[Gameside Comms] Mute Button Thread Electric Boogaloo

by **Dakota** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:45 am

Howdy. I was asked to re-create this thread and link it in the Gameside Communications thread, so here is the post -

There is a huge thread here, but who did not follow that thread here is the tl;dr

TRR is a unique sinker region where we get all the rejects from the game. Meaning we get fascists, homophobes/transphobes, racists, anti-vaxxers, etc. Generally just the absolute yuck of the site. Unlike every other region on the game though, we have zero way to moderate this in any meaningful way, and moderation has made it clear to us that they will not intervene as hate speech is regularly spammed on our RMB. Fine, that's how the site is. The rest of the site though isn't forced constantly see hate speech spammed constantly on their RMB.

My obvious first suggestion is to implement a mute button. My specific proposal is a mute button that when applied, lasts only 26 hours, then automatically expires. If the spamming continues, it can be re-applied. I'd be happy if this could be implemented in all regions as right now when there's an argument on the RMB, the only options are sending straight to TRR or ejection and this could benefit all regions by giving a bit of a cooldown timer for nations who might have just had had a bad day. Also benefits TRR too since we would not be getting all the hotheads right away in the heat of the moment, then for TRR it obviously benefits us because of our yuckies.

Reppy's argument in 2016 was posted in my old thread, but I'll post it again here
2016 Reppy arguments-

Reploid Productions wrote:If someone is posting rulebreaking material (flaming/trolling/spamming,) silencing them is a moderation matter. We have the Getting Help page for that.

This post isn't to complain about the moderator's ruling on Realintova's posts, but because I was told by moderators that spamming Matt Walsh What Is A Woman links are not actionable I am here asking again for a mute button. The link was spammed over half a dozen times, then spammed to every single region TRR shares an embassy with which finally got their posts suppressed. The nation is still posting links on our RMB that spew transphobic garbage, with another What Is A Woman link posted 30 minutes ago. This is hateful spam. It's not the spam that is smacking a keyboard or posting in fast succession, but this is spam. And it's being ignored.

https://www.nationstates.net/page=activ ... filter=rmb

Since this nation founded a day and 13 hours ago, all they have done is post transphobic garbage, and yet this is not getting hit by spam.

Second idea is introducing a slow mode for our RMBs. I don't know how feasible this would be at all, but take a quick look at their posting frequency. They show up, spam out links to transphobic/homophobic shit, then disappear again. We have a spam filter on sending out telegrams in fast succession, applying a temporary RMB slow mode doesn't feel too ridiculous an ask?

All I ask on this is that there is some sincere consideration given to a mute button, or finding some solution for TRR to maintain our community. Since I made my thread in 2021, life for transgender individuals has gotten more terrifying. We see our rights being stripped away in our real lives, we see our friends have suicide attempts, and we are scared for our wellbeings. This game should not keep having to be a place where queer folks in TRR should feel the need to quit or avoid TRR because the alternative is logging onto our RMB and seeing people calling us perverts or that our existence is built on the back of child sex abuse. Last time I made a thread, our concerns were just written off as wanting a safe space, that we were being entitled GCR elitists, and that we should grow thicker skin. I just ask for empathy.

by **United Calanworie** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:59 am

I am definitely keen on handing ROs more suppression authority. This is on my list to implement.

I have the following questions:
To prevent abuse (because there would be abuse of this), what would you consider a relatively reasonable influence cost per mute?

I feel that 26 hours is likely too long of a mute timer. Ideally, this would be used in cases to help manage the in-between of "they're being annoying" and "they need to be GHRed." Would a drop-down of options (2, 4, 6 hours) each progressively costing more influence be manageable from a regional perspective?

EDIT: The Bad Faith standard will be enforced in this thread. Contribute constructively or not at all.

by **Tinhampton** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:02 am

Can (or should) any nation be muted from any region?

What will a 26-hour cooldown, even renewable, do to help prevent malicious content in the long run? Keep in mind that Realintova had twelve hours off yesterday.

Most of Realintova's objectionable posts have been suppressed by regional officers within minutes. How is this more harmful than muting?

And again: what is stopping muted nations from moving to some other region where the ROs agree to not ever mute participants and posting there instead?

by **Dakota** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:21 am

United Calanworie wrote:I am definitely keen on handing ROs more suppression authority. This is on my list to implement.

I have the following questions:
To prevent abuse (because there would be abuse of this), what would you consider a relatively reasonable influence cost per mute?

I feel that 26 hours is likely too long of a mute timer. Ideally, this would be used in cases to help manage the in-between of "they're being annoying" and "they need to be GHRed." Would a drop-down of options (2, 4, 6 hours) each progressively costing more influence be manageable from a regional perspective?

Firstly, 26 hours was just the number I picked because it takes 26 hours in order to appoint a BC RO. I can agree that would be way too long of a timer.

In my initial draft for this, I had actually written something about influence but scrapped it because I couldn't figure out a number I wanted to specifically propose.

I'm of a few thoughts here about influence because this is obviously a feature that would require influence. The cost of influence for TRR and the cost of influence for UCRs/non-TRR could be different as TRR currently has no functional use for influence, while obviously UCRs need their influence to protect against raids/ejections/etc at ease, so we don't want the number to be too high where there's zero worth to this feature for UCRs. Similar to needing 30% to ban, 20% to eject, maybe a scale of 5% for a 2hr ban, 10% for a 4hr ban, and then 15% for an 8hr ban?

I admit influence isn't my forte on this game and I don't know exactly where a reasonable suggestion would lie for this proposal to positively impact all regions, so I'm gonna be happy to see the suggestions of other players who got more insight or knowledge about influence.

To Tin -

1. It would keep the malicious off through keeping it off the RMB? I'm confused on the first question.
2. They keep posting the links, which can still be opened and viewed by anyone. This is more harmful than a mute.
3. Then they can go and complain about the evil fascist bigot TRR ROs who suppress their posts. This is a thread about giving regions the power to moderate their own regions, not about policing every region possible on this game.

by **Visionary Union** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:58 am

I think that all the arguments regarding this topic have been said, discussed and dissected enough in the previous thread. It is clear that moderation and the TRR government don't see eye to see on what is considered harmful, and since site moderation has no intentions of stepping in, or even just having stricter guidelines for TRR as opposed to the rest of the site, I believe a mute button is warranted. The numbers can be figured out later, including if it will consume influence or just be a cool down, but the need for TRR ROs to have a useful tool to keep our on site community safe is undeniable. Many players, myself included have almost completely stopped using the RMB because it became a toxic place. TRR deserves to have a welcoming, inclusive and positive on site community just like its off site community, and it will not have it until it can effectively deal with undesirables like fascists, homophobes, conspiracy theorists and the like.

by **Mhaul** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:19 am

Before I start I should probably introduce myself, and explain why I feel very strongly about this.
I am a Regional Officer of TRR, and I have been extremely active in the RMB for a bit now. Since late last year, I have been active on the RMB most hours a day every single day, and I have actively moderated it for the past 2 months. In this time I have seen several cases where a muting function would be extremely handy, and in the past couple days even necessary for keeping the RMB well moderated and safe.
Something else I probably also should mention is that I am trans. Moderating the RMB when it's on full transphobic spam mode!!! can be very tough, because you constantly need to deal with the same Matt Walsh-y arguments all the time, which do get pretty bad.

Tinhampton wrote:Most of Realintova's objectionable posts have been suppressed by regional officers within minutes. How is this more harmful than muting?

There are several reasons for manual suppression being more harmful than muting.
First of all, we don't always have ROs who can check on and moderate the RMB. Any time there isn't an RO to suppress posts, these guys go ham and do whatever they want, so long it doesn't break site rules.
Secondly, the fact that the posts are suppressed doesn't change the fact that they exist. If people are being very transphobic to the point of just barely not being actionable, their technically legal spam and transphobia can still be viewed and interacted with, which causes the suppressions to be quite useless.
And thirdly, the insane amounts of clutter manual suppression causes. There are some pages where half the posts on the entire page are suppressions, and the rest are ROs trying to deal with the outlaws. It is impossible to navigate the RMB at times, and it is also impossible to make actual meaningful conversation on there during these troll waves.

by **Reventus Koth** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:51 am

Not only do I disagree that 26 hours is too long of a muting option, I'm surprised that permanent mutes aren't the starting point of this discussion. Frankly, every other region in the game has an even more severe form of a "permanent mute", and that's called the ban button. Only TRR has no such protection against hate speech.

by **Toerana** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:07 am

Reventus Koth wrote:Not only do I disagree that 26 hours is too long of a muting option, I'm surprised that permanent mutes aren't the starting point of this discussion. Frankly, every other region in the game has an even more severe form of a "permanent mute", and that's called the ban button. Only TRR has no such protection against hate speech.

This entirely.

If people wish to make people very uncomfortable and brush up against the rules they can do so on the NS forums where they can be more closely watched and moderated, not on TRR's RMB.

----

The type of moderation that needs to be carried out on TRR's RMB has been continuing to shift over the past few years from Spam and Trolls to just Hateful Content and Dogwhistles for it. Borderline Trolls and multiposting is just an annoyance, borderline rule breaking Hateful Content and Homophobic/Transphobic dogwhistles make TRR's RMB an actively hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people and a generally unpleasant place to be. Allowing debate on issues is not the same thing as permitting - and by virtue of inaction encouraging - the continued growth and development of a community that is opening hostile towards LGBTQ+ individuals, and anyone who doesn't agree with NatCon talking points.

by **Altasund** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:22 am

Visionary Union wrote:Many players, myself included have almost completely stopped using the RMB because it became a toxic place.

This. I mostly just log in to Nationstates because keeping my nation alive is a prerequisite to TRR citizenship, and I live mostly on the region's offsite platforms - the state of the RMB is a large factor of that. It might make it easier for the offsite community to interact with Nationstates itself if it didn't feel like every time we open the RMB, there's someone spouting hate speech. The state of the RMB is, imo, actively driving people away from the website.

by **Dakota** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:29 am

Reventus Koth wrote:Not only do I disagree that 26 hours is too long of a muting option, I'm surprised that permanent mutes aren't the starting point of this discussion. Frankly, every other region in the game has an even more severe form of a "permanent mute", and that's called the ban button. Only TRR has no such protection against hate speech.

I'd love a permanent or long-acting mute for our frequent problematic posters in TRR at least, however I'm also at a point where I just want Something from Moderation that isn't just turning a blind eye or telling us to grow thicker skin. If I had more faith in Moderation after how we were treated last time, I would have started with that.

by **Fort Concord** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 9:18 am

Support for a mute button, though for everybody, not just TRR (though they do really need one).

Put it under comms RO - anyone with comms can give or rescind a mute all the same.

Don't know/care too much about the specifics such as timing/length, I'll leave that to the more invested people. But I think every region having an option to make someone cut something out without launching them into TRR would be a good thing. Maybe I'd keep an extra WA or two that way.

by **Wymondham** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 9:21 am

I'd support temp mutes in all regions but TRR (if they want to permanently mute then there's the ban button) and permanent mutes for TRR.

by **The Ambis** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 10:05 am

My opinion is to have for all regions a 1, 2, 4, 8 hour mute, with influence going up progressively, than TRR can have a permanent mute, which costs the same influence as banning the person + a bit.

by **Waterfall State** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 10:08 am

I am in support of a mute button being implemented in-game. I have some basic idea of an influence cost for muting people.

Mute buttons times:

26 hours mute time should be the bare minimum someone should be subjected to a mute button. I would like to think this one as the equivalent of an eject button for comms ROs
1 week should serve as the maximum time for anyone to be muted in the meantime, but I am personally open for this to be up to 6-months maximum. This should serve as the Banject equivalent button

While I'd like a sliding time of mutes, I think atleast two buttons should suffice for familiarity with ban buttons.
While TRR should have a perm mute button, I think it would be easier implementation-wise for a mute button that applies to all regions.

Influence costs if flat rate:

100 SPDR for short mute, 300 for long term mute. 500 for perm-mute in TRR

Influence if dependent on the target's current SPDR:

1/3 for short, 1/2 for long, the entire target SPDR up to a cap of 1000 for perm-mute in TRR (for those people who are endotarting to gain influence)

I've had TRR's delegate SPDR (specifically Minskiev's while he still had the seat) in mind when having a rough draft of the influence cost.

by **Fort Concord** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:34 pm

It doesn't cost influence to suppress posts, it shouldn't cost influence to mute. Muting people doesn't prevent stuff like endoswapping or otherwise being in the region.

by **Improper Classifications** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:38 pm

Fort Concord wrote:It doesn't cost influence to suppress posts, it shouldn't cost influence to mute.

On the contrary. Suppression of posts has a cooldown - you can't suppress more than 10 or so posts in one big burst. Not saying a cooldown is the same as expending influence, but it's pretty similar - you have to wait until the cooldown is over, and you have to wait to gain influence.
It shouldn't be a lot of influence, like Waterfall is suggesting (300 for a temp mute would start dropping inf numbers pretty quick), but there definitely should be an influence cost.

by **Warzone Codger** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:25 pm

The basic principle so far, which I think we should keep, is that you can't completely silence speech against you without tradeoffs. You can either suppress, people can still click to read, or you have to eject but you have to enough influence to do so.

This is balanced so you can't get rid of long standing nations easily - you are forced to have their opinions kept on the board.

If mute is to be extended to all regions, it should cost influence. I think a formula can be worked out so it's reasonable for all regions, and while obviously TRR can't eject, it does (or has a responsibility to create one) an influence gathering system, where it then won't be a problem for most of the nations it deals with.

by **Realintova** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:28 pm

Hello and good evening fellow NationStates players. I referred to this thread and told to speak on anything i would like to add because for obvious reasons to those who are aware. It is with pleasure to see this thread and have the privilege to have the ability to review and respond to my critics and to address a key site-changing proposal that would affect me and those i disagree with, don't care to take issue with, and agree with in conversations.

Explanation and Justification of Realintova activities:

Firstly as stated, i was invited to this region by an individual with the full appeal and interest to engage with opposing-minded individuals, and if it arises, to meet like-minded individuals of any ideology, or creed. My first post was within i believe the South Pacific or East. It was a link to the new documentary "What Is A Woman". It was explained that it was a free link (from a safe and verifiable platform of course), and a movie about a "fascist bigot" asking "trans activists and professionals with university and medical degrees explaining to cis white males what it meant to be trans, their truths, and their movement. There were no hateful words, or threats to any individual/group, or life. I watched the documentary beforehand to ensure it did not have any of these claimed harmful statements that my opponents claim (without seeing the movie) what they said was not in the movie. Why did i create such a factbook to begin with? Well for starters, i am aware of the opinions some may hold, but not aware some would go so far as to make the claims they did in saying it threatened their personal life, or that it was spewing fascism and false information. Given that the documentary is of one guy going to university, medical, and activists and asking them one question while they speak for themselves. Something i think was most profound, given it was claimed this individual tries to shut people up and prevent them from speaking.. but the reaction to this has appeared to be the opposite. I shared it because i personally have the opinion that both sides should have the freedom to express themselves and state their case and opinions. This documentary is the perfect and absolute example of both sides expressing what their truths mean to them and what their opinions are on the movements. All the awhile there were no, as claimed by the regional officers, fascist material, hateful speech, violent acts against a community, or lie was presented within the documentary. I even went so far as to challenge this notion by giving them the gotcha by going on the documentary to collecting the timestamp of the accusations and presenting them for me to review and reconsider my opinion that this film was nothing of what the reason for being opposed by people in fear others would see and judge it for themselves. It's not like i would ever post a link to "Triumph of The Nation" or some horrible movement and ideology of true hate and bigotry. Now that would warrant all the backlash it deserves.

Since and aside from this one issue, i have shifted and put my opinions and provided counter-arguments, with factbooks to the following issues: The existence of De-Transitioners, Transracials, the ability to ask people to elect me through their endorsement (their choice not regional officers), talked about my personal life, defended the ability of others to speak their opinions and advising those who said actual hateful things to please tone down (which asking nicely worked). All such being suppressed every single time with multiple attempted reports even going so far as i was told they conspired in their discord club to seek my DEAT.. for simply an opinion, an opinion that holds a threat to their establishment grip on what opinions are and aren't allowed to be discussed in a region full and designed of rejected opinions.
[hr]

Difference between Realintova and previous DEAT nations as stated in previous threads:

[spoiler]I can not speak personally for either side of previous individuals with complaints. All i can assume is at worst these people were wishing harm on people and calling for unusual things. In which case i am sure the site mods were well aware if it warrant a DEAT if an individual was threatening in such ways. However for myself? I have been accused of spam, all of my posts can be found on the TRR rmb page and searched through filtering my nation's posts. The post that has been deleted was also not spam, but if posting a link at the end is spam, then i feel bad for those who do the same with signatures, other factbooks, and when trying to stick to and reply within the conversation at hand. I never posted the same factbook twice in a row, each was with a different factbook or with the links changed to prevent actual spam. I was told cross-regional posting was spam, however, i saw examples of this in other regions with other factbooks and was presented the idea as a suggestion to do to take the conversation elsewhere and to drop it if it was unwelcoming since i didn't move there in warming that i would also be banned from there and just returned to TRR anyways. So i stuck to the advice and posted my factbook only once. No spam. No different than anyone else who would post and carry a conversation elsewhere. I was also unaware of a rule if one couldn't hold the same subject conversations in multiple regions. If i could go back however, i probably wouldn't have done that, and would have rather now because of this, kept the receipts of the ban to more so prove the inability to freely bring up sharable content, and debate issues some elitists wish to suppress. Anyway, my actions were not the same as previous DEATers, and i was sure to read the rules and seek advice from people i thought knew better than myself.

TRR a place for the rejected of all political opinions:

Suppression has been proven not to work?:

"We’re a unique type of region compared to all the other regions, but we still have our own community.":

"I can’t imagine TRR abusing a mute button":

"how many players we can have muted at once":

"stuck with players we shouldn’t have to be stuck with."

"They can always go make their own region, but they choose to stick around":

Link to my posts Alternatively see my factbooks to review content if it's threatening life, an individual, or contains doxing:

Screenshots sent via supporters of free speech and posting:

"What’s to stop an RO of any other region from banjecting a nation to win a debate? This is just giving us Rejects an equiv.":

-----New thread

The first post was a main reply to what i would address from the first thread that was linked. This i can't promise could have been shorter, because of the discussion loops. Thus i figure this deserves its own post to address this specific current thread points i felt need addressing from my side and opinions.

TRR is a unique sinker region where we get all the rejects from the game.:

"Meaning we get fascists, homophobes/transphobes, racists, anti-vaxxers, etc."

"we have zero way to moderate this in any meaningful way,"

"moderation has made it clear to us that they will not intervene as hate speech is regularly spammed on our RMB"

"Fine, that's how the site is. The rest of the site though isn't forced constantly see hate speech spammed constantly on their RMB.":

"if this could be implemented in all regions"?!:

"it obviously benefits us because of our yuckies."

"This post isn't to complain about the moderator's ruling on Realintova's posts"

"The link was spammed over half a dozen times, then spammed to every single region TRR shares an embassy"

"This is hateful spam. It's not the spam that is smacking a keyboard or posting in fast succession, but this is spam. And it's being ignored. https://www.nationstates.net/page=activ ... filter=rmb":

"founded a day and 13 hours ago, all they have done is post transphobic garbage,":

"Introducing a slow mode, They show up, spam out links to transphobic/homophobic shit, then disappear again.":

"All I ask on this is that there is some sincere consideration given to a mute button, or finding some solution for TRR to maintain our community."

"We see our rights being stripped away in our real lives"

"we are scared for our wellbeings."

"just written off as wanting a safe space,"

"I just ask for empathy."

"1. It would keep the malicious off through keeping it off the RMB? I'm confused on the first question.
2. They keep posting the links, which can still be opened and viewed by anyone. This is more harmful than a mute.
3. Then they can go and complain about the evil fascist bigot TRR ROs who suppress their posts. This is a thread about giving regions the power to moderate their own regions, not about policing every region possible on this game.":

1. I believe i understand what is being asked here, and my response to this is that no malicious content was posted. As per links shared, i was truthful within the factbook to its legal and original content that was being provided for those clicking to see. No content broke site rules on what is bannable. Nothing even fascist or nazi related despite some, in their opinion, would auto-label it and other debatable opinions and content as such.

2. As stated before, the post and links were not of the same copied and pasted words, and i was sure to never post the same factbook in a row. Even if so, i have been pointed out to that nation's post factbooks in a row and haven't been labeled as spam before. Likely because it didn't contain content certain individuals would consider something they disagree with. Most i saw were campaigning, newsletters, roleplay bio, ooc bio, etc variations.

3. This simply isn't so simplistic. Yes, they can leave, but there's a high likelihood that the very nation that leaves TRR can get yeeted back to TRR and be forced and subjected to limit their speech and opinions again. The regional officers of TRR can suppress, but in the end, they shouldn't have more abilities than others that would defeat the natural law of the region. What natural law? The law of physics in TRR from what i have come to know is a very unique and experimental perfect design. It's the Only region that can not banject those who disagree with them, fully suppress conversations, or ignore the will of the masses shouldn't they slowly tire of an oppressive government to revolt and state self-proclaimed elections, such self-proclaiming would be just one example of abuse of such 26hr muting powers, or any muting for that matter. It's a region of an anarcho-democratic society full of rejects of all spaces of NationStates that can and should have the full exercising rights to express themselves and not be forced to follow the will of the minority elites in power who they, not of the majority, determined their own rule by rule and case by case. As said before endless times, if they do not like such an anarchy democratic state, then why are they, fully aware, and willingly staying in such a region and trying to rule it for themselves? Why do they not simply take their own advice and go where they can complain about the masses ignoring them and their rejected laws and whatever conversations and links they wish to share? They have the ability beyond NationStates to also have their safe space on Discord, they have access to other GCRs and some multi-citizenships, possibly even multiple privileges to moderate in other regions should they wish. That's up to their free will to choose just as much as we do. The only difference here is one side wants grip and the ability to have the final say when the rejected stacks against them.

Thank you for your time.

I will let this course play out, but i would like to say i also didn't plan or think this to go as far as it did. I wasn't aware of all the technicalities, and i have learned a lot with my time on this amazing site. I jist felt personally targeted for my opinions, and especially when my not hot takes were also suppressed, such as my post about interest i enjoy when it was generally asked. I took it direct with people telling me how to compel my posts, posts not even related to political topics, all because i have a factbook to a documentary called What Is A Women linked to Twitter for free that they don't want people to view, in their opinion. I believe should see have the option to post such things it for others if they wish to share links to videos that don't brake site rules, and without any harm to themselves or others. It seemed more of a them issue than me or the moderators. I'm in full support of the moderator's muting posts that openly call for harm to individuals or express swastikas. But opinions, sharing different factbooks occasionally? I rest my case. Have a good evening fellow players.

I suppose if i were to support any ideas, it may be the slowpost option. A reasonable timing would be once every two to three minutes. Time for the individuals to fully read and review their post, while that time spam seems appropriate for a busy rmb where people seem to post every 1 or 30 seconds in their typing paste. Overall i think the current system is fine, and others just need to respect that not everyone is going to have the same opinions as them and that even though they can suppress a post, that dosen't mean mods should be brought in to delete conversations and shared links that only those who are intrested would click for themselves. I think that's pretty reasonable and simple put. I apologize for the ruffle of the regional quo and will promise to keep the factbooks sharing down to occasionally and not multiple within an hour, or in cased of slow days then once a day. I'm usually only on at nights when my day is over, and i definitely don't have the time to keep up to date conversation 24/7, so im really a small sparkle.

by **Zukchiva** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:50 pm

Support for a mute button, both for TRR and other regions. It'd be a helpful regional moderation tool, especially for TRR since TRR only has suppressions.

by **Darcania** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:38 pm

Full support for a mute button for TRR. Given that it's a GCR, perhaps the influence cost for a tempmute could be modeled after the influence costs for a kick, and a permamute be modeled after the influence cost for a ban. Since a permamute button would be similar in effect to a ban button for non-TRR regions, I don't personally see a particular need to special-case the code for it to just TRR - just make it available to every region since every other region already has banning authority.

by **EuroStralia** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:45 pm

I'm against a mute button for TRR, it can and most likley would be used to censor opinions that the ROs don't likr, and a permanent mute button is just absurd

by **Darcania** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:50 pm

EuroStralia wrote:I'm against a mute button for TRR, it can and most likley would be used to censor opinions that the ROs don't likr, and a permanent mute button is just absurd

That's true of any other region, and moderation has generally held that regions are permitted to use their authority however they please. Nations that don't like how their region's ROs use their authority are encouraged to either change who those ROs are or find / found a region more friendly to their opinions.

by **Quebecshire** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:02 pm

Darcania wrote:
EuroStralia wrote:I'm against a mute button for TRR, it can and most likley would be used to censor opinions that the ROs don't likr, and a permanent mute button is just absurd

That's true of any other region, and moderation has generally held that regions are permitted to use their authority however they please. Nations that don't like how their region's ROs use their authority are encouraged to either change who those ROs are or find / found a region more friendly to their opinions.

Right. And if TRR was meant to be the wild west and nothing more, it shouldn't have a delegacy or ROs at all. But that's obviously absurd.

It's a place for rejected nations to congregate (not necessarily remain there!) after ejection, and it has a government and authority all the same. It's not some anarchist shithole just because the mechanics vary slightly - so giving it (and other regions) a mute button is perfectly reasonable.

by **Unibot III** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 8:05 pm

TRR should not be a place that tolerates hate, however I don’t see how a Mute Button would prevent the kind of numb-skull spam-arguments that traffics this kind of hate because a dumb angry player will just make dozens of accounts to bomb the RMB and disrupt the collective conversation more.

A Mute Button is more likely to be effective on the main accounts of players whose TRR government wants to silence for other reasons than hate. I’ll note that when the Assembly did previously contemplate rewriting the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities to limit the freedom of speech and rejecthood, it wasn’t done to target anti-trans trolls or racists, it was to target me and my benign, infrequent posting…

A filter view, like on the forum, whereby individual players can block themselves from seeing the posts of specific players would be more effective at easing the need for interaction with these players. And although nowadays it’s common for regions in NS to celebrate Pride week, TRR was among the very first to do so and I think that these celebrations could be better organized to counter hate on the RMB — my mind goes to a Pride “Parade” organized to overwhelm the RMB with support, for instance.

But I digress, my main point is I think a Mute Button would be a clumsy tool that would be more effective on political critics than bigots and the discussions surrounding the use of the Mute Button would be a source of endless but trite debate on the RMB that would act as a proxy for the debate on trans-rights but would be more complicated for local authorities to moderate because it concerns free speech.

EDIT: Someone messaged me to say Pride is never a week long — it’s Pride Month here!!!!

by **Flanderlion** » Fri Jun 09, 2023 9:09 pm

I don't think anything has changed from the last thread bar the main decision maker. Still not a great idea, and one that goes against the kind of idea for NS. If you don't like your region mates (the onsite ones), move. Anything breaking the rules should be GHRed, and anything that isn't against the rules is either fine, or should be argued for a rule change?

[Gameside Comms] Mute Button Thread Electric Boogaloo

[Gameside Comms] Mute Button Thread Electric Boogaloo

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