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But have you considered conflating community-moderated servers, with completely unmoderated ones, as many commenters here? Or implying the worst, most unmoderat

But have you considered conflating community-moderated servers, with completely unmoderated ones, as many commenters here? Or implying the worst, most unmoderated servers were the only choice, and not a single server could be found where moderators banned people over constant racial slurs? Because if you did so, then you'd find that handing over all control to multinational conglomerates has been a decided net improvement. The only problem is toxicity and hate can still be found in real-life pubs and other establishments. Sure, much social interaction has moved online, where it can be sanitized by benevolent corporations, but not all. However, I am confident that as corporate chains replace locally-ran establishments, voice monitoring and a consistently enforced set of rules will stamp it out there as well, holding their patrons accountable for their words.

spoiler 3y ago
Slurs are unintelligent, low-hanging attempts at an insult, and a sign of a weak mind. Worst of all, they're completely lacking in imagination. I get called gay/fag in games often (I'm queer and got a slight gay lisp), but it's not really bothering me. I'm much more bothered by disruptive gaming than bad coms. I can ignore bad coms by muting them. Honestly, people need to toughen up; letting the lowest hanging fruit (ie slurs) get to them are equally weak-minded as people trying to wield them for offence. I mean, it just gaming shit talking at the end of the day? They'll probably forget about each other by the time the next match ends. Disrupting/throwing/sabotaging a game is just... Defeating the purpose of a game, no? If they're not going to play, why be there? Better they go do a crossword puzzle, or something.
matheusmoreira 3y ago
> much social interaction has moved online, where it can be sanitized by benevolent corporations Profit-driven corporations "stamping out" any speech that's bad for business? You want this? You want voice monitoring everywhere because someone somewhere might be hateful at some point?
zer8k 3y ago
> holding their patrons accountable for their words. I don't think you have thought beyond the short-term on this one. It starts out, just like in corporations and other places in life, as a good thing. Get the racists out, get the sexists out, whatever. You could even argue $PLACE is better because of it. I think most people would. The problem is that this isn't the community pushing people out. Meaning, the offender could clean up their act, go somewhere else, and start "fresh". The community can dispense a measured amount of justice (banning from a server/pub/etc) without irreparably damaging someone's life/money/fun. Maybe you just had a really shit day, or you're upset in general about something, and lose your cool online. Now you're banned from a game/pub/etc because The Rules (TM) prescribe a severe punishment for such an infraction. Community enforcement is local and corporation enforcement is global. There is a stark difference. With a "benevolent" corporation policing speech you end up getting a chilling effect everywhere. It goes from just banning the bad guys to criticism of the company, the political party, the $X is now policed. Suddenly, no one wants to talk anymore. That is, unless they're all smiles for the camera. There are a few games I know of where the mods are so happy to ban people (for even criticizing the company or telling people not to play) that NO ONE talks. They form their own discords for their friends and that's it. Wow, how fun! People like me who have no interest in throwing around slurs anywhere will just go somewhere else. When people are suddenly saccharin due to fear it's even less fun than when someone is throwing a hissy-fit. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences, certainly. Private establishments can police them how they want. That doesnt mean it's a good or that we should ignore a trend.
- SenAnder 3y ago
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spoiler 3y ago

Slurs are unintelligent, low-hanging attempts at an insult, and a sign of a weak mind. Worst of all, they're completely lacking in imagination. I get called gay/fag in games often (I'm queer and got a slight gay lisp), but it's not really bothering me. I'm much more bothered by disruptive gaming than bad coms. I can ignore bad coms by muting them. Honestly, people need to toughen up; letting the lowest hanging fruit (ie slurs) get to them are equally weak-minded as people trying to wield them for offence. I mean, it just gaming shit talking at the end of the day? They'll probably forget about each other by the time the next match ends. Disrupting/throwing/sabotaging a game is just... Defeating the purpose of a game, no? If they're not going to play, why be there? Better they go do a crossword puzzle, or something.

matheusmoreira 3y ago

> much social interaction has moved online, where it can be sanitized by benevolent corporations Profit-driven corporations "stamping out" any speech that's bad for business? You want this? You want voice monitoring everywhere because someone somewhere might be hateful at some point?

zer8k 3y ago

> holding their patrons accountable for their words. I don't think you have thought beyond the short-term on this one. It starts out, just like in corporations and other places in life, as a good thing. Get the racists out, get the sexists out, whatever. You could even argue $PLACE is better because of it. I think most people would. The problem is that this isn't the community pushing people out. Meaning, the offender could clean up their act, go somewhere else, and start "fresh". The community can dispense a measured amount of justice (banning from a server/pub/etc) without irreparably damaging someone's life/money/fun. Maybe you just had a really shit day, or you're upset in general about something, and lose your cool online. Now you're banned from a game/pub/etc because The Rules (TM) prescribe a severe punishment for such an infraction. Community enforcement is local and corporation enforcement is global. There is a stark difference. With a "benevolent" corporation policing speech you end up getting a chilling effect everywhere. It goes from just banning the bad guys to criticism of the company, the political party, the $X is now policed. Suddenly, no one wants to talk anymore. That is, unless they're all smiles for the camera. There are a few games I know of where the mods are so happy to ban people (for even criticizing the company or telling people not to play) that NO ONE talks. They form their own discords for their friends and that's it. Wow, how fun! People like me who have no interest in throwing around slurs anywhere will just go somewhere else. When people are suddenly saccharin due to fear it's even less fun than when someone is throwing a hissy-fit. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences, certainly. Private establishments can police them how they want. That doesnt mean it's a good or that we should ignore a trend.

SenAnder 3y ago
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