An Eye on Player Behavior and Reporting Improvements in Patch 9.2.5

[uuuhname]

SOCIAL CONTRACTS ARE COMMUNISM

my dude, they mention the social contract in the constitution of the United states...

[Jester Joe]

SOCIAL CONTRACTS ARE COMMUNISM



If Blizz had simply called it a "Friendly Gamer Agreement Forum" then there would be no correlation, right? Maybe, but still Blizz choose to call it a "Social Contract". So they know. Now we know.

If this wasn't what Blizz had in mind then they need to pull it and consider some edits.

I didn't think we'd get to the red scare in this thread, it's been a wild ride.

[uuuhname]

This. As the descendant of a Kossack who was forced to walk to China when communism took over, I see this whole thing as yet another time when Blizzard acts on the voices of the very small minority without considering the broader implications. Reporting toxic abusive players has always been there. This feels like a litmus test which is giving these minorities the feeling of empowerment over the many who simply do not agree with their views.

not treating people like shit is giving them undue control over you life or whatever...

[Gumble]

not treating people like shit is giving them undue control over you life or whatever...

All depends on how its enforced. Their wording is very unclear as to the extent of what is acceptable and what isn't.


It feels like this is only going to cause more people to A) stop interacting with people (whether for good reason or simply to avoid dealing with the ban system) B) leave the game

This isn't a change that is going to foster more people to play WoW or encourage people to talk openly.


This reminds me of one of my favorite stories from college. I was in a english elective class where one girl and I dominated the coversation with the teacher too a pretty impressive degree that she pulled us after class to her office and asked us to scale back our talking because other people were too afraid to speak up in class. Both of us being engineers, we decided to conduct an experiment. Neither of us talked at all for the next few classes, acting like the rest of the class normally would (who quite frankly were happy to not have to get called on for the most part), and played dumb if we were called on.

It lasted about 3 classes before the teacher finally gave up on having an utterly silent class of people who didn't want to participate and asked us to please stop being jerks and just do whatever we wanted with the class for the remainder. It was a fun experiment, but a better lesson. Imposing behavior rules on the people most engaged with your content is NEVER going to net you more people engaged with your content, only less. You cannot force people to participate and engage by curtailing the engagement of those already participating.

All you do is push away the people who were your strongest base. (There are plenty of political versions of this lesson, but I always enjoy telling that one from college)


Good luck to blizzard on this venture, I think all they are going to see is less people logged onto and paying for their games because of it, but maybe this is yet another push of "the message" where they don't care about the cost.

[Alixie]

I'm going to report every instance of misogyny from now on. You better not say the B-word if Im around.

[uuuhname]

All depends on how its enforced.

it's a video game. the person I quoted is out here trying to compare being forced to leave your home country under threat of death to being banned from a fucking video game. which, IDK, sounds incredibly insulting and self absorbed?

I sincerely doubt any of this is going to lead to any noticeable changes with the community. granted, unless Blizzard bothers to hire people and not leave it to some automated moderation system that can very easily go sideways.

[Gumble]

I'm going to report every instance of misogyny from now on. You better not say the B-word if Im around.

And when you get reported for misandry and get suspended for comments people should have simply ignored, I hope the irony isn't lost on you.

[sensei]

This. As the descendant of a Kossack who was forced to walk to China when communism took over, I see this whole thing as yet another time when Blizzard acts on the voices of the very small minority without considering the broader implications. Reporting toxic abusive players has always been there. This feels like a litmus test which is giving these minorities the feeling of empowerment over the many who simply do not agree with their views.

My god you people are out of your fucking mind, please stop for the love of god. Jesus fucking christ dude, what the fuck. What's next, are you going to equate toxic players being banned to the holocaust? It's a fucking game, not the US government demanding you turn in your neighbors.

[Gumble]

regardless, this isn't even strictly about Blizzard's new moderation system, this is a question as to weather you're capable of being a decent human being around others, and it seems like for a lot of gamersTM that's the same as living under a totalitarian dictatorship, for some mysterious reason.

That is a fair concern, however the potential abuse of this system is also a concern. It would have been better if they more directly spelled out what is acceptable and what is not. Their wording is vague and poor and rife for abuse.

But again, I simply question why its being done..... is there such a huge issue in the game with harrassment (I haven't seen any, but that is one person's perspective) that this was required?


All I see is this causing more and more people to leave the game due to less and less interaction. Maybe the game becomes more sterile, but also less interesting. I suppose I prefer the occassional jerk in General chat over dead air that makes me want to log out.

[uuuhname]

All I see is this causing more and more people to leave the game due to less and less interaction. Maybe the game becomes more sterile, but also less interesting. I suppose I prefer the occassional jerk in General chat over dead air that makes me want to log out.

*shrugs*

I'm in an active guild and we use discord, I've never had this issue except for PuGs.

I keep saying this over and over again; but so much of the interaction people seem to want is when you bother to join an active guild. or at least meet some people who are in one and ask you to tag along.

[Alixie]

And when you get reported for misandry and get suspended for comments people should have simply ignored, I hope the irony isn't lost on you.

I dont have to interact with anyone to report them.

[Nathiest]

NOBODY GETS IT! Your entire behavior on being monitored. So Ignoring a person's hello, refusing to group up with a person on a quest. You will be reported! Did you not read the "social contract"? YOURE AGREEING TO BE SOCIAL! In all aspects of the word. If you refuse, you'll be reported. You're all going to get reported. Its going to be hilarious.

[zysis]

My god you people are out of your fucking mind, please stop for the love of god. Jesus fucking christ dude, what the fuck. What's next, are you going to equate toxic players being banned to the holocaust? It's a fucking game, not the US government demanding you turn in your neighbors.

Works back on your view in reverse. Yes, it is "just a game". I'm merely stating that people given power to silence others can lead to more exhibition of power and historically it often has. There are many games that tried to stop toxicity in games and to this day don't exist. I enjoy the "you people" part of your statement. It shows me quite a bit and the "woke" types certainly pay attention to such idioms.

[uuuhname]

NOBODY GETS IT! Your entire behavior on being monitored. So Ignoring a person's hello, refusing to group up with a person on a quest. You will be reported! Did you not read the "social contract"? YOURE AGREEING TO BE SOCIAL! In all aspects of the word. If you refuse, you'll be reported. You're all going to get reported. Its going to be hilarious.

it would make you look a hell of a lot more reasonable and worth listening to if you didn't have to lie so bluntly to freak out this much over things you made up.

[Jester Joe]

NOBODY GETS IT! Your entire behavior on being monitored. So Ignoring a person's hello, refusing to group up with a person on a quest. You will be reported! Did you not read the "social contract"? YOURE AGREEING TO BE SOCIAL! In all aspects of the word. If you refuse, you'll be reported. You're all going to get reported. Its going to be hilarious.

This isn't even close to what will happen. This honestly just sounds like some sorta paranoia.

[Hoodzilla]

This isn't even close to what will happen. This honestly just sounds like some sorta paranoia.

Have you not been paying attention to tech companies and their use of power? This will be abused to hurt anyone someone deems a Jerk, rather than just blocking or ignoring them people will try and ruin someone elses game experience with this vague "contract". There is zero need for this people can block and ignore and report already, stop being pussies

[Jester Joe]

Have you not been paying attention to tech companies and their use of power? This will be abused to hurt anyone someone deems a Jerk, rather than just blocking or ignoring them people will try and ruin someone elses game experience with this vague "contract". There is zero need for this people can block and ignore and report already, stop being pussies

Or people should get over themselves and learn how to behave instead of feeling the need to attack others.

[Hoodzilla]

I do not have an issue in game as i do not currently play, this contract is not making me want to return though. Maybe they will walk it back or clarify what they mean more, as of right now its to vague. I think its hilarious you took that as me being a jerk when I just called people that want more Activision/Blizzard control in their game pussies.