general chat

[[JD]]

look. i'm no prude. i've occasionally made sailors blush. but even i know there is a time and place for everything.

why are people allowed to use repetitive profanity and use hateful language in general chat?

does it do anything positive for the game?

or is it just another way for griefing hatemongers to try to ruin others' experiences. a la' the bane dragon fiasco. not only that, it fosters hatred and bitterness.

yeah yeah, leave the channel someone will say. most already have. why do you think it's left now filled with people cursing and acting like wild animals?

it's time to enforce some standards of player conduct. moderate the chat and start giving out jail sentences to people for obvious repetitive profanity usage.

 

[Ls Jax Ls]

Mute.

 

[Old Man of UO]

... it's time to enforce some standards of player conduct. moderate the chat and start giving out jail sentences to people for obvious repetitive profanity usage.

I agree. It hasn't been a problem on my shard lately, but it got annoying when it was. "MUTE" is a good answer for those who want to bully other people and take over what is a very useful tool for people needing help or information, or to get a hunting party together.

 

[Ls Jax Ls]

"MUTE" is a good answer for those who want to bully other people and take over what is a very useful tool for people needing help or information, or to get a hunting party together.

How does muting someone hinder your general chat...? How bout you be a big boy and deal with it yourself rather than cry to GMs.

 

[gunneroforgin]

look. i'm no prude. i've occasionally made sailors blush. but even i know there is a time and place for everything.

why are people allowed to use repetitive profanity and use hateful language in general chat?

does it do anything positive for the game?

or is it just another way for griefing hatemongers to try to ruin others' experiences. a la' the bane dragon fiasco. not only that, it fosters hatred and bitterness.

yeah yeah, leave the channel someone will say. most already have. why do you think it's left now filled with people cursing and acting like wild animals?

it's time to enforce some standards of player conduct. moderate the chat and start giving out jail sentences to people for obvious repetitive profanity usage.

I got so tired of it I turned the chat off on all my characters.

 

[jack flash uk]

well,for me, i think i am kinda tough in the real world, see alot of bad stuff and all that, for which i get paid and choose to do, BUT

when playing A GAME i aceept guildmates com efrineds abusing me on guild chat and vent, i can take

what is TOTALLY unacceptable is the language used on general chat but the PvP'er, smack talk etc

having the word C**T spammed on general chat when there are youngsters and woman player is jsut not on

sadly the "players" using that language are beyond help, if you don't know thats wrong, then i feel sorry for you


so i just have chat turned off, if people need me, i have a nice list of people on ICQ

on the occasion it is on, it is filled with spam sellers, selling the same old crap everyone already has, or crap nobody wants or abuse that i have no time for

not sure that was what it was meant for

how about the PVP creatures that wish to sound big and hard, get their own channel as default, and maybe a sellers channel

and leave general chat for well, general chat, and help etc

 

[ingsmsico]

on the occasion it is on, it is filled with spam sellers, selling the same old crap everyone already has, or crap nobody wants

I agree, the UO economy is in shambles.

 

[Picus at the office]

Anyone who has spoken in chat can be placed on ignore and they are on that list till you take them off so you can fire and forget.

 

[longshanks]

*yawn*

 

[Lord Chaos]

Don't have any such problem on my shard.

 

[Cailleach]

Anyone who has spoken in chat can be placed on ignore and they are on that list till you take them off so you can fire and forget.

There was someone in Europa general chat the other day complaining because his ban list was full and there were more players he wanted to add to it. I know what he does as a real life job - the guy is definitely no wimp - but he, like most other reasonable people, is absolutely sick of the pathetic smacktalkers in global.

 

[WhityJinn]

because these players are paying their monthly fee.

I`ve never heard of someone quitting just because they`ve been called names on general chat, or their mothers sexual decency brought into question, or anything like that.

Maybe a few feeble-minded whom I knew people had quit during the years for this reason.

But I`ve seen many people quit after getting banned or something.


bah..crybabies.Woaah, I`m getting so offended by that guy in gen chat!He must be 13 years old!And a virgin!

 

[Widow Maker]

Sorry JD but I think you have been hanging around Mercy too long. I like ya and all but this is definetly a "whine" topic.

Make your own chat channel, leave general chat, use mute..the options are many. Choose one or just man up and, as in all things, take the good with the bad.

 

[Aurelius]

Sadly, if you play several servers, the ignore list fills quite quickly, and since the general chat would be a really useful thing the notion that 'everyone else should leave the room because someone feels like screaming and ranting' doesn't really have a lot of merit to it.

 

[Old Man of UO]

...'everyone else should leave the room because someone feels like screaming and ranting' doesn't really have a lot of merit to it.

I think that's the point. It's their way of bullying others because they know you can't do anything about it. The bullies like to say that they pay their monthly fee too, and you can't tell them how to behave or play the game. Just punks and bullies.

 

[MalagAste]

Monthly fee aside we all signed the ToS... therefore the use of that sort of language is very spelled out in the ToS as not acceptable...

It's beyond time that they enforce that.

I tried to keep up the Help channel to actually help people... but most the time it's just filled with people trying to sell junk... And General chat is full of profanity which while I'm no saint myself I really don't need to see and being a Parent/Grandparent I know others who let their children play... and they don't need to see that either.

And while I'm aware of the ignore list and all that .... But why should I have to put people who violate the ToS on ignore when if they were following the rules they agreed to follow I wouldn't have to bother?

 

[Omnius]

late additions of a global chat are a good sign of a game on its last legs. it means its soo hard to find other people that they put it in to buy more time. See: Shadowbane.

 

[Viper09]

I don't use general chat. I personally see no point in joining it with all the little children or attention-starved players who feel a need to spam such language. Don't understand the mentality of intentionally trying to use the language that some do. Almost seems like they are intentionally trying to offend people by using that language. Doesn't personally offend me, sure there is such thing as free speech, but I don't need to hear it and some people do get offended by it.

And yes, we nee more room on the ignore list, lol.

 

[Yalp]

every society in the world, including on line cyber societies need a set of standards and/or rules to live by. If the same language spoken in general chat where translated to movies.. it would not be a pg-13 movie. Yet at the recent town hall Cal said they wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their game rating. Maybe this is another example of UO ignoring the rules? Maybe in 13 years there will be a spread sheet created?

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

Sorry to break it to you, but profanity is not against the ToS - and the Devs even explicitly stated that it was "ok" about 1-2 years ago.

What is against the ToS is the hate speech (ethnic slurs and such).

Don't expect EA to regulate general chat in any form, they simply don't care.

You've got ignore and a language filter, plus the ability to completely turn the chat off. Use them.

If some mentally addled person goes off on a psychotic tear in a chat channel, ignore them. Responding only feeds into their delusionally inflated sense of self-worth and furthers their immature behavior

 

[Lord Frodo]

Sorry to break it to you, but profanity is not against the ToS - and the Devs even explicitly stated that it was "ok" about 1-2 years ago.

What is against the ToS is the hate speech (ethnic slurs and such).

Don't expect EA to regulate general chat in any form, they simply don't care.

You've got ignore and a language filter, plus the ability to completely turn the chat off. Use them.

If some mentally addled person goes off on a psychotic tear in a chat channel, ignore them. Responding only feeds into their delusionally inflated sense of self-worth and furthers their immature behavior

WRONG
ULTIMA ONLINE SERVICE RULES OF CONDUCT

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THE RULES ARE:

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TEEN
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

 

[Amber Witch]

The idea of a "General" chat channel could and should be something that we can all use without having being subjected to some pretty disgusting stuff. But unfortunately at times the discussions and language has been dominated by people who need or want to go far below the gutter level, abusing what is a 'General' chat channel.

We should not have to listen to someone who is abusing the channel by spewing garbage. We should not have to put someone on mute because they are abusing the channel. We should not have to log out of general chat because someone is abusing the channel. This is the only permanent general chat channel. Yeah, we can create other chat channels but they are temporary and end when the person who created it logs out. We should not have to do that because someone is abusing the general chat channel.

We should not have to use the help button and then try to go find the person so you can target them to report the abuse and then have to send in a report to EA.

It should be much simpler. There has to be a option for a quick response.
There could be another permanent general chat channel called... I dunno.. PvP General Chat Channel? Something other than General.

It's a serious issue that needs to be addressed. And I'd hate to see it resolved by the chat system ended because of abuse.

 

[Warpig Inc]

If I can hit a few icons to ignore someone. Then the GMs should be able to hit a few icons to mute someone to all on chat. The offender wants to rejoin the rest let them shell out 10$. Call it the pixel swear jar and the money grubbers get to smile.

May help if ignore like a house bann. It banns the account and not just a character. Ignore on chat could or does work this way? Use chat for any future auctions to cover the triva questions.

 

[Old Man of UO]

If I can hit a few icons to ignore someone. Then the GMs should be able to hit a few icons to mute someone to all on chat. The offender wants to rejoin the rest let them shell out 10$. Call it the pixel swear jar and the money grubbers get to smile.

May help if ignore like a house bann. It banns the account and not just a character. Ignore on chat could or does work this way? Use chat for any future auctions to cover the triva questions.

I kinda like this idea.

 

[Thunderz]

Just use the "profanity filter" ( i had to google that to get the spelling lol as im in no fit state to pronounce it!!!!)

I actually love watching all the crap and smack talk that goes on. I make a list of there names so if im ever in fell and see them i get a group and go cain there ass, and keep doing it till they get bored and say "hey you ruin our chat channel we ruin you..... simple

[I dont actually do that but its what im thinking i should do]

Thunderz

 

[Ls Jax Ls]

If I can hit a few icons to ignore someone. Then the GMs should be able to hit a few icons to mute someone to all on chat. The offender wants to rejoin the rest let them shell out 10$. Call it the pixel swear jar and the money grubbers get to smile.

May help if ignore like a house bann. It banns the account and not just a character. Ignore on chat could or does work this way? Use chat for any future auctions to cover the triva questions.

Or you can just ignore them like any normal person does. Grow up.

 

[Mervyn]

1 have the profanity filters on
2 add the offender to your ignore list
3 leave the chat

If for whatever reason you can't manage to do any of the above,
4 don't read what is written
5 log out

 

[Cailleach]

Sorry, but no, I'm not going to log out because someone is breaking the rules and EA cba to enforce them. I can turn the air blue, given the right provocation, but there is a time and a place - general chat is not that.

Yes, it's just a game. But it's a game with interaction between real people. I wouldn't tolerate being spoken to in that manner in real life, and I'm not going to tolerate it in game either.

EA have copped out on this one - they're either too lazy or too tight fisted to regulate a system they put in place. The onus is on them to make it not worth breaking the rules.

 

[Mervyn]

Sorry, but no, I'm not going to log out because someone is breaking the rules and EA cba to enforce them. I can turn the air blue, given the right provocation, but there is a time and a place - general chat is not that.

Yes, it's just a game. But it's a game with interaction between real people. I wouldn't tolerate being spoken to in that manner in real life, and I'm not going to tolerate it in game either.

EA have copped out on this one - they're either too lazy or too tight fisted to regulate a system they put in place. The onus is on them to make it not worth breaking the rules.

So what was wrong with the first 3? why jump straight to 5?

Maybe this why you're getting offended since you clearly read backwards, perhaps peoples sentences aren't so offensive if you read them forwards.

 

[Kiminality]

So what was wrong with the first 3? why jump straight to 5?

They're bad?
1.) The profanity filter's crap. It has a limited list of words, and filters them if they're a component of a word (assassin, compassion etc.)
2.) Limited size of ignore list.
3.) The chat exists for everyone, and people shouldn't be forced to leave because someone can't control their use of profanity.
4.) Since it appears in the same place as every other system message, if you're looking there, it's hard not to.

 

[[JD]]

i use the filter, leave the channel, and put players on ignore.

however its kinda sad that this kind of TOS breaking behavior has become so commonplace people don't even care. its been going on so long they tolerate it, or even attack the person posting "why is this happening" simply because its easier to do that than accept what should really happen: halting it at its source. that really says something about the community and state of the game...

i also shudder to think what anyone new to UO would think, logging in, and seeing some of the idiocy going on in general chat.

it would be cool if they made a pvp only channel and then banned rude behavior in all other channels.

i'm glad to see there are other people out there who share my view tho. i didn't expect uo to fix it, but it was worth mentioning.

 

[copycon]

UO is not a church chat room and EA is not the RIAA.

UO is not designed to raise your kids for you, or teach you what is right and wrong. It is a game, and it is meant to be played as a game. It was given a advisory rating of M (Mature), and if you don't like it, then your choice is deal with it or stop playing. Ratings are not designed to be determined by the consumer, they are designed to advise the consumer that there may be some content not suitable for certain groups.

 

[Lady Storm]

Well I need to lay into this with one tiny fact.... the Dev is listening
We the people of UO dont like the intense profain language being used and the outright bullying being done in the game via the global chat.
I have told many to quit using it.
Explained that its not correct to use it anywhere in UO even Chat.
Told that the Dev can indeed hear them (Mesanna when in game can hear the global chat just fine) They are NOT amused.

Look If you read the TOS and RoC docs foul language or bullying is not condoned in any manner. PERIOD!
Yes I know we all do get hot under the collar and say things that are shall we say make "blue " air. But a game is not the venue to use it.
Do you all forget we have children listening or reading this?? Do you want your son or daughter to use this kind of language or actions in the real world??
Well they learn from US.

IF someone cuts us off on the freeway and the children are in the car do you let out a list of profanity that would melt the fender of the car??
I would hope not for your childrens sake.
UO has always refrained from allowing such to filter into the game... most times if caught you got a stiff chewing out by a GM and a 24 hour ban for the first offence 3 day for second and poof loss of account if it was super bad... Had a friend who was dying whos son was a imp and was angry his dad was ill, he took the account his dad was on when he was out of the room with his mom and proceeded to make apes park in Luna with profane names.... the account was perma baned.. yes Virginia they do ban for obseen language useage! I tried to talk the GMs out of baning his account but to no avail. My friend died soon after.
It matters if we use words to hurt people... it's wrong and hurtfull.
We run UO.
It's about time WE stoped it.
When I say WE I mean all of us.
Its our game.

 

[copycon]

I don't like profanity either, but I think a valuable lesson in life is that you need to learn to get over it. Life is a series of jerks, and you will not do yourself any favors getting hung up on them.

Enjoy the game for what it is and don't dwell on the negatives.

 

[Old Man of UO]

... It was given a advisory rating of M (Mature), and if you don't like it, then your choice is deal with it or stop playing. ...

A "M" (Mature) rating does NOT give you the license or right to be abusive in chat or to use language that clearly violates the TOS of the game. It's a game for me too, and looses it's appeal when someone becomes the target of that abuse or has to read the filth that sometimes comes across chat.

 

[copycon]

I can't vouch for the specific words that were said to spark the OP, but I can say that I've read about people getting banned for using certain words...

So, either the offender somehow slipped under the radar, or someone is becoming overly sensitive (again) and wants to turn UO into Sesame Street.

 

[MalagAste]

Hearing folk say things about what someone should do with their grandmother and talk about certain physical activities which shouldn't be mentioned anywhere in public unless it's in Sex Ed class shouldn't be stuff I should have to hear in General chat..

And add that to the threats against people IRL that go on in there it's not funny, it's not cute and it has no place in general chat...

Now if EA/DEV's wanted to make an "adult" channel where the use of that sort of language was acceptable that's fine... but it shouldn't be in a channel that folk AUTOMATICALLY find themselves in when starting UO.

And I don't feel that I should have to police the Chat Channels for the DEV's... I shouldn't have to go and tell the GM's who's being vulgar in chat... All I should have to do is page and say "Hey, take a look at what's going on in there."... and that should prompt some sort of flag to that spot in a log where they can scroll back and see exactly who's doing what... Why in the world I should have to spend 15 min typing out who's offending whom or what when I am not being paid to be the GM... of the chat.

Unless they want to pay me to do it then fine I'd take care of it... but since I"m not being paid I don't feel I should have to waste 15 min of my gametime on something that they should be responsible for in the first place. It's not my ToS.... I didn't make their rules ..... I do try to follow them... but I didn't make them and I shouldn't have to police them.

 

[Arcus]

What would you like them to do? Start banning? They arent even banning people who blatantly cheat. Good luck with that.

 

[copycon]

I challenge anyone to find a multiplayer game that doesn't have the exact same type of trash talk going on. Especially in a "global" chat environment. Look at XBox Live or PSN for example... those people actually SPEAK to each other like that, and others deal with it in a variety of different ways. What you are describing is rampant in the gaming industry and I think you are all judging UO far too harshly.

As I said before, UO is not a church chat room and EA is not the RIAA.

People are going way overboard with this and they need to learn to ignore and not take offense to irrelevant discussion. Now, if it was directed towards you without provocation, then that would be a different discussion.

 

[Viper09]

UO is not a church chat room and EA is not the RIAA.

UO is not designed to raise your kids for you, or teach you what is right and wrong. It is a game, and it is meant to be played as a game. It was given a advisory rating of M (Mature), and if you don't like it, then your choice is deal with it or stop playing. Ratings are not designed to be determined by the consumer, they are designed to advise the consumer that there may be some content not suitable for certain groups.

UO is not rating M, it's rate T. lol
Granted it use to be M, a long time ago. Since cutting up corpses was removed it was downgraded to T. Not that it really matters though. You will always have immature players spamming indecency.

 

[Ls Jax Ls]

Hearing folk say things about what someone should do with their grandmother and talk about certain physical activities which shouldn't be mentioned anywhere in public unless it's in Sex Ed class shouldn't be stuff I should have to hear in General chat..

Hey I just wanted to let you know I checked out this thing called a calendar on my computer and for some odd reason it says the year is 2010, not 1950.

UO is not rating M, it's rate T.

The ESRB does not rate online interaction, which is clearly stated on any online game. They got the rating downgraded to attract more players.

 

[Old Man of UO]

I have played a browser based game with a general chat. In the general chat there is no vulgar language, personal attacks or politics. You also have the option of a no-holds-barred chat channel, private channels and guild/clan channels. Only the general chat is monitored - first violations result in a one-week squelch and you can't post in the general during that time. Subsequent violations mean longer or permanent squelching in general chat.

That works very well, and other players will remind people when they go too far. That usually takes care of the problem before they get squelched.

 

[Ls Jax Ls]

Everyone always talks about how they love the fact that UO gives you the freedom to do whatever you want. I guess freedom of speech is not included.

 

[cdavbar]

Just page, and/or report verbal harassment. IT WILL GET NOTICED by GM's!

I rarely talk in general chat, most people in there are ridiculous when it comes to how they talk, but i happened to say one thing that wasn't actually that bad compared to what you see in their regularly but within 3 minutes my account was suspended for 48 hours for talk in general chat, no GM talked to me no GM showed up.

It was most frustrating to me since you see so many vulgarities and nothing gets done about it, but the minor things that dont really cross the line you get in trouble.

 

[Old Man of UO]

Everyone always talks about how they love the fact that UO gives you the freedom to do whatever you want. I guess freedom of speech is not included.

No, freedom of speech does not apply to online games.

I am not asking for to create an online "church" or even carebear land. That's a bit melodramatic and over the top. All I am asking is for civility and respect. Tell me, what is wrong with that?

Almost everyone saying they want "freedom of speech" and to be able to say anything they want, trash talk and vulgarities, are PvP'ers. These same PvP'ers complain in other threads that there aren't enough people who PvP, UO is dying, on and on. Yet they can't seem to understand that this hate speech of theirs online drives people away, especially new accounts. Who wants to be constantly exposed to that trash talk? Not me.

If you want to have your "freedom of speech," create your own private channel and invite other people to join in. General chat and Help chat are not the places for that.

Good luck with that.

 

[Cailleach]

So what was wrong with the first 3? why jump straight to 5?

Maybe this why you're getting offended since you clearly read backwards, perhaps peoples sentences aren't so offensive if you read them forwards.

If I'd been replying directly to your post, I would have quoted it, as I am doing with this one. I wasn't; I was making a general comment.

 

[ingsmsico]

Isn't there a swear filter? put the words you don't like in it, voila.

 

[Old Man of UO]

Isn't there a swear filter? put the words you don't like in it, voila.

How about acting like a grown-up and just treating everyone in chat with respect? Problem solved.

 

[Winker]

Sorry to break it to you, but profanity is not against the ToS - and the Devs even explicitly stated that it was "ok" about 1-2 years ago.

What is against the ToS is the hate speech (ethnic slurs and such).

Don't expect EA to regulate general chat in any form, they simply don't care.

You've got ignore and a language filter, plus the ability to completely turn the chat off. Use them.

If some mentally addled person goes off on a psychotic tear in a chat channel, ignore them. Responding only feeds into their delusionally inflated sense of self-worth and furthers their immature behavior

I got carted off to jail last week for "Smack Talk" When the GM showed up 10 seconds latter, i was asked if there was any need for the use of such bad language, and that i had been reported by 5 people.

I went on to say there was nothing he could do about it as there is a profanity filter and an ignore filter which people can use. And if they are still not happy they can leave general chat.

After asking me to tone it down a little he agreed that if i kept it up there was nothing he could do about it as it not against the TOS. But he did say they were looking into a fel general chat and a tram general chat system to try and cut out the "Smack Talk"


box

 

[NuSair]

I have never cared for UO's stance on these kinds of issues and personally feel that it is a cop out on their part.

The idea that because someone is harassing you should leave, put them on ignore is one that I completely disagree with. All it does is tell the person doing the harassing that it is ok to behave that way. That it is acceptable conduct.

So, I am off doing X and someone comes up and starts being an ass, so I should leave and go somewhere else? huh?

As for chat, I feel that General Chat, Help chat should me moderated. If people want to show maturity level by spouting off offensive language, they should be the ones to go and create their own channel. Not the other way around.

As far as freedom of speech goes (and any other freedom)- Just because you have a freedom of speech doesn't mean you can trample on the freedoms of others.