24 hour banning for say an URL in game

[Amathist of PoC]

KilandraEAMythic
UO Assistant Development Manager

Was just on another uo site I visit so I sent her the following message

Kilandra I feel bad harassing you over this issue but it really is affecting my guild.

I have tried emailing, pming Jeremy but have gotten no response as yet and the posts on Uhall continue to just confuse the issue.

Now please be at ease that my question has nothing to do with duped items or sites selling them or any item or gold for real money or any third party programs that hack and cheat...I consider them all wrong no questions asked.

BUT my question is about the TOS regarding guild websites and ICQ, will we get banned for quoting our guild site url in game or having it in our profile? And is icq okay to say in game or is it also considered a third party program?

Some may say the TOS are clear but as you can see in this thread http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=95269 alot of people have alot of different ideas. Some say ALL URLS are banable, others say guild sites are ok and have even shown journals with conversations with GMS who say so. Others say they have been banned or warned about guild urls...so I would just like a direct yes or no from the powers that be...namely you or any other ea mythic representative.

If you could please help me with this matter I would be very grateful.

Best wishes

 

[OxAO]

I SUSPEND people for advertising websites in game (clearly against the ToS)

Then how did you find stratics.com?

 

[Amathist of PoC]

NOooooo what I actually said was they have not yet confirmed or denied if they distinguish the difference between urls or if all urls are bannable. WHICH if you read all my posts you would know I am trying to get an answer on this.

How ever I have also agreed with you numerous times through out this thread that community building sites should be allowed. BUT just because I believe that does not mean I believe the rules are stupid just that they may need to changed or altered if infact it does include all URLS....which as yet we do not know.

So go back and read again before you slander someone and call them a hypocrite without actually knowing all the facts or without having a damm good reason.

 

[Amathist of PoC]

ANOTHER ONE - this time a radio site. - http://www.thelostlands.com/showthread.php?t=2871



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
quote:

Tempest Suspended !! Oh my!!

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Came home from work to find that my favorite Atlantic bank sitter, Temepst was on "24 hour suspension"!!

Apparently, I had a link to my radio station in my profile and that is a no-no. I thought it was only links to places that sell UO things for real money. I guess thats what I get for half reading things. LoL

Sad thing is....someone had to page a GM...and that's just lovely.

It's still a stupid rule no matter what.

I am so close to just giving up UO finally...it seems they want to drive the remaining people out.

Mir

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I just really do not know what to say any more I have tried and tried and tried to get a straight answer out of EA Mythic to no avail...the community still seems to be of many different minds about this topic. And mean while guilds and community building websites such as castles and courtyards, Miss Echo's Guides (sorry forgot the site) and whispering rose radio and tower of roses and alot of other really good sites are going to become extinct because we can not share them.......who knows at this stage if we can even say ICQ.

 

[OxAO]

NOooooo what I actually said was ....

Who are you talking to?

Didn't you know this is the twilight zone.

Things seem to have despaired.

 

[OxAO]

So... how do we communicate with people in a game that doesn't have any in game commications if we can not give URL's out?

Hey, it seems like a logical question.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

So... how do we communicate with people in a game that doesn't have any in game commications if we can not give URL's out?

Hey, it seems like a logical question.

im, email, ventrillo, team speak, telephone, in some cases yell across the room...la

 

[OxAO]

im, email, ventrillo, team speak, telephone, in some cases yell across the room...la

Ok we are standing in the game...

"I say, Hey Rico what is your ICQ?... "

*poof*
GM suspends my account.


Giving URL's has always been acceptable.
Spamming them is what they need to focus on.

EA has not distinguished what is acceptable and what is not.

 

[Amathist of PoC]

*sigh* still waiting on some form of answer from EA Mythic - if I lived any where near them I would ring and try that way as PM. Email and posting has not worked.

 

[Uvtha]

"Surely friend, ye shall find offical assistance and asnwers at www.stractics.com thats where the offical UO boards are fou*BANNED*"

Har

 

[baraka66]

I SUSPEND people for advertising websites in game (clearly against the ToS)

Then how did you find stratics.com?

clic

 

[OxAO]

clic

Stratics started before Google did.

Most of us didn't find it through google.

 

[baraka66]

clic

Stratics started before Google did.

Most of us didn't find it through google.

For many of us, we had no choice to come here when the UO boards were shut down.

 

[Amathist of PoC]

We have been given an answer in the FoF thank you Jeremy. - www.uo.com

"Why did I get a suspension for having a link to a website in my profile?"

First, the relevent bit from the Rules of Conduct:


"With the exception of the sale of in-game items for in-game items or services, you may not market, promote or advertise anything, or make any other form of solicitation (including pyramid schemes and chain letters) through the Ultima Online service or Ultima Online web site."


This isn’t a blanket ban on links - links to guild websites may be just fine, for example - but most sites advertise, promote, or market something - even if it’s just running banner ads. Your safest bet is to avoid bringing the outside world into UO - if you have a website that’s UO-related (and not entirely about making someone a profit) - by all means submit it for inclusion in the fansite section of the FoF! (Remember, email jdalberg AT ea DOT com, and I'm happy to take guild recruitment ads and stuff too. Just make sure you proofread your copy, because I will only give it a quick once-over when I post it!)

 

[Nexus]

Just an interesting Update on this......

Tonight a GM interrupted a Whispering Rose Radio's Deal or No Deal Show because WRR has a banner because the Game is sponsored by a Pay w/ RL $$$ site, and a Banner is on the WRR Site.

First off I have an Issue with this simply because Every Single Five On Friday lists these events. One of the Crew received a 24 hour Suspension for Mentioning the Sites URL during the game for players to Listen in on the Broadcast. Seems to be an issue of EA Sponsoring and advertising the Event, and their Site, which by default means they are aware and officially endorse these events.

 

[OxAO]

We have been given an answer in the FoF thank you Jeremy. - www.uo.com

how is that an answer?

Can we or can we not give a link to ICQ?
or
Youtube or anything else of this nature?


Why am I the only one asking this obvious question?

 

[bryana]

Was just attending Deal or No Deal on Europia and they were saying where to lissen in to the game and norman batts was jailed and than sandman was jail and than vanna mana got jail sandman got out but the other 2 got 24 hr spension. If a in game event has the ok from EA to do what they do why would a in game GM do this. Why would some one at the event turn them in for saying the name of the radio web site. Its an approved site is listed on FOF. So it would seem that you had best watch out what you say in game that has any thing to do with out side the game approved of or not your going to get jailed. but its ok to hack and use cheats. it takes to much time to stop the stuff that really hurts in game. go after the good things that players like.

 

[Experimental]

Just to rephrase something I said in another thread:

I think I'll run around Luna and page on the books laying around advertising the URL for a certain large ATL guild that a few dev's belong to and see what happens then.

 

[ShadowJack]

I thought it was common knowledge by now.. has been in the rules as long as I can remember that the in-game advertising of websites (which includes giving URLs, even if not for advertising) is against the rules.

as long as you remember....hah




this is stupid. a player base needs freedom of speech, and if they aren't harrassing anyone, then this is just overkill enforcment of the rules.

 

[Experimental]

Guess I'll just say " I dunno" when someone asks me a game question instead of directing them to uo.com or stratics from now on.

 

[OxAO]

Guess I'll just say " I dunno" when someone asks me a game question instead of directing them to uo.com or stratics from now on.

Or you can say the conspiracy type statement.

you say:
"I could tell you a really good site that has all the answers you are asking me but they will ban me."

Then the new player says:
"Then lets talk on ICQ then."

You say:
"No don't say that they will ban you to!"

The new player:
Say what?

You say:
"I can not tell you!"

 

[Experimental]

I think I'll just bring it up at the Seattle Town Hall meeting next Saturday.

 

[Arcus]

Just an interesting Update on this......

Tonight a GM interrupted a Whispering Rose Radio's Deal or No Deal Show because WRR has a banner because the Game is sponsored by a Pay w/ RL $$$ site, and a Banner is on the WRR Site.

First off I have an Issue with this simply because Every Single Five On Friday lists these events. One of the Crew received a 24 hour Suspension for Mentioning the Sites URL during the game for players to Listen in on the Broadcast. Seems to be an issue of EA Sponsoring and advertising the Event, and their Site, which by default means they are aware and officially endorse these events.

So let me get this right:

Jeramy advertises WRR in the official company post, almost every week.
Jeramy , if I recall, even advertises this very event in the FoF.

A GM not only disturbes this very event but bans people from WRR for advertising???? So is someone going to ban Jeramy?

This is it. EA/Mythic is out of control , cant even get their community leader to get things right and the community pays the price.

Insane...

 

[RoycroftLS]

So let me get this right:

Jeramy advertises WRR in the official company post, almost every week.
Jeramy , if I recall, even advertises this very event in the FoF.

A GM not only disturbes this very event but bans people from WRR for advertising???? So is someone going to ban Jeramy?

This is it. EA/Mythic is out of control , cant even get their community leader to get things right and the community pays the price.

Insane...

It's not too difficult of a concept to understand:

If you are in game, and using EA's servers, you have to follow their rules of conduct.

If you are reading the FoF, you are on the internet and thus not in game. The rules of conduct have no bearing on what happens outside of the game servers.

EA has absolute authority in one case, and pretty much zero in the other. Granted, their actions regarding the two cases aren't making much sense... it's like if an airport opened a "sharp and pointy things galore" store right outside the security checkpoint.

But regardless of how contradictory the actions of EA have been in those two cases, the current URL rule has been in the rules of conduct for a long time. In game, posting certain URLs is an actionable offense.

When in doubt, do as Jeremy said in the latest FoF: "Your safest bet is to avoid bringing the outside world into UO." That's certainly good advice to follow.

 

[Nexus]

So let me get this right:

Jeramy advertises WRR in the official company post, almost every week.
Jeramy , if I recall, even advertises this very event in the FoF.

A GM not only disturbes this very event but bans people from WRR for advertising???? So is someone going to ban Jeramy?

This is it. EA/Mythic is out of control , cant even get their community leader to get things right and the community pays the price.

Insane...

A Quick Quote from this weeks FoF

This isn’t a blanket ban on links - links to guild websites may be just fine, for example - but most sites advertise, promote, or market something - even if it’s just running banner ads. Your safest bet is to avoid bringing the outside world into UO - if you have a website that’s UO-related (and not entirely about making someone a profit) - by all means submit it for inclusion in the fansite section of the FoF! (Remember, email jdalberg AT ea DOT com, and I'm happy to take guild recruitment ads and stuff too. Just make sure you proofread your copy, because I will only give it a quick once-over when I post it!)

I'm not saying Jeremy was wrong on this....I'm saying that she posts it on FoF, says she gives pages submitted a quick look over. Either some how she missed a 480x60 Banner on their site, or deemed it not something that should be worried over...On the same note if she does have issues with the URL it shouldn't be included in FoF as it gives mixed messages. If She as the Community Coordinator didn't find issue with it and saw the banner, on a site listed, and linked to on the same FoF, then it's safe to assume that it's Ok to mention that site as it's been given out by EA/Mythic's own Staff. It's a matter of one end or the other is sending mixed messages Community Support (GM), or Community Relations (Jeremy and Co.) leading to a need for there to be some action to absolve the people involved in this of being held entirely accountable.

 

[a slave girl]

A Quick Quote from this weeks FoF


I'm not saying Jeremy was wrong on this....I'm saying that she posts it on FoF, says she gives pages submitted a quick look over. Either some how she missed a 480x60 Banner on their site, or deemed it not something that should be worried over...On the same note if she does have issues with the URL it shouldn't be included in FoF as it gives mixed messages. If She as the Community Coordinator didn't find issue with it and saw the banner, on a site listed, and linked to on the same FoF, then it's safe to assume that it's Ok to mention that site as it's been given out by EA/Mythic's own Staff. It's a matter of one end or the other is sending mixed messages Community Support (GM), or Community Relations (Jeremy and Co.) leading to a need for there to be some action to absolve the people involved in this of being held entirely accountable.

Yes, you are correct that Jeremy should not promote WRR and their activities by including a link to their website on UOherald.com UNLESS she is certain that the WRR website is in compliance with EA's rules, which apparently it is not.

 

[Arcus]

Oh well thats interesting. What mod removed my post about WRR? I guess Stratics is really in EAs pocket or something.