Moderation, trolling, infractions etc.

[nhamlett]

Since the beginning of the year, all two weeks of it, we've seen an increase in reported posts, spamming and harassment.

I know that it's hard waiting for a game that you really want to play, especially when you want more information and it's not coming in a constant flow. However... you all as a unified community need to make sure that you are following our guidelines. Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but keep in mind, before pressing that button whether or not you're being overly insulting, harssasing or in general a jerk.

If you can say yes to any of those three, it's probably a good idea to step away from your computer, take a few deep breaths and then re-think what you want to say.

On the other hand, I've been seeing alot of reported posts that aren't worth reporting. So, before you report someone, think about whether or not you're being overly sensitive to their disagreeing with you.

I'm working really hard right now to ensure that I can keep the information flowing. I'm also working on some activities for us as a whole. I need you all to be patient while I work on these endeavors. I am hoping that we can have fun on these boards, but I need your help to make that happen.

So, in conclusion, please be nice to each other. If you can't be nice, at least be respectful. If you have questions on our terms of service, please feel to ask them here. I'll do my best to answer them in layman's terms so that you all have a better understanding of what is and is not allowed here.

Thanks!
Nicole

[knightofhyrule730]

Here Here! We all have our own opinions, but that doesn't mean that everyone else is wrong

[Captain_Intrepid]

Aye, aye, Awen!:)

[govwilbea]

I don't envy your position........it cannot be easy with everyone wanting it now. It is my sincere hopes that patience will overcome the fervor of not getting info as fast as we would like. That being said ---I want it now!!---- to quote Feruka Salt:) jk.. We all do appreciate your info and the hard work you and cryptic are doing. Thank You!!

[miqrogroove]

The board moderators have been very nice here compared to the old sto-net boards. The majority of users here are having no trouble at all. So I think it would be better to handle problems case-by-case rather than by public finger-wag announcements like this.

[KO_Gilligan]

The board moderators have been very nice here compared to the old sto-net boards. The majority of users here are having no trouble at all. So I think it would be better to handle problems case-by-case rather than by public finger-wag announcements like this.

I boldly agree.... This is a much more awesome community than anyone could have expected.

Well maybe I'm wrong, and maybe how great everyone is here is being taken for granted - but I digress.

The problem is that occasionally a few people just forget who pays the bills for this server, like some kind of BS Star Trek Fan customer sovereignty thing. It's been quite mild IMHO.

As I write this, I'm certainly not forgetting my place.
*waves*


Maybe I missed something, but I don't think so... I noticed a few of the latest happenstances.

This message was a bit of a let down.


But on a lighter note: What kind of activities, Awen?

[AdmiralWynn]

Being the veteran of many an MMO, I can attest to how fast a game forum can spiral out of control.

Openly unpleasant players need to be warned, gross and/or repeatedly mean-spirited players need to be suspended or banned. Once you start letting these types bully the rest of us, it is very hard to re-establish that friendly tone.

ST is for the most part a amiable place. It doesn't have to be care-bear, it just needs to be civil, even when people disagree.

[Saladin_Class]

Just keep the line of posts with Star Trek

and not RL issues. Everyone has different opinions, and none need be expressed here

[Hagon]

I agree this is overall a good community, and I know for a fact that the mods are working very hard to make it even better. I think it behooves all of us to assist them in that.

I think one thing that would go a long way in doing that would be for some to learn that people with a different opinion on a given subject aren't the enemy, and neither are people that don't share one's particular play style preference.

There's also no need to "go on the attack" just because someone wants to see something in the game that you don't, or doesn't want to see something that you do.

[Trekkie]

Overall I think that this community is far and above one of the best on the internet, especially when compared to some of those for other massively multiplayer online games I have played; that being said, I have noticed a little bit more negativity around here recently, but I am thinking that a majority of it will go away once we get closer to launch date since people will have a lot more to talk about instead of just criticizing every trivial detail that has been released about the game so far.

[Tharanicus]

When posting just dont run someone down, don't start hurling insults. If there is a disagreement fine, disagree gracefully, be factual not emotional. If you start writing an insult dont click submit.

:)

[Hagon]

My only concern is that they don't "hire" members of the community to moderate. That's just a recipe for bias and other disastrous goings on.

[CherryTerri]

Is there a limit to how long a topic can be?

A few are hitting the 300+ mark in pages ... dang.

Anyway we can report to have them locked and a mod post to start a new one or something?

[STO]

Thank you for the redirection, this is a refresher that I think we all could use. I myself have seen many instances where members here have taken an unnecessary offense to the posts of others, then made it a personal vendetta to "get them back," or "correct them."

I think we would all do well to remember that we are all of different ages, ethnicity, national origin and so on. By keeping this in mind, we are constantly aware there are various maturity levels here on the forums. Here are some tips that I found on how to get along with others, even when personalities are different and varied:

*** Remember: ***

- Considerate and Appreciative -
Let it go. This does not mean you have to abandon conversations, or threads just because there are some hostile or un-necessary comments. However, it does mean you can offer your thoughts without pressuring the people around you and making them feel like they're being attacked personally.

If you have engaged another member in a conversation that becomes off-topic, feel free to PM them asking them to continue the conversation through email. It is not necessary to clutter topics with off topic conversations. If you both feel it is necessary, create a new thread to address the issue.

- Not sure? -
If you are unsure if the comment was meant as an attack directed to you, observe the other comments in the thread. It may be that the tone of the thread is a bit different making some of the comments appear personal. It may be that no insult was intended. Sometimes jokes or sarcasm can be confusing, so be as straight forward as you can to avoid confusion.

- Golden rule -
Treat others as you would like to be treated... or as I would like to add: Treat others BETTER than you treat yourself. Or even better, treat others the same way you would treat the person you treat the best. This means that all your comments in a thread should be considerate. Even the most immature, idiotic comments can be heartfelt. These can be offensive to us, and yet deserve the same consideration we give to comments that please us. How will we feel when we potentially have to play with this same person in-game? Maybe in Beta? We do not want to cause negative memories or bad standings to develop between community members that love Star Trek and STO so much.

- Faaaahhh-get-about-it -
If you have felt or become attacked, insulted or annoyed, just let it go. That may the most powerful statement you can make to the attacker. Imagine their frustration as you refuse to "stoop" to their level! We are all empowered to do this. If they are persistent you can say "let us agree to disagree." Remember that by ignoring the attacker you may need to remove yourself from the thread or conversation.

- Just joking -
Some joking does not translate well to forums. Things like smiley faces or icons can help you show you are making a joke, yet there are some other things you can do. First try not to be too creative with your jokes. A joke should come naturally, if it is confusing some may not get it or take offense. Jokes should never be cruel to anyone or make fun of anyone. Nobody wants to be the person laughed at or put on the spot. Because most of us do not know the personalities of each and everyone, a good joke would be clean, friendly and on topic.

*** General Forum Guidelines: ***

The goal is to have an enjoyable experience here. By ensuing you follow Forum Etiquette, you help the forums stay enjoyable for everyone.

- Read the rules -
Read the forum rules. This will refresh our memories on the guidelines set about Etiquette. This will allow us to understand when it is appropriate to report or not to report someone whom we feel offended by. There will be times when the report button needs to be used. Let us not create extra work for the community developers by forcing them to weed through countless unnecessary reports.

- Read ALL the posts -
We see it again and again. Someone jumps into a conversation because they do not have the time, or do not want to read all the posts in a thread. By not reading first, the new post takes a chance at insulting all the other posters by rehashing a dead conversation or affecting the flow.

- More is better -
Because we cannot hear the words spoken from members comments, nor are we able to offer minor changes in tone and mood in our own comments, we have to use descriptive wording. After a post has been written, re-read it. Ensure your meaning is clear. Take the same careful examination of other's posts. The posts intent may be unclear at first. When in doubt, ask for clarification.

- Say what you mean -
Type exactly what you would say in person. This will help clear up confusion. This does not give you reason to be rude, simply do not overindulge your comments with unnecessary clutter. If you are not comfortable typing as if you were speaking, type as if you were reading a newspaper aloud. Text should include lower and uppercase letters, as generally all caps indicates yelling, and there is no place for yelling here. Use proper grammar and punctuation as much as possible so that the readers do not misunderstand your comment. For example the following memo's illustrate the importance of punctuation:

----------------------------------------------------------- letter 1

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy -- will you let me be yours?

Gloria

----------------------------------------------------------- letter 2

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,
Gloria

(taken from http://www.cmiiw.com/punctuation.htm )


Can you see how powerful a few proper punctuation marks can be?


Trolls are not made of flesh and bone:

Trolls are made of fire, fuel and oxygen. Ignore Trolls. If you engage a troll you are feeding the flames. Trolls live for your input. The best thing to do is to ignore them, and eventually they'll get bored and move on. It is good to remember that what we each view as a troll is subjective. Some of us may view a post as trolling while others my think that there is legitimate contributions to the discussion. The thing to remember is that contributions can controversial and legitimate at the same time.

It is also important to remember that once someone is called out for trolling, it is common for them to seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting the person who called them out. Be prepared to be called closed-minded or even to be called a troll yourself by ignoring these people.

Above all else, how we treat each other will determine how much Cryptic wants to work with us. Do you think they want to work with a bunch of immature fighting community members? Of course not! The better we get along, the more benefits we will all reap.

[Drunk1n]

STO that is probably the best laymen's terms of forum use I have ever seen - well done.

[STO]

STO that is probably the best laymen's terms of forum use I have ever seen - well done.

thank you I did put some effort into that. I am not a very good writer so I often wonder if what I am trying to say comes across the same way I am thinking about it. I just hope that the mood here shifts back to as it was when we all first created our accounts the first day or week the forums went live. I know many of us were grinning ear to ear that day and I hope we never loose that excitement and eagerness.

[CherryTerri]

thank you I did put some effort into that. I am not a very good writer so I often wonder if what I am trying to say comes across the same way I am thinking about it. I just hope that the mood here shifts back to as it was when we all first created our accounts the first day or week the forums went live. I know many of us were grinning ear to ear that day and I hope we never loose that excitement and eagerness.

It's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out I think.

When more information is given, more people clamoring for stuff that should be in the game, opinions on what was said ...

Can't please everyone sadly.

But that is why I am glad for an ignore feature. Maybe I'm more thin skinned than most (I am really pale heh) but some people on these boards take things too far and that should not be. There IS (contrary to what many believe) human beings on the other side of the monitor. The excuse of being a jerk because no one knows who you are is soooo FOTY :cool: