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A minimum age requirement for joining? Should there be?
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Jabberwocky
Noble Knight
Noble Knight




Joined: 06 Nov 2003
Posts: 208
Location: New York, USA
A minimum age requirement for joining? Should there be?
   

Hello,

I can't really say that I have much experience on this site as I only frequent the Gothic forums, that's all I have time for. For the most part I must say that the fan community for this game is an excellent one and I enjoy interacting with people on this site.

It seems however that lately ( at least in the Gothic II forums ) there have been a plethora of users who do not display good manners or proper etiquette in their interaction with fellow gaming fans. It seems I cannot visit the forums without seeing flaming on non-sensical disagreements, double-posting for days, and numerous topics listed as "moved", which boggles my mind, as I can't see what's so difficult about understanding what-goes-where. There are thirteen of such on the first page alone, most posted by different individuals. All of this leads me to one conclusion - that quite a few users are very young, as I cannot imagine grown adults behaving the way a certain individual did in a recently closed topic posted in the Gothic II General forum.

I realize that moving around topics and mediating arguments that should not have begun is irritating and time consuming for the moderators, but the fact is, it's irritating and time consuming for the fans who browse these forums with purpose as well. I'm not a moderator and don't pretend to have a solution for this, but I am offering a suggestion that there be a minimum age requirement for joining the forums, and if there already is ( I can't remember - too long since I signed up ), that it be raised to a level where the average young adult has learned that behaving decently will make people like you.
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Post Tue Jul 27, 2004 8:26 am
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Cm
Sentinel of Light
Sentinel of Light




Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 5209
Location: Missouri USA
   

I agree, even if it is not possible. Maybe you are giving some of them too many chances. Might need to cut down the number of warnings so they can be removed faster.
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Post Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:30 pm
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Kiwi Boy
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 03 Jan 2003
Posts: 1086
Re: A minimum age requirement for joining? Should there be?
   

The minimum age requirement does not work. By the way, is Pastor corwin really a hundred years old?

quote:
Originally posted by Jabberwocky
Lately ( at least in the Gothic II forums ) there have been a plethora of users who do not display good manners or proper etiquette in their interaction with fellow gaming fans.


Not that many. Most of the flaming and such are done by one or two people. Just ignore them.

quote:
Originally posted by Jabberwocky
that quite a few users are very young, as I cannot imagine grown adults behaving the way a certain individual did in a recently closed topic posted in the Gothic II General forum.


Maturity does not depend on chronological age.
Post Tue Jul 27, 2004 5:21 pm
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Stranger In A Strange Land




Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia
   

We have some excellent younger members and it would be impossible to enforce over the net, I think.
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Post Tue Jul 27, 2004 11:02 pm
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dteowner
Shoegazer
Shoegazer




Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia
   

Corwin's got teen-aged kids. He just feels 100.
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Post Wed Jul 28, 2004 3:55 am
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

It is really not posible to make age requirement (or at least it will not work). However Jabberwocky, you made several good and valid points. I also see increasing number of posts full of spam and/or flamming.
Therefor I personaly decided to be here more often. I think we will try to reduce number of such posts.
You can also clearly see that strongest thing we can do is ban someone. In many cases this is not really strong enough. However - I can probably say it here - one of our users was banned just yeasterday (after his fifth warning), so we really want to keep visits of this site/forums safe and enjoyable.
Post Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:25 am
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
On the Razorblade of Life




Joined: 10 Jun 2002
Posts: 8376
Location: Australia
   

And some days I look it!!
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Post Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:27 am
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Jaz
Late Night Spook
Late Night Spook




Joined: 20 Jan 2002
Posts: 9708
Location: RPGDot
   

I agree with you, Jabberwocky, but Dani already said it - all we can do is keep a watchful eye and continue to do what we're doing: i.e., delete spam, move topics, explain the rules (especially to new users), warn and - if necessary - ban.
There are age checking systems for websites, but implementing one of those would be a) costly and b) inappropriate IMO.
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Post Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:35 am
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Jabberwocky
Noble Knight
Noble Knight




Joined: 06 Nov 2003
Posts: 208
Location: New York, USA
   

Well, thanks for understanding where I'm coming from, even if there really isn't a solution other than what's already being implemented.

Incidentally, I was wondering about the whole 'banning' someone policy. Correct me if I'm wrong - Can't a person just register under a new name and e-mail address and be back on the forums the next day? I mean, sure they have to start over in terms of posts and all that, and they'll probably do something to get banned again, but still that's exactly what can happen, right? I was just wondering.. thanks.
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Post Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:18 am
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

You are close Jabberwocky.
We can ban IP adress, so noone with this exact IP is able to come here. However there is nearly no user with absolutely static IP. So far that user I talked about that was banned just several days ago, came here once more and registered under nearly same name.
Static or dynamic IP - this depends on your connection. This certain user used probably dial-up or something like that. So he has dynamic IP. Therefor there is noway to ban him (well, he has IP from certain interval of his provider - his provider gives him IP each time he connects = so we can ban this whole interval of IPs, but this could ban also other users).
Conclusion: there is no certain way...
Post Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:31 am
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Jaz
Late Night Spook
Late Night Spook




Joined: 20 Jan 2002
Posts: 9708
Location: RPGDot
   

Right. Banned people re-registering happened, of course, but so far experience has shown that in the long run it will become too boring/distressing for a dynamic IPer to register one new account after the other, and one new mail account after the other. The 'game' starts to lose its appeal, so to say.


And if somebody re-registers and behaves in a way that doesn't make it necessary for us to ban again, well, then I'd say the person learned his or her lesson.
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Post Thu Jul 29, 2004 2:27 pm
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Jabberwocky
Noble Knight
Noble Knight




Joined: 06 Nov 2003
Posts: 208
Location: New York, USA
   

Okay, I get it. Thanks for the explanations.
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Post Fri Jul 30, 2004 7:43 am
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