Name Ban in Posts is Overkill

Why should we all be penalized because a few people lack common sense. Must we now say:

Happy Birthday You Know Who?

Congratulations Guess Who?

To my dear friend whats his name, so sorry to hear of your loss.

Don't leave SL girlie we love you.

Let's get real. I can say fuck you in my post but I cant mention a friend's name? What's wrong with this politically correct overkill knee jerk reaction?

What if the rule were restated to be:

Hey nasty insulting people, dont post insults against fellow members and don't ridicule them on the forums. Then I would be able to say I saw Philip Linden sitting next to my friend BigJohn without worrying that I was committing a serious rule violation. And I would also be able to say, Happy Birthday to my very dear freinds Braddie and Rysie without worrying that I will get into trouble for mentioning their names in a post.

But I can say, "shit, fuck this rule" and not worry. There is something very wrong here.

i don't think technically you're supposed to say fuck you etc but i agree the name ban is a lil bit much.

Wait, how did I miss this, you cannot post at all with someone's name in the title??

This thread is probably the one people should pay attention to. It was specifically said that things like "Happy Birthday to" are fine.

Robin's sticky at the top of the posts list states:

"Please do not start threads or polls that are about or targeted to a specific person. Even if intended as a joke, they can be hurtful or viewed as personal attacks."

This rule is so vague it leaves no comfort zone. If my thread is "Happy Birthday Braddie" then I am creating a thread or post that is about a specific person.

If I even make a joke and name someone, that also violates this vague overbroad rule because a joke can be hurtful or viewed as a personal attack.

This rule is oppressively overbroad.

I heard wishing someone happy birthday is now a no-go because people who don't know when they were born might be offended.

Thanks for pointing out the post about birthdays. I am glad Robin clarified that aspect of the rule.

I do think the rule is overbroad and vague. It's unreasonable to forbid the mention of names. Lets address the insults instead.

Yes, the rule as written is vague and subjective.

A rule is only as broad as its enforcement - are they removing birthday threads?

Robin wrote it as a guideline, not a rule. I think common sense applies here - don't post negative threads, and don't post threads that are jokingly negative.

katykiwi,

Robin didn't say we couldn't use names. The comments in the thread are quite clear. What are not allowed are threads called: "Phreddy Phalange Ripped Me Off" or "Wilson Arbnuthnot is a Crappy Right-Wing Moron". Or even when such comments are veiled in humour.

I don't approve of any kind of forum censorship, but in this case I don't think there is any doubt at all about what the guideline regards as unacceptable.

whew! thats what I get for posting before I read * hey I must post when idea strikes or it will be gone...when I'm ready LOL * I'm glad to read that Birthday threads are allowable ( wow is that a word? ) I had read the sticky.. but assumed a casual birthday wish surely would not be held as cruel, targeted joke, or offensive... although I did list the age..LOL

TY for the posted thread link about Birthdays.

Let me clarify - it's not a rule, just a request. Of course you can wish people Happy Birthday. What I'm asking you to think about is starting a negative thread or a poll with a header "[Name] ripped me off" or, "Vote: Do you think [Name] sucks?" In effect, these threads almost always end up as flame wars.

I'll rewrite the stickies to be more explicit. I apologize for the confusion.

Edit: ^^^hehe - nevernmind, didn't see Robin's post^^^
No, Robin clarified that stuff like that is still OK.

Sorry, Robin. But if someone gets greifed they should have every right to post the name of who greifed them. If an individual does so, and it's a lie. Then suspend them.

Robin,

Yes, I agree with Devlin.

But what about the damage to the reputation of the accused? The fact is anyone can accuse anyone of anything. In the real world it's called liable or slander and it's a crime. Sure, the accuser can be punished, but in the mean time, the accused often ends up suffering horribly. Businesses or jobs can end up lost, families broken up, friendships destroyed, etc. over baseless accusations. It's simply not right to empower accusers by giving them a public voice like this forum when there is already an abuse reporting system in place to allow the authorities to determine what to do with alleged griefers.

If you have such confidence in the Lindens' ability to determine the truth that you would suggest the suspension of individuals who lie in their accusations on the forum, then surely it follows that you would trust their ability to do so through the abuse reports as well.

Besides, just about every forum I've ever seen has rules against personal attacks. In that sense, this one is no different. It's just that on most other forums, administrators have a tendency to be pretty wimpy about enforecement. Robin and LL should be thanked and congratulated, not chastised, for enforcing the standards of conduct that we all agreed to when we joined SL. Those of you who feel the need to keep complianing and complaining and complaining about whatever new topic happens to wander into your cross-hairs this week, kindly move on to the next one and let this one drop. None of us, not even you, would want to potentially end up on the receiving end of a false accusation in a public setting.

Yes. It is unfortunate that asshats would abuse the truth like that. However, if an asshat abuses me, I am gonna let the world know about it.

Have you people no common sense? Seriously, why do you need every single detail spelled out to you? Just don't be a jackass...

I'd say that sums it up nicely