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Perma banned for mean words

Black Chris·2/21/2018, 4:31:32 PM·2 votes·1,022 views

hello. firstly I'd like to say this isn't an attack on League nor am I disputing Riot's right to perma ban me. I loved the game and it's theirs they can do what they wish. I just felt compelled to make my case why I think my banning and the policy behind it is flawed and honestly shows a lack of awareness of the realities of playing league or anything competitive really. Now ive played league off and on since late season 1 so I'm not pro but I'm also not new. 6 years + hundred of dollars on skins and such and I'm banned cuz I have a tendency to argue with people. Wont deny that I can be an Ahole. I'm well aware. My main issue is with the policy of banning for mean words at all when there is a readily available mute function in every game for every player. so because someone can be offended enough to report someone but clearly not enough to mute them or simply not engage with them (like most people choose to do including myself a lot of the time) you feel compelled to baby them and police things for them? that's coddling and I feel ridiculous. its like you don't even see your community outside of moderated forum posts and skewed 1 sided reports. Ive played a lot of league and the last couple years it has become increasingly hard to just have a decent game of league. Call lanes and immediately get trolled by instalock yasuo that's calling me a N****r for pointing out I called said lane.(draft is no better it just take longer). cool no worries ill jg. Adc dies twice then afks......ok great maybe they'll come back support decides to solo tunnel cuz they are mad at adc refusing to group. yasuo still calling every racial slur in the book cuz I didn't gank him enough after trolling my lane. fine il ltry and snowball top to salvage something. get counter ganked maybe I die maybe laner but now I'm a retard and I ruined his lane"/all report this ahole jg for inting" forget it a man down no teamwork 20 kills down clearly a loss. lets just forfeit....oh no 1/11 yas will carry along with the soloing now adc thresh. they refuse to forfeit but I cant afk so I'm stuck riding this nonsense out. but I'm the bad guy for calling them out on all this bs. this isn't an anomaly. easily 7/10 games go similarly to this whether its duo q bot flaming the jg cuz they losing. or some rando calling me N****r. anivias walling me into fights or tahms trying to kill me. the point is there are tons of people who actively sabotage games and I'm banned for calling people idiots? I get it speech policing is en vogue these days but perma banned? I don't throw games or run it down mid or feed then afk or hold up surrenders just to be a jerk. literally the only complaint is I'm mean and say mean things. never racist homophobic or anything of the sort. that's not how I talk online or in rl. I could see if I was going berserk with homophobic rage but I'm not I argue specifically with individuals who have the right to ignore me and the power to mute me. that's why I feel personally that a permanent ban is ridiculous especially considering the amount of actual crap that has to be dealt with in the majority of games that I cant have an effect on or prevent like I can with someone yelling at me. I'm well aware some rioter will comment "well you have a history of chat restrictions and such bla bla bla. no kidding you implement Orwellian speech policing policies and wonder how an admitted A**hole in a 5v5 competitive game with strangers online could ever violate them? ur speech police policies are asinine and who are they helping? it is entirely within each players power to silence me if they don't like what I say. job done. grats u have a system to handle toxicity. when u go a step too far into social justice speech policing land is you banning me for saying something critical to someone who has clear cut means to not hear it. its crazy. so they aren't responsible for choosing to not mute someone to protect their feelings but I'm responsible cuz their feelings get hurt? perma ban hackers afkers and yas players(tee hee) not people pissed off from dealing with dumb shit from people in the game. I don't hack afk rage quit run it down mid troll lanes instalock or even say anything outside of basic profanity but I'm the problem in league? not the entitled children who think they deserve whatever they want and will ruin games because of it? you know many times ive been reported by a premade just for retaliating when they troll / flame me? then u only look at what I say take it out of context and decide its bad. nvm 3 teammates emote spaming in my lane under enemy tower that's cool. so yeah I'm pissed about the ban but not cuz I cant play. I got other accounts. I wont use em tho. that's not the point. the point is nothing in game ive ever been reported for wasn't preventable. anyone can mute anyone at any time so for you to ban me for typing mean words online again in a competitive game online with strangers is like banning people for getting wet in the rain. its ridiculous. and for you to ban my account after all the time and money spent is a slap in the face. so I wont bother playing on other accounts. why bother when big brother can decide I'm too mean and take all my hard earned shit away? id like the permanent ban overturned but tbh I'm fine if not. had a ton of fun on league but I'm an American and free speech is built into my core so I'm not okay with the policy of speech policing on principles and wont support a company that is willing to permanently ban someone for nothing more than words people can choose not to read. Again not attacking League or Riot or their right to ban me. it is what it is. just wanted to speak my mind on why I think its bs. sorry so long winded. take care

16 Comments

Timethief492/21/2018, 4:40:05 PM8 votes

I can mute AND report. Mute stops the flame for this game but doesnt undo the stuff that happend. Reporting stops the flaming for future games. The fact of a mute option doesnt allow you to flame. There are bulletproof vests yet it is illegal to shoot a person.

ModThe Djinn2/21/2018, 5:23:37 PM6 votes

While I understand this perspective, I think it misses the mark on what Riot is trying to do here.

Yes, online gaming can be a nasty environment. Yes, the mute button can prevent people from being nasty. Yes, that could be a functional model.

But Riot is trying to improve the "standard" gaming community. Their goal is one where you don't have to mute people, because the other players aren't going to be assholes to you. While, sure, they could accept that and go "well, it's worked for other games so why bother?", that isn't their goal or intent.

So yes, they have a very specific -- and rather unique -- goal for their community, and they are willing to enforce it. If you're not okay with adjusting your behavior, they want to make it clear that the League community is not a place you are welcome.

It's not about freedom of speech, which applies to government restrictions. You will suffer no legal action as a result of your speech on Riot's platforms.

But freedom of speech does not mean freedom from all consequences of your speech. Private companies have always -- and likely will always -- have the ability to restrict behaviors (including speech) they will allow in/on their venue/servers. You'll get kicked out of a Starbucks for antagonizing other customers or screaming hate speech, and the same is true of Riot's servers.

Jamaree2/21/2018, 4:59:30 PM3 votes

I don’t think you can complain about the mute function then not use it yourself, seems a bit silly to me.

Colgate Gator2/21/2018, 5:25:00 PM1 votes

Instead of hitting us with a joyful wall of text, add chat logs next time and we will give our input about you thinking their policies are bs.