Inappropriate chat, auto-muting, and auto-banning

[KrachenVogel]

Perma ban for life with no warning? Harsh Insanity.

At least implement a one-time warning. Please? Mistakes get made. (phone text input leaves a lot to be desired.)

Honestly, I'd rather see more careful attention paid to inappropriate names. I often see sexual, obscene, and drug reference names.

[wvhills]

I never use inappropriate language in game but I do get asterisks for typing crush the keeper and s) mega mage wand. I can't figure out either on of those.

[drewcapu]

I just hope nothing in auto-correct gets a ban/mute. I've typed "awwww" before in chat and it auto-corrected to "multiple donkies". Luckily, I caught it before I let it go through.

[Echelong]

I am curious about this, but what about us who speak another language. I talk Spanish only with 1 or 2 friends but I don't wanna get insta ban for a mistake. I just don't want to get banned for something silly that can be said in another language. At least get a warning before you send the chat, If its insta ban we could get some warning and the chat, tell or boot message shouldn't be posted if that person does it again then ban. I don't want a machine to take over bans I prefer G to do it or it will turn into a Skynet take over the world thing.

I am up to make PL a safe place for kids and teens that play and even here on the forums I am one that will report those advertising threads.

I just hope nothing in auto-correct gets a ban/mute. I've typed "awwww" before in chat and it auto-corrected to "multiple donkies". Luckily, I caught it before I let it go through.

This too auto correct is very wrong on a lot of corrections or should say miss-corrections

[Wrap]

We go through great lengths to make sure that Pocket Legends is a fun, safe place for players of all ages. This new system should help alleviate the current customer service load when dealing with in-game reports.

-ALS

Adding in-game player mods may be something to consider for the future, just a thought. Many games have this and it seems to be an effective method. This way he/she can be warned politely before any action is done. Just a thought

[AnotherAzi]

Agree that inappropriate character names is as big a problem as chat.

[Pandamoni]

Yesterday I tried to put "gah!" as if I was yelling in exasperation and my stupid iPod auto corrected and replaced h with y. When I tried to correct it it did it again! I would hope I wouldn't get banned for something like that!

[Kalielle]

The perma-ban with no warning for saying a single word seems very harsh for me too. I think most people I know should have been permabanned by that standard, and they're not rude people by any standard. But who can honestly say for certain that they never ever said a really bad word in the many months they played the game? Some words that can be considered terrible or sexy-chat can also be used to express annoyance not directed at anyone in particular, or as an expression of happiness ("---- yeah!!!"). Or sometimes people are provoked into saying something they wouldn't usually ever say.

Yes it shouldn't ever happen in PL, not even in private chat with someone about whom we're certain is an adult - but we are all just people. A player could invest months in the game and be a nice person all the way, and then be banned forever for a single word, and by a bot who couldn't even judge the context. (Meanwhile others could get away with expressing terrible ideas so long as they choose their words carefully enough, or come up with creative enough misspellings that the system would miss.) I think for a first infraction spotted by an automated system, the penalty should be much less harsh to compensate for the lack of human review.

Edit: regarding the inappropriate names, I think the solution would be to add a separate "report name" button or give us some way to tell the devs that we are reporting a person's name. I've seen questionable names before but I've always wondered if just pressing the report button would leave a customer service person reading through a long chat transcript and wondering why on earth I reported someone. So I make a mental note to e-mail the name to support but then real life kicks in and sometimes I forget about it - I'm sure others are the same and that's why you see high level characters with inappropriate names sometimes even though tons of players saw them and could have reported them.

[Pandamoni]

The perma-ban with no warning for saying a single word seems very harsh for me too. I think most people I know should have been permabanned by that standard, and they're not rude people by any standard. But who can honestly say for certain that they never ever said a really bad word in the many months they played the game? Some words that can be considered terrible or sexy-chat can also be used to express annoyance not directed at anyone in particular, or as an expression of happiness ("---- yeah!!!"). Or sometimes people are provoked into saying something they wouldn't usually ever say.

Yes it shouldn't ever happen in PL, not even in private chat with someone about whom we're certain is an adult - but we are all just people. A player could invest months in the game and be a nice person all the way, and then be banned forever for a single word, and by a bot who couldn't even judge the context. (Meanwhile others could get away with expressing terrible ideas so long as they choose their words carefully enough, or come up with creative enough misspellings that the system would miss.) I think for a first infraction spotted by an automated system, the penalty should be much less harsh to compensate for the lack of human review.

Edit: regarding the inappropriate names, I think the solution would be to add a separate "report name" button or give us some way to tell the devs that we are reporting a person's name. I've seen questionable names before but I've always wondered if just pressing the report button would leave a customer service person reading through a long chat transcript and wondering why on earth I reported someone. So I make a mental note to e-mail the name to support but then real life kicks in and sometimes I forget about it - I'm sure others are the same and that's why you see high level characters with inappropriate names sometimes even though tons of players saw them and could have reported them.

I couldn't agree more!

And I like idea of a report name button.

[im4broke]

Will this list be made available?

Also, will this include where two words are strung together to make a word? I hope not because this happens frequently by accident.

Very true, I texted a friend about the updates this morning and used something like this, "it is explained" and ended up with "it i* **plained." I guess "s(space)ex" is a banned word. So I am thinking that when the Dev'* *** a dictionary the punctuation is inclusive in foul language. lol! Still they do a great job! Thanks guys.

And a special thanks for my reward of the "Sheild of Gratitude", just found out it is usable on all my characters and may have kept me from deleting my lvl 26 bird!

[azulflame]

crush the keeper - cruSH The keeper

causes explosion - cauS EXplosion

big problems for me, those happen to be in my quickchat (bte, ice then fire causes explosion)

[lilbyrdie]

Thanks for the quick feedback. It's smart enough not to mute/ban for "it'S EXpensive" and "sPOON". The system will prefer muting to banning.

-ALS

Good to hear, because I see asterisks come up all the time in normal chat. Will that change along with this?

Would also be interesting if it warned -- with a dialog -- before the post went through should someone have accidentally typed something. For instance, there are lists around on the net of really bad word replacement problems with some phones when fixing spelling. Can't forget that we're all on difficult-to-type on devices that like to autocorrect our every move.

I can't even begin to express the typing frustration I have in-game. And I usually play on a Xoom, with a nice big keyboard...

[karmakali]

I predict that any time that STS saves on reviewing complaints and reports made for inappropriate text will now be spent reviewing appeals on permabans.

[lilbyrdie]

The perma-ban with no warning for saying a single word seems very harsh for me too. I think most people I know should have been permabanned by that standard, and they're not rude people by any standard. But who can honestly say for certain that they never ever said a really bad word in the many months they played the game? Some words that can be considered terrible or sexy-chat can also be used to express annoyance not directed at anyone in particular, or as an expression of happiness ("---- yeah!!!"). Or sometimes people are provoked into saying something they wouldn't usually ever say.

Yes it shouldn't ever happen in PL, not even in private chat with someone about whom we're certain is an adult - but we are all just people. A player could invest months in the game and be a nice person all the way, and then be banned forever for a single word, and by a bot who couldn't even judge the context. (Meanwhile others could get away with expressing terrible ideas so long as they choose their words carefully enough, or come up with creative enough misspellings that the system would miss.) I think for a first infraction spotted by an automated system, the penalty should be much less harsh to compensate for the lack of human review.

Edit: regarding the inappropriate names, I think the solution would be to add a separate "report name" button or give us some way to tell the devs that we are reporting a person's name. I've seen questionable names before but I've always wondered if just pressing the report button would leave a customer service person reading through a long chat transcript and wondering why on earth I reported someone. So I make a mental note to e-mail the name to support but then real life kicks in and sometimes I forget about it - I'm sure others are the same and that's why you see high level characters with inappropriate names sometimes even though tons of players saw them and could have reported them.

You have several good points in here that I would like to add to.

Or sometimes people are provoked into saying something they wouldn't usually ever say.

Seems like a great way to try to get someone banned. Just provoke them.

not even in private chat with someone about whom we're certain is an adult

If they're a friend of yours, and it's private chat, it really shouldn't matter. They won't report you. You won't report them.


I think the solution would be to add a separate "report name" button

I wonder how much of the load is actually from that. I've seen _several_ really rude names.

Then again, I also considered -- and dismissed -- the idea of reporting habitual farters, too, because it was lame, rude, and annoying. The fart-reduction update seems to have helped enough, though.


I think for a first infraction spotted by an automated system, the penalty should be much less harsh to compensate for the lack of human review.

Absolutely agreed. And if the system can autoban/mute, why can't it just throw a message that says your language isn't appropriate and didn't go through? That would a) clean up the chat and b) provide feedback to folks who don't realize that STS is serious about keeping the language clean.

(Meanwhile, in the CS room, someone is absolutely foul mouthing off... hilariously offensive. )

(Update: Seems the language turns really harsh at updates, too, with frustrated folks.)

[skavenger216]

I'm screwed, lol. My phone likes to autocorrect clean words aNd make them dirty, lol. If I'm trying to send message fast, sometimes I don't notice until its sent ( after which I apologize and explain lol).

Good example : any time I type the word "shot" it becomes a four lettered s word.

[lilbyrdie]

I'm screwed, lol. My phone likes to autocorrect clean words aNd make them dirty, lol. If I'm trying to send message fast, sometimes I don't notice until its sent ( after which I apologize and explain lol).

Good example : any time I type the word "shot" it becomes a four lettered s word.

We need phone settings that can clean our sheets and socks, shine our brass, and scare the fox away. (And if you don't get it, good. It's crude, otherwise.)

[davidis57]

Its best to review the TOS. When in doubt don't say it. If it is sexist or racist than you know those words will be on the list. Btw gay is one of them don't use it.

[Kalielle]

And if the system can autoban/mute, why can't it just throw a message that says your language isn't appropriate and didn't go through? That would a) clean up the chat and b) provide feedback to folks who don't realize that STS is serious about keeping the language clean.

I love that idea! Yes, come to think of it, why not just keep the message from getting through in the first place - and maybe display to the intended recipient something to let them know about it. ("The PL troll detection system has been activated. User X is muted for 1 minute while we wash his mouth out with soap.") That would make a joke out of those who try to use foul language in the first place.

If you really want some words completely out of PL, this makes more sense to me than relaying the foul language for everyone to see, and then slapping the user for it. The harm has already been done by that point. Let people rant at the empty air instead if they want to vent off some steam. Nobody ever needs to see it and the only thing harmed will be their virtual keyboard.

[aWildEevee]

I think the insta-acc ban is going to be VERY risky, and should probably have an appeal center and warning. Such as one warning, shows you your offense and why, next time is ban. And your warning should be erasable/forgivable if it was A MISTAKE, or misunderstood. NOT if you were in the wrong. Or possibly if you go without a ban or mute for a few months, your strike goes away.

[Sun]

I'm not really a fan of this idea, especially instant ban for one word. There's already a language filter in place, if people don't want to see bad language all they have to do is check the box. The only time I think using bad language should be a bannable offense is if it's used for flaming, or it's in direct offense to another player.

Like others have said, mistakes happen, I'm one that has an iPod that auto corrects duck and shot to vulgarities and I'd hate to be banned for something unintentional like that. Tbh I think having the system determine bans or mutes is a bad idea, it should be up to the players to decide whether another person is being offensive.