MaxSterling: Ban Appeal

[Mordack]

I received this as an in-game message earlier this evening:

Hello Mordack,
I have a situation which requires your attention and it involves your CO, knight, who banned me on the main forum for two weeks.

Sometime on Friday, I tried to login on the forum and received notification that my account was banned. I then looked in the Announcements section of the forum and saw that knight had banned me for two weeks. I then proceeded to message him in-game to inquire as to the reason for the banning. This is the response I got.

\"Message text:

You called someone a troll

there was another that I edited that you did not receive a warning for

regards,
knight \"

I didn\'t immediately remember such a post, so I asked for him to provide a URL... which lead to a post I made nearly two months ago in response to a post made by Semper in regards to my account...
viewtopic.php?f=131 and t=157023 and p=2025527#p2025527

My modded reply was something in the effect of asking him to stop trolling my thread. Using the following meaning from dictionary.com, I see no possible way for this to break any forum rules...

\"Slang Dictionary

troll definition

2. n.
an internet user who sends inflammatory or provocative messages designed to elicit negative responses or start a flame-war. (As a fisherman trolls for an unsuspecting fish.) : Don\'t answer those silly messages. Some troll is just looking for an argument.\"

The only rule this could possibly come close to breaking is the one in section 5c of the long version of the rules.

\"c. Abuse / Racism
Members of the SGW community are required to speak courteously to others. Personal attacks on members are not tolerated. This includes comments about one’s sex, gender, skin colour, religion or cultural heritage. You may not post personal information about another user regardless of how it was obtained. This includes their address, phone numbers, names or any other detail about their real life status that they have not already posted on the SGW forums their selves. For exceptions to this rule please see the role playing section (section 6.)

Consequence:
Minor infringements such as throw away comments, may be ignored or a polite note from a moderator will be issued requesting the user tone it down. More serious cases will result in the issuing of warning points. Very serious comments will be given more warning points. This will be judged with input from the Ombudsperson, Forum Administrators and Moderators.\"

In no possible way could asking someone to stop flaming my thread, be regarded as a \"more serious case\" worthy of receiving a warning point. I humbly ask that you, as Ombudsman, bring my case forward on the forums to have it re-evaluated by the forum staff.

I appreciate your time.

MaxSterling

I'm about to go to bed, so I don't have time to look through all of this right now. I thought I'd post it here immediatly, however, and then take a closer look in the morning when I'm fresher.

[knight]

Your account is only worth what people will pay for it son. If people are not going for more than $250 you won't get more than that.

Considering you've apparently only invested 3-4 USS's in it... this account is not actually, honestly, worth more than maybe $200 at a serious push. The time you put into it was rewarded by you enjoying it's use. 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. Good luck with the sell. You'll need it. Bump.

mod Considering I have helped purchase half a dozen accounts in the past for alliance members, I think I have a pretty good grasp on what accounts are worth and a very good understanding of the game market. I know people don't want to waste 6-9 months ascending their accounts. I know people want large motherships. I know all about supply and demand. This account is one of the top 3 or 4 accounts currently posted that is available and will eliminate their need to waste a lot of time ascending or build a great mothership. 10 MS techs will put this MS around top 30 in the game... maybe higher.

I also know all too well where people are getting their money to buy accounts... by selling in-game resources. If someone with resources thinks they can sell them for cash and buy a mothership like this instantly... buy naq with that cash and see how close you'll get to my MS size... then spend the next few months on your ascensions. People that are only "willing" to pay $200 are too lazy to put in the effort to buy an account like mine, just like they're too lazy to spend the time ascending their own account or farm to build their MS.

Considering you're one of the biggest pouters about how people spend $ and don't develop accounts on their own, I'd think you'd be thrilled that a MS with nearly 1Q naq invested into it + all the ascensions won't be easily handed over to the first person with $200 to offer. I don't need to sell my account. I'm looking for someone that will put in a fraction of the effort that I put into building this account. A $200 bid shows me they're not willing to put in enough effort. $200 tells me that they're not willing to put in some time to gather more resources to sell and earn this account.

Don't worry about wishing me luck, though... I have a serious offer for more than 2 times that $220 offer by someone that is putting in that effort.

Take your debate to someone with a lesser understanding of this market.

The above is the post which I gave the warning for.

viewtopic.php?f=131&t=157023&start=30

You can see what he posted in his user notes here: mcp.php?i=notes&mode=user_notes&u=12826

I can not see it any other way but as an insult.

[deni]

Wasn't this already handled by the admins?

[Mordack]

Wasn't this already handled by the admins?

I don't know, Deni. I assumed he was appealing against the most recent warning. If there's something else which I should be aware of, then it'd be useful to know.

[Mordack]

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.

[GOLDEN WING]

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.

tbh if someone called me a troll id take offence to it jsut google troll and its like someone is comparing u to a troll

golden

[Mordack]

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.

tbh if someone called me a troll id take offence to it jsut google troll and its like someone is comparing u to a troll

golden

If you're referring to troll in the traditional sense of the word, and not the internet meme, then I'll agree that it's an unflattering comparison. I wouldn't get warned for calling someone a 'hippo', though, or 'harpy.' Neither of which are especially complementary comparisons, either.

[GOLDEN WING]

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.

tbh if someone called me a troll id take offence to it jsut google troll and its like someone is comparing u to a troll

golden

If you're referring to troll in the traditional sense of the word, and not the internet meme, then I'll agree that it's an unflattering comparison. I wouldn't get warned for calling someone a 'hippo', though, or 'harpy.' Neither of which are especially complementary comparisons, either.

yup but the word troll was used AKA a big beast which also can mean ugly or fat so many hidden meanings but i can see no Positive meaning.

[Mordack]

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.

tbh if someone called me a troll id take offence to it jsut google troll and its like someone is comparing u to a troll

golden

If you're referring to troll in the traditional sense of the word, and not the internet meme, then I'll agree that it's an unflattering comparison. I wouldn't get warned for calling someone a 'hippo', though, or 'harpy.' Neither of which are especially complementary comparisons, either.

yup but the word troll was used AKA a big beast which also can mean ugly or fat so many hidden meanings but i can see no Positive meaning.

Right, but hippos are big and fat. I'd say they're ugly, too, but each to their own. To call someone a snake is generally a synonym for them being devious and manipulative. Probably thanks to the bible. Harpies are screeching women who lure men to their deaths. Toads are ugly and poisonous, etc etc.

My point being that, not positive /= a warnable breach of the guidelines.

[Jim]

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.

tbh if someone called me a troll id take offence to it jsut google troll and its like someone is comparing u to a troll

golden

If you're referring to troll in the traditional sense of the word, and not the internet meme, then I'll agree that it's an unflattering comparison. I wouldn't get warned for calling someone a 'hippo', though, or 'harpy.' Neither of which are especially complementary comparisons, either.

yup but the word troll was used AKA a big beast which also can mean ugly or fat so many hidden meanings but i can see no Positive meaning.

Im pretty sure most people would know the word in the Internet sense, which is used pretty often around here.

[GOLDEN WING]

i wouldn't say warn able as we do not know what he was meaning by it but id add a warning but not a banning for something liek that.

[Mordack]

I'm inclined to recommend removing the warning, but I'll see what Jack's opinion is when I get in touch with him.

[GOLDEN WING]

id say a verble warning should have been given 1st then if he didn't co operate and remove the statement that has caused trouble then the warnign and ban.

[knight]

IMHO and why I gave him the warning:

There is a difference between saying: Stop trolling my thread or troll somewhere else and You little troll.

It was obviously an insult, otherwise why did he write the screen long reply?

Also there was this, which I did not give a warning for:

No lifer! lo Just kiddin Max

How's selling? some good bids? hit me up on msn some time

Says the guy farming what? 15T/day?

My MSN is usually on, I just hide my online status mod.

As for the account, now that it's done ascending and has a 2T MS, I'm looking for much more $. This account will not be sold cheap.

Original was: from n00bs like you

IMHO it is also meant as an insult, because it makes just as much sense to leave it out.

If you follow the intent it was an insult. If you follow the strict word definition then he was not insulting anyone? or he didn't really mean to insult anyone?

They both could have been left out.

[Hitchkok]

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