and the only thing to decide was how long leniency would last really.
EDIT : typo
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Mods what are your opinions on the video game character Chunky Kong?
I just wanted to say that I thought the mods’ warning post surrounding Hogwarts Legacy was a mature, levelheaded statement regarding the game and its discourse.
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Since this forum is discussing box office numbers now, perhaps a little change to the logo could help reflect it? Like a popcorn bucket or film reel next to the controller? Just something I thought would be cool.
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I don't really care that much, but would someone be able to explain to me the rationale behind the rule against double posting? I understand it can be considered like spamming in some circumstances, but I made a post about something yesterday, and then made another post today providing new information, which seemed relevant to justify a new post. If I had edited the post, then followers of the thread would have been unaware of this new relevant information having been provided.
A blanket rule against double posting without consideration of the context seems a bit strange to me.
I think the automerge function makes sense since if your posts are made within a short time frame, sure, I get it. But for the staff to manually merge them when the posts were made on different days? Idk
Maybe next time I should ask someone else to make the post containing the new information instead so it won't be against the rules? Doesn't seem worth the trouble to me.
A blanket rule against double posting without consideration of the context seems a bit strange to me.
I think the automerge function makes sense since if your posts are made within a short time frame, sure, I get it. But for the staff to manually merge them when the posts were made on different days? Idk
Maybe next time I should ask someone else to make the post containing the new information instead so it won't be against the rules? Doesn't seem worth the trouble to me.
I agree, if the posts have been made on separate days it shouldn't be considered an issue.I don't really care that much, but would someone be able to explain to me the rationale behind the rule against double posting? I understand it can be considered like spamming in some circumstances, but I made a post about something yesterday, and then made another post today providing new information, which seemed relevant to justify a new post. If I had edited the post, then followers of the thread would have been unaware of this new relevant information having been provided.
A blanket rule against double posting without consideration of the context seems a bit strange to me.
I think the automerge function makes sense since if your posts are made within a short time frame, sure, I get it. But for the staff to manually merge them when the posts were made on different days? Idk
Maybe next time I should ask someone else to make the post containing the new information instead so it won't be against the rules? Doesn't seem worth the trouble to me.
I don't really care that much, but would someone be able to explain to me the rationale behind the rule against double posting? I understand it can be considered like spamming in some circumstances, but I made a post about something yesterday, and then made another post today providing new information, which seemed relevant to justify a new post. If I had edited the post, then followers of the thread would have been unaware of this new relevant information having been provided.
A blanket rule against double posting without consideration of the context seems a bit strange to me.
I think the automerge function makes sense since if your posts are made within a short time frame, sure, I get it. But for the staff to manually merge them when the posts were made on different days? Idk
Maybe next time I should ask someone else to make the post containing the new information instead so it won't be against the rules? Doesn't seem worth the trouble to me.
We were actually having a discussion on this and I am in agreement with the idea that if a post is far enough apart from a previous post in time like say 10-24 hours and beyond, double-posting no longer applies as a rule.
Otherwise older threads in need of bumps might need telepathic communication in order to get resuscitated which is a bit absurd.
Funnily enough I was the one who merged the posts but then brought up the point in mod chat that I think something long-term like your post doesn't actually fit under doublepost guidelines.
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I would like to reiterate that you will continue to see deeply transphobic rhetoric, or rhetoric defending people's rights to be transphobic, and the like, so long as the mod/staff position on Hogwarts Legacy at this site leans toward "everyone is free to celebrate the game so long as they don't openly say they don't care about Rowling's transphobia"
The "I pretend I do not see it" school of celebrating the game contributes considerably to an environment that is hostile to trans posters, lurkers, and people in general, and it emboldens people who hold transphobic or "both-sides" views. We will continue to see this issue crop up every time there's a sales milestone for the game, which could continue for some time
The "I pretend I do not see it" school of celebrating the game contributes considerably to an environment that is hostile to trans posters, lurkers, and people in general, and it emboldens people who hold transphobic or "both-sides" views. We will continue to see this issue crop up every time there's a sales milestone for the game, which could continue for some time
Where do you see people celebrating the game or even it's performance ? It's sales performance has been impressive so far, which is a fact that people will acknowledge or use as a base to discuss how well the upcoming versions might do.
Honestly most people here care only about data and numbers, sure some series have more fans than others but even some of the biggest releases don't get 'celebrated'.
Though to be fair I might just have missed the specific posts you are referring to. I know it's a sensitive topic for many users at the same time I don't think expecting the absolute worst from every user discussing the project is helpful either.
Just think there are much more obvious and interesting places online to 'celebrate' this games performance than Install Base. Every community has it's outliers but we don't need to make us look worse than we actually are. The handful of people that felt the need to go out of their way to cheer up the success got dealt with very fast by the moderation.
Pretending the project or IP doesn't exist as well as banning whole discussions isnt a solution, when instead the thread and how it has been handled are a good constant reminder for everyone why certain actions aren't tolerated or welcomed by the community.
Honestly most people here care only about data and numbers, sure some series have more fans than others but even some of the biggest releases don't get 'celebrated'.
Though to be fair I might just have missed the specific posts you are referring to. I know it's a sensitive topic for many users at the same time I don't think expecting the absolute worst from every user discussing the project is helpful either.
Just think there are much more obvious and interesting places online to 'celebrate' this games performance than Install Base. Every community has it's outliers but we don't need to make us look worse than we actually are. The handful of people that felt the need to go out of their way to cheer up the success got dealt with very fast by the moderation.
Pretending the project or IP doesn't exist as well as banning whole discussions isnt a solution, when instead the thread and how it has been handled are a good constant reminder for everyone why certain actions aren't tolerated or welcomed by the community.
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Yeah, same, actually, It's pretty cool, but I wonder if that's a new feature or if it's existed for years. xD
So you're a disciple and I'm an enthusiast.
Little feedback to staff: it would be cool if the name of the badge appeared when clicking on the image and idk where to find the list of badges other than through that notification I got.
No communication because it is not finished yet, but yeah something is brewing
