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The culture of reporting on this server


Goonbag

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I think it's just a matter of balls and understanding. Firstly, I think a lot of players on this server act like hysterical kids when it comes to reporting.
They don't report for sake of improving the server or improving other person's RP, but to enjoy seeing other party being punished. Namely, if you think that person somehow crossed you. Take it to /pm, notify them of their mistake, and try to settle thing between you two. I think that's big dick energy, not plotting, reporting and hoping for someone to be punished.


I mean, don't get me wrong, some people are a**holes, you can't reason with them, you can't make them stop in their ignorance and it's perfectly acceptable to report them. However, that should be last option. We are here to grown, together. Undermining each other won't get us anywhere!

 

Edited by Revolter
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51 minutes ago, Revolter said:

They don't report for sake of improving the server or improving other person's RP

 

The problem is that the learning community aspect has been taken way too far. Reporting doesn't improve the server — not anymore, anyway. I have absolutely nothing against people being given second chances if they deserve them, we all make mistakes (like literally, all of us), but it's totally different when you spend hours upon hours writing hundreds/thousands of words, wait for weeks/months for a verbal warning, a written warning, an admin jail, a short ban or a "permanent" ban that's removed within months. On top of that, meanwhile, these people are still breaking more and more rules, affecting the role-play of many others.

 

It's quite obvious - we should have less and less forum reports coming in, if they're truly fixing an issue, if they're weeding out the bad apples, but we're not. The number is constant (and high). Yes, there's also a constant influx of players, but the vast majority of people being reported are not the same new players. Lots of them have a history too. It's just not okay.

 

Unless something changes regarding both waiting times and punishments (and their severity), forum reports won't really make any change. If people are breaking rules, they should be given stern warnings. If they don't stop, they should face lengthy bans. If they're repeat offenders, they should be permanently banned, without being able to appeal, ever. That's the only sure-fire way to move towards high quality and less rulebreakers.

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55 minutes ago, Mahitto said:

 

The problem is that the learning community aspect has been taken way too far. Reporting doesn't improve the server — not anymore, anyway. I have absolutely nothing against people being given second chances if they deserve them, we all make mistakes (like literally, all of us), but it's totally different when you spend hours upon hours writing hundreds/thousands of words, wait for weeks/months for a verbal warning, a written warning, an admin jail, a short ban or a "permanent" ban that's removed within months. On top of that, meanwhile, these people are still breaking more and more rules, affecting the role-play of many others.

 

It's quite obvious - we should have less and less forum reports coming in, if they're truly fixing an issue, if they're weeding out the bad apples, but we're not. The number is constant (and high). Yes, there's also a constant influx of players, but the vast majority of people being reported are not the same new players. Lots of them have a history too. It's just not okay.

 

Unless something changes regarding both waiting times and punishments (and their severity), forum reports won't really make any change. If people are breaking rules, they should be given stern warnings. If they don't stop, they should face lengthy bans. If they're repeat offenders, they should be permanently banned, without being able to appeal, ever. That's the only sure-fire way to move towards high quality and less rulebreakers.

Very heavy handed for someone with Winnie The Pooh in their pfp.

 

I don’t think stopping people from being able to appeal bans is a step in the right direction at all - being able to appeal a decision is kind of a cornerstone of democratic and judicial process.

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I've been on this server about 2 years and I believe I have made 3 forum reports in all that time, that averages out to 1 every 8 months. 

 

Forum reports are an important function of any RP server because it is as close as we can possibly get to fair moderation. We need that moderation because this is a heavy RP community, and players who are not roleplaying at that standard have a lot of opportunity to exploit those who are, and to diminish the experience for everyone. The admins work hard on this server to make forum reports fair--they do their best to listen to both sides, critically examine the evidence, ask relevant questions, and they check with each other. That's why they take a while, and that's why they can get bogged down.

 

The problem comes more in the form that there are a lot of people in gaming who are willing to use the administration as a weapon. These are the people who might report someone's RP quality if they have an OOC beef or jealousy of them, for instance.  The same happens in forum reports, some people forum report to try to attack. This serves as filler, and also taxes admin time across all other reports because it's always an angle they need to be aware of. And as mj2002 pointed out, once the forum report is posted, it becomes a public bloodsport. My last report had literally 35 views within the first minute it was posted. This means you're more likely to see forum reports become theater rather than function, and it means people are less likely to admit fault when they should, and more likely to try to retaliate rather than seek solutions. Often times, reported parties are members of factions, and it quickly ratchets up how many people are really affected by what's being written there. 

 

But reports are important, and I say this as someone who has only made 3 of them. If it cannot be solved in-game and it cannot be solved between the players, forum reports serve as both a call for arbitration and serve as a record. If someone is going around and breaking the rules in-game but everyone just lets them off the hook, they will continue this pattern for a long time. Then when someone finally reports them, for all the administration knows this is their very first offense.

 

Now, to answer Goonbag's concern about some reports being more important than others, I agree with that. I believe some situations are more critical to examine for admins. A potential improvement for our reporting system is for the first pass by the staff to be merely to rank the importance of the report. Critical reports should be the first ones to get handled when possible, but of course critical ones are also the ones which more likely have more people involved, more sides of the story to hear out, more evidence to comb through, and have a larger impact meaning the admins need to take more time to make sure they're handling them properly. 

 

I think the most pathetic part of our reporting culture on this server is the absolutely bullshit, insincere condescending saccharine "politeness" people pretend to have in forum reports. "Thank you for reporting me and I'm glad you're bringing attention to this issue, I really appreciate the evidence you generously provided us here. I'm sorry our roleplay was less than ideal for you with how you took a fat steaming L to the face, but unfortunately you utterly failed to show that I did anything besides be a very friendly and cooperative member of the community while you were doing little more than whining complaining and sucking at life. I just find it kind of funny how you--" etc

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50 minutes ago, Ink said:

I think the most pathetic part of our reporting culture on this server is the absolutely bullshit, insincere condescending saccharine "politeness" people pretend to have in forum reports. "Thank you for reporting me and I'm glad you're bringing attention to this issue, I really appreciate the evidence you generously provided us here. I'm sorry our roleplay was less than ideal for you with how you took a fat steaming L to the face, but unfortunately you utterly failed to show that I did anything besides be a very friendly and cooperative member of the community while you were doing little more than whining complaining and sucking at life. I just find it kind of funny how you--" etc

It's pretty weird and hypocritical yeah :x 

 

Part of it may come from the culture of "you have to understand and apologize!" no matter the situation. Like... taking a personal example. It's an old server (RIP 5RP), but the admin culture is similar on both servers.

 

The idea is that if an admin says something, then the admin is right and trying to explain what happened is "refusing to improve!" so you get a ban. One day, I log on, /vget, and bad luck... someone else's car was already there. My car gets stuck, I get inside, try to drive off as best I can, and finally I get out! Victory! Thing is, an admin was there, and he opens a report himself about it, saying I now have to (quote): "Learn that non-IC'ly /vgetting a car is poor RP standards". Like this shit makes zero sense - the problem was obviously a li mitation of the script and purely OOC. But it quickly became clear, as I tried to explain that and he insisted it was "poor RP" to not RP when you /Vget a car that appears on top of someone else's... well. That I had a choice between lying through my teeth by explaining how I "totally understood my mistake and I'm glad to learn from it" or get a 1-week ban. In reality I thought this guy was flat-out a fucking lunatic. 

 

So, overall, this hypocritical weirdness you mention is also kind of encouraged :x 

Edited by Topinambour
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I'll be watching any and all public toilets like a hawk from now on. If you ain't rping in there and you're just AFK I'll see you in the report section. Additionally, if I don't see you doing /ame breathes. every second or so I'll also see you there. This is a heavy RP server...

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2 hours ago, Topinambour said:

It's pretty weird and hypocritical yeah :x 

 

Part of it may come from the culture of "you have to understand and apologize!" no matter the situation. Like... taking a personal example. It's an old server (RIP 5RP), but the admin culture is similar on both servers.

 

The idea is that if an admin says something, then the admin is right and trying to explain what happened is "refusing to improve!" so you get a ban. One day, I log on, /vget, and bad luck... someone else's car was already there. My car gets stuck, I get inside, try to drive off as best I can, and finally I get out! Victory! Thing is, an admin was there, and he opens a report himself about it, saying I now have to (quote): "Learn that non-IC'ly /vgetting a car is poor RP standards". Like this shit makes zero sense - the problem was obviously a li mitation of the script and purely OOC. But it quickly became clear, as I tried to explain that and he insisted it was "poor RP" to not RP when you /Vget a car that appears on top of someone else's... well. That I had a choice between lying through my teeth by explaining how I "totally understood my mistake and I'm glad to learn from it" or get a 1-week ban. In reality I thought this guy was flat-out a fucking lunatic. 

 

So, overall, this hypocritical weirdness you mention is also kind of encouraged :x 

The admin team here is by no means flawless, but I can honestly say that this wouldn’t occur on gta:w and if it did, said admin would get shit on if you staff reported them for banning you. 
 

The sole reason people speak that way in reports is because they’re being passive aggressive cunts. 

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Keep on reporting and we get the bad apples out of the server and some of them will surely learn from their mistakes. Also report on you is not a personal attack, no need to get salty over it. Rule break is rule break and if someone is unsure has there been rule break by the other player. Reporting is the best way to find out.

 

Maybe people should read the Player Reports forum less, if it creates so much anxiety in some players. 

 

 

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