Hello fellow Milkees,
I've got a huge question that's of udder-- Uuugh, sorry. Too easy.
I've got a huge question that's of utter importance. What could this question be? The answer to life the universe and everything? Nope! This, in fact, is pretty straight forward:
How is the brand new Code of Conduct, or CoC, being enforced?
As I'm sure many of you noticed, there was quite the argument going on over the span of the past several days, and in a slew of different topics. I'm not going to delve into the details of those arguments, but it's easy enough to spot the carnage it left in its wake; Edited posts and deleted posts, moved topics and deleted topics, updates to the current CoC and at least one temporary ban, which should be wearing off... If it hasn't already.
Hurt feelings and harsh words are at the bottom of that list. Things like that are minuscule in the grand scheme of things. All we need to know in the aftermath is that people misbehaved. To put it nicely.
Although it's true some of the users didn't break any rules, they violated the intent of the rules; else-wise, why would the moderators have any reason to update the CoC? ... What's this? Only a half a dozen sentences later and we're back to the Code of Conduct? That's crazy talk!
The intent of the CoC was not only bent or twisted, but violated. We all have different notions of what "violate" means... To some, it might mean to break the rules set in place; to others, it may mean they cheated or wormed their way past the system. Why don't we take a quick peek at what the definition means!
Violate:
To breach, contaminate, contravene, encroach, err, infract, infringe, meddle, offend, oppose, outrage, profane, resist, sacrilege, sin, tamper with, transgress, trespass, withstand. To disregard. To disrupt. To defy. To disobey. Or, in the past-tense, to be trampled upon.That is what happened this past week and over the course of multiple weeks; through private messages leading up to the long-weekend.
So what's that have to do with anything now? These updated rules were enforced retroactively and the offensive parties were permanently banned, right? You'd think that would've been the case!
Nope.
On a site built primarily for a younger generation, a generation of children; the parties at fault were given a slap on the wrist and sent along their merry way. In fact, as I'm writing this post, I can see some of those users online right now. Clearly any ban that existed has long since expired... If they were issued one in the first place.
What type of lesson does that teach children? It's okay to threaten, to harass, to pile on obscenities until they stop making sense... So long as the pizza place (the game store, the library, the school, et al) doesn't have any rules saying you shouldn't? And what then? Those with any authority will tell you "Nope. That's bad. You're not allowed to buy a pizza here for two days", before posting an updated list of rules?
So I'm asking for this: A retroactive and permanent banning of all parties who have broken the following rules.
Bloomilk's Code of Conduct wrote:1) No swearing. Profanity on these boards is not permitted and will be edited out of posts containing them. There are plenty of other four letter words to replace them that do not offend the senses; you can use them as long as they are not offensive.
2) No personal attacks. This leads to flame wars and is just generally not very nice, and will also be edited or removed from posts containing them. This includes things like name calling. We are here to discuss the topic, not the poster and if someone violates this rule or attacks you, don't feed into it by responding, get a mod instead.
3) Anyone who threaten or promote physical violence to a member's pm and/or in the forums, that user will be banned permanently, not a suspension, no warnings... that person will be banned for good. So please watch how you say, you are responsible for your actions.
Short of that, what else needs to be done? Anything less will be a complete slap in the face to myself, as well as quite a few other users.
If I were a different poster, some users might immediately agree with me. Others might disagree. Some might care about what I say. Others might not.
Coming from a different poster, this post could be considered as trolling.
Coming from a different poster, this post might actually make you stop and think.
Coming from a really different poster, this might be deciphered as a secret message, detailing the instructions of how to bypass the security system on the third floor of the Wizards of the Coast Headquarters. Abort Mission.
But I'm not a different poster... I'm not a "personality" that anyone would recognize. I'm not the Content Manager or GenCon Champion. I'm not a moderator on any site and I'm more content to lurk than to post.
I'm a player.
I may do well at GenCon, or consistently win the tournaments at my LGS. I may enjoy winning a little bit too much from time-to-time... Some days, I even enjoy talking to Content Managers and GenCon Champions (Some days. Not everyday!), but I'm still a player. I buy the pieces, I build my squads, I play the game.
Just like everyone else.
I joined Bloomilk on March Twenty-Seventh, Two Thousand and Eight (3/27/2008): The day Bloomilk was founded. I haven't stopped using it since, but so help me, if a slap on the wrist is all the Bloomilk community has to offer, consider this my goodbye.
-Phillip Carlisle