VMK Rant

[bytheblood]

Okay Dis-friends...I just want to rant and then I will get back to my happy self.

I am so aggravated with VMK right now. I know it is just a virtual game, but it is a virtual game that my daughter plays daily, therefore I am concerned about what she sees. It also aggravates me that they are useless at times. For the most part, the hosts/moderators/rule-enforcers/people-who-are-supposed-to-help-and-don't-give-a-flip totally stink.

1. On double-point Thursday, I was playing several games of Ship Battle and somebody was mad because a player on their team was blown-up and he called the person a "dumbo <removed>".... (figure that one out) not once, but three times. I reported him/her the first time and was told to click my ignore button. On the third time, I reported it again and was told to click my ignore button.

2. I was coming out of the Inner-Space Shoppe this past week and a boy was telling a girl to take her pants off and that she would look better with her dance shirt on and no pants. I reported it and was told to use my ignore button.

3. Yesterday, I was playing the Captain Jack Quest and VMK crashed (sorry, we've purged all players we can) when I had a few questions left. I could not restart the quest and it was missing from my Q button. I sent a message to VMK and they basically said sorry 'bout ya!! This one was not a huge deal, but they still should have done something about it!!

4. I had a VMK account and user that I started a few years back. I used it up until May 2006. We sold our house, moved and I did not get back in for about 7 months. I could not remember which email address from our old Verizon accounts I used nor could I recall the passwords, all I could remember was my character name and I know a lot of what I had in my account. 2 (now retired) magic pins, 3 golden Mickey ears, 1 set of black ears, a mad-hatter hat I beleive, all of the cards I had entered from my previous Disneyworld vacations, about 10 white witch thrones, 10,000+ credits, clothes that I can no longer get, several rooms (one I can no longer get) and the list goes on. So, I send them a message through their "contact us" link and give them my real name, DOB, previous character user name, possibilites for the email address and other pieces of information in addition to my new account name and user name and ask if they can pull that stuff and place it in my new account.

I recieve a message back that tells me I created a mule account and they will not help. So, I sent them a reply and requested that they actually READ the email before sending a blanket response. They sent me basically the same thing about "mule accounts" and that they consider this matter closed.

So, I have come to the conclusion that the children that do not follow the rules and pretend to have families, try to hook-up virtually, etc are the same people who monitor the messages and reports sent to VMK.

These people are about as useful as a lawnmower on sand.

Okay - rant over.

 

[valeriesunshine]

Well we do have to remember that the Report Button is for emergencies only. Like the reply from Staff 'If somone elese chat bothers you, use the ignore button' it's as simple as that =)

-suNshine

 

[bytheblood]

Well we do have to remember that the Report Button is for emergencies only. Like the reply from Staff 'If somone elese chat bothers you, use the ignore button' it's as simple as that =)

-suNshine

Oh come on!!! I understand that, but cursing and telling somebody they would look good without pants on (especially a virtual character), requires more action than an ignore button.

I guess you must not feel that those types of actions by VMK users go against maintaining a child-friendly environment.

 

[i am me]

they may say that, but they are loging this, and when that player wants to become a CL or someting, they will say that they have used bad languge and will not let them.

 

[valeriesunshine]

Oh come on!!! I understand that, but cursing and telling somebody they would look good without pants on (especially a virtual character), requires more action than an ignore button.

I guess you must not feel that those types of actions by VMK users go against maintaining a child-friendly environment.

Even if VMK Staff did take even MORE action, it wouldn't stop. Those types of players will continue there wrong-doings. VMK Staff is doing all they can, they are humans you know.

 

[vmkfan13]

I agree with sunshine, first of all, why be shocked at swear words? They're everywhere, second of all, they do warn the user and eventually ban them. The ignore button is just in case your uncomfortable with they're chat and don't want to see it and don't want to wait for staff to ban that person.

 

[Maleficent2]

I hope the Gold ears and Maleficent hat I gave you ease the pain of your lost somewhat....

We have all been where you are and letting it out really seems to help me.

 

[Jovey]

Also about the fact your character with your stuff. It was gone for over seven months, and vmk bans any account that hasn't been used for at least six so that it can delete all of the mule accounts. It stinks, but that's just the way things are.

 

[elikapekakini]

i am sorry but i do not agree with this but i do agree with bytheblood as soon as some on does something wrong and a person repots them then i agree and they should get a 24 hour ban then if they do it again give them a 10 day ban and so on...... any ways i really do hate this. vmkfan13 i am shocked at swear words!! i do not use them and i am not friends with any on who does use these kinda words! sorry rant over
Queen_Rabitt

I agree with sunshine, first of all, why be shocked at swear words? They're everywhere, second of all, they do warn the user and eventually ban them. The ignore button is just in case your uncomfortable with they're chat and don't want to see it and don't want to wait for staff to ban that person.

 

[aengus]

Communication has always been the weakest part of VMK. Even they seem to realize it. They have taken some steps to "better" that but lately, it has gotten a bit worse (two steps forward one step back).

However, we will never know for sure, but alot of what you see on that "ignore button reply" is a generic response. Sometimes we dont see it, but more is done, just not at the time we saw it. Those people could very well be banned right now.

 

[Goofy05]

Aengus is correct. Many times those players are banned after a review of their chat, but you will never know about it. It is their policy not to tell you of other players' bans. I have reported more players lately than I care to admit, but unfortunately, using bad language is not an IP ban, so they just create another character and start up again. If you've ever been to a park full of teens and tweens, it's the same there. My advice is to report them using the contact us link. VMK staff can then review chat logs at their leisure. The help button in-game is strictly for emergencies, and poor language really doesn't qualify as an emergency, as they receive a ton of those every minute. In my opinion, a true emergency is when someone is pushing another player for personal information.
As for losing your alternate account, Yavn did warn us back in November or December, maybe sooner. You couldn't have known if you'd missed that article and subsequent discussion, but I happen to think it's a good rule. It will purge the servers of old dead accounts giving vmk more space for other items and less crashes, in theory.
Try to remember there are only a few staff moderating at any given time. They are very busy answering help requests and can't answer every one. Use the contact us link. Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[Cardinal]

I agree with sunshine, first of all, why be shocked at swear words? They're everywhere

If people started decapitating themselves left and right, would it make decapitating yourself seem any less shocking?

If people started jumping off of bridges, would it make it any less shocking?

Just because people do bad things frequently doesn't make those bad things any better. I would be startled, at the least, if I saw someone cursing in VMK.

 

[cat_herder]

I recieve a message back that tells me I created a mule account and they will not help. So, I sent them a reply and requested that they actually READ the email before sending a blanket response. They sent me basically the same thing about "mule accounts" and that they consider this matter closed.

I think I despise VMK the most this reason. They don't read the emails (unless they get 100 about the same topic) and they don't care.

THEY JUST DON'T CARE!!

 

[cat_herder]

Well we do have to remember that the Report Button is for emergencies only. Like the reply from Staff 'If somone elese chat bothers you, use the ignore button' it's as simple as that =)

-suNshine

What you do call an emergency?
People have reported scamming and stealing and VMK does nothing.

It not like we are reporting someone falling and scraping a knee.

 

[Maleficent2]

Aengus is correct. Many times those players are banned after a review of their chat, but you will never know about it. It is their policy not to tell you of other players' bans. I have reported more players lately than I care to admit, but unfortunately, using bad language is not an IP ban, so they just create another character and start up again. If you've ever been to a park full of teens and tweens, it's the same there. My advice is to report them using the contact us link. VMK staff can then review chat logs at their leisure. The help button in-game is strictly for emergencies, and poor language really doesn't qualify as an emergency, as they receive a ton of those every minute. In my opinion, a true emergency is when someone is pushing another player for personal information.
As for losing your alternate account, Yavn did warn us back in November or December, maybe sooner. You couldn't have known if you'd missed that article and subsequent discussion, but I happen to think it's a good rule. It will purge the servers of old dead accounts giving vmk more space for other items and less crashes, in theory.
Try to remember there are only a few staff moderating at any given time. They are very busy answering help requests and can't answer every one. Use the contact us link. Hope this helps somewhat.

I am going to totally disagree with you here.

Unfortunately I have seen first hand the last several weeks that Moderating is at an all time low.

I have screen shot proofs that have been forwarded to VMK after players were reported in the game and nothing done. Let's just say that the impropriety's in mention deserved at least a month ban.

I have some ideas I shared here:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18760499&postcount=4

I would like to be more supportive but right now I just can not see it.

 

[Lovela]

Yea, I understand. Even if you don't see what they type. The other young children might see it and maybe might follow and make the their role-model. I especially don't like the "Bay.be" and Taken stuff, lol. But When I go there. I wear Princess everyday. So they always ask me to be their "Mummy"

 

[mikeyandscoobyx2]

Blood, although they say use the ignore button, i Really think they mean, Just use the ignore button and we will try to figure this problem out. Which happened to me. When i reported a person on my list.. They didn't come back for like a couple months.

 

[bytheblood]

I hope the Gold ears and Maleficent hat I gave you ease the pain of your lost somewhat....

We have all been where you are and letting it out really seems to help me.

I really appreciate the gifts you gave me. (Mal Rocks!!!)

As far as the loss of other items, I am not upset about it in that sense....it is only virtual. It did not cost me anything but my time and it really holds no actual value. It is only a game after all.

It was really the blanket comments they send out instead of actually reading the message that irked me.


As to the previous comment, "they are only human", my retort to you is...but we all have a job and get paid to stay on top of what we do. If I told one of my 28 accounts in NY "I am only human after all!" - I would be in quite a bit of trouble.

Now......My blanket statement - There is no need to run to the defense of VMK because it means something to you. We all like VMK or else we would not be posting here. Facts are facts and it is not harmful to admit them for what they are.


Mal - I am sorry you had to modify my post. I really did not think anything about that being icky for the boards being that they were normal everyday words. I will not do that again - even in VMK speak.

 

[Goofy05]

I am going to totally disagree with you here.

Unfortunately I have seen first hand the last several weeks that Moderating is at an all time low.

I have screen shot proofs that have been forwarded to VMK after players were reported in the game and nothing done. Let's just say that the impropriety's in mention deserved at least a month ban.

I have some ideas I shared here:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18760499&postcount=4

I would like to be more supportive but right now I just can not see it.

Understandable and I too agree moderating is poor on vmk. Unfortunately, it is still best to report with the contact us than using the in-game help. Of course, it also depends on who's moderating. I've seen some very good mods, and some not so good ones. Hopefully things will improve, but I'm not holding my breath. The best mods are long gone, imo.
One example of the mods getting more lax would be the total room bans for the wrongs of just one player.
I will continue to report through the contact us feature. I only use the in-game help for what I feel are extremely bad players. Whether or not either way of reporting works, I'll continue.
Oh, and for what it's worth it makes no difference whether you're a CL or not. I've had people ask this and unless you're one of those CL's who's constantly around staff (of whom I am not) having that title means nothing.