OMG Staff was just extremely RUDE

[Maleficent2]

I don't think this was meant to sound rude, but it's just the way it reads. I want you to imagine from their point of views. They must get hundreds of silly and stupid reports from people every day. They pay money to people who sit in an office and do almost nothing but sort through them. Stuff like "They cut me in line" or "She said bad words because it said ###".

Imagine sitting in that person's shoes. They probably get sick of it after a few hours of incompetent kids reporting everything just because they can. I'd probably get a little sarcastic too if I was on my last nerve. Granted, that's not very Disney-like, but you should give the poor monitor a break. She deals with all the crap all day long.

Also, as explained by Staff, I know how the report system works. It goes something like this:

1) You report something bad.
2) An actual person sits at the computer and chooses the appropriate response to send you. Sometimes they can type to you as you just saw.
3) The report goes into a never ending list that is checked by staff so action can be taken if needed. (the nonsense reports are just deleted)
4) Staff goes down the list and gets to your report.
5) A log of everything said in every instance of every room is kept. Even the stuff you say in a Pirates game or otherwise is logged and can be read by staff. When they get to the report, they go through the logs to see what happened.
6) They take appropriate action.

Sending more than one report kind of gums up the works. They will see everything that person said from the log. Unless they moved to a new area and started more trouble, another report isn't necessary. Even then, I'm not sure if they read through more than just the coinciding log. They might read on a little more into the day or they might not.

I can see why the monitor was annoyed, but that doesn't mean I agree with the attitude. She has the crappy job, but she's Disney. She's supposed to have service with a smile.

I understand their point of view totally being a moderator here on the DIS VMK forums.

No, I will not give them a break....there was no excuse for that response.

One yes I know they are adults and yes I know and did not expect them to discuss, nor did I ask them to, any player or any course of action they decide to take.

I did want them to know that the ignore button is not an option when a player uses <bad words> that are being used in the game when children are in the room and seeing them.

Question to you, you said you could see how the moderator was annoyed? How?

I know they have a difficult job and I for one have total empathy for them and their job. There is no excuse for rude responses to me or anyone else.
We(the players all deserve to be treated with respect)if we play and treat others with respect.

You should never open a message after reporting something in the game as serious as using inappropriate language and say "OMG".

 

[Cricket2]

If anyone really wants to see a change, stop complaining to VMK and start complaining directly to Disney. VMK is simply a Disney paid advertising campaign and needs to start adhering to Disney values rather than Las Vegas sports book values. They also need some sort of outside oversight and accountability for any actions they make.

 

[popcentury70]

Yes, that was rude. But let me be the devils advocate here for just a moment...

I think what they meant by that message was that you should UNDERSTAND that they cannot discuss bans or what the consequences were (or lack thereof?) because it's just not a players buisness. If they send ANYONE a message that they need to use the ignore button, that certainly doesn't mean they haven't (or have) done anything. It's the same situation when a leader is fired and they say "sorry, I can't discuss things like that. Please use the con act us button on the home page". and I've seen that happen.

They aren't allowed to talk about bans or player issues outside of yourself and thats what they were implying. You know, they really don't have the easiest and most stress-free job in the world... so lets give them a break. We all have our bad days and good ones. Does having a bad day give them an excuse to issue such a response? Certainly not, but you may have interpreted it differently than they intended.

I think its kind of like backseat moderating on any forum around the net. Someone reports something, the staff write back and say they will look into it but just ignore it next time, the player gets a little testy and tells them what is wrong and what isnt. Yeah.... bad analogy, but it works.

Perhaps you should use the e-mail adress for yavn's boss to see whats going on and discuss your complaints?

ETA: My post will probably get completely ignored because a webmaster just posted...

 

[dizanimator]

I think things might be different if VMK changed their "canned" response.
Instead of "use the ignore" button (which I think sounds pretty impotent
at best), I think they could have their Instant Response say something like:

"Thank you for reporting this incident. We will investigate this further. In the
meantime, please use the Ignore button on the player you reported."

Such a simple change, and it would probably lessen the feeling that you
get the brush-off from staff.

I like that change to the instant response. It makes it sound like having the player use the ignore button is only a temporary fix, and that staff will be looking into the matter soon. I'm also not sure how much time it would take to change the standard message, but I think it should be looked into.
If experienced players are suggesting that a simple change to the wording of a message would make them feel like staff is actually doig something about a problem, then maybe someone should look into why the players feel like nothing is being done to fix these problems. I think maybe someone above the normal staff of VMK should play VMK for a while and see how they feel about how staff deals with problems. If the staff didn't know it was their boss playing on an account would that account get special treatment? I don't think so. But then that person could see the problems we deal with everyday, and the responses we get from staff when we do report them. If someone actually read my reports of players speech in pirates before sending me the standard response would I get told to use the ignore button? Maybe, but there could also be a "Thank you for reporting this incident. We will investigate further. In the meantime, if the player's chat continues to bother you, please use the ignore button, and do not play with them." That way I won't be able to send in another complaint asking for help finding the ignore button in pirates.
Since we cannot see the person's face or hear their voice, choice of words is very important in VMK, and staff should think about the message being given to the players. They should be a little more concerned with what players see in the message than dealing with players who have mules or use some program to enter codes more quickly. Mules and programs aren't putting mean and hurtful language on screens in front of small children, the players are doing it, and staff should make us feel like someone is really reading and looking into the reports we send in about that.

 

[Maleficent2]

Actually that is exactly what I am doing. Mr.Yanover's office will be receiving an email from me today.

I will not bother with contact us because that is "in house"so to speak.

I will post my email to them as soon as it is written and sent...got to go vote now though.

 

[RicksCafe]

Question to you, you said you could see how the moderator was annoyed? How?

I can't speak for HopelessMagic here, but I think I agree with the point he/she was making.

As I'm reading your concern, Mal, you're "livid" because of the second response you received. I don't understand clearly how that second VMK response even relates to your second message, but it appears that the VMK employee thought you were disagreeing with their automatic response and that you were telling them how to do their business. (And that would be annoying to them.) In this surmised context, the second VMK response seems to ask you to chill out and let them do their job.

I agree with those who have said that the "report" button is probably the most abused aspect of this game and it must drive the VMK watchers crazy. Players have told me that they have reported me for winning a game of pirates. You know, because I "cheat." Oh, you didn't know you can cheat in pirates? Apparently I do all the time.

Haven't the past 18 months taught us that hardly anything is ever going to be "just right" in this adver-game? And also that few things are going to make perfect sense to us on this side of the screen?

It's one thing to be annoyed about aspects of the game, but another to let it make you "livid."

Ricks (who prefers to live, laugh, and love... and cheat at pirates )

 

[bopper]

The way I see it is that you reported someone, they gave a response, and then you questioned them on the way they are doing their job. Now you know you are an adult, and you know you are a moderator here on the dis that everybody respects, but all they see is that somebody is challenging how they enforce the values of VMK. Now they may get this all the time, and they may feel they need for the players to respect how they deal with people. Not in this case, but many times people report people for absolute nonsense, so I am sure they investigate all reports but take many of them with a grain of salt. I agree that their wording could be better, though.

 

[Maleficent2]

I am not asking anyone to take my side or take sides at all....we all see things from different perspectives .

I just hope we can all agree that "cursing" in VMK is unacceptale and staff response to a report of this should reflect that.

"Thank you for the report of inappropriate language in the game, we are taking this issue seriously and will look into it and appropriate action will be taken as quickly as possible."

Some see my second report as me "telling staff how to do their business" some see it as me reporting this player again and letting vmk staff know that I feel using foul language in the game is unacceptable and should not be ignored on any level no response was needed from staff.

What I am asking is that VMK staff not send out curt responses to reports.

I, like alot of people, do not use the report button often because of the response it receives most of the time(use ignore etc.) and that is sad.

I also know that the report button is abused also by players who get their panties in a wad because they lose in a game or just think it is a fun thing to do. thus abused.

 

[April in Disney]

I think things might be different if VMK changed their "canned" response.
Instead of "use the ignore" button (which I think sounds pretty impotent
at best), I think they could have their Instant Response say something like:

"Thank you for reporting this incident. We will investigate this further. In the
meantime, please use the Ignore button on the player you reported."

Such a simple change, and it would probably lessen the feeling that you
get the brush-off from staff.

Briar actually that is very similar to the message I usually get from VMK except they always thank me for reporting. I tend not to report people unless it is really necessary and I also try to be very clear about what was said or the action that took place. I can just imagine the numbers of report VMK staff are getting on daily basis. I have seen players reporting others for losing a game, cutting a line, not trading or giving things for free and everything else in between. I do feel the VMK staffs are really trying to make this game we all love safer for us and our families and I want to take this opportunity to thank them publicly.

 

[Maleficent2]

Briar actually that is very similar to the message I usually get from VMK except they always thank me for reporting. I tend not to report people unless it is really necessary and I also try to be very clear about what was said or the action that took place. I can just imagine the numbers of report VMK staff are getting on daily basis. I have seen players reporting others for losing a game, cutting a line, not trading or giving things for free and everything else in between. I do feel the VMK staffs are really trying to make this game we all love safer for us and our families and I want to take this opportunity to thank them publicly.

I agree and would also like to again say Thank you to staff that
I feel on the most part are great and are always getting better and better as is the game.

I really hope by us talking about the issues we encounter only helps to improve this game we all love. As I think we are all far from perfect and are always learning from our successes and our mistakes.

 

[Random Villains]

Ok for one thing, you have to think of it from VMKs point. Imagine working for VMK and having to deal with thousands of reports about someone being rude in the game. Look at all the threads posted on these boards about rude people. I agree with VMK, just ignore it, use the ignore button, whatever.

People on these boards need to realize something, this is the INTERNET, and I think VMK does a GREAT job at shielding bad things away from kids. Compared to things that really are on the internet.

And seriously, so someone in a VIDEO GAME that you do not know personally and never will, says something like YOU STINK! Oh no, they said you stink! Just let it go, ignore it, it will save you the time and stress of having to report someone, and it will save the poor people at VMK that could be doing better things than dealing with the 1654th report of someone saying YOU STINK!

Maybe thats why stuff like the costumes from last year, and SPACE month are being reused, VMK doesnt have time to make new things for us to do in the games because theyre too busy dealing with childish reports.

 

[Peacefully]

I report cursing and things I don't think children should see. I know staff are busy, so I try not to do it more than once, and I try to keep in mind that staff will probably review the chatlog and take action when they have the time.

Actually, what's weird is, once I tried to report a person more than once (first for asking for personal information and being lewd, and then for threatening people with harm or theft) and it wouldn't let me. It said something like "this person has already been reported, we're working on it, you don't need to send another report". I don't know if it was because it was so soon or because everyone in the room was reporting him.
A staff member came in shortly later and made it to where no one could chat, then banned the guy (the guy vanished and the staff said the guy will be gone for a very very long time). It took about ten minutes before staff was able to show up, and yes children were exposed to a lot of bad language in that time, but... staff are only human.

It's not right for them to be rude to you Mal, but I can certainly see how they'd be frustrated. I think their point was that you made two reports and they figured that you were mad because you didn't see anything happen to the offender, so they responded to their perceived vision of you like that. Yes they were snarky, but cut them a break, I'd be cussing people out if I had their job.

 

[Random Villains]

But there isnt any cursing on there, the worst thing you can say is STINK! Kids hear ALOT worse in school than they do on VMK, trust me.

 

[BriarRosie]

Briar actually that is very similar to the message I usually get from VMK except they always thank me for reporting. I tend not to report people unless it is really necessary and I also try to be very clear about what was said or the action that took place. I can just imagine the numbers of report VMK staff are getting on daily basis. I have seen players reporting others for losing a game, cutting a line, not trading or giving things for free and everything else in between. I do feel the VMK staffs are really trying to make this game we all love safer for us and our families and I want to take this opportunity to thank them publicly.

Oh, I totally agree that the report button abuse is the equivalent of
the frivolous lawsuits Disney gets all the time. (Like the woman who
claimed the "hydrolator" at The Living Seas ruptured her ear drums as she
descended. Yeah, all of 1/2 inch!)

I wonder if the players who report for revenge or spite get banned. I would
hope so. I don't think VMK would tolerate that behavior.

And to ForeverWDW, I wanted to respond to the comment about the
Friends List. If a player is banned, they will still be on your Friends List.
I have had banned players on my list. When I checked their last log in date,
it never changed, and months had gone by. When that happened, I just
deleted them from my list.

 

[Cricket2]

People on these boards need to realize something, this is the INTERNET...

That's secondary. It's Disney. There is no excuse. They need to get their image under control or shut it off before it goes to a news source and becomes a bigger issue than it really is.

 

[Maleficent2]

But there isnt any cursing on there, the worst thing you can say is STINK! Kids hear ALOT worse in school than they do on VMK, trust me.

Stink is by far NOT the worst thing I see on VMK. Yes there is most certainly cursing and if you have not seen it then count yourself lucky.

And while yes there is more disgusting things on the internet, VMK is a disney game and being aimed at 8-14 year old there should not be words being used that I and I hope most would not allow their 8-14 yr olds to use. Even if they do use them away from you VMK is a moderated game and it is against VMK values, period.

VMK Values

You Must NOT:

• Use ANY hacking, scripting or editing program with the game.
• Steal other Players' credits or in-game belongings.
• Describe sexual acts to other Players.
• Pester people who don't want to talk to you.
• Swear or use sexually graphic or racist terms.
• Ask other Players for their passwords, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers or other personal information.
• Type your password anywhere except in the Disney registration and log-in pages, or in the Contact Us section.
• Give away, trade or sell your VMK Character.
• Break the law in the game or talk others into breaking it.

You can not honestly think I am such a prude that
I would report someone for using the word STINK....please.

 

[BriarRosie]

You can not honestly think I am such a prude that
I would report someone for using the word STINK....please.

Whew. I'm glad you never reported me when I tell people, "I stink at this
game."

 

[Adventuredaz]

And seriously, so someone in a VIDEO GAME that you do not know personally and never will, says something like YOU STINK! Oh no, they said you stink! Just let it go, ignore it, it will save you the time and stress of having to report someone, and it will save the poor people at VMK that could be doing better things than dealing with the 1654th report of someone saying YOU STINK!

Maybe thats why stuff like the costumes from last year, and SPACE month are being reused, VMK doesnt have time to make new things for us to do in the games because theyre too busy dealing with childish reports.

If they can't handle it or they are tired off it they need to decide if they want that job. I deal with complainers everyday in my job. That is my job. I don't love that part, but I smile and am nice, and I deal with it, often times I don't agree with the complaint or the facts presented are in dispute. This is a Kids game so if they took a job as MOD they should have had expextations of what they would be dealing with and should have been qualified to deal with it. I give anyone the benefit of having a bad day now and then. Many of us here are parents and play the game as well as our kids. We are Moderating to be sure there is not content in the game we find unacceptable. We try to be open to the fact it is an open internet and report within what VMK has deamed to be there values. If we see people cross the line we report. It is important to note that by operating a chat site geared to minors this is one of their primary functions and should be being handle by people separate from designers and game operators and such. I believe generally it is kept separate and therefore that is not the reason for any delays in releases or anything. What it should do is affect change. They need to revamp the report feature, and they do need FAQ as to what they expect to have reported. In the newsletter they indicated they wanted more reports then they continue to respond in a way that negativly reinforces people not bothering to report.

 

[Maleficent2]

Whew. I'm glad you never reported me when I tell people, "I stink at this
game."

 

[Random Villains]

OK then, what is the WORST thing you have ever seen said in the game?