How will the AI that monitors our in-game chats effect RP?

Tandor

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

Syldras

If it's all just a false rumour, it can't be that hard to issue a short statement about it.

ArchangelIsraphel

Tandor wrote: »

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

Unfortunately, in order to have a private conversation anywhere online, you have to sign up to some form of "someone else's" software. While it is understandable that a company may be concerned about being held liable for certain types of conversation, what is happening in this instance, where users are afraid to even discuss themes and events within the games lore, goes far beyond reason. Discretion should be used, and context should be considered, rather than applying the TOS bluntly across the board.

Varana

jaws343 wrote: »

You are playing a game and chatting in someone else's platform, literally the only privacy you are guaranteed in private chat is privacy from other players. Zos shouldn't, and doesn't have to, tolerate their game chat system being used for communication they do not condone, even if it is done under the guise of role play or under a "shield" of acceptance by the parties involved in the conversation.

It's not "under the guise" or "shield".
It's literally that.
I find that insinuation that the concern over RP or private conversations is just an excuse, really quite unsettling.

Xandreia_

Syldras wrote: »

If it's all just a false rumour, it can't be that hard to issue a short statement about it.

sadly zos dont do statements, we are still waiting on comments about the recent major issues with lag..

Ugrak

Tandor wrote: »

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

True, but compliance with the TOS is not the point in and of itself. They are simply means available toward keeping the operation running smoothly. There's legal compliance of course, but fundamentally it's a business, people go in, have fun, and there is a series of things for them to spend money on while there. Basically you can discipline or throw out individuals whose behavior negatively affect other customers, possibly causing them to leave. So you throw out the disruptors so that the paying customers keep coming back.

You could of course choose to run your business as if it was a cruel dictatorship, looking for any excuse to use the full power of the TOS against every customer you see. Leveraging any failure to demonstrate perfect compliance at all times with no regard toward context. But that is also a good way to no longer have a business.

Of course it's worth adding that any expectation of true privacy is indeed unreasonable outside of a properly encrypted channel, simply because otherwise it will be visible for anyone who cares to look.

Four_Fingers

The only problem with artificial intelligence (AI) is when it is managed by real stupidity (RS).

tomofhyrule

I’m following this thread pretty closely because it definitely seems concerning. AI (or any other automated system) cannot by definition be held accountable, and therefore it should not be allowed to make unilateral decisions.

Whether this is a system that’s actually happening (and causing the tired hamsters we’ve noticed the last few weeks) or whether someone is just using this as a scapegoat for something actionable, this is a fear that is getting out of hand. We had the same fear a year or so ago when there were a number of reports that ZOS was cracking down on character names — even deeming some lore-friendly names inappropriate — and we never officially got a resolution on that one.

Regardless, AI/bot moderation is not something that should be the norm. Flagging? Sure. But banning no-questions-asked? Absolutely not. Especially when it concerns things like a private chat between consenting adults, or even a general frustrated exasperation in a solo instance.

I’ll admit, I have a… less than appropriate name for a certain boss in this game, and anyone who knows me knows exactly which one it is. I even gave that name to my Dressing Room loadout — granted that’s an addon so the data is saved locally and not transmitted to anyone, but I’d hate to get a hit on my account because Z’Maja got offended when I called her a bad name in a build description.

Now if the concern is to action people who send toxic whispers while appearing offline (as is commonly assumed as a ‘get out of teabagging free’ card since then nobody can tell you they disapprove), it’s easier to then make it so appearing offline just also removes the ability to send whispers/mails as well or just disable chat if you’re appearing offline altogether. But actioning someone who playfully ribs a friend who consents and does not object to that is not appropriate.

I also wonder if, again assuming that this is a thing, that this is not a decision from ZOS, but a word from even higher declaring that all studios underneath must put in these automods. There have been several examples of executives who love to send out dictates on the games under them because they thought something would be good, while having little to no clue about what the players actually want or need.

I would also assume that we’d need to wait for the legal department to weigh in before Kevin can give us an answer. I hope we get something to assuage our fears, unlike with the name thing, because I’m not gonna lie — every DLC, I’m in fear that ZOS will end up picking a name for one of their NPCs that I’ve used for years, and then I’d be handed an action to force a name change for my main.

…and having a playerbase that’s just living in fear is not a good way to keep a healthy culture in this world.

sarahthes

It is curious that it's only the casuals and rpers who are getting bans handed out by this automated system while the toxic endgame PvPers and PvEers haven't had any auto bans that I'm aware of (on PC NA). I don't know the PvP community as well but PvE can be just as bad and when someone gets a ban for anything it does get around.

Personally I'd like to see a (redacted) screenshot of one of these bans because despite the fact of multiple people claiming it's happened to them I haven't seen a single one.

endorphinsplox

sarahthes wrote: »

It is curious that it's only the casuals and rpers who are getting bans handed out by this automated system while the toxic endgame PvPers and PvEers haven't had any auto bans that I'm aware of (on PC NA). I don't know the PvP community as well but PvE can be just as bad and when someone gets a ban for anything it does get around.

Personally I'd like to see a (redacted) screenshot of one of these bans because despite the fact of multiple people claiming it's happened to them I haven't seen a single one.

There are screenshots around, but it is against forum rules to post details of any disciplinary action so it won't be here.

manukartofanu

thorwyn wrote: »

It would be fair if private chats in the game were not accessible by default. But since they are accessible, it's obviously unclear to the bot who is a friend and who isn't. In a system where absolutely anyone can send you a private message saying anything at all, monitoring private chats is quite justified.

If anyone is offended by a private message, they can report the offense and let ZOS decide based on the chatlogs AFTERWARDS. It is NOT a justification to tolerate an intrusion of privacy.

In this case, it's quite simple. Either the company leaves everything to run its course, which would result in no bans and a toxic community, or they hire a massive team and pay a lot of money to maintain it, or they implement semi-automated ban systems where a bot does most of the work, and occasionally, some individual tickets will be reviewed by humans.

Now the question is, what do you prefer? Personally, I would choose the second or third option, as I don't want the community to become toxic. The company probably doesn't want that either, but they're looking at what's cheaper, so they opt for the third option.

By the way, even if all tickets were reviewed by moderators, there would still be unhappy people because, "surprise-surprise," you might not like the moderators' decisions. And explaining exactly why you got banned is not the right thing to do, because that way, you could figure out who reported you. And then there's the issue of context that people like to bring up. Do you really think a live moderator will have hours to delve into your context? They'll look at the same thing the bot looks at and ban you, because they'll have a maximum of five minutes per ticket.

By the way, what does the term 'private message' even mean? Since when is it private? Did anyone guarantee you the privacy of your messages in chat under the terms of the agreement? This isn’t Telegram. Here, you are on a public platform, and you're just writing messages in a chat, which can be public, thematic, or zoned. You can also message someone directly, but that doesn’t make it a private conversation.

Pelanora

Automatic decision making is against their own terms of service for a large chunk of their players. Noone runs two systems.

And zos shouldn't be banning words or phrases. Should ban behaviour.

I really hope the lawyers are reading their own agreements with players.

manukartofanu

Syldras wrote: »

manukartofanu wrote: »

In a system where absolutely anyone can send you a private message saying anything at all, monitoring private chats is quite justified.

What happened to self-responsibility? Why would someone else have to shield me from things that a hypothetical someone might find insulting or crass or whatever without giving me the possibility to decide for my own whether I feel disturbed by it or not? A report button is all that is needed.

I get the feeling that there's a lack of human resources. Have you ever tried reporting someone in this game? It's a pretty difficult task on its own. I suspect you can't report someone quickly, like with a simple click on the message they sent in chat, possibly to reduce the load on support. But that's just speculation. Anyway, no one even responded to my last report. It's hard to tell if it was even reviewed. And I'd really like to know if the person got banned, even for a few days, or if it's acceptable to behave and communicate like that. If it's allowed, I’d start communicating the same way and respond to them in kind, without fear of getting banned. Because it turns out that you're trying to be nice and restrained, while some random person throws insults at you and wishes death on you and your whole family, and it’s all fine for them, and you’ll never even know if they faced any punishment for it. That’s exactly why I’m all for at least AI moderation, since there aren’t enough human resources for it.

And please, don’t tell me about the block button. The point isn’t to avoid ever talking to that person again – that’s a given. The point is whether or not such behavior is allowed in the game at all.

JavaRen

endorphinsplox wrote: »

There are screenshots around, but it is against forum rules to post details of any disciplinary action so it won't be here.

Evidence I can't find has no effect on my beliefs. The only link I can find in multiple "news" articles and discussion goes to a removed Discord post. So I am personally, tentatively, calling this a hoax/ trolling. I will revise my opinion when I have more data.

endorphinsplox

JavaRen wrote: »

endorphinsplox wrote: »

There are screenshots around, but it is against forum rules to post details of any disciplinary action so it won't be here.

Evidence I can't find has no effect on my beliefs. The only link I can find in multiple "news" articles and discussion goes to a removed Discord post. So I am personally, tentatively, calling this a hoax/ trolling. I will revise my opinion when I have more data.

Join ESO RP Discord or RPU's discord.

endorphinsplox

manukartofanu wrote: »

thorwyn wrote: »

It would be fair if private chats in the game were not accessible by default. But since they are accessible, it's obviously unclear to the bot who is a friend and who isn't. In a system where absolutely anyone can send you a private message saying anything at all, monitoring private chats is quite justified.

If anyone is offended by a private message, they can report the offense and let ZOS decide based on the chatlogs AFTERWARDS. It is NOT a justification to tolerate an intrusion of privacy.

In this case, it's quite simple. Either the company leaves everything to run its course, which would result in no bans and a toxic community, or they hire a massive team and pay a lot of money to maintain it, or they implement semi-automated ban systems where a bot does most of the work, and occasionally, some individual tickets will be reviewed by humans.

Now the question is, what do you prefer? Personally, I would choose the second or third option, as I don't want the community to become toxic. The company probably doesn't want that either, but they're looking at what's cheaper, so they opt for the third option.

By the way, even if all tickets were reviewed by moderators, there would still be unhappy people because, "surprise-surprise," you might not like the moderators' decisions. And explaining exactly why you got banned is not the right thing to do, because that way, you could figure out who reported you. And then there's the issue of context that people like to bring up. Do you really think a live moderator will have hours to delve into your context? They'll look at the same thing the bot looks at and ban you, because they'll have a maximum of five minutes per ticket.

By the way, what does the term 'private message' even mean? Since when is it private? Did anyone guarantee you the privacy of your messages in chat under the terms of the agreement? This isn’t Telegram. Here, you are on a public platform, and you're just writing messages in a chat, which can be public, thematic, or zoned. You can also message someone directly, but that doesn’t make it a private conversation.

This is exceptionally dangerous thinking. By their very nature, direct messages should be considered private. A group conversation should only be visible to people in the group, and so on and so forth. Reports do exist for a reason. Yes I agree current reporting seems ineffective, but 24/7 surveillance on private exchanges is far from an effective alternative. There are lots of ways to be toxic without triggering some useless chat filter. Banning toxicity doesn't stop it from existing or even remove it from the game.

kevkj

They should put the forum moderators to work in-game instead so we can have chat messages changed to <snipped> in real time while obvious troll chats remain untouched.

sarahthes

endorphinsplox wrote: »

manukartofanu wrote: »

thorwyn wrote: »

It would be fair if private chats in the game were not accessible by default. But since they are accessible, it's obviously unclear to the bot who is a friend and who isn't. In a system where absolutely anyone can send you a private message saying anything at all, monitoring private chats is quite justified.

If anyone is offended by a private message, they can report the offense and let ZOS decide based on the chatlogs AFTERWARDS. It is NOT a justification to tolerate an intrusion of privacy.

In this case, it's quite simple. Either the company leaves everything to run its course, which would result in no bans and a toxic community, or they hire a massive team and pay a lot of money to maintain it, or they implement semi-automated ban systems where a bot does most of the work, and occasionally, some individual tickets will be reviewed by humans.

Now the question is, what do you prefer? Personally, I would choose the second or third option, as I don't want the community to become toxic. The company probably doesn't want that either, but they're looking at what's cheaper, so they opt for the third option.

By the way, even if all tickets were reviewed by moderators, there would still be unhappy people because, "surprise-surprise," you might not like the moderators' decisions. And explaining exactly why you got banned is not the right thing to do, because that way, you could figure out who reported you. And then there's the issue of context that people like to bring up. Do you really think a live moderator will have hours to delve into your context? They'll look at the same thing the bot looks at and ban you, because they'll have a maximum of five minutes per ticket.

By the way, what does the term 'private message' even mean? Since when is it private? Did anyone guarantee you the privacy of your messages in chat under the terms of the agreement? This isn’t Telegram. Here, you are on a public platform, and you're just writing messages in a chat, which can be public, thematic, or zoned. You can also message someone directly, but that doesn’t make it a private conversation.

This is exceptionally dangerous thinking. By their very nature, direct messages should be considered private. A group conversation should only be visible to people in the group, and so on and so forth. Reports do exist for a reason. Yes I agree current reporting seems ineffective, but 24/7 surveillance on private exchanges is far from an effective alternative. There are lots of ways to be toxic without triggering some useless chat filter. Banning toxicity doesn't stop it from existing or even remove it from the game.

ZOS has always logged everything, though without actively monitoring it. Otherwise anyone banned for actual abusive DMs could just claim supporting screenshots were doctored.

JavaRen

endorphinsplox wrote: »

JavaRen wrote: »

endorphinsplox wrote: »

There are screenshots around, but it is against forum rules to post details of any disciplinary action so it won't be here.

Evidence I can't find has no effect on my beliefs. The only link I can find in multiple "news" articles and discussion goes to a removed Discord post. So I am personally, tentatively, calling this a hoax/ trolling. I will revise my opinion when I have more data.

Join ESO RP Discord or RPU's discord.

I'll bite, how does one go about getting invite to on of them thar servers?

Jaraal

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

Apparently they are.

However, the chat is not actually private. It's owned by ZOS. So just realize that whenever you say or do anything in the game, your ZOS "companion" is standing right next to you, 24/7.

carthalis

ZOS has always logged everything, though without actively monitoring it. Otherwise anyone banned for actual abusive DMs could just claim supporting screenshots were doctored.

I've always assumed most online games log everything including private chats. I remember some 15 years ago the devs of Everquest 2 making a post that they had sent a huge data load of in-world chat including private chat/logs with all names removed to a university who were studying online interactions between players

Found a link to it as I was beginning to think I had imagined it

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/02/aaas-60tb-of-behavioral-data-the-everquest-2-server-logs/

CrazyKitty

Tandor wrote: »

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

Pardon me, but I thought ESO was rated "M" for mature. No?

sarahthes

CrazyKitty wrote: »

Tandor wrote: »

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

Pardon me, but I thought ESO was rated "M" for mature. No?

And what does the "M" mean? What does the in game TOS/code of conduct say about what's allowed in chat?

Stafford197

JavaRen wrote: »

endorphinsplox wrote: »

There are screenshots around, but it is against forum rules to post details of any disciplinary action so it won't be here.

Evidence I can't find has no effect on my beliefs. The only link I can find in multiple "news" articles and discussion goes to a removed Discord post. So I am personally, tentatively, calling this a hoax/ trolling. I will revise my opinion when I have more data.

You are posting on the Forums that you can’t find definitive proof, despite it being entirely against the Forum rules for us to post said definitive proof (names, screenshots, etc).

At least wait for ZOS_Kevin to reply again in this thread before you disregard everyone’s experiences.

CrazyKitty

sarahthes wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

Tandor wrote: »

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

Pardon me, but I thought ESO was rated "M" for mature. No?

And what does the "M" mean? What does the in game TOS/code of conduct say about what's allowed in chat?

https://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/esrb.html

"M = Mature
Titles rated M – Mature have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language."

JavaRen

Stafford197 wrote: »

JavaRen wrote: »

endorphinsplox wrote: »

There are screenshots around, but it is against forum rules to post details of any disciplinary action so it won't be here.

Evidence I can't find has no effect on my beliefs. The only link I can find in multiple "news" articles and discussion goes to a removed Discord post. So I am personally, tentatively, calling this a hoax/ trolling. I will revise my opinion when I have more data.

You are posting on the Forums that you can’t find definitive proof, despite it being entirely against the Forum rules for us to post said definitive proof (names, screenshots, etc).

At least wait for ZOS_Kevin to reply again in this thread before you disregard everyone’s experiences.

Reddit, youtube and assorted gamer news sites do not all have the same content rules, my point is not based on content here.

brylars

This is a big deal. The mods are not just going to whip out a statement. Someone else is going to be tasked with this. Perhaps they are adjusting the AI or adjusting the parameters of it.

I know AI is the thing of the future. We al have to face it, but we can, as the consumer, demand it function in a way that does not disrupt our use of the service. If it does, disrupt service, we should be compensated for a false flag. It doesn't have to be "our new reality."

I would suggest @ZOS_GinaBruno or @ZOS_Kevin or whoever can pass on the suggestion, that the AI whispers a warning on the first "offence" in game. That way the false flags do not cause people to stop playing al together in frustration, they would know the AI saw something that could suspend their account, and it would give the player a chance to continue to play but change how they word stuff.

There is no reason why a player should have to wait days for their innocence to be proven.

Rated M for Mature. We are all allegedly adults. Most of us can meet you in the middle ZOS.

sarahthes

CrazyKitty wrote: »

sarahthes wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

Tandor wrote: »

Pelanora wrote: »

Kappachi wrote: »

AltmerGF wrote: »

Can anecdotally say I was using some less than wholesome language with my friends while playing this weekend and haven't gotten banned, so hopefully we're just looking at some sort of overzealous moderation glitch

even amongst private chats you agreed to a TOS when you started the game, if you're throwing out the real world equivalents of n'wah/s'wit/etc then you're bound to get banned. keep it civil in-game even amongst friends.

That's ridiculous. Zos isn't some moral police over private citizens consenting private chat.

If you want a private chat, don't log into someone else's software in order to have it. When you sign up to the TOS then they apply to the whole game., not just the bits you think they should apply to.

Pardon me, but I thought ESO was rated "M" for mature. No?

And what does the "M" mean? What does the in game TOS/code of conduct say about what's allowed in chat?

https://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/impact/esrb.html

"M = Mature
Titles rated M – Mature have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language."

That says nothing about chat rules, just about the content you may encounter in game. What do the chat rules say?

Syldras

manukartofanu wrote: »

In this case, it's quite simple. Either the company leaves everything to run its course, which would result in no bans and a toxic community, or they hire a massive team and pay a lot of money to maintain it, or they implement semi-automated ban systems where a bot does most of the work, and occasionally, some individual tickets will be reviewed by humans.
Now the question is, what do you prefer? Personally, I would choose the second or third option, as I don't want the community to become toxic. The company probably doesn't want that either, but they're looking at what's cheaper, so they opt for the third option.

I think no one here wants a toxic community.

That said, I have not been affected by an autoban yet, maybe it's because of my writing style, maybe because I'm in EU, I don't know, but I have seen the autocensor that blurrs certain words out. From what I've seen so far, it's so sensitive, it's like it was made for literal children! A censor filter that filters so strictly that people couldn't even talk about the content of a quest without the risk of a ban is a failure, plain and simple.

And yes, of course I understand that real mods cost money and and automatic moderation would be cheaper and easier (although I'd say that decent moderation is a part of running a game/service online that should certainly be considered a part of the normal game maintenance, and I'd think that ZOS, as a big company, would take that into consideration in their calculations beforehand). But what is it worth if it's not functioning correctly and angers the playerbase?

manukartofanu wrote: »

Have you ever tried reporting someone in this game? It's a pretty difficult task on its own. I suspect you can't report someone quickly, like with a simple click on the message they sent in chat, possibly to reduce the load on support.

I'm on PC and all I have to do is right-click on a person's name in the chat, then a menu pops up, including "whisper", "group invite", "spamlist", "report", etc.

manukartofanu wrote: »

Anyway, no one even responded to my last report. It's hard to tell if it was even reviewed. And I'd really like to know if the person got banned, even for a few days, or if it's acceptable to behave and communicate like that.

You usually get a message that your report was received, but they won't tell you about the outcome. At least that's the way it had been a few years ago (I don't report often, only if people throw around racist, homophobic or other slurs in general chat - because I indeed don't want this toxicity in this game).

manukartofanu wrote: »

Because it turns out that you're trying to be nice and restrained, while some random person throws insults at you and wishes death on you and your whole family, and it’s all fine for them, and you’ll never even know if they faced any punishment for it. That’s exactly why I’m all for at least AI moderation, since there aren’t enough human resources for it.

I understand that you're upset by what has happened, but I don't think that favoring automoderation that leads to masses of false-positives threatening other completely harmless players' accounts is the solution.

Elsonso

endorphinsplox wrote: »

This is exceptionally dangerous thinking. By their very nature, direct messages should be considered private. A group conversation should only be visible to people in the group, and so on and so forth. Reports do exist for a reason. Yes I agree current reporting seems ineffective, but 24/7 surveillance on private exchanges is far from an effective alternative. There are lots of ways to be toxic without triggering some useless chat filter. Banning toxicity doesn't stop it from existing or even remove it from the game.

You have to remember that badness can happen in direct messages just like it can in zone chat or other public places.

They must police these messages. The question is what they should be looking for, and how they go about determining whether something needs action on their part.