PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

[KamuroIshigami]

Dear FFXIOnline.com visitors,

It has come to the attention of the Administration and Moderation Team that some differences of opinions between users have escalated to a level where intervention is required by the Moderation and Administration Team.

I would like to remind everyone that discussions should be kept civil and that everyone should avoid any Ad Hominem arguments (attacking the other poster, name calling, flaming, etc.). If you feel you have differences you wish to settle and it is getting a bit heated, please step away from your computer for 5 minutes, get a drink, use the restroom, then come back when you are cool and try to post nicely again.

If you feel like this or like this , please wait till you are like this before you try to post.

If that does not work, please attempt to resolve it nicely via PM. If you cannot resolve the differences or you feel that another poster is being a problem to you (or harassing you), please use the "Ignore List" found at the bottom of your UserCP page to ignore the other person. You are not forced to read the other user's post, and as such you can add that person on your "Ignore List" to filter their posts.

If you feel someone is deliberately going out of their way in harassing you, or is flaming a group of individuals (more than just you), please use the report function to report the flaming post. Please describe in detail in your report why you feel the person is being offensive or is a problem.

IMPORTANT: Please do not comit a violation of our rules in retaliation of someone else's violation! We do not care who started it, if you break the rules, the appropriate infractions will be given as the Moderation and Administration Team sees fit.

So, please, please, please, please, I beg you , DO NOT flame someone back because they flamed you. Please just ignore them or report them.

Those whom are found to be constantly flaming will be warned, then infractions will be handed out, then silenced, then banned. In that order, but severe cases may result in skipping the beginning ones and directly to silenced or banned. Please also do not abuse the PM system, if you become probamatic, your PMing abilities may be disabled.

Thank you,
AKosygin
FFXIOnline.com Moderation and Administratioin Team

[Hyrist]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

I'll be the first to blatantly suck up to the Admins:

THANK YOU!


As the population grows in the group so will the conflicts. So while we need to keep in mind our civility, we also rely on you, the administration and moderation of the forums, to remind us that this is not Killing Ifrit and Allakhazam, where they just let the flame wars run ramped.

I've loved these forums since I've came onto them. I'd hate to see this place be torn apart by differences of opinion in the game. That's never stopped this website from being civil before, it shouldn't now.

As far as personal differences. I had my own problems with a member before, and the ignore feature helped me cool down with that individual until I felt I could read their post again.

Thanks for the reminder.

[Telera]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

Ignore is beautiful. And should be used often. At least if people are annoying you enough often. I've seldom had to make use of it (and not here, yet).

But seriously, by and large, if someone is really crawling under your skin, that's probably the best bet. I know of people who intentionally are overly-combatative and get their jollies out of seeing who they can reel into an online fight. I mean know personally, not people here, before anyone assumes. Though I wouldn't doubt as the community grows that particular habit may show up in some.

The other way I suggest, though it's a bit of a cold-bitch attitude (which some claim I am) is I just realize: These are people I'm never going to meet. Their opinion of me, or what I think, means less than the bug goo I need to wash off my car windshield. If a friend pissed me off, I'd have a harder time getting over it. But online? Well, until people online become 'friends', I tend to forget their existance shortly after I converse with them. It all just becomes a blur of words that is soon buried under other more pressing issues. As I told someone once, "I know it sounds mean, but really, I view them almost like expressions of data. I don't see them as people, really, until I get to know them." Yes, I know. Mean. A bit cold. But it's always how I've functioned. Not that I don't respect the opinions spoken, but on the same token, I don't really pay them much heed once I click a different site into my browser.

Most people online are exaggerated versions of their 'rl' selves, irregardless, and probably wouldn't be quite as annoying as they seem to be online. And everyone has bad days, or even bad weeks, where they might unconsciously be venting their real problems on unsuspecting forum members just because they've hit a boiling point.

By and large, try to just let it roll off. If that doesn't work, there's a shiny ignore button.

[DR2D2]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

THANK YOU.

I have 1 thing to add that people should avoid(IM NOT TRYING TO START ANYTHING OR SINGLE OUT ANYONE):When someone asks a question that you feel has been asked before ,or you feel is not a good question, can we please let them know in a way that doesn't seem like you are attacking them. Pointing out that something can be found in another post is 1 thing, but saying "this question has been asked xxx damn times" solves nothing. I'm not saying we have to link the posts that the info is in, but to just try to steer the poster in the right direction(and not attack them).

[KoukiRyu]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

Heehee...I just figured out, does PSA mean Public Service Announcement? <_>

Thanks for bringing this up, I've been getting a little sad seeing so many threads turn into flaming...but sometimes it was kinda funny to read. >_>

[Eohmer]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

Usually after the first page, someone starts derailing topics and usually is where the fighting starts.

I'm glad AK made this message, as their have been a lot of flaming going on. We'll see how this turns out.

[Malacite]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

Nice PSA

Glad to say that I've only had a few problems with 1 or 2 people thus far, and it's good to know about that ignore feature!

[Yellow Mage]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

. . . I'm not being ignored, am I? @_@

Anyways, I'm just going to hop on the bandwagon and say "Thank you!" without actually hitting that "Thanks!" button on your post .

Joking aside, this is something that we all should remember in one time or another. Thanks for making this post. I haven't personally seen any problems, but, then, I don't read all that many threads, really.

I really hope that they are all resolved by now ^_^ .

[Taskmage]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

If you feel like this or like this , please wait till you are like this before you try to post.

Awesome.

[Hantz]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

please wait till you are like this before you try to post.

I guess I'm good to post anytime of any day then.

"We're gonna be like little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda, what's Fonzie like?"

"Cool."

"What?"

"He's cool."

"Correctamundo."

[Sevv]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

I'm gonna apologize, for my semi-flames on some people, it has become an issue were some of us can't joke anymore without it becoming flame-bait. Good Job on the PSA tho

[Taskmage]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

Bump for relevance

[Callisto]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

FTR, when I told you all to DIAF I meant "Dig into a Fullyloadeddeepdishpizza!"

Really, they're delicious, you should indulge. >.>

[Malacite]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

Bump? You mean this isn't stickied? >_>

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: PSA - How to handle other users you do not like.

I do think the flimsy distinctions between trolling and flaming need to be addressed properly by the staff. I can tell someone to stick it where the sun don't shine (and rightly so, mind you) and that's "flaming," but someone posts in distinctly harassing fashion over the course of several posts toward other users and we are fed BS like "Disagreement is not a violation" when we report it.

To me, "flaming" is lashing out in one big burst at another party.
"Trolling" is veiled flaming over the course of many posts toward other parties.

Ultimately, trolling and flaming are the same thing.

And really, if you're going to pass out infractions in the future, then they should really mean something. My "Red Card" expires on October 1st, yet here I am, posting away. I do recognize what I did as flaming and do not disagree with the red card itself, though I make no apologizes to the tro... er.. victim in question. I'm of the impression that Sev as collected quite a few more than the one I have in the last few days and he's still posting away, too.

These penalties mean nothing without a little more bite to them, though. There could at least be penalties like your ability to post being disabled for a while or not being able to make your own topics/polls or post images for a bit. If you're going to "card" people, it needs to be more than just for show. Just a suggestion for the future.

In a perfect world people could take the OP and go with it, but its not a perfect world. Its still a good rule to follow and one I want to support, but its not a reason to not show some more backbone in the future because people will lose it sometimes whether we remember this thread or not.