About the "Chat filter"

Does this even have a purpose if people can get suspended/banned for using profanity?

Now, I can see people getting banned for going around it; but to suspend/ban someone for using profanity when they have a chat filter? That's just really stupid.

If you don't like the language turn on the chat filter. ...and what ever happened to free speech? :P

Thoughts?

lol yea seems like a double negative.

it's like....
don't like profanity turn it on.
don't mind profanity turn it off or leave it on.

You can't stop someone from using a bad word with the chat filter. People will just purposely misspell words/spell them differently.

When you think about Free Speech you don't really have it. You can't say anything you would like in real life. It's the same way in Guild Wars you can't say anything you want to.

It is mainly for whispers and speech with your team. Profanity in a small group of friends is a lot more appropriet than in a crowded city.

There's such thing as free speech.

And there's such thing as 'responsible' speech.


We've been using this principle for years at LoH, and it has worked really well.


Basically, you're free to say whatever you want so long as it's what the community deems responsible...and we've explicitly stated that racist statements, holocaust denial...things like that, really arn't 'responsible' at all.


In an open environment in the village -- I think that if we say that it's alright to really swear up a storm...then were do we draw the line? Is it alright to start up with the bigotry at that point? Is it alright to start spamming porn sites, or advertising for Viagra at that point?

I think that the developers have drawn a line in the sand. They don't want swearing.

I don't really agree with where that line is...but I don't really have control over that.

I can just see their point.

Filters are usually useless unless they're insanely restrictive...like over at RS.

I didn't know you could get banned for profanity. It's neverending surprises with Guild Wars.

I'm for free speech. I think that we have two different issues here though, one is "language" such as using profanity, the other is racism, bigotry, and anti-Americanism, (or anti-Any Country).

I think that the second issue is much more hurtful and damaging, and the chat filter is not going to stop it anyway. I think it is right for A-net to ban people for the use of this type of discourse. A game is not the appropriate platform for this type of communication.

As for profanity, I personally think that the use of it *to an extreme* is the sign of a limited vocabulary (and designed to get attention) and not worth my time. We have to see a lot of stuff in Guild Wars chat that is offensive, but I just ignore it generally. You can't force people to use good sense and they are just showing their immaturity by this type of behavior. We all have our own notions about what is good and bad taste but rather than have a person banned, I think the best solution is let each person deal with it. You can always leave a district if you don't like the chat.

Personal attacks are a different matter and a person should be able to expect that if they are reported that they will be dealt with.

Good point, Glade. Context usually defines how offensive something is, not necessarily the terms used.

I post this because I know someone who had their account suspended for 24 hours for saying something that would have been blocked if the filter was enabled. No warning, nothing. Just booted and when a reconnect attempt happened, there was a notification of the suspension.

Where I come from, you warn people before doing things like that.

I agree with you Tarun, a person should be warned and notified of the reason beforehand if his/her account is going to be suspended. Now, on the other hand, if this was not a "first time offense", maybe he/she deserved it!

Well, then Guild Wars should ban itself because the other day with the chat filter on, I was told by the game: "I am attacking ------ Cleric!"

As Glade said, this may or may not of been a first time offense. Not everyone likes to admit to getting a warning for such a thing and would rather ignore it and then call foul when they get smacked down.

In anycase, this is NOT a freedom of speach issue. Freedom of speach applies to public places, and does not give you the right to say whatever you want, when ever you want, to whomever you want. For example, I dare you to run up to the president, or any world leader and issue a threat. You'll find yourself thrown to the ground and arrested so fast your head will spin. Mouth off a police officer and he's within his rights to arrest you. Come to a persons private property and let loose with a verbal barrage and you may get a warning, or depending on the persons mood, simply find yourself with a blackeye, broken nose, or simply escorted out the door. ANets servers, are not a public location, you agreed to certain rules of conduct when you made an account. The rule in question is as follows.

(j) In Guild Wars, characters have the privilege of sending server wide messages called 'Chat Messages.' With this privilege comes a high level of responsibility on the part of the user. Due to the fact that this communication channel has the ability to impact every player on the server, NC Interactive will not tolerate any inappropriate behavior of any sort in this chat channel. This includes but is not limited to: inappropriate language of any sort or any attempt to escape the profanity filter, inappropriate or vulgar content of any sort, repeated 'spamming,' or 'flooding' of the chat messages channel, or any other conduct determined to be inappropriate by NC Interactive Support, in its sole discretion. Any violation of this term or rules of conduct may, in the sole discretion of NC Interactive, lead to the temporary removal of the character's ability to communicate, the account being suspended for a set period of time, or lead to permanent account closure.

No where does it say anything about warnings being given first. Filters are all well and good, but like locks, they only stop honest people.

I must admit, thats hillarious.

i think avoiding the chat filter is stupid