Regarding verbal abuse

[GodspeedXIII]

From my observations, most reports in the Scum 'R' Us forum are, obviously, verbal abuse. Anyhow, there're arguments to the topic "Should every one single obscene word said in game be punished?" And here's what I get from the fRO rules.

Immoral Speech (to speak offensive language constantly)

Point is, we allow so many f's and s' to get through without any word filtering both in forums and in-game. And yes, some people can swear like always and some swear when they are ticked off. What we're protecting the people from are actually excessive profanity and cyberbullying. And as the rules said, it is punished when one person says it CONSTANTLY, according to this rule it could relieve GM's of at least 10% of thier workload.

What we cannot tolerate here is biased speech like racism, sexism, offense towards nation, religion, ethnicity, speech of explicit sexual nature ("f*** you" is considered only a swear but "I want to ooo with your ooo" is explicit) and these are the genuine elements that get the offender punished.

Therefore, I'm convincing you to set a new standard for tolerance. There's a hundred of ways to handle a single insult rather than get mad and report. You can either joke, remain silent(and if the insults became constant you may report) or simply reconciliate.

For next reports, what you can do is meddle with your tolerance and explain a little why do you feel offended enough to take this to the GM's. ^_^

Enjoy ForsakenRO

Godspeed.

===

I'm directing this to the GM's: For the buzzer words, if you want this server to be clean, use word filtering, I know behind GM's back and even in front of on some occasions, people will talk stuff and most of the time it's normal speech and not insult-intended.

[Kaigen]

What's this?

[GodspeedXIII]

As for the rules, I suggest to separate the sanctions for offensive speech into different degrees of offense as following.

Lenient insults:

GMs can always do verbal warnings, and not conforming to GM's warnings leads to offense as default. Constant use of profane language falls into this category.

Hate Speech:

This includes biases, and intense flames in general. It may or may not incorporate profanity, but this should be punished HARDER than the normal insults, not with the same standards for the offender shall learn to respect people.

Sexual Harassment:

This is talking in explicit sexual nature, which can affect the minds of boys or girls alike. This includes hailing insults on one person saying that he is gay when he is not; excessively badmouthing a gay person or stating females are inferior. This should be punished as hard as any hate speech.

Cyberbullying:

This is the most severe offense that includes "targeting" the victim and do different, unfriendly things to alter the state of mind of the victim. This is the most dangerous verbal abuse anyone can do and punishment should be held as high as any severe offense. Long suspension for 1st and instant ban after 2nd offense or something like this.

[Kaigen]

Long suspension for 1st and instant ban after 2nd offense or something like this.

You can't be serious.

[GodspeedXIII]

You can't be serious.

I'm not a GM, and it's them to decide... I don't know much details about different levels of punishment, though.

[Blaze]

using offensive language out of Anger is ok but anything else is forbidden, for Example

you find out that the Event you've been waiting for has already started therefore "S***" or "F**K"

otherwise this is forbidden

someone says your a Slut and should die, you retaliate your the one at fault, you dont retaliate your in the clear

so in other words

if you swear out of Anger its ok, anything else = your screwed

[geldaz]

using offensive language out of Anger is ok but anything else is forbidden, for Example

you find out that the Event you've been waiting for has already started therefore "S***" or "F**K"

otherwise this is forbidden

someone says your a Slut and should die, you retaliate your the one at fault, you dont retaliate your in the clear

so in other words

if you swear out of Anger its ok, anything else = your screwed

Then everyone would say that such stuff makes them angry and swear for everything and nothing. D:

[Blaze]

actually no, since they need a Valid reason which is either assosiated with Forsaken RO or Personal Life which affects you at the very moment of such language

[Dave]

There should be no valid reason for bieng rude and offensive to anyone, why would you take your anger out on someone else who is just a sprite on a screen.

You could always add a swear filter that filters out offensive words.

[Blaze]

yes but that would only anger people more, the offical Ragnarok is losing people everyday because of the lack of being able to Express they're anger in an easy way because of a Swear filter always saying Yeah, I dont think so buddy...

if it were me, i would literally kill that game because of his gay Chat Filter...

and everybody else would probally agree with me if they've played on iRo

[GSE Zombie]

dude....there is no such world without cussing since birth people have been raised not so say "bad words"...which subconsiosly wants us to say them more...its psychology

[Dave]

You can choose what to say and when to say it,thinking before you speak does help.

If you need to swear why come online to do it go stand in front of your parents and tell them to f-off, cos you got angry and see how they react.

[Blaze]

well that would be hard since they're in their Graves!

[Genesis]

Here is what I believe:

1. The Scum 'R Us section promotes verbal abuse, how so?

John says the following after being killed by Sam "Screw you *insert foul word here*

Then Sam reports John for foul language. John now wants revenge ( like most people) thus provokes Sam and gets Sam to say something foul. Thus who won? Noone did.

2. I don't believe provoking then screenshotting is right.

Martha gets killed in PvP by Daniel, Daniel says "Thats right *insert foul word*", then Martha replies with "Oh yea you are a *insert foul word*", all Daniel has to do is screenshoot what Martha said and report it. I believe in this situation both should be punished equally, this will help keep the people with foul language at bay as well as make people realize its MUCH better to stay silent and screenshot it than to curse back.

[Arcane]

Ignoring people who have insulted you is the best way to deal with them if you wanna win the fight. Silence says a lot. If you're concerned about the community, then that's your cue to report. I know most of you guys here have their own principles making you report every swear inflicted on you. Those people who swear at you(because you killed him/her) is not worthy of your precious time. I've been cursed and been insulted a LOT of times. If I were to report them all, it would fill the Scums R' Us Thread. I'll report when they have gone too far or have crossed the line.

[GodspeedXIII]

Therefore, I'd say cussing out of anger is best to be dealt with personally rather than take everything to the authority figures.

And yes, to think like an egoist (if you happen to be one, admit it.) to not talk back the insults is to not lower yourself to the cusser's level.

I didn't expect my little post here would provoke quite some responses. But yeah, I insist that the normal cussing should be dealt with leniently so people shall learn to control thier anger (you can always punish both parties when it goes on and on constantly). And those that concerns biases, sexual harassment and intentional victimizing(cyberbully) should be stapled as genuine verbal offenses.

This way, a screenshot enough for one person to be punished would include a long conversation where one person cuss at another and that person didn't cuss back or respond like "stop pls." "I'll report". But if it's a long line of flame wars, the screenshot poster would get punished also. One single insult won't get the reporter anywhere unless it is a racial/sexual slur.