Essay on chat rules

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    • Essay on chat rules

      Please note this is a thread written from a subjective point of view. The statements below are not guaranteed true or complete.

      Why argues are bad is intuitive, but it helps if you get their nature in an internet society (feel free to skip this):

      Every person has a unique set of experiences (incl. those others shared, not just own) which make up their personality and opinions.
      In this very integrated world, media is complex and very possible to manipulate people with. For example, repeatedly exposing people to an experience (like an ad) or opinion makes them trust it more.

      If many people confirm the same thing based on experience, there is a very (exponentially) low chance that it was just a coincidence. So, we value opinions far more if more persons have confirmed it.

      Most people don't even have control or awareness of how certain information gets to them. On the internet, you can arrange an illusion of most people confirming a theory even if most of them didn't (typically for social media, your friends' activities cause you to be offered groups agreeing with you more often than those who don't). Hence:

      Discussions that deal with politics, ideology and similar controversial topics are to be performed with extra care and with sensitivity.

      The complexity of the internet leads to incredible diversity in opinions. Every party has different interests and makes people believe in different things. The people often have an illusion of overwhelming proof on their side (which could be achieved with common tricks) and are tempted to attack the opinion of the other. It's also very difficult to find and weigh proof on the internet, so controversial topics result in endless arguments. The people getting banned for this are often nice and support the community. Even if the argument is avoided, frequently forcing one's self to be silent can cause a decline of self-control and get the person banned for being unable to control their emotions. Venting anger also releases dopamine, and the person may get "addicted" to anger. So, tense situations are better avoided completely.

      ...a number of subjects are strictly prohibited. These include but are not limited to:

      • Glorification or advocation of Nazism.

      • The making of racist, sexist, homophobic or extremist statements

      • Glorification or advocation of violence, drugs or pornography.

      • The use of swear words and cursing in general.

      • Denigration of one particular nation (nation bashing)


      Those are related, as they are inappropriate, offensive towards a society or group of people, or support breaking human rights/other laws. Tense situations are better avoided, as stated earlier.
      Communication through chat lacks many aspects and it's difficult to interpret something correctly. Even if you meant it the good way (named yourself after someone?), it's hard to tell how you meant it through just the text. And, being prepared for defence is good, so people tend to interpret such unclear actions the bad way and get aggressive, hence the need to stop those names.

      It is strictly forbidden to publish or otherwise reveal any correspondence between game support staff and players as well as any private communication between players.
      All staff and players are to respect the privacy of all Call of War users and are prohibited from disclosing any personal information ... without the prior consent of the person in question.

      In live chat, we know too little about other people to judge what would offend or damage them, so it's better to avoid disclosing PM and personal information completely. This also prevents blackmailing to an extent.

      Troll is the term used to describe a user who focuses on violating chat rules or accepted norms of good taste and appropriate behaviour by making inappropriate posts or creating disruption in the chat channels.

      Trolling - intentionally breaking rules and/or annoying or angering other people (incl. mods) - is difficult to define as a set of exact things one shouldn't do, as trolls will always find a new way to bypass it. So, we rely on abstract thinking. Telling where one is the offender and is stepping over the line is up to the mods, and affected people usually respond negatively, so it's not hard to tell when one should stop.

      At times a player may not agree with the actions taken by staff. In that eventuality, the player is to refrain from commencing an argument in a public chat channel and should instead use a private message or whisper to the relevant staff member or another staff member if required. Similarly, it is also prohibited to discuss, in public, the actions taken by a staff member against other players. This can be done in private.

      Discussing staff actions in public causes disruption. Firstly, affected users tend to have a very subjective point of view and spread misinformation about the mods, or use methods like multi accounts to stalk the mod. Secondly, there are hidden aspects that most users can't really see, so they cannot judge the action objectively, it'll be distorted. Mods are fairly active and trained, so they can provide good advice or explanations in case a user feels unfairly treated by staff. Going public can cause disruption and arguments, as the points of view vary greatly.

      For the purposes of the chat channels spam is defined as, but not limited to:

      • Empty or no grammatical structure


      • Strings of characters which do not constitute words or a sentence


      • Constant repetition of word or characters


      • Overuse of uppercase characters (Caps), smilies or other special commands


      • Message flooding, sometimes referred to as ‘scrolling’


      • Basically a post should contribute to the topic and be self-explanatory.
      Spam, I feel, is quite clear. Chat is a place to discuss different matters and meet other players. A message that does not contribute (carry information, express an emotion or reaction or anything in general, to another chat user) is considered spam, which you should stop doing once you're aware of it.

      Grammatical structure, caps etc. can also change the way other users view the message. If this change in view is unfriendly and interrupts others or causes problems, it can also be considered spam. For example, caps are relevant to show which parts of the post are important. Overused caps don't make much sense, as you only express the importance of the whole message. A truly important message is one that the other users find important even without it being emphasized.
      Caps also tend to be interpreted as shouting, which can become offensive and cause arguments.
      As I like to say, "the significant gravitational curvation caused by caps causes a black hole to be formed, which then absorbs the author of the message."

      As @PrinceofHonor claimed some time ago, posting third party links isn't necessarily prohibited. It's allowed, as long as it doesn't break other rules (= is relevant and not spam, the content isn't inappropriate etc.)
      "In CoW, don't stamp on things before looking. Rakes are everywhere!"

      "Don't underestimate noobs; if they don't know what they're doing, how can you?"

      Hornetkeeper

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Hornetkeeper: Minor addition ().

    • The deliberate advertising of other online games that compete directly with Call of War in terms of game genre or subject matter is forbidden. This excludes other Bytro Labs games.

      The discussion about existing or future accounts in such games is also prohibited.

      This is punishable by a temporary or permanent removal from the chat.

      (Note: You can talk about other games but not advertise)


      This is self-explanatory, nothing to add here.

      Instructions for cheating

      All information / instructions on how to use multiple accounts or commit other violations of the Terms and Conditions are prohibited.

      File Sharing Tools etc.

      Discussions of torrents and file sharing tools and links to such tools are prohibited.


      Supporting breaking rules is of course punished just like the breaking itself.

      Allegations, which can damage or ruin the reputation of other users/alliances, are strictly prohibited in the chat channels. This is necessary to prevent a possible witch hunt. Likewise publishing player blacklists or links to such lists is prohibited.

      Again, the information about other users isn't sufficient (=enough) to tell how disclosing something would affect them. It's better to ask for permission before disclosing, and avoid offensive jokes, as the affected person may not find them as funny. Their reaction (even if not necessarily defensive) usually tells you when to stop.
      Blacklists are offensive and cause a feeling of being stalked to the affected people. It also buries their attempts to recover from being involved in something and getting a reputation for it. It's generally better to find a peaceful solution and get rule-breakers to stop, than blacklist them.

      Posts which speak ill of Bytro Labs, its staff (professional and volunteer) or the game or that could deter new players are strictly prohibited in the chat channels as is the agitation against features of the game, especially to Gold, High Command and their users is strictly prohibited.

      The denunciation of Bytro/staff/premium features is directly competing with Bytro's interests, so is obviously prohibited. However, agitating against the features in general is disallowed, which can be difficult to interpret correctly.
      It is of course allowed and essential for the game's evolvement to provide feedback about its features. However, a subjective message with expressive words, or one that accuses the staff, is rather a disruption. In case of negative response from the other users despite the post being "constructive" in your opinion, it's better to contact the staff or find a community that appreciates feedback more. Only if the post has the potential to start a constructive discussion in the community, can it be considered feedback and approved.

      Problems with staff should be solved in private. It's a general rule which prevents affected people with a highly subjective view of the situation from making distorted claims and causing tension or damaging the mods' reputation.

      Answering to, citing or copying a post related to a violation of the rules is prohibited. The moderators do not have to issue a warning, and such behaviour can be punished as hard as the violation it refers to.

      Moderators can issue advice that the current actions or topics in chat channel are, in their consideration, inappropriate.
      It is entirely in the remit of a moderator to apply his judgement to the situation and decide if it is impacting negatively on the atmosphere that Bytro expects in its chat channels or on other users in said chat. Whilst the rules above are comprehensive they cannot anticipate every eventuality, hence the need for a moderator to make a judgement call.

      Mods aren't obligated to issue warnings at all. Problematic behaviour is difficult to define as a set of certain rules, so some responsibility is left to the mods. Therefore, direction from staff is to be followed even if it isn't based on the chat rules.
      Warnings are often a better solution. But, it depends on the context - if someone commits to a violation repeatedly, for example, they should know it's a violation, so there's no reason to warn them.

      Banning uses power to limit someone's "freedom" in the game, which very often offends the banned person. It can make nice people break rules, multi-account etc. For this reason, when you see a rule breaker, maybe it's better to convince them to stop than to get them banned. Bans are usually used just if it's the only way to solve the problem - EN mods are patient:)

      Violations of criminal law can be forwarded to the relevant authority (eg. a court) to take action. Nothing to add to that.

      Disciplinary actions by users which lie within the scope of the duties of the moderators and the demanding of bans are frowned upon and may result in a warning or temporary disabling. Should a user wish to express their concerns then they should do this via whisper.

      Human societies have statuses, which provide certain privileges to people who have proven themselves relevant. This further supports genetically superior individuals and accelerates evolution. For this to work, the people have to follow and protect the system. If the people feel like someone gained a post unfairly or is using the benefits of a post they haven't gained, they will attempt to reject the person.
      See where we're going. If someone intentionally behaves like a mod, society may judge this person hasn't proven themselves relevant to be a mod. It's time to reject that person. Unfortunately, live chat is a simple place and is independent on life, so it lacks some social connections, making it difficult to "reject" a person (the only way is get them banned). So, the attempt to reject someone usually ends up in a pointless argument.
      Treating the mod as inferior, and disrespecting their authority in general, can cause great irritation to both the mod and other users. It also often starts disputes, as the mod is trained for chat, so the user disregarding the mod's authority is usually judged as "overconfident".

      The sole effort to prevent people from breaking rules is not prohibited. What's considered deputy modding is intentionally copying the mods' habits and disciplinary actions to look like a mod, without contributing to their work. Even if your efforts against rule-breaking are successful, it's better to avoid copying mods if there is another, comparably effective way to achieve the same. As stated earlier, "wannabe mods" can cause tension in chat, due to the tendency of people to reject the unfair gaining or imitating privileges.

      Sidenote: If you wish to get a further or less nerd explanation (don't understand a ban etc.), it's recommended to contact a mod (not me, I'm not very active) in a private conversation. If you choose to go public, please remember not to disclose any personal information - name, alliance etc. nor about the executive (mod or game operator), nor about the affected player.
      "In CoW, don't stamp on things before looking. Rakes are everywhere!"

      "Don't underestimate noobs; if they don't know what they're doing, how can you?"

      Hornetkeeper

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Hornetkeeper ().

    • MiloK32 wrote:

      man that took me a long time to scroll through I barely read it.
      It's my nature to be nerd-ish and complicated. It's more like for specific cases, where you don't understand a certain rule. Reading through all of it must be a pain for people with worse English. :D
      And I respond on forum sometimes, so specific questions are welcome (as there are many ways to explain this and including all of them in a single thread would be too time-consuming). But keep in mind what I said earlier, no "reports" (specific names, other personal information) about the involved people if it describes an event where the mods/staff intervened (=took action).
      "In CoW, don't stamp on things before looking. Rakes are everywhere!"

      "Don't underestimate noobs; if they don't know what they're doing, how can you?"

      Hornetkeeper
    • Claudio von Panjim wrote:

      Essay on chat rules while a whole page is there for it? That's DEDICATION. Also in the last paragraph, I think you are going to be a moderator, maybe a spoiler?
      He refused to become a moderator some time ago when he was asked.
      BMfox
      Moderator
      EN Community Support | Bytro Gmbh

      Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BMfoxCallofWar


      Found a bug or need help? Send a ticket here!
    • I have a question about this point.

      Hornetkeeper wrote:



      All information / instructions on how to use multiple accounts or commit other violations of the Terms and Conditions are prohibited.

      File Sharing Tools etc.

      Discussions of torrents and file sharing tools and links to such tools are prohibited.

      Can any mod tell me if Discord is considered "file sharing tool"? asking, because there are many community discord servers and ability to post invite to them would be great to improve the chance of regular players without alliances to see that something like this exists. @BMfox you are active mod, can you maybe answer this question?
    • laaaaaaaaga wrote:

      I have a question about this point.

      Hornetkeeper wrote:

      All information / instructions on how to use multiple accounts or commit other violations of the Terms and Conditions are prohibited.

      File Sharing Tools etc.

      Discussions of torrents and file sharing tools and links to such tools are prohibited.
      Can any mod tell me if Discord is considered "file sharing tool"? asking, because there are many community discord servers and ability to post invite to them would be great to improve the chance of regular players without alliances to see that something like this exists. @BMfox you are active mod, can you maybe answer this question?
      Bytro is working on their own official Discord server and all Bytro Staff uses Discord, so no :)
      BMfox
      Moderator
      EN Community Support | Bytro Gmbh

      Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BMfoxCallofWar


      Found a bug or need help? Send a ticket here!
    • laaaaaaaaga wrote:

      Can any mod tell me if Discord is considered "file sharing tool"? asking, because there are many community discord servers and ability to post invite to them would be great to improve the chance of regular players without alliances to see that something like this exists. @BMfox you are active mod, can you maybe answer this question?
      Discord is used in pretty much every game community and it's fine to discuss it. The definition of "file-sharing tool" has a wide range. I think Bytro has a boundary, making them responsible for not supporting those (probably in the server user terms or something). They of course don't prohibit Discord as, after all, most active alliances and so mods use it.

      They're obligated to take a measure against the tools, but try to define that measure in such a way that the beneficial tools can be allowed. You aren't breaking a rule/convention if you aren't causing the problems it's trying to prevent - by defining the measure differently they aren't breaking the convention, just taking responsibility for this definition to work as properly as the other definitions.
      Nerd explanation lol.
      "In CoW, don't stamp on things before looking. Rakes are everywhere!"

      "Don't underestimate noobs; if they don't know what they're doing, how can you?"

      Hornetkeeper
    • Hornetkeeper wrote:

      Please note this is a thread written from a subjective point of view. The statements below are not guaranteed true or complete.

      Why argues are bad is intuitive, but it helps if you get their nature in an internet society (feel free to skip this):

      Every person has a unique set of experiences (incl. those others shared, not just own) which make up their personality and opinions.
      In this very integrated world, media is complex and very possible to manipulate people with. For example, repeatedly exposing people to an experience (like an ad) or opinion makes them trust it more.

      If many people confirm the same thing based on experience, there is a very (exponentially) low chance that it was just a coincidence. So, we value opinions far more if more persons have confirmed it.

      Most people don't even have control or awareness of how certain information gets to them. On the internet, you can arrange an illusion of most people confirming a theory even if most of them didn't (typically for social media, your friends' activities cause you to be offered groups agreeing with you more often than those who don't). Hence:

      Discussions that deal with politics, ideology and similar controversial topics are to be performed with extra care and with sensitivity.

      The complexity of the internet leads to incredible diversity in opinions. Every party has different interests and makes people believe in different things. The people often have an illusion of overwhelming proof on their side (which could be achieved with common tricks) and are tempted to attack the opinion of the other. It's also very difficult to find and weigh proof on the internet, so controversial topics result in endless arguments. The people getting banned for this are often nice and support the community. Even if the argument is avoided, frequently forcing one's self to be silent can cause a decline of self-control and get the person banned for being unable to control their emotions. Venting anger also releases dopamine, and the person may get "addicted" to anger. So, tense situations are better avoided completely.

      ...a number of subjects are strictly prohibited. These include but are not limited to:

      • Glorification or advocation of Nazism.
      • The making of racist, sexist, homophobic or extremist statements
      • Glorification or advocation of violence, drugs or pornography.
      • The use of swear words and cursing in general.
      • Denigration of one particular nation (nation bashing)


      Those are related, as they are inappropriate, offensive towards a society or group of people, or support breaking human rights/other laws. Tense situations are better avoided, as stated earlier.
      Communication through chat lacks many aspects and it's difficult to interpret something correctly. Even if you meant it the good way (named yourself after someone?), it's hard to tell how you meant it through just the text. And, being prepared for defence is good, so people tend to interpret such unclear actions the bad way and get aggressive, hence the need to stop those names.

      It is strictly forbidden to publish or otherwise reveal any correspondence between game support staff and players as well as any private communication between players.
      All staff and players are to respect the privacy of all Call of War users and are prohibited from disclosing any personal information ... without the prior consent of the person in question.

      In live chat, we know too little about other people to judge what would offend or damage them, so it's better to avoid disclosing PM and personal information completely. This also prevents blackmailing to an extent.

      Troll is the term used to describe a user who focuses on violating chat rules or accepted norms of good taste and appropriate behaviour by making inappropriate posts or creating disruption in the chat channels.

      Trolling - intentionally breaking rules and/or annoying or angering other people (incl. mods) - is difficult to define as a set of exact things one shouldn't do, as trolls will always find a new way to bypass it. So, we rely on abstract thinking. Telling where one is the offender and is stepping over the line is up to the mods, and affected people usually respond negatively, so it's not hard to tell when one should stop.

      At times a player may not agree with the actions taken by staff. In that eventuality, the player is to refrain from commencing an argument in a public chat channel and should instead use a private message or whisper to the relevant staff member or another staff member if required. Similarly, it is also prohibited to discuss, in public, the actions taken by a staff member against other players. This can be done in private.

      Discussing staff actions in public causes disruption. Firstly, affected users tend to have a very subjective point of view and spread misinformation about the mods, or use methods like multi accounts to stalk the mod. Secondly, there are hidden aspects that most users can't really see, so they cannot judge the action objectively, it'll be distorted. Mods are fairly active and trained, so they can provide good advice or explanations in case a user feels unfairly treated by staff. Going public can cause disruption and arguments, as the points of view vary greatly.

      For the purposes of the chat channels spam is defined as, but not limited to:

      • Empty or no grammatical structure
      • Strings of characters which do not constitute words or a sentence
      • Constant repetition of word or characters
      • Overuse of uppercase characters (Caps), smilies or other special commands
      • Message flooding, sometimes referred to as ‘scrolling’
      • Basically a post should contribute to the topic and be self-explanatory.
      Spam, I feel, is quite clear. Chat is a place to discuss different matters and meet other players. A message that does not contribute (carry information, express an emotion or reaction or anything in general, to another chat user) is considered spam, which you should stop doing once you're aware of it.

      Grammatical structure, caps etc. can also change the way other users view the message. If this change in view is unfriendly and interrupts others or causes problems, it can also be considered spam. For example, caps are relevant to show which parts essaypapers.reviews/ the post are important. Overused caps don't make much sense, as you only express the importance of the whole message. A truly important message is one that the other users find important even without it being emphasized.
      Caps also tend to be interpreted as shouting, which can become offensive and cause arguments.
      As I like to say, "the significant gravitational curvation caused by caps causes a black hole to be formed, which then absorbs the author of the message."

      As @PrinceofHonor claimed some time ago, posting third party links isn't necessarily prohibited. It's allowed, as long as it doesn't break other rules (= is relevant and not spam, the content isn't inappropriate etc.)
      Nice! I like these idea

      The post was edited 4 times, last by Tessaconnolly ().