"Abusing" the swear filter

[Loony BoB]

Fact is "Looking into something," or "discussing it in staff" usually means a thread is made, a few people post in it, and everybody "agrees to disagree" and precisely squat ever changes. Only here in Feedback does an issue ever get any actual air, and then usually it's regular members raising an issue and staff dismissing it and saying "Yeah, yeah, we'll talk about it," or "We already have talked about it," leaving out the fact that the discussion in staff was utterly effectless, and everybody who even cares a little is as thoroughly ignored as people who use the warn feature.

I'm happy to say you're wrong here. Sometimes we agree that it's not worth doing anything about because, well, it's not. Sometimes we find ourselves at a standstill on things and then we generally end up either going to Cid or coming up with a compromise that we settle on. Sometimes we agree to make a change - this has happened recently to tend to the thing you were complaining about in your first post. So yeah, that base is covered. Yay.

Also, every warned post is looked into, as far as I know. I go through a dozen or so of them about once a week/month to see who is reporting posts and I notice that 90% of the stuff in them is tended to. I actually have some of the funnier reported posts saved. =P

I can't give you an exact date, but it was pretty recent. Someone (Again not naming names, I don't want the contents of my Ignore list to be a matter of public record) made an off-topic post exclusively to flame me. Instead of flaming back, I was a good little boy and followed what was written in the (then) latest announcement and used the warn feature, whereupon I'm sure every staffer who even read the email just said "Oh, pssh, it's just Bleys. *delete*"

Luckily, I have the latest 402 reported posts saved. xD *checks*

Ah, the post you reported on 20/02/05 was edited by a Cid's Knight with an in-thread warning. I noticed that your Reported Post was pretty spiteful, though... do you ever get the feeling that you're taking stabs at us fairly often, too? =/ Staff have feelings too. We just try our best not to get ourselves phased... but that doesn't mean stuff like that doesn't bring us down, too.

Which brings up another matter: I've noticed that certain members (including Kane, Doom, WesLY, and I'm sure some others that I don't notice as much because they're not such good friends of mine) can't post "hi" without getting shat upon by the staff. I'm sure someone will promptly call it banter, but I of all people know the difference. You want to see an example of bantering with WesLY? http://www.gamers-alliance.org/forums is the place to go. You want to see incessant reaming and insulting of him, the place to go is http://forums.eyesonff.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40.

Maybe I, too, belong on that list with Kane, Doom, and WesLY, but when it's me, I am much more inclined to give the other poster the benefit of the doubt.

I've noticed this is a two-way affair. While we take a lot of flack, and while we shouldn't get hurt or offended and retaliate instinctively, we sometimes do and I get complaints by members when they read it, and I've had complaints about me, too, and I take note of them and do my best not to re-do them. If I ever say something that offends you, send me a PM, I'll definitely apologise... or send another Staffer a PM and they can tell me to apologise, so that way there's someone in the middle making sure it's not a personal spat.

Hmm... *gets an idea*

[Citizen Bleys]

I'm happy to say you're wrong here. Sometimes we agree that it's not worth doing anything about because, well, it's not. Sometimes we find ourselves at a standstill on things and then we generally end up either going to Cid or coming up with a compromise that we settle on. Sometimes we agree to make a change - this has happened recently to tend to the thing you were complaining about in your first post. So yeah, that base is covered. Yay.

I've noticed this tends to be the exception rather than the rule, and then only when someone raises a stink in Feedback. Such as this.

Luckily, I have the latest 402 reported posts saved. xD *checks*

Ah, the post you reported on 20/02/05 was edited by a Cid's Knight with an in-thread warning.

I didn't check after a couple of days, that should be plenty of time. Also, I'm not removing that individual from my Ignore list.

I noticed that your Reported Post was pretty spiteful, though... do you ever get the feeling that you're taking stabs at us fairly often, too? =/

There's a reason for that, in the few instances where I'm actually serious.

Staff have feelings too. We just try our best not to get ourselves phased... but that doesn't mean stuff like that doesn't bring us down, too.

I, of all people, know this.

Hmm... *gets an idea*

Looking forward to it

[Loony BoB]

I've noticed this tends to be the exception rather than the rule, and then only when someone raises a stink in Feedback. Such as this.

Don't be so pessimistic. We're generally talking about subjects before they even get started, sort of a pre-emptive move. Like I said earlier, we had sorted out something you had a problem with before you even raised it as a problem. Surely you can't complain about that!

I didn't check after a couple of days, that should be plenty of time. Also, I'm not removing that individual from my Ignore list.

I wouldn't ask it of you. *nods* I can't tell how long it was before the mod edited the post (and I can't be arsed checking the mod logs). But you can put 90% of the board on ignore if you want to and I wouldn't be bothered. It's up to you.

There's a reason for that, in the few instances where I'm actually serious.

I guess I have trouble telling the serious side from the non-serious. Seems like you're serious 90% of the time lately. =x

I, of all people, know this.

Yeah, I know, that bit was more directed towards the people that insult us.

Looking forward to it

Don't get your hopes up too fast, I probably get more ideas shot down than any other member, purely because I come up with so many. xD

[Citizen Bleys]

Like I said earlier, we had sorted out something you had a problem with before you even raised it as a problem. Surely you can't complain about that!

That's the way it should be.

I wouldn't ask it of you. *nods* I can't tell how long it was before the mod edited the post (and I can't be arsed checking the mod logs). But you can put 90% of the board on ignore if you want to and I wouldn't be bothered. It's up to you.

Not even close. One name in there now, pondering adding two more.

I guess I have trouble telling the serious side from the non-serious. Seems like you're serious 90% of the time lately. =x

If I'm ever serious 90% of the time, kindly shoot me in the face with a rocket launcher.

Don't get your hopes up too fast, I probably get more ideas shot down than any other member, purely because I come up with so many. xD

If there's a mountain of crap with two diamonds in it, most people would slog through the crap to get to the diamonds.

[Del Murder]

Actually, now that I think of it, it's not so much the swear filter itself, although the first thing I ever hated about being on staff, which eventually snowballed into my departure from it, is that I had to enforce a swearing rule. What's really eating me, when I look into it a little deeper, is the attitudes I've been seeing from the staff lately. Each and every thread made in here is simply shot down out of hand, usually mocking and insulting the thread-maker. I remember a time when we (as in the staff of then) decided not to make sarcastic comments when closing a thread out of respect for the members that keep this forum alive. Where's the respect for members here? All I'm seeing is respect for staff members, and only from other staff members.

Honestly, if this is the way you're going to be treating the Feedback forum, you might as well just close the bloody thing.

I am satisfied with this response and the ensuing discussion you and BoB had. Thank you.

[Citizen Bleys]

I am satisfied with this response and the ensuing discussion you and BoB had. Thank you.

I'm glad you brought it up, since I hadn't really thought about what was really bothering me behind the lines. That question turned this into an actual productive thread which may just have a positive impact on the forums as a whole. Thank you.

[Dr Unne]

*makes a rare serious post*

Shooting down threads in Feedback, in my case, is just a joke. Most of the suggestions here I don't agree with. When someone makes a valid suggestion I give it a valid response. See? See?

Posting in already-closed threads and other forms of "abusing power" is 100% stress relief in my case. SOMETHING about being an admin has to be fun. I'm sure you understand this Bleys. Who here changed everyone's style to ed's technicolor nightmare?

I do respect mostly everyone here. I respect the members, which is why I continue to do this job. Even though I always say things like I ignore name requests and stuff, I don't actually do those sorts of things. I still like this MB, even though it's quite different than it used to be. I respect the staff enough that I will do what they wish, even when it's not what I wish.

Bleys, look at my very first post in this thread.

[qq=Me]"Swearing = bad" has been the rule since the beginning. We never enforced it strictly because people didn't behave like 10-year-olds; people had respect enough not to belch profanities in every post. Bleys himself refrained from swearing here, for that very reason: RESPECT FOR OTHERS.[/qq]

You are 100% right, we got (get) along well because we respected each other. I don't have a problem with people swearing, per se. I have a problem with people being disrespectful. You tried not to swear, and I tried not to care when you did. Respecting each others' beliefs. I've never edited one of your posts here, and you've sometimes said some fairly editable things.

That's not the same as what people are doing today. Look at this post: http://www.eyesonff.com/forums/showp...5&postcount=36

Now someone tell me, does this show respect? Given this entire huge thread, where the staff have made our views clear, what are we to do with this kind of thing, short of going into Nazi enforcement mode? I hope you can see how I can become a bit discouraged. I'm being forced into making decisions I don't want to make. In this case I choose to do nothing, because I don't think that doing anything will make a difference.

Every time the MB has ever been in my opinion "good", one single thing was true: Everyone was nice to each other voluntarily. Short of that, we're screwed. I can't ban half the MB. Rather I can, but I don't, out of respect for the members and respect for staff, which would disapprove. I'm now in the minority on staff when it comes to the issue of swearing. I act like I don't care sometimes, because I don't. If I cared this place would make me quite sad sometimes. Just sometimes, but still.

I'm sorry to say, I have a lot of more important things to care about as of late. I try to keep the place going enough so that the good people here can still have a place to talk, and in hopes that the disrespectful people will one day shut up or leave. I'm only speaking for myself here, not for anyone else, not for the staff as a whole.

[edczxcvbnm]

That is what you think. Little do you know there is a non stop party going on in staff forum about how gullible bleys is. Life is so cruel

EDIT: I just Dr. Unne's post. That made me crack up man. I haven't laughed that hard...since last night when watching Family Guy.

EDIT: THE revenge of the edit: I wasn't laughing at what he had to say but that it was my post that he quoted more or less.

[Citizen Bleys]

*makes a rare serious post*

Shooting down threads in Feedback, in my case, is just a joke. Most of the suggestions here I don't agree with. When someone makes a valid suggestion I give it a valid response. See? See?

I usually don't see the cocky attitude from you personally. It doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, and I'm not going to run around trying to find examples that will just be dismissed as an "isolated incident"

Posting in already-closed threads and other forms of "abusing power" is 100% stress relief in my case. SOMETHING about being an admin has to be fun. I'm sure you understand this Bleys. Who here changed everyone's style to ed's technicolor nightmare?

You're conveniently forgetting the cataclysmic backlash that came with that where hundreds of people, at the time, wanted my head for it. Which is why I get so cranky when someone (usually Psy) says "Oh, but if Bleys did the same thing, it would be OK." When I did something, it was never OK until 6 months later when people look back at it and laugh, seeing it in the same light that I did at the time.

You are 100% right, we got (get) along well because we respected each other. I don't have a problem with people swearing, per se. I have a problem with people being disrespectful. You tried not to swear, and I tried not to care when you did. Respecting each others' beliefs. I've never edited one of your posts here, and you've sometimes said some fairly editable things.

And as I said, I've never had a problem with how you handle the swearing issue. I actually used you as a shining example of how it should be done.

In this case I choose to do nothing, because I don't think that doing anything will make a difference.

Now you've hit on the biggest reason why I retired.

[Psychotic]

You're conveniently forgetting the cataclysmic backlash that came with that where hundreds of people, at the time, wanted my head for it. Which is why I get so cranky when someone (usually Psy) says "Oh, but if Bleys did the same thing, it would be OK." When I did something, it was never OK until 6 months later when people look back at it and laugh, seeing it in the same light that I did at the time.

I used you as an example because you were the first person who sprung to mind who wasn't on Staff who I felt fitted the situation. If it really annoys you, then I won't use you as an example again. But seriously Bleys, let's take Peter as an example. If, like him, you had genuinely accidentally posted that image, do you really think they'd have banned you? I doubt it. But like I said, I won't use you again if you don't feel comfortable having me single you out.

[Doomgaze]

It's banter

Anyway, I hereby offer this peace offering on behalf of Raist and myself:


All you mothersmurfers are gonna pay, You are the ones who are the smurf-lickers. We're gonna smurf your mothers while you watch and cry like little smurfs. Once we get to the server room and find those smurfs who are hosting this site, we're gonna make 'em eat our smurf, then smurf out our smurf, then eat their smurf which is made up of our smurf that we made 'em eat. Then you're all smurfing next.

Love,

Doom and Silent WesLY


That said, Kane is actually smurfed on whenever he opens his smurfing mouth. Linus was often treated the same way while he was still here.

[Dr Unne]

[qq=Bleys]Now you've hit on the biggest reason why I retired.[/qq]

I think I've retired too, just in a slightly different way.

But seriously Bleys, let's take Peter as an example. If, like him, you had genuinely accidentally posted that image, do you really think they'd have banned you?

I'd ban anyone for posting porn, including CURRENT staff, with the exception of Sean. I'd expect to be banned myself if necessary.

[Citizen Bleys]

But seriously Bleys, let's take Peter as an example. If, like him, you had genuinely accidentally posted that image, do you really think they'd have banned you?

In a heartbeat. I've seen it happen to current staffers before. Remember Krel? Remember Chewbacca? Didn't think so.

Furthermore, if I were banned, I'd never be back, so there'd be no sense in making 16,000 annoying sigs about me.

[Psychotic]

I'd ban anyone for posting porn, including CURRENT staff, with the exception of Sean. I'd expect to be banned myself if necessary.

Not what another prominent staffer said they'd have done, but that was off the record and I shall say no more of it. (And yes, I know that what one staffer says doesn't necessarily apply to any other members of staff.)

In a heartbeat. I've seen it happen to current staffers before. Remember Krel? Remember Chewbacca? Didn't think so.

You are most correct, I don't remember them, as presumably those incidents occurred before I was a member. But the fact that I don't is enough: It's obviously long ago not to be relevant to all situations regarding such things now.

[Citizen Bleys]

It doesn't matter, if someone posts porn, unless there isn't a shadow of a reasonable doubt that it was accident, someone on staff would do their job. I may not have a lot of faith left in today's staff, but I'll give them that much.