How forum moderation works - requesting a GM response please

[Cylla]

I wanted to chime in - and will be doing so on the 'elephant in the room' thread as well - with my boyfriend's story. I don't normally post on the forums, but these threads of late have caught my eye, given his experiences.

Like many have described, he got perma-banned for a relatively innocuous post. It had a single f-word in it that he bleeped out (asterisks for the three letters after f), and also a four-letter word beginning with p that also means urine. I'm hesitant to type either, because I don't know what he got banned for exactly. He was strongly responding to a post that had labeled a previous one of his with the r-word, but these were the only two words that could even remotely convey rudeness. The poster who called his ideas the r-word didn't receive so much as a temp ban that we could find. My boyfriend, on the other hand, received a perma-ban, despite having only one offense on his record previously (for a more clear-cut, but still language-related, post about a year ago).

He appealed the verdict through the form that was posted a few weeks ago, and got nowhere. Ban fully justified, and stays in effect. This means he cannot participate in certain forum-only community events, cannot contribute his ideas, cannot really comment on the game at all via official means. All because of - near as we can tell - a self-deleted swear word (it was never written in its full form) and a four-letter word for urine that one is likely to hear by the time they're six years old.

So we second the OP's request. We'd like clarification as to the rules, so this doesn't happen to anyone else. And we'd go a step further: the complete removal of permanent bans except in extraordinary circumstances (persistent harassment, for example). We'd also like to see a profanity filter implemented, rather than bans being inconsistently issued for foul language. That's how language is handled in FFXIV itself, and it seems reasonable to treat the forums no differently than the game. My boyfriend's behaviour would not have gotten him banned from FFXIV, or even warned - so why are the forums policed in this manner?

Anyway. Just our collective two cents.

That pretty bad. I'll admit that I've done what your boyfriend has (F and three asterisks after) and never been touched for that. But (and again, I'm not sure which it was) I told someone to shut up/or it was because I called SE out on their own failure to follow their ToS and got slammed with a week ban. It makes zero sense!

Starting to feel like the GM/dev/whatever need to meet their banning quote before end of each mouth -__- They just pick whomever and ban them. Doesn't seem to matter if it was just some silly little thing. Simple, silly things that should just get a mere warning like, "Don't drop the F bomb even if it is in asterisks." or whatever. Perma-banning someone for saying F and three asterisks after, that uncalled for.

[Aquaslash]

I got a ten day for calling out a known troll on his lying, yet afaik, the troll has gone untouched. Really? The post was actually humorous and harmless too.

It's a real shame when a general on an anonymous image board is a better place to talk about the game than its official forums. Even more so when all said board wants to do is role play

[Kaelah]

I got a 2 week ban for sharing a pic that had a swear word in it. Just do not swear or be nasty I guess.

[MomomiMomi]

I got a 2 week ban for sharing a pic that had a swear word in it. Just do not swear or be nasty I guess.

What I don't get is why they don't automatically censor them if they're not allowed. At least it's not a problem for me.

[HyoMinPark]

I got a 2 week ban for sharing a pic that had a swear word in it. Just do not swear or be nasty I guess.

Apparently, it seems like it’s also possible to get in trouble if you quote another poster that swears. So, I guess be careful there, too. :/

[Hamada]

You're funny

What I find funny is you are replying to it, basically admitting you know it is wrong. How many times did you have to keep adding your signature picture?

[Zyneste]

Still empty...

[MaybeOliverB]

What I find funny is you are replying to it, basically admitting you know it is wrong. How many times did you have to keep adding your signature picture?

Stop projecting.

[FF16Necromancer]

Yeah, forum moderation has been really opaque for the past decades :/