In Defense of Freedom
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Greetings community,
Before I engage in this discussion, I want to make my position clear: I am not happy with the way moderators have been moderating, nor am I happy with the recent "crackdown on communication" that has pervaded our community. I feel deeply passionate about all this, but I will try to put my argument in the most respectful way I possibly can. Let me also make clear that I am grateful to have the opportunity to express my views freely on this game, I hope that you will consider them with respect and open arms.
To begin, I think it is important we realize why we are having this argument in the first place. No one, including myself, can deny that toxicity is the chief reason why new players are repelled from AtWar. In this respect, there is a great deal of common-ground between the AtWar administration and myself; however, we differ in our approach to this issue. It is my informed belief that censorship will act contrary to its intended goal, and that enforcing bans, mutes, etc. for acting "toxic" will hurt our community, not heal it. Let me elaborate.
Let us take the n-word, for example. As most of us now know, the n-word is censored from all means of communication on AtWar. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever censored it had good intentions; however, what has this resulted in? What are the consequences of censoring words that carry a supposed "negative connotation." What we have seen over the past several days is an increased use of the n-word. Players are innovative, they know how to get around these restrictions. And what has this resulted in? More mutes and bans! My point is that our community, at its core, survives and thrives on toxicity. Remove toxicity, and what are we left with? We are left with a community of players who have no choice but to praise and worship the Mod Squad.
Communication is a necessary condition for families to live and thrive with one another; likewise, we as a community must be able to communicate with one another. I know this might come as a surprise to the AtWar administration, and those in particular who have made these "executive" decisions, but some of us in the AtWar community are illiterate. Some of us are unable to communicate without using the n-word...
What I just wrote might sound ridiculous, satirical even, but this is precisely why I am so worried about the future of AtWar and the future of our community. Censoring the n-word does not seem like a "big deal;" it is, actually, funny to take it seriously, but what we must consider is where this will lead us. It is a slippery slope. Censoring the n-word could lead us on a very downward path from which our community cannot return unless we take important, executive measures NOW to stop more and more words from being censored. What next? The b-word, the c-word, the d-word? Who's to say "corruption" is not a "bad word," or "abuse," or perhaps "fraud." Hopefully you get my point.
Not only this, but I believe that the free-flow of thought will actually make our community more receptive towards new players. Players want to feel welcome and accepted; this is psychology 101. The best way to create an accepting atmosphere is by allowing them to engage in locker-room talk. When you consider the demographics of AtWar, it is primarily a male-oriented game. There is conflict, war, and violence - these things attract young men around the ages of nine to thirteen. These are not the sort of people who feel welcome in a stodgy, dull community where all players are bound to a set of arbitrary rules enforced by a moderator's arbitrary interpretation of justice.
I know that that bridging the gap between our two views cannot be done overnight, but our new champion for change, David, has provided me and many others with a renewed sense of optimism, a renewed sense of hope that progress can be made on some of our community's most greatest challenges.
Thank you,
Sean Spicer
Before I engage in this discussion, I want to make my position clear: I am not happy with the way moderators have been moderating, nor am I happy with the recent "crackdown on communication" that has pervaded our community. I feel deeply passionate about all this, but I will try to put my argument in the most respectful way I possibly can. Let me also make clear that I am grateful to have the opportunity to express my views freely on this game, I hope that you will consider them with respect and open arms.
To begin, I think it is important we realize why we are having this argument in the first place. No one, including myself, can deny that toxicity is the chief reason why new players are repelled from AtWar. In this respect, there is a great deal of common-ground between the AtWar administration and myself; however, we differ in our approach to this issue. It is my informed belief that censorship will act contrary to its intended goal, and that enforcing bans, mutes, etc. for acting "toxic" will hurt our community, not heal it. Let me elaborate.
Let us take the n-word, for example. As most of us now know, the n-word is censored from all means of communication on AtWar. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever censored it had good intentions; however, what has this resulted in? What are the consequences of censoring words that carry a supposed "negative connotation." What we have seen over the past several days is an increased use of the n-word. Players are innovative, they know how to get around these restrictions. And what has this resulted in? More mutes and bans! My point is that our community, at its core, survives and thrives on toxicity. Remove toxicity, and what are we left with? We are left with a community of players who have no choice but to praise and worship the Mod Squad.
Communication is a necessary condition for families to live and thrive with one another; likewise, we as a community must be able to communicate with one another. I know this might come as a surprise to the AtWar administration, and those in particular who have made these "executive" decisions, but some of us in the AtWar community are illiterate. Some of us are unable to communicate without using the n-word...
What I just wrote might sound ridiculous, satirical even, but this is precisely why I am so worried about the future of AtWar and the future of our community. Censoring the n-word does not seem like a "big deal;" it is, actually, funny to take it seriously, but what we must consider is where this will lead us. It is a slippery slope. Censoring the n-word could lead us on a very downward path from which our community cannot return unless we take important, executive measures NOW to stop more and more words from being censored. What next? The b-word, the c-word, the d-word? Who's to say "corruption" is not a "bad word," or "abuse," or perhaps "fraud." Hopefully you get my point.
Not only this, but I believe that the free-flow of thought will actually make our community more receptive towards new players. Players want to feel welcome and accepted; this is psychology 101. The best way to create an accepting atmosphere is by allowing them to engage in locker-room talk. When you consider the demographics of AtWar, it is primarily a male-oriented game. There is conflict, war, and violence - these things attract young men around the ages of nine to thirteen. These are not the sort of people who feel welcome in a stodgy, dull community where all players are bound to a set of arbitrary rules enforced by a moderator's arbitrary interpretation of justice.
I know that that bridging the gap between our two views cannot be done overnight, but our new champion for change, David, has provided me and many others with a renewed sense of optimism, a renewed sense of hope that progress can be made on some of our community's most greatest challenges.
Thank you,
Sean Spicer
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I honestly can't tell if this is a serious post or just satire. It was still funny to read nonetheless.
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Dude can you not be one of those people that come here and claim to have a superior life. Not every high rank present here is an underachiever
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Greetings Luketan, I made no such claims. I merely stated that it was a possibility, which does not necessarily make it a fact. I wouldn't try to state facts about players lives in this game, just my own observations and opinions. If I offended you, my apologies, but I made a general statement, I didn't come at you in any way. It's a game, don't take it or make it personal. Relax and have some fun. Respectfully, WM Dak
---- "The edge is never very far away, when you're hanging on by your fingernails." ©
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My post got deleted for no reason in this thread. OP is serious and so is this topic. If you delete a comment, give a reason. They didn't
---- *War in Europe again isn't good for anyone... that's why the EU Needs to Evoke and Become the EEC once more, as an International, Nationalist Union Long Live The Realms! Long Live the Europeans!*
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This is supposed to be satire with a bit of truth laced in it. Personally I can care less as long as I can pwn WD; I could have maybe made it more obvious but I wrote it at 6am
---- Happiness = reality - expectations
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Well now its getting out of hand and mutes/bans going left and right
---- *War in Europe again isn't good for anyone... that's why the EU Needs to Evoke and Become the EEC once more, as an International, Nationalist Union Long Live The Realms! Long Live the Europeans!*
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but i have already
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Removing words from a game is not new and while it doesnt solve the problem of toxicity it at very least demonstrates where the organisation or owner of a game stands in relation to such abuse. Racism is backwards and hurtful. This is a game, not a kkk meeting spot. Have a little think about what you're essentially asking for.... allowing people to freely use strong and hurtful words to discriminate against an entire group of people. Blacks, gays and ladies play this game and their money is just as good as yours. So yes, harsh language should be prevented and if the measures dont work... atleast everyone knows where they stand. Discriminators risk a ban and the discriminated know the owner wants them to feel the same as everyone else. Welcomed.
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We need to enforce freedom of oppression. Everyone needs to be oppressed in equal amounts
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No. Oppression is bad. You just said. "no one deserves the right to say anything". If you agree with what you just said.... you won't respond. If you do respond we all know you're just chatting shit and trying to be a clown.
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Don't remove words by default as if this was Town of Salem. The matter is simply solved by granting the Mods full legitimacy to, according to the interpretation that can objectively be made regarding the purpose of the potentially toxic remark, mute the person or hand out any other sanctions they deem fit. Simple. If you censor by default (prior to its use), you'll only enhance slimey creactivity for toxicity. If you allow toxicity by default to be pronounced but subsequently sanction it, the effectiveness of actually combatting it without cries about oppression will be much larger, I bet.
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much big words, such law student brain hurts 
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mental fappin'
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some would argue there is some correlation with rank+elo and IQ
---- No such thing as a good girl, you are just not the right guy. 
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How about you let people insult eachothers and you stay back ?
---- No such thing as a good girl, you are just not the right guy.
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It seems you haven't read what I said. Incase you failed to comprehend it, what I stated, in other words was that we should give the liberty of speech to every user, and sanction speech the moderating team deems toxic, according to each other's considerations, simple. Let people talk, and sanction toxic speech, if needed, but with an iron fist, to progressively dissuade senseless toxicity and public execution. You have to understand this is a game, and is supposed to be a cordial hub between players, and not just a subreddit for people with anger issues or where you can just slur at each other, even racially (dark humour could be okay, if coherent with the context of a jokingly conversation) or a free-zone for ad hominem. In all honesty, I'd rather have a 150.000-strong cordial community, with a permissive yet vigilant speech-control than a 5.000-strong community of angered and flame-warring people..
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Effects of having to read common law court rulings lmao
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