Cyber bullies: alive and well on LOTRO

[HRHoftheWraithRiders]

Yes we have Forum Moderators. I believe they do an excellent job.

Regarding in-game chat and the GM's: Turbine / WB needs to get a handle on the type of chat that I see every day. People are called names, insulted, abused, openly mocked, and openly humiliated while their friends "cheer them on." Using the Ignore feature is useful, but not a fix. Capturing chat and sending obviously offensive chat to GM's: the results seem dubious given that the person is told "to behave" and they are allowed to keep on playing.

Name calling (directly, or with some players, indirectly) is rampant. Remaking curse words by changing a few characters (which is against the EULA) is also quite common. The use of emoticons to insult another player is also common.

Last weeks NY Times Op-Ed, written by two professors that also work at Microsoft, may be viewed on my LOTRO blog. The focus of the article was mostly with regard to young people.

Being an older player on an MMORPG, the learning curve with regard to learning commonly used terms that are understood by young people, has been one of the challenges of learning how to play LOTRO.

We are all here to have fun (I thought), to escape a little bit from our real lives, and to enjoy an amazing MMO. Please consider the effects of what you say. What may be "just a joke" or "your normal manner of speech" may be offensive or hurtful to others. The LOTRO community is made up of people from all over the world. Everyone is different. Just be considerate when on an in-game public chat channel.

You are always free to get a Vent or TS account, and speak in any manner that you choose, privately.

Lastly, I do believe that I remember reading in the EULA that all in-game chat and voice is considered the property of Turbine and may be reviewed at any time.

Happy chatting!

[N.Legler]

Amen<spc><spc><spc><spc><spc>< spc><spc>.

[Sapience]

If you see inappropriate behavior, report it immediately in game. Only by doing so can it be investigated and addressed.

[TanisWhisperwind]

Reporting the offending people is the best route to go, as Sapience says. Personally, I have a pretty thick skin when something is done (and that is rare) concerning me, but when it deals with friends, that is when I have issues with it.

[bastiat1]

Maybe it's just because I'm older and more mature (mid-30s) but I couldn't care less what anyone says to me or about me directly or indirectly on any forum or chat window of a game. People can have whatever opinion they want as reasoned or asinine as they want and it shouldn't affect me. I find that the real idiots do much more harm to themselves than me when they pipe up in dumb ways. Seriously, why would you care? I grew out of peer pressure around the age of 14.

[Celesphor]

dude i hate being flammed because someone doesn't like my spelling or grammer...

[Kyrra_T]

Maybe it's just because I'm older and more mature (mid-30s) but I couldn't care less what anyone says to me or about me directly or indirectly on any forum or chat window of a game. People can have whatever opinion they want as reasoned or asinine as they want and it shouldn't affect me. I find that the real idiots do much more harm to themselves than me when they pipe up in dumb ways. Seriously, why would you care? I grew out of peer pressure around the age of 14.

It's not peer pressue. It's creating a hostile enviornment and inhibits people from doing things as simple as using an advice channel. I don't think we should report on every small thing either. But seeing people agressively attack others to the point that they are afraid to even ask a question in advice isn't ok in chat either. What the OP is referring to is that.

I haven't personally seen that myself on the two servers I frequent, Landroval and Laurelin, however harassment isn't ok ever and it isn't a matter of developing a thick skin.

[N.Legler]

1. Some players Are 14 (or less)
2. I would care if my child thought she was being bullied.
3. Our Opinions have no effect on the EULA.

[Celesphor]

yea ur right asking for advice on Landroval is a path to being a target of harassment, i play on Landroval so i should know, there are plenty of "nice players" like myself but i do have my limits to...but the GLFF should does love to joke around and say things without thinking...

[Klosmi]

Couldn't agree more.

[Panahasi]

Maybe it's just because I'm older and more mature (mid-30s) but I couldn't care less what anyone says to me or about me directly or indirectly on any forum or chat window of a game. People can have whatever opinion they want as reasoned or asinine as they want and it shouldn't affect me. I find that the real idiots do much more harm to themselves than me when they pipe up in dumb ways. Seriously, why would you care? I grew out of peer pressure around the age of 14.

^ This. Period.

[drexele]

i agree with celesphor on the grammar thing as i have asked for help in a forum and if i dont have enough commas all i get is get a grammer book or something along those lines and ive also seen a lot of vip bulling on ftps

however i also think that there is very little we can do about bulling unless lotro changes ot the point we can only say selected things