Chat filters, in-game censoring and the trend of being sensitive.

I know Blizzard recently created an issue for themselves by adding a mandatory chat filter on top of the one that is defaultly turned on for its users.

On character creation they have a filter that protects their users from a variety of unsavory words - and this filter can be toggled off, which most people do.

Now they've added an additional mandatory filter that just disallows the use of some of these words completely.

In addition to whatever censoring a game company feels they need in place you then have the added tools that allow players to permanently block anyone that has ever said anything that offends them.

In a static (non instanced) world like AoC where player communication is so important, my fear is that by the time people have blocked everyone that has ever offended them - there will be no open communication left.

I'm exaggerating a bit for the purpose of making a point, but how do you think AoC should address all of this?

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Khronus

Back in Vanilla WOW, you were able to say anything and everything. If you abused this and abused or harassed someone, they would ban you in increasing increments of time ( I know from personal experiences....I was a shitty kid then). The punishment scaled and ultimately we all learned to type just enough to not get banned but it still upset some people. GM's at the time would then just tell people, if you don't like it, turn on the profanity filter.

I hope for the method above. I understand, from a financial perspective, what it may cost to pay employees to essentially babysit. Maybe a mandatory filter might be more cost effective....and I am ok with that too if they add it.

People should not be overly sensitive and people should not be overly toxic. We will be a community that revolves around open world pvp, an immense trade market, and destroying each others things. Speak through actions, not through toxic (and childish) comments IMO.

tautau

I have heard profanity for many decades. Personally, I don't enjoy listening to it unless it is used artfully. I dislike it so much that I will often not join guild discord to avoid it.

While this is only my opinion, people who curse constantly seem to either be trying to appear mature and tough when they aren't OR have such a poor grasp of their language that they use curse words for lack of knowing adjectives and adverbs that would far better describe what they are trying to say. Either way they come off as rather ignorant.

The above is just my personal opinion. My preference is to play with mature people who can express themselves well. I am sure I am doomed to be in a minority in the multi-player game universe.

JamesSunderland

I believe a chat filter is good for people that like it or find it useful/necessary, but it should not be mandatory in any way, shape or form. A toggle to activate/deactivate it for yourself easily does the trick.

Hellfar

It just needs to function the way it did in Vanilla WoW. Don't like profanity? Turn on the filter.

Character creation mandatory filtering should not be a thing. It's way too easy to do it the wrong way, and it's a waste of resources. A bad example is ArenaNet with GW2. Try creating a character like 'Shabooba the Fierce'. You'll get an Inappropriate Name error due to the word 'boob' being in the name. It's just awful design.

This is what happens when companies lay off GM's and replace them with automation purely for the sake of cost savings.

Leave it to the players to report bad character names, or constant harassment from the same account, and the GM's will fulfill their important roles and take action if the offense breaks ToS.

Noaani

I don't understand the point of a chat filter, honestly.

If I want to offend someone, I can do that without using any word that any sane person would want to see filtered. Offense is in the intent behind what the person is saying, not the individual words they use.

If you are offended by the use of a single word, that is social conditioning.

Now, there are many words I won't ever use - because of social conditioning - but I also won't be offended if people use them around me. I will assume that either they have different social conditioning to me, or that they are trying to offend and can't think of anything I would find more offensive than using those words - and that would just make me laugh.

Recluse74

Noaani wrote: »

I don't understand the point of a chat filter, honestly.

If I want to offend someone, I can do that without using any word that any sane person would want to see filtered. Offense is in the intent behind what the person is saying, not the individual words they use.

If you are offended by the use of a single word, that is social conditioning.

Now, there are many words I won't ever use - because of social conditioning - but I also won't be offended if people use them around me. I will assume that either they have different social conditioning to me, or that they are trying to offend and can't think of anything I would find more offensive than using those words - and that would just make me laugh.

100% agree with this.

The only reason a chat filter should exist, is for parents to decide what content their children digest.

bloodprophet

Chat filters are hit and miss at best.
Couple years ago there was a study done on a private FB page. People using nasty racial slurs. They banned the words and the people just used other words to fill in the gaps but everyone knew what was going on.
I disagree with this behavior but people need a chance to express themselves. As the OP said eventually you will run out of words to communicate with. Intent are purpose are very important. Taking things out of context and using that as a means to silence others will doom everything.
Ever read 1984? New speak is not your friend.

tautau

Perhaps we have a hint at the future of censoring in this game when we look at how much these boards are censored. Have you all seen much (or any) censoring? I haven't.

Ramirez

That why Rust still One of my favorite MMO, is the ONLY game with free speech, the game have some healthy toxity that i can t explain... In MMORPG what dislike more then people saying bad words or being offensive is spammers, and chat sellers/bots

Dreoh

Mandatory censoring and filters is a slippery slope every time.

Recently Twitch banned "Obese" (an actual medical term btw) in their ever marching towards a "safe" environment.

bloodprophet

tautau wrote: »

Perhaps we have a hint at the future of censoring in this game when we look at how much these boards are censored. Have you all seen much (or any) censoring? I haven't.

Only a very tiny bit. What we have seen I think was justified. Every now and then we get a jerk that feels this is the place to post how dumb they are by devolving into the rancidness that is racism here and those threads fortunately get killed quickly.(not talking about the minor anti elf stuff) Good job to the mods and IS for keeping that nonsense out of here. I am all for free speech and expression but if that is who you are I don't want you anywhere near me.

Noaani

bloodprophet wrote: »

Only a very tiny bit. What we have seen I think was justified.

At risk of turning this in to a discussion on the moderation of these forums (it isn't, it is a discussion on in game moderation, using the moderation on these forums as a template), I mostly agree with this.

In my time here, I believe I have had three posts censured. Two of them I agree with in hindsight, though one of them I absolutely do not. The two I agree with were on the verge of being able to be read as personal attacks, and even though that wasn't the intent at all (I'm happy to attack ideas, but generally not people), I can agree that removing those posts and me re-writing them better was perhaps a good idea.

This is what most - though not all - of the deleted posts and banned users here that I have seen did.

I'm not going to get in to the post that I outright disagreed with being moderated, as like I said above, I am not wanting to turn this in to a discussion on the forums moderation.

In general though, it is fairly good, and generally consistent moderation.

If it is similar to this in game, then that will be just fine, imo.

daveywavey

tautau wrote: »

While this is only my opinion, people who curse constantly seem to either be trying to appear mature and tough when they aren't OR have such a poor grasp of their language that they use curse words for lack of knowing adjectives and adverbs that would far better describe what they are trying to say. Either way they come off as rather ignorant.

Also, when people compare in-game content to hideous diseases like cancer and AIDS. I'm absolutely certain that no in-game content is anything like either of them. This winds me up a whole lot more than swearing, which I agree is generally unnecessary and ignorant.

maouw

If we do have a chat filter, I'd like to petition for the word "Tulnar" to be placed on the list as a matter of utmost priority.

insomnia

I get that parents would want their childrens to not see certain things. Plus i also see the use/need to be able to report people. Plus need to block people. Some people you just don't want to deal with. Of course there are people who are oversensative

Nagash

If the game is rated for teens then profanity filters should be optional

Dreoh

insomnia wrote: »

I get that parents would want their childrens to not see certain things. Plus i also see the use/need to be able to report people. Plus need to block people. Some people you just don't want to deal with. Of course there are people who are oversensative

Filters are fine, mandatory ones are not.

Dygz

I pretty much ignore game-channel chat and only focus on skype/discord/twitch chat.

daveywavey

Dygz wrote: »

I pretty much ignore game-channel chat and only focus on skype/discord/twitch chat.

Makes for a much more enjoyable gaming experience!

daveywavey

maouw wrote: »

If we do have a chat filter, I'd like to petition for the word "Tulnar" to be placed on the list as a matter of utmost priority.

Maybe it could be replaced with other synonyms: Filth? Dirt? Hated-By-The-Gods? Hated-By-The-Everybody?

Child Item