Truth & Consequences:

In any social situation, what prevents people from doing immoral or unethical acts?
Consequences - whether real or implied.
If this were not true, we would have anarchy, and simply leaving your house to go get smokes or a soda would most likely see you robbed, raped, murdered or a combination of the above. If you weren't suffering it, you'd be doing it.

We have laws and socially accepted norms in society to prevent such things from happening, and when they do occur, we have checks and balances so those who indulged themselves are punished; hopefully suitable to the crime committed.

So why is online society any different?
Because we all share the disguise of anonyminity.

What consequences should there be for nasty, repugnant behavior online?
The perpetrators of such are always quick to respond; NOTHING!!
(As if their aggressive insistence of such isn't an obvious indicator of their playing style.)

ANet has broken ground with Guild Wars, a game that seeks to break the old tired model of "grind, farm, monopolize spawns, and brag about it."
There are no fees, success is not a simple function of level and gear.
Skill is involved.

I offer ANet to take up the guantlet and develop some radical changes to the game community and how current malcontents are allowed to continue on, unhindered, with their exploiting, scamming, griefing, socially unacceptable ways.

Here's an idea ANet; its your game - if you want us to police ourselves, I suggest you give us some tools to do so.
This plastic sheriff star and wiffle-ball bat isn't going to suffice, thank you.
Otherwise, might I propose you take an active role in it - because currently this is not the case.
Active as in, inside the game - on the playing field - not from the skybox seats as is currently accepted.

Regards,

Talesin

There is such a simple solution to so many of gamers' attitude problems. Have someone, a volunteer, someone who works at ArenaNet, anyone, just play the game. When they see people screaming "Koreans are all f*cking [email protected]!!!!!!!" after they win in the Hall of Heroes, fine them. When they see people intentionally scamming (like trying to sell armor, and when told they cannot through whisper, they admit to attempting to scam), ban them. When someone agrees to pay for a service, and laughs and does not instead, ban them.

Guild Wars doesn't need people making it harder for new players, and I'm sick of having to trust someone who will not trust me to run them somewhere, or do a quest, only to find out they're just trying to get a free ride, like so many others.

On some trivial things, a ban is too harsh. I like how the blacklisting and "accumulation-to-ban" system works right now. Just keep reporting the stupid ones that feel the need to break the rules and ArenaNet support will sort thru the punishment that they see fit.

Aside from a neutral-party volunteer group, self-regulating enforcement within the commumity could potentially be abused. I have.... an amount of faith in the Guild Wars team... moreso tonight if I can learn the results of a harassment I reported a while ago.

I'm currently neutral on any change. I think they're doing well for a team that doesn't get paid via a bill-per-month.

maybe temp bans are needed. Like no matter what the offense if the volenteer notices the person they are banned for x number of days. The number depends on the serverity of the offense and the number of previous offences.

Given the relative size of ANet, it's impossible, as Gaile said, for them to be in all places at all times. There is simply -no way- to police the game. That said, I do agree that if the EULA isn't going to be enforced (specifically the language/abuse/griefing part of it, in this instance), then it either needs to be toned down or something needs to be put into effect to help rectify the problem.

There are a couple of solutions:

1. Put in a server wide word censor. If someone types the "f" word, it automatically comes back "shnickies". Of course, the problem here is that you have to have someone exhaustively go through and try to come up with EVERY possible naughty word that your mother would wash your mouth out with soap for using. It's tawdry.

2. Report, report, report. I do like, Spartan2, your idea of the "accumulation-to-ban" system. When a person is reported to ANet, they read over the logs. If the "offense" warrants a black mark, it is given. X number of blackmarks equal certain consequences:

X = gold wipe
XX = item/weapons/armor wipe
XXX = temporary suspension of account (say 2-3 days)
XXXX = longer and final suspension of account (7-21 days)
XXXXX = CD Key/Account ban--permanent

Let 'em complain. They signed the EULA and there have to be consequences for actions. In the good old Blizzard days, it was -very effective- when they would post that they had permanently banned 20,000 CD keys for using hack programs.

But ANet does need to either enforce the regulations that we all signed one way or the other. Player policing would doubtless be a HORRIBLE idea.

Yea, I do not think a gold wipe or items wipe would be suitable for a first or second time offense, 2 hour temp-ban would be better; the gold and/or item wipe would come at a later offense.

There has to be at least one cop on patrol, I'm someone who thinks rules should be enforced, I do not care if I am labled as the badguy by some ignorant jerk; their opinions fail to hold ground once they perpetrate an "e-crime". I say, "Lay off me e-thugs!"