Can we talk about the elephant in the room - Permanent Bans from the Official Forums

[Seraphor]

I left it out because I wasn't responding to that bit.

But if I happened to be quoting someone who'd used language they shouldn't, I would probably delete or replace it in the quote (with square brackets) exactly because it shouldn't have been said in the first place, so I'm not going to reframe it in my post where the original poster can't even reconsider and correct it themselves.

Other forums have automatic filters, and I have in the past been moderated for doing just this, censoring a swear word, accused of 'trying to bypass the filters' because I asterisked every letter except the first.

So common practice in other forums is to leave everything as it is and let the automatic filters do their job.
Apparently this is not consistent...

[Iscah]

I'd just substitute it entirely. "What the [hey], those rules are [awful]", etc etc...

If it wasn't censored in the original post you quoted, clearly there isn't an auto-filter taking care of it for you here.

[HyoMinPark]

I'd just substitute it entirely. "What the [hey], those rules are [awful]", etc etc...

If it wasn't censored in the original post you quoted, clearly there isn't an auto-filter taking care of it for you here.

I think Seraphor is aware that these forums don’t have an automatic profanity filter. He’s saying that they should, though, as it’s commonplace in a lot of other forums.

[Skivvy]

I think Seraphor is aware that these forums don’t have an automatic profanity filter. He’s saying that they should, though, as it’s commonplace in a lot of other forums.

To be fair, these forums are rather antiquated. While a profanity filter might be nice, I'd like to think most people are still very capable of using common sense when it comes to knowing whether a certain word is appropriate or not.

[geekgirl101]

People are getting banned for using language present in the game itself, and for simply quoting a post that caused someone else to get banned. Let's not blame "cultural differences" here.

If this game and forums are to have such hard rules against players using language considered inappropriate and offensive, then I am very offended that there are several scenes in FFXIV where I am aggressively described by NPCs as a fatherless child.

[Hakuro89]

If this game and forums are to have such hard rules against players using language considered inappropriate and offensive, then I am very offended that there are several scenes in FFXIV where I am aggressively described by NPCs as a fatherless child.

Where did it tell you that? I don't remember ever finding a quest that even remotely brought up the WoL's background.

[Skivvy]

If this game and forums are to have such hard rules against players using language considered inappropriate and offensive, then I am very offended that there are several scenes in FFXIV where I am aggressively described by NPCs as a fatherless child.

I watched The Goonies awhile back with my 7 year old. It's rated PG which is generally fine for that age range. This movie also has quite the colorful language - s-bombs, BS, GD, hell, ass, etc dropped throughout. I don't think anyone would argue that it would be acceptable for the kid to start cursing up a storm just because the movie we watched had that language in there. The media we take in can get away with many things, but that doesn't mean we are allowed to get away with it in RL.

[Shurrikhan]

And I still stand by what I said: SE needs to remember that they are marketing a product to the entire world, a huge portion of it being the Western world. Cultures collide, but those they outsource to moderate these forums shouldn’t swing a banhammer for one slip of the tongue with regards to “naughty words” or for critical feedback of a product. There have been posts that have been inherently polite and respectful that posters get in trouble for, and that are removed; while others that are blatantly rude and disrespectful, and still have posts that are present on the forums to this very day.

Don’t try to strawman with “cultural differences”.

Then we could instead draw a very real example of cultural elitism. The idea that people all over the world have to do things the way your particular sub-group does them. Something demonstrated in... well... the post I'm responding to.

I've tried very hard to find some connection between any of HyoMin's posts in this thread and your notion that she must be partaking in cultural elitism. I cannot.

Let's consider, for a moment, the hypothetical that the inconsistency is due to cultural misunderstanding despite at least 3 pages' of (albeit anecdotal) evidence towards the contrary:

• SE has their CMs monitor all four playerbases' specifically divided and separately staffed divisions of the forums under the JP standards of conduct. This is... not being culturally domineering, despite selling to an international audience?
• If an NA member asks to be judged by their NA-allotted CMs in accordance with common sense within NA cultures when using the specifically NA forum, this is an example of cultural elitism?

[BiffWellington]

I've tried very hard to find some connection between any of HyoMin's posts in this thread and your notion that she must be partaking in cultural elitism. I cannot.

It's exactly the opposite, in fact; Park-sungbae is saying, "hey, we have different people from different cultures with different standards sharing their different opinions, here; let's let them do so! You might not approve of every word they use, but as long as they're not being total butts, it should be okay for them to share their opinions, even if a bit roughly-worded."

This is the opposite of elitism; it's straight-up populism. Being something of a populist, myself, I approve and agree with the message.

[Divinewindx]

Ya see, the way to avoid any kind of punishment on the Official Forums is quite easy, you just never use them. Maybe someone will bring it up at a Q&A or fanfest about there being no actual appeal process for Forum Bans.