MaxSterling: Ban Appeal

[Juliette]

If you follow the strict word definition then he was not insulting anyone

Three cheers for manipulative misquoting.

[Jack]

I don't know if some kind of precedent has already been established amongst the staff, but I personally don't consider 'troll' a warn-able offense.

Calling someone a troll is like calling them a n00b, both of which are benign. They bring to mind the phrase "if the shoe fits."


My opinion, neither deserve to be edited, much less warned for. That said, there are cases where I can see a warning for calling someone a n00b or troll would be justified. Just not here.

[Mordack]

Something else from MaxSterling:

Mordack,
I appreciate you posting on my behalf and glad it\'s finally getting some attention.

I think my intended use of the word \"troll\" is apparent based on the fact it is in reply to Semper\'s post, which states :
\"I find it highly amusing you\'d have the nerve to scoff at a serious offer of $220.

Don\'t worry however I shalt debate it further. \"

The simple fact that he posted that only verifies his intentions with his posting in my thread... \"to elicit negative responses or start a flame-war\" as stated in the slang definition I provided.

If I were truly trying to verbally attack Semper, I\'m pretty sure that \"troll\" would be the last word I\'d use to truly insult him.

As for referring to ~Lord Rse~ as a n00b, as I had stated before... it was a playful poke at him considering I was his former alliance leader in Technocracy. I\'m very sure that everyone can be guilty of calling their friends n00bs.

Unfortunately when two friends poke fun with each other, it\'s hard to tell the context of the post when you\'re not \"in the loop\". I think the fact that I temporarily called my alliance \"Slacker Squadron\" can attest for my sense of humor with friends in-game.

[Mordack]

As it seems that Jack and I are in agreement, and are both against the warning, I will submit this case and our verdict to the administrators for consideration.

Once I have a reply, I'll update this thread and PM MaxSterling in-game.

[Juliette]

Regardless of whether n00b/troll are benign, I'd like to stress that the principle of "a joke between friends" is an invalid reason to request a warning for posting insults be removed.. it does, after all, introduce the insult to the forum. Anyone reading it will not understand it's a private joke, and will frown on the moderator who **Filtered** up letting that slide.

I felt that repeat of previous information was required, as Max apparently brings this as an argument in his last public message to you, Mordack. You cannot loosen the rules because of some interpersonal relationship between the posting parties. (For example, me calling Josh/Tetris a lunatic -insert better insult-, something he would -probably- not mind, would give Billy the idea that calling someone a lunatic -insert better insult- is acceptable. Since it is impossible to maintain an accurate map of relationships to find out which comments are between friends, and which are not, an attempt is made to keep all insults out unless context provides no cause for that. In a heating thread, I could call 'my friend' Billy an "annoying little smurf who smurfs up his sister's bloody smurf." Now, I don't know, but 'smurf' isn't an insult.. and Billy is 'mah buddy'. Surely you won't warn me for this?)



Oh well.. common sense is a dish best left in the oven.
/purposefully informative rant over

[Mordack]

I do not consider 'joking between friends' as a valid defense of behavior which breaks the forum guidelines, and my opposition to the warning does not stem from that argument.

[Juliette]

I do not consider 'joking between friends' as a valid defense of behavior which breaks the forum guidelines, and my opposition to the warning does not stem from that argument.

I know you do not. By quoting Max' message, which does lean heavily on this defence, it would appear differently to the ignorant observer, who does not know. I take no other issue with this.

[MaxSterling]

Special thanks to Mordack and Jack for bringing my case forth.

Juliette, I ask you this in regards to the n00b comment. My n00b comment was modded because knight felt it was an insult. Why wasn't Lord Rse's comment when he called me a "no-lifer"? My n00b comment was no worse than him calling me a no-lifer, but knight felt that mine deserved to be modded while Rse's wasn't? If anything, either they both should have been modded or neither should have been modded. To anyone else, they would be considered equally insulting... in other words, one no more severe than the other.

One can't help but feel they were singled out in some kind of "witch hunt" ( no, i'm not calling anyone a witch ) in my case... being given a warning for a post made 2 months ago.

[Jack]

[spoiler]Regardless of whether n00b/troll are benign, I'd like to stress that the principle of "a joke between friends" is an invalid reason to request a warning for posting insults be removed.. it does, after all, introduce the insult to the forum. Anyone reading it will not understand it's a private joke, and will frown on the moderator who **Filtered** up letting that slide.

I felt that repeat of previous information was required, as Max apparently brings this as an argument in his last public message to you, Mordack. You cannot loosen the rules because of some interpersonal relationship between the posting parties. (For example, me calling Josh/Tetris a lunatic -insert better insult-, something he would -probably- not mind, would give Billy the idea that calling someone a lunatic -insert better insult- is acceptable. Since it is impossible to maintain an accurate map of relationships to find out which comments are between friends, and which are not, an attempt is made to keep all insults out unless context provides no cause for that. In a heating thread, I could call 'my friend' Billy an "annoying little smurf who smurfs up his sister's bloody smurf." Now, I don't know, but 'smurf' isn't an insult.. and Billy is 'mah buddy'. Surely you won't warn me for this?)



Oh well.. common sense is a dish best left in the oven.
/purposefully informative rant over[/spoiler]

Calling someone a lune is not grounds for any sort of punishment.

[Juliette]

[spoiler]Regardless of whether n00b/troll are benign, I'd like to stress that the principle of "a joke between friends" is an invalid reason to request a warning for posting insults be removed.. it does, after all, introduce the insult to the forum. Anyone reading it will not understand it's a private joke, and will frown on the moderator who **Filtered** up letting that slide.

I felt that repeat of previous information was required, as Max apparently brings this as an argument in his last public message to you, Mordack. You cannot loosen the rules because of some interpersonal relationship between the posting parties. (For example, me calling Josh/Tetris a lunatic -insert better insult-, something he would -probably- not mind, would give Billy the idea that calling someone a lunatic -insert better insult- is acceptable. Since it is impossible to maintain an accurate map of relationships to find out which comments are between friends, and which are not, an attempt is made to keep all insults out unless context provides no cause for that. In a heating thread, I could call 'my friend' Billy an "annoying little smurf who smurfs up his sister's bloody smurf." Now, I don't know, but 'smurf' isn't an insult.. and Billy is 'mah buddy'. Surely you won't warn me for this?)



Oh well.. common sense is a dish best left in the oven.
/purposefully informative rant over[/spoiler]

Calling someone a lune is not grounds for any sort of punishment.

You miss the point, and given your intelligence, intentionally so. As I said "-insert better insult-", preferably one that is warnable so that the example becomes more vivid.
Don't get stuck in attacking my specific example, attack the principle if you disagree, or agree with what I said. I mean, why wouldn't you?

[spoiler]Juliette, I ask you this in regards to the n00b comment. My n00b comment was modded because knight felt it was an insult. Why wasn't Lord Rse's comment when he called me a "no-lifer"? My n00b comment was no worse than him calling me a no-lifer, but knight felt that mine deserved to be modded while Rse's wasn't? If anything, either they both should have been modded or neither should have been modded. To anyone else, they would be considered equally insulting... in other words, one no more severe than the other.[/spoiler]

Regardless of whether n00b/troll are benign, I'd like to stress that the principle of "a joke between friends" is an invalid reason to request a warning for posting insults be removed.. it does, after all, introduce the insult to the forum. Anyone reading it will not understand it's a private joke, and will frown on the moderator who **Filtered** up letting that slide.

The specific content of your post (the n00b comment) is irrelevant to the point I have made. I understand how n00b and troll respectively are not words deserving of a warning, and how being banned for them makes you feel 'hunted' or singled out.


Regardless, case closed, everybody's happy now. The "joking among friends"-defence is established as invalid, and Max' name has been restored. A satisfactory outcome, I'd say?