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Should you get banned for using an "Offensive" term, even when it's not directed at anyone?

ASecurityGuard·5/3/2017, 6:37:37 AM·2 votes·652 views

I recently got Permanently banned with the reason of using a "Homophobic Slur" in comparison of a Racial slur used by the player the report was filed by. However, going back through the chat log of what I had said, even without the context of what the other player had said, you can clearly see that the word was used, but not in an insult or directed at a person or persons. Below is what the text has shown what I said in this event:

(Edit: Due to feedback from a moderator in my ticket, I should not post the actual text in question.) (Edit 2: As a request to a person in comments, I'll be posting the entirety of the chat logs, excluding the parts deemed offensive by the staff.) (Edit 3: I don't have the time stamps so it looks like a jumbled mess.)

Game 1 ASecurityGuard: Kled, make me ASecurityGuard: I called top first, so I ain't leavin' my lane ASecurityGuard: I did ASecurityGuard: Shure fam ASecurityGuard: and the moon is half full tonight ASecurityGuard: Don't be like what? ASecurityGuard: Give you what's mine? ASecurityGuard: Naw, Go to Good Will if you're lookin' for handouts ASecurityGuard: 'cause I ain't givin' em to ya ASecurityGuard: Kled is ASecurityGuard: "Trolling" he says lol ASecurityGuard: Naut, no I'm not. wordplay ASecurityGuard: Stop hitting my turrets in range ASecurityGuard: Don't mind him, my dude ASecurityGuard: He's a rude boi ASecurityGuard: lol, "Stole" ASecurityGuard: I can't steal what's mine to begin with ASecurityGuard: Stop playing yasuo then ASecurityGuard: Can't steal what's mine ASecurityGuard: Because people don't understand how to play him anymore ASecurityGuard: They think lane push is all he's good for ASecurityGuard: They just don't get how to beat ASecurityGuard: Everytime you gank, you just give me more gold :L ASecurityGuard: Kled, that's quite the weird support build ASecurityGuard: Mines not a support build, mines a top ASecurityGuard: since I'm the top laner ASecurityGuard: Darn ASecurityGuard: I didn't expect the bot lane to be so fed ASecurityGuard: Flaming? ASecurityGuard: We can win when we have a support ASecurityGuard: Too bad he's building AD and Tank ASecurityGuard: He's the king of chasing ASecurityGuard: By self-proclamation ASecurityGuard: You know what you did do? ASecurityGuard: played yasuo ASecurityGuard: Which is a crime in itself ASecurityGuard: Yas is overplayed and has 2 passives ASecurityGuard: That's a crime ASecurityGuard: So w0t? ASecurityGuard: And is overplayed? ASecurityGuard: 2 for 1 passives ASecurityGuard: not something like Galio's passive shield ASecurityGuard: Yasuo needs to ditch one of the passives ASecurityGuard: : ^) It'd be better for everyone else ASecurityGuard: No ASecurityGuard: You laughed at me ASecurityGuard: :c ASecurityGuard: Lies ASecurityGuard: Try to find me ASecurityGuard: I knew you weren't going to truce ASecurityGuard: >:c ASecurityGuard: DAMN ASecurityGuard: PUNS ASecurityGuard: TOO HERD ASecurityGuard: I mean ASecurityGuard: We have a Kled support ASecurityGuard: I'd feel worse if this was ranked ASecurityGuard: He's kinda just ASecurityGuard: walkin' round in river for a bit ASecurityGuard: Wondering whether to go into your jg or go to bot ASecurityGuard: This is the downside to Heimer not having push lane build anymore ASecurityGuard: Your team doesn't know how to push anymore :c ASecurityGuard: all me ASecurityGuard: pls ASecurityGuard: blasted you ASecurityGuard: half HP ASecurityGuard: and then ASecurityGuard: Bam ASecurityGuard: Slowed Susan] ASecurityGuard: Then bam ASecurityGuard: Let the support dive ASecurityGuard: then bambam wam jam ASecurityGuard: Yi got the inhib ASecurityGuard: 8 - 2 ASecurityGuard: 6 - 4 ASecurityGuard: Maybe sell Essence for some armor pen? ASecurityGuard: Lord doms ASecurityGuard: :c ASecurityGuard: and? ASecurityGuard: 15% increased damage ASecurityGuard: = 2 hot 2 furris ASecurityGuard: Naw ASecurityGuard: You see that blue buff ASecurityGuard: 10x better ASecurityGuard: ya got greedy yisus ASecurityGuard: He called me it in team chat ASecurityGuard: And it'll show him his logs when he gets the ban ASecurityGuard: That's fine ASecurityGuard: : ^0 I am playing? ASecurityGuard: I'm playing heimer, so build turrets and sit back in the backline ASecurityGuard: They're blaming me for them all dying :c ASecurityGuard: That's nice? ASecurityGuard: Naut is 6/13 ASecurityGuard: yeh

Should players get banned for using a term deemed Offensive, even if it is obviously not directed at or to anyone, including characters in the game?

12 Comments

Sarutobi5/3/2017, 11:42:20 AM2 votes

In my opinion i dont think context is needed. Its word you should be never using in the first place. Plus whats stopping someone from just saying the word over and over again in chat? its not directed at anyone, its annoying as all hell, and their reasoning for doing it is probably to tick people off, or try and be edgy. Its better to just ignore people like this because all they want is attention. Im here to play and enjoy the game.

Deep Terror Nami5/3/2017, 7:01:03 AM2 votes

I'm gonna use kind of an extreme scenario (these are not representative of the community), but do you think there is any reason it would be ok to use that kind of language around children or at church? Even if your intent isn't to insult someone, you just don't use that language around kids or in a place where you need to be respectful of the people around you. It's that kind of mindset you should have when interacting with strangers too; even if you personally think it's ok, you have to be mindful of the other people.

ModThe Djinn5/3/2017, 3:12:10 PM1 votes

{quoted}Should players get banned for using a term deemed Offensive, even if it is obviously not directed at or to anyone?

I'm going to say that yes, a player should be punished for that. The reasons are threefold:

-#1 -- Toxic players like to skirt the edges of the rules as much as possible as a defense for their actions. If we say words are find as long as the context isn't targeted at someone, there ARE players who will start the game by typing slur after slur without aiming them at anyone, and this is suddenly "acceptable."

-#2 -- Most of the words on the list Riot is very aggressive towards are fundamentally offensive to large groups of people. This makes them unacceptable to allow in pretty much any context without specific opt-in (going to see a Tarantino movie, for example -- you know what you'll find there).

-#3 -- There are ways to say what another player called you without using that language. "He just threw a racial slur at me" is acceptable. "He called me a -------------" isn't. It's EASY to avoid using triggering words even when discussing the actions of another player and, knowing those words are offensive, you should know to do that.

DoWG Whisper5/3/2017, 6:46:57 AM1 votes

Hello, you should add the whole chat logs.Also, you most likely didn't get permabanned just for 1 game.

Kei1435/3/2017, 12:57:01 PM1 votes

you can submit a ticket to https://support.riotgames.com , ask them to escalate you to a behavioral team member and ask them to review the context of this punishment.

While I agree that you shouldn't be punished for this specific context, it's probably a bad idea to keep repeating those specific words.

Anomander5/3/2017, 2:24:13 PM1 votes

Well i could call you a fucking moron........ But i am not.

Is there a real difference between calling you a fucking moron and just saying that I could call you one?

Yes there is a difference however the direct effect of the two comments are the same.

Also even saying the word could and probably would be construed as a targeted comment.

I mean this isn't directed at anyone..... but Fucking Moron.

I hope this helps show where I stand on the issue. And I know that this comment is a bit blunt and can be construed as rude. However I hope you understand that this was not directed at anyone person but was used as a way of making a point.

I personally believe that open conversations about this type of behavior is very healthy and needed in a free society.

*edited to add

There is no reason to downvote this thread as it is just a question used to illicit a conversation.

TrulyBland5/3/2017, 6:59:13 AM1 votes

Offensive words like that certainly are less context sensitive in terms of banning... E.g. expressing your hatred for the champion Lucian by saying the N-word, even though it's not aimed at a player, still would (in my opinion) justify a ban.

But in your case, and I'll just take your word for the fact that your case is as you laid it out, I would argue this is one of the few contexts where a punishment isn't really justified. Now, to be clear, I don't think it was really necessary to repeat the slur in question and compare it with yet another. Slurs like that typically carry strong enough connotations to make people feel uncomfortable regardless of context, so it's probably a good idea to avoid them.

Either way, though, I've always said that a strict bad-word-list is not a good idea for an automated ban, and from what I know Riot typically doesn't go with that approach either, so I'm surprised that you would get banned like this. But again, for the sake of the argument, I'll simply take your word for it.

So if this is really the only reason you were permabanned, I'd write a support ticket and ask for a re-review in your case.