The automatic mute system is garbage

[RobertMugabe]

Before you start reading: I'm not qqing about getting muted.

Some People were "discussing" (shittalking each other) politics in trade chat and I wrote to them "No one cares about this g** s***" (without the ***....my first and only message) and 5-10 seconds later I get disconnected. So I get muted for 24 hours and IMHO it's fine, I understand that I've been saying rude words, so whatever, I deserve it, their game, their rules (the others in the chat have talked in foreign languages and used the same words and did not get banned. I assume they've reported each other, but it wasn't enough to get them out).

But here's where the problems start. First of all I was super quickly kicked out, which could mean that only a very small amount of players (like 3-5) have to report your comment to get you muted and according to Blizzard this is also the only metric that's relevant for you to get it. Second of all, the 24 hours have passed (the UTC time in the email passed) long ago (will write a ticket about that) and I am still muted. I haven't gotten a second email or any other info, so this must be some sort of bug.

Also the mute itself is incredibly stupid. I mean I was expecting that I can't talk in channels, communities, /s, /me. But you can't even whisper (should for at least for guild mates and party members) anyone or talk with people in your instance (be it arena, bg, dungeon). You can't even create groups.

Again, I'm not complaining that I was muted, but the way how this system works where you can get quickly muted if a very small (I at least expected that dozens of people have to report you) number of users report you for whatever (it does not matter what you said) reason. I've also only read on this forum that the reports will be given to GM's to manually review them. I doubt that this is true, since the support articles do not say anything about that. You need to make a ticket to get it manually reviewed.

EDIT: I am unmuted now, after 26 hours and not after 24 hours... could be some bug with utc/local time conversion

[Battlebeard]

Yeah, it's an awful system. Even if the chance is slim, people could gang up on someone for no reason and report em and they get punished when they are completely innocent.

But again, why hire people who handle reports when you can have a automated system that cost very little to run.

[RobertMugabe]

I mean I was at least expecting that a full raid or something has to report you before the mute kicks in, like many People were saying here. At least this way the probability of getting muted randomly would be very very small.

If I am not mistaken this entire system was supposed to be a way to get rid of spammers only.

And the worst thing about it is that the reports will most likely never reach a GM except if YOU (the muted Player) write a ban appeal ticket (and then when they review it they'll read the Reports from the Players)... that's at least what I Interpret from the very short support article on their Website.

[Echocho]

Well the lesson here just like in real life is that if you can't control what you say and be civilized it's best not to talk at all.

[Eleccybubb]

Your own fault.

Next..........

[Raldazzar]

Doubt.

Call me judgemental.. but anyone who chooses Robert Mugabe as a username is MORE than likely to be a fairly toxic person. I'm willing to bet this was not the only thing you did/said. or even if it was in this instance, you have likely been a twat before which put you at like.. 9/10. this was just #10 pushing you over the edge of reports.

[RobertMugabe]

Sounds like you had cumulative reports and that last message put you over the edge.

Hmmm you might have a point. It seems that it does not matter how much one comment has been reported, but how much you've been reported in an unknown time Frame (since the support article says that the Reports fall off after some time: https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/72214)

So yeah could be possible that I might've gotten reported in the same, although they must keep the reports for a long time then, since I'm pretty sure that I haven't chatted at all (except in guild chat) since at least the launch of this xpac.

- - - Updated - - -

Your own fault.

Next..........

Man I know that it's my own fault. Try to at least read the first sentence before commenting (I've even tried to make it easy to read).

[Jacob6875]

I mean maybe you shouldn't be insulting random people in trade chat.

Just think about what would happen if you did that at work or to random people on a bus etc.

Either ignore them or report them if it bothers you.

[RobertMugabe]

Doubt.

Call me judgemental.. but anyone who chooses Robert Mugabe as a username is MORE than likely to be a fairly toxic person. I'm willing to bet this was not the only thing you did/said. or even if it was in this instance, you have likely been a twat before which put you at like.. 9/10. this was just #10 pushing you over the edge of reports.

You are very judgemental indeed (and ironically, pretty toxic too).

But whatever, I have written this thread to point out a design flaw, that has been heavily criticised since its introduction in the legion pre-patch... I have NOT written this thread to whine about how I did nothing wrong (again, at least read the first sentence before you post) or how everyone is unfair etc.

I've played retail WoW since the end of TBC and have never ever gotten a ban/mute of any kind.

- - - Updated - - -

I mean maybe you shouldn't be insulting random people in trade chat.

Just think about what would happen if you did that at work or to random people on a bus etc.

Either ignore them or report them if it bothers you.

This is not the point of this thread. I am criticising/giving Feedback about this (terrible) system and I'm not trying to justify my Actions (read the 2nd Paragraph). But generally, yes, you are right.

[RobertMugabe]

I am pretty sure that deep inside we all know that he didn’t really “insult” anyone but he just made himself vulnerable to a report-attack. This “oh I was insulted” is really getting old we all know people do it just to report others because they know the system will be triggered or the GMs will love to enforce their “justice”.

What a lovely community.

I mean the main problem about this System is that, in fact, GM's don't seem to actually take a look at These Reports. You get automatically banned by a (bad) system and a GM will only review your mute if you write a ticket (then they might read the Reports from the Players for the first time).

I would actually prefer it if GM's would enforce their justice, since at least this way, a GM could look at the general Situation of a conversation and then decide whether someone should be punished or not. Obviously they could also be too harsh on their decisions or whatever, but it's still far better than an automated System that only cares about the number of Reports and nothing else.

Also yeah my Intention wasn't to Insult anyone, I lost my shit a Little because of These stupid discussions, but either way I am responsible for what I do with my account and the punishment itself wasn't too harsh imho, so it's alright. I just really disagree with the general System here.

[RobertMugabe]

It is the age old dilemma. Do you allow people to express themselves freely accepting that people are going to be awful given that right or is it better to heavily restrict till they are forced to be artificially positive or remain silent.

We are moving more towards the latter but I would enjoy the former more. Still find a clique you like and secure yourself in it till the winds of change blow.

Well at least on my server it seems that all the "normal" People have been silenced, while all the people (both left and right) that want to shout out their political agenda in a game chat (which i still dont understand why people use games as a platform) are the only ones left chatting. They're probably the only ones who are gonna "fight" these mutes