Moderator Policy Proposal

I've been muted day-in and day-out for days at a time, and every time I'm muted it's usually with some delay. I'm rarely informed why I am muted, not to mention how long I am muted for. I shouldn't have to message a dozen moderators to figure out how long I have to wait until I can publicly harass players again. Moderators should make it their policy to inform players why they are muted and how long they are muted for. I'm tired of this and it's easy to implement, anyway. It doesn't involve any codes. It's a small thing that will make this community a little better one step at a time.

Thank you.

Also, if you decide to adopt this policy, start with me.

Generally mods do inform players the first time or two. After a while it becomes a waste of time for mods to give the details you request for every offense.

So instead of the mod spending time explaining how long and why, after several offenses, the player can spend the time tracking that information down.

Perhaps if the player can just inform the mod how long the mute needs to be for the abuse to stop... it would save everyone's time ♥

Geschreven door brianwl, 21.09.2019 at 16:57

Generally mods do inform players the first time or two. After a while it becomes a waste of time for mods to give the details you request for every offense.

So instead of the mod spending time explaining how long and why, after several offenses, the player can spend the time tracking that information down.

Perhaps if the player can just inform the mod how long the mute needs to be for the abuse to stop... it would save everyone's time ♥

I don't want to make this post about myself, but I'd like to make it clear that I am not a repeat offender. The rules should be applied equally and fairly, anyway.

I don't have enough evidence to draw any conclusions with regard to the mods/supporters' motives, but if I were to guess, they didn't mute me because I committed a particularly "egregious" offense.

I am not an adjudicator, I am an offender. I take responsibility for my crimes (whatever those may be), but I am not responsible for informing the administration how long I ought to be muted for. I am in no position to make that judgement.

Geschreven door Tribune Aquila, 21.09.2019 at 17:06

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Perhaps we can discuss this privately, but i would say anyone with over 3 offenses could be considered a repeat offender. You have over a dozen by just a quick scan.

So to say you are NOT a repeat offender, is exactly why there is a problem. It's simply a perception problem, in which reality and perception differ significantly.

If i can add to this... part of taking personal responsibility is informing those required to respond to your offenses what an effective length for a mute should be. In my experience, players who can tell a mod the length of a mute that would result in a change of behaviour' are spot on with their estimations, and the abuse stops.

For most players, a friendly reminder is all that is needed for abuse to stop.

For repeat offenders, this is never enough, and for some repeat offenders, they need to know that a 3 month or 6 month ban is to be expected if they abuse, and this is effective.

In this sense, 'equally and fairly' is outcomes based (i.e. what will it take for the abuse to stop). What is effective for some is NOT effective for all.

Ok, I change my mind. I agree that I am responsible for recommending my own sentence, but I am not "personally responsible." Meaning, it's not incumbent on me to tell the mods how they should do their job, but it is my responsibility if I intend on defending myself against a potentially unfounded accusation or an unusually long sentence.

I disagree with your understanding of a repeat offender. A repeat offender is someone who repeats a particular offense. I've committed many rule-violations, but few of them are the same. For instance, I've committed hate speech, I've spammed, I've said callous and discriminatory remarks about various people, but none of these are the same crime. I've learned and I've changed. You can argue that these crimes fall under a particular type of crime and that violating several of the same type of crime constitutes a "repeat offense," but there aren't a lot of rule-violations to distinguish on this game. It's hard to draw a line between which crimes are fungible and which crimes are distinct violations in and of themselves. I am not a repeat offender because I have committed a bevy of different crimes, all of which have taught me lessons in their own right.

I agree that crime history should be leveraged in a mod's overall judgement of a particular crime. However, repeat offenders—and everyone else—should be entitled to due process of law, meaning they should be informed of how and why they are being punished.

Geschreven door Tribune Aquila, 21.09.2019 at 18:03

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I disagree with your understanding of a repeat offender. A repeat offender is someone who repeats a particular offense.
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everyone else—should be entitled to due process of law...

A repeat offender is fairly self-explanatory. If i murder someone with a gun, another with a knife, and i poison a third, those are all 3 murders. True, they are distinct offenses, but they are all murders, and all offenses. Extending this, If i commit murder, embezzlement and assault, those are 3 offenses. In other words, 'offender' is generic - it includes the sub-set of more specific offenses.

'repeat offender' is then the correct usage in the context it was intended.

Not sure that i would term it 'due process of law' - that has a specific meaning and use for member's of law societies {and i suppose those that are acting under colour of law}.

You do have choices though... you can speak to the mod, you can speak to another mod if you feel you're getting nowhere, you can simply accept your mute/ban or whatever action. Ultimately, you can choose not to play the game and attend a liberal convention instead. Recently, we've also provided a public space to discuss specific mod actions publicly. If i interpret your meaning of 'due process of law' correctly, then i think these satisfy.

Ideally though, you'll read the rules, and if you don't know what constitutes a rule violation, you will be proactive and ask a mod before you post. So rather than make a million mistakes, and a million offenses, just ask the mod privately (and players do this all the time)... for instance:

pr/ Player: (Is it ok to say 'whore' in global)
pr/ Mod: Probably not, but what's the context
pr/ Player: "Come play Game of Thrones Political- We have Dornish Wine, Dragon's, and Littlefinger's whores are eager to please" 'https://atwar-game.com/games/?link=1999♥2344"
pr/ Mod: Yeah, fine go ahead.

(Adaptation of an actual conversation)

This would prevent the problem from occurring so you never have to worry again ♥

Brian, sometimes I think you must have the patience of Mahatma Gandhi...