280 réponses à ce sujet

[The Jackal]

I am a bit confused on something Mr. Epler, having many friend's that play and enjoy this game, we became close with some of them, friends as you might say. One person I know, before this was put into placed was banned from the forums. Not just from that account, every time he accessed the forum's, it said in bold red letters "You have been banned from this section"

This happened not long ago, around five months roughly. If people were able to make several accounts then why was his account treated diffidently where he wouldn't even be allowed to browse the forums as a guest.

I do agree, that it is out of control with certain groups like 4 chan, coming here and posting messages meant to insult the community or the staff and I am very happy you are taking a step to combat this, however may I suggest perhaps a different method.

Instead of banning one account IP, to ensure that person doesn't make several accounts. What about requiring people to register their game if they want to post. It will ensure the people, community are one's that have bought a game that would be allowed to post. Then you would ensure no alt accounts are created and if they are, they have to buy a game.

[addiction21]

JohnEpler wrote...

Doctalen wrote...

A member of the bioware forum becoming an employee? I'd love to hear that story 

Mostly just a big ol' fan of BioWare games who posted a lot in University and then, after University, applied to work here and was lucky enough to get hired. I guarantee you that no one who was a mod back then would have any idea as to who I was.

Muffin sword. My favorite thing from the old boards. Anyway.

JohnEpler wrote...

It's a minority of people who are in violation of this rule, but - here's the important part - they can be a highly vocal minority. They're the group that will make multiple alt accounts after the first one gets banned because, to them, firing off vitriolic statements against other members and against BioWare staff is more important than, I don't know, making a sandwich? Doing something constructive, at least.

But, to address your last point - this has always been something we enforce on the majority. Don't want to get banned for it? Don't insult other people. Make your poitn without resorting to name calling and other 'tactics' that are completely unproductive, and your posting will be allowed to continue exactly as it has previously. Yes, it's the minority that made it necessary to articulate this - but it's always applied to everyone. We've always banned for personal attacks, and us explicitly stating this to be the case isn't going to suddenly change how we moderate. However, it does now explicitly state this to be the case, and while, sure, some people will cry '1984! The mods are downright Orwellian!', we've no plans on suddenly instituting a harsh crackdown on dissent where we only allow posts praising the Glorious Republic of BioWaristan.

However, some people do love their hyperbole, and as long as they keep it civil, hey, it's their quarter.

Cut a bit of that post.
JohnEpler is one of the most regular devs that comes around here and its a shame that he and the other BioWare devs spend more time regulating the community then taking part in threads like this http://social.biowar...ndex/9512788/11
That is what many of us would love to see be the common practice for them. Not "off topic lock down" "Warning to stay civil" "warning everyone again to be civil" "okay you have been warned several times in this thread to be civil now we will just close the thread"

Looking over his, Woo's, David Gaiders, and Chris Prestly friend lists I noticed something. A plethora of very regular very vocal posters who do not agree with "BioWares direction." People who have been mostly negative of them in the past year + and yet they have no permabans and still post their dissent with BioWare.


I am going to backtrack a minute to something

sreaction wrote...

You speak for everyone when you say Bioware has never marginalized fans? I d say your wrong. Bioware essentially turned its back on PC users with the release of DA 2, a console friendly game intended for the casual gamer.

KoToR a console friendly game with the most casual friendly aplication of that D&D ruleset I have encountered.
Jade Empire console first.
Mass Effect console first.
Sonice Chronicals DS handheld.

BioWare turned their back on the PC user a long time before DA2 almost a decade before DA2. Before you respond go look at the games I have registered and what platform they are for.

[The Jackal]

I think it's great that people who publish book's come online to chat with us, even share ideas. That is like a dream come true. It makes me giddy with joy that people who are actual writers. (You know the people that write the movies we see) get to interact with the community on a more personal level. Sometime's I think that can be taken for granted.

I worry though that this "new rules" it's posting up there in big letter's. Rather then looking like a warm welcome inviting me. It looks to me more like a trooper holding a gun warning people. A small discomfort even if personally I don't insult other posters.

People have been banned from these forums in the past, and without given any warning's at all. I know one personally. If the reason for this was to make it so they can't say "blah blah blah didn't warn me" then what about those already banned? It's just..a bit confusing, like someone threw a hammer to the mod community and we are all waking up trying to figure out what exactly happened.

In short, I just hope there is no potential negative blow back, you know how storys can get blown up on forums and the internet. I can already read the newsletter title from detailing this situation.

[Mallissin]

JohnEpler wrote...

JasonRocker wrote...

I believe the new forum rules while are invented to stop abuse from community members against each other, from insulting each other and the mod's. However from reading this thread community member's still do it just in a very civil manner. From my knowledge people still got bans before this was placed into effect. I know so, because I read thread's complaining about the person being banned.

This is an online gaming forum to have a messgae stating that they will kick you out for this, and this. It's coming across a little less friendly, and no less when Mass Effect 3 is supposed to be released. I honestly don't insult other poster's, or am rude to staff. It seem's like to me that certain abuse

The mod's may have been getting from a small mintority of people, they became frustrated and do this on the majority. I'm just curious what the gaming website's what will have to report on this or what EA will respond or how since they are merged with Bioware, a problem with one site could lead to issues to another.

I've been around the forums as a staff member for about a year and a half, now (I joined up when information about DA2 started to percolate) and, prior to that, I was on the old BioWare forums as a member (this was before I started working at BioWare).

It's a minority of people who are in violation of this rule, but - here's the important part - they can be a highly vocal minority. They're the group that will make multiple alt accounts after the first one gets banned because, to them, firing off vitriolic statements against other members and against BioWare staff is more important than, I don't know, making a sandwich? Doing something constructive, at least.

But, to address your last point - this has always been something we enforce on the majority. Don't want to get banned for it? Don't insult other people. Make your poitn without resorting to name calling and other 'tactics' that are completely unproductive, and your posting will be allowed to continue exactly as it has previously. Yes, it's the minority that made it necessary to articulate this - but it's always applied to everyone. We've always banned for personal attacks, and us explicitly stating this to be the case isn't going to suddenly change how we moderate. However, it does now explicitly state this to be the case, and while, sure, some people will cry '1984! The mods are downright Orwellian!', we've no plans on suddenly instituting a harsh crackdown on dissent where we only allow posts praising the Glorious Republic of BioWaristan.

However, some people do love their hyperbole, and as long as they keep it civil, hey, it's their quarter.

I think the rule is completely unnecessary. You could be updating the forum to allow moderators (or even users) to apply TROLL categories to posts or people that automatically minimized their posts so others have the option to read it or not.

So, you pass judgement on the content or the person, but others can reserve their own judgement.

But instead of creating a system that would work, you reinforce a system that everyone admits isn't working since things are getting worse. You decide that censoring people's posts is okay, which it isn't. You think banning people for 24 hours for first time offense is okay, which is isn't.

And your stance is that it's your forum, you make the rules. Yah, but we buy the games and keep you in business so you can have a forum, so why do we need to defend ourselves from your overzealous employees and moderators when we come here to have some fun with people who enjoy the same things?

You guys are being too much like Bashar al-Assad and not enough like John Locke.

It's the 21st century and this is the Internet. Stop being lazy jerks and apply some technology to make a solution instead of applying draconian methods that history has shown never works.

[YohkoOhno]

But instead of creating a system that would work, you reinforce a system that everyone admits isn't working since things are getting worse. You decide that censoring people's posts is okay, which it isn't. You think banning people for 24 hours for first time offense is okay, which is isn't.

And your stance is that it's your forum, you make the rules. Yah, but we buy the games and keep you in business so you can have a forum, so why do we need to defend ourselves from your overzealous employees and moderators when we come here to have some fun with people who enjoy the same things?

Because you don't have a right to use their resources, it's a privilege. And there are many alternatives to discussing the RPGs than the publisher's own forum, so it's not like you can't get your words across elsewhere.

[RamirezWolfen]

Mallissin wrote...

I think the rule is completely unnecessary. You could be updating the forum to allow moderators (or even users) to apply TROLL categories to posts or people that automatically minimized their posts so others have the option to read it or not.

So, you pass judgement on the content or the person, but others can reserve their own judgement.

But instead of creating a system that would work, you reinforce a system that everyone admits isn't working since things are getting worse. You decide that censoring people's posts is okay, which it isn't. You think banning people for 24 hours for first time offense is okay, which is isn't.

And your stance is that it's your forum, you make the rules. Yah, but we buy the games and keep you in business so you can have a forum, so why do we need to defend ourselves from your overzealous employees and moderators when we come here to have some fun with people who enjoy the same things?

You guys are being too much like Bashar al-Assad and not enough like John Locke.

It's the 21st century and this is the Internet. Stop being lazy jerks and apply some technology to make a solution instead of applying draconian methods that history has shown never works.

I think the issue with the forum, is that the mods aren't dedicated (not meant as an insult but helpful criticism), there's too few, and they are too lenient. They have a bunch of moderators, but the only ones we ever (if at all) see are Chris Priestly, Stanley Woo, Selene Moonsong, JohnEpler, javierabegazo, and RaenImrahl. And Priestly and Woo are the only ones here most of the time! Why have so many moderators, and have only a handful of them actually moderating? I wish they would look at Cracked.com's forums, those guys are good at moderating.

Concerning your suggestion, can you exlain that a bit more? I want to see what you mean. Sorry if I come off as stupid for wanting a bit more information if you explained it as clearly as possible.

Also, are you saying that it's not okay to censor people's posts on their own website? The only stuff they censor is stuff that should be rightly censored, as it breaks there rules. And a 24 hour ban isn't that bad, as the vast majority of users here aren't terminally ill, and during that 24 hours, they can do something else. They should have lives outside of BSN, and who knows, maybe it'll do them some good. I know I spent almost an entire year away from here, and it did me some good, actually.

And it's their forum. That's it. End of line (sorry Woo). There are other places people can go to discuss Bioware's games if they do not like the rules here. I'm not trying to be rude, but it's the truth. And please don't compare Bioware to Assad, as that is honestly just silly. Bioware isn't killing their fans and forum members, so that doesn't make any sense. Also, politics and the like are not allowed here, though I think I broke that rule myself just now.

The moderators here are very reasonable and fair folks, they just need more moderators and at least one online at any time. I apologize if this comes off as offensive or abrasive.

Modifié par RamirezWolfen, 03 mars 2012 - 02:38 .