Notice Regarding Trading Harassment

[platedlizard]

Thanks for this thread! I haven't had any problems myself, but I've been hearing about it from some of the winners. Also, that was half of the problem two Christmases ago with Hollies, people harassing holly-owners for eggs. People need to understand that No means No, and that polite behavior gets better results that impolite behavior. After all, if you are rude to someone they probably aren't going to want to trade with you in the future, even if you do have something they normally would like. People remember rude players.

 

I've gotten questions about NDs, but I think the thousands word essays I send in response scare away any would-be harassers lol. Possibly some experimenters too but I like to be thorough.

[Amazon_warrior]

Thanks for this thread! I haven't had any problems myself, but I've been hearing about it from some of the winners. Also, that was half of the problem two Christmases ago with Hollies, people harassing holly-owners for eggs. People need to understand that No means No, and that polite behavior gets better results that impolite behavior. After all, if you are rude to someone they probably aren't going to want to trade with you in the future, even if you do have something they normally would like. People remember rude players.

 

I've gotten questions about NDs, but I think the thousands word essays I send in response scare away any would-be harassers lol. Possibly some experimenters too but I like to be thorough.

This. The hassle I had with my Holly breeding was a couple of years ago. I point-blank refused to trade with the person harassing me and instead gifted my Holly egg to the daughter of someone who'd been very kind to me. It felt much more in keeping with the Christmas spirit...

 

And I do the same when people ask me about NDs. "Ah, you'd like to know how to make NDs? Here's a wall o' text coming right up!"

 

 

In the main though, I've been pretty lucky with PMs and haven't really had anyone being rude. Prior to Shimmer ownership I'd just get the occasional polite breeding request or ND info request. I did find myself getting overwhelmed when I announced Luckiest Catch, but it wasn't that people were rude so much as there were just. too. many. PMs. o_0; I didn't feel the need to report anyone, though.

[NyneHells]

Stuff like this happens a lot in some of the offsite trading groups I'm in... :/ It gets really annoying when they actually start invading threads... Thank you for the announcement, Z.

Edited February 19, 2013 by TaiomiFox

[Chanilove]

To think I was naive enough to assume that courtesy and politeness were just common sense. ._.

It is common sense, really. It's just that common sense really isn't that common anymore, I don't think.

 

Thank you for the announcement, Z, and to all the other moderators that maintain the peacefulness of this place as compared to most online communities. I have been annoyed with people who make breeding requests/trade requests before and it would've been nice if I'd reported them instead of having to get rude just so I could get my point across. I really think negativity only breeds more negativity, even when it's justified, so it's a good reassurance that things can be handled in a different way.

 

You guys are awesome and I applaud you all for your patience and dedication. <3

Edited February 19, 2013 by Chanilove

[PrincessLucy]

You know it's actually kind of funny, I saw this one person's wishlist in their sig (actually I was wandering the forum searching for just such things for which I could breed-glomp) And I was like I can breed that! and my dargons actually did breed it so I glomped em with it. About a minute after sending it, I was still reading the same thread when I realized that person was posting in that thread because they were a shimmer-winner I was like d'oh! I hope I don't look like I'm trying to suck up x.x haha aah

 

I've surprisingly gotten very little in the way of rude PMs personally, very little in the way of request PMs in general really, considering I have an open invitation for it on my profile

I've run into a few with questionable wording, or ones which seemed borderline rude. I tend to stick to the guidelines I set out in my profile in these cases, and try to be polite in response because I've often found out later that these cases often turn out to be from a non-native-english speakers, and it's not that they're trying to be rude, it's just a limited vocabulary or a misunderstanding of meaning. :3

I breed-glomp if I see someone looking for something, and I always state that I don't want anything in return, because I don't. If I did, I would post a trade, or offer on someone's trade.

 

 

I have found the same thing with many people who don't speak English fluently, or use a translator of some sort.

 

I did have 1 person who wanted a gold dragon from me, as they had been on DC for a few weeks and still didn't have one. I wish I kept the PM. It cracked me up, as it took me close to a year to get my first gold, and after more than 4 years active on DC, I still only have 1 CB metal. I didn't see that person as rude, perhaps just a bit entitled.

 

Someone recently asked me how many of a particular combination I could breed. Perhaps it was just a question to solicit a possible trade further on. Who knows? Could they have been more polite and ask if I could try? Maybe, or maybe they were just looking to know if I had any i would be willing to try to breed. Did I feel compelled to try? No. Did I breed what I could? Sure. No biggie.

 

I've had to turn down a few breeding requests, but nobody has ever been rude about it. I only turn the requests down if I can't do it because of refusals or lack of a suitable mate.

 

 

[Evilminion]

Wow... I can't believe this was necessary. I thought our community was better than that, really, I did. Sad to know I was wrong.

[MisaTange]

I'm really damn surprised that I came across this thread in Site Discussion this afternoon. I thought the average user of this site had enough common sense to know that it's not polite to PM a person excessively, but I was proven wrong, unfortunately. And about breeding, even... think about it - you can only breed one egg, once per week and you're not even 100% sure they'll produce the offspring you want, moreso if someone wants a specific partner/egg.

 

Thankfully I have not yet had this problem even with my signature saying that yes, you can ask for things you want that I have - all of my traders/giftees are really polite and kind. Although I can imagine people who actually have goodies are harassed. Bluh.

[KageSora]

I knew this happened, but I'm sorry to see it's happened enough recently to warrant a topic reminding people to be decent human beings. That's just... Sad.

 

Hopefully it stops, or at least clears up some...

[Forest]

Thanks for that _Z_. Sometimes a gentle reminder is all it takes.

[Erithan]

Wow... I can't believe this was necessary.     I thought our community was better than that, really, I did.  Sad to know I was wrong.

One thing I can assure you from experience in many small community games since I was younger, DC is way off from serious harrasment issues. This community is quite a bit better then you may be thinking despite the post.(It is really amazing from my standpoint and past/current experiences)

 

The fact alone that the mods keep on their toes, and at times go to great lengths to help people says a lot about how much they care about th DC community. _Z_ posting a "reminder" thread just proves this all the more, a thread to douse any potential fires that may have been flaring up, as well as encourage people to report things when they get out of hand and to remind them they are here to help.

 

Quite awhile ago on another game that I had played for 6-8 years maybe? I was forced off it due to a severe harrasment issue that not only effected my health(Have a very severe anxiety problem), but also involved the person not only hounding me in game, but threating to post my address etc on forums among other things....(long story).

 

Sadly it was due to the NEW company that had taken over the game not taking action that I was forced off. Despite mountains of evidence....and even support from the in-game "authoritys"(complicated system). (sadly this would have never happend if the NEW game owners had not decided to revoke what once were permanent bans...)

 

Sorry for odd wording, hard to explain. uhh short version...

 

DC is a Wonderful, kind community, with great players and dedicated mods(and a caring creator of course. TJ has not lost site of things nor gone the way of greed which says a lot about him, especially with what many games that have grown large have turned into...)

 

As well as my added story, harrasment CAN go far beyond just "pestering" pms and e-mails, and I'm glad to see we have such wonderful dedicated mods.

 

again apologies for length, had a hard time wording things *pokes rusty brain*

 

Edit: and pardon repetativness a bit, tired as well >< mrf

Edited February 19, 2013 by Erithan

[Hellen]

Just adding something that I just noticed.

 

People sometimes think that DC rules do not apply to off-site DC threads on other adoptable boards.

 

DC-threads on other adoptable sites surely do fall under the same rules as the board in question and the DC rules too, right?

 

 

[ZzelaBusya]

Just adding something that I just noticed.

 

People sometimes think that DC rules do not apply to off-site DC threads on other adoptable boards.

 

DC-threads on other adoptable sites surely do fall under the same rules as the board in question and the DC rules too, right?

How can that be? :/ A user who discusses Dragcave on another board may not even be registered on Dragcave, how is it supposed to be controlled by the DC rules and the DC staff then?

 

Maybe I am wrong, but I have always been sure that things happening on another site are controlled by the staff of that other site. If the staff of the other site see nothing wrong in what's happening there, it should be fine.

 

How can the administration/staff of site A have the right to control what's going on on site B if they do not own it?

Edited February 19, 2013 by ZzelaBusya

[blobber]

to add my own two pennies here.

 

I do not accept trade requests at all. If I post a trade, I post it where appropriate. I do not appreciate/accept PMs for trades. I may or may not answer. It's in my profile, its on my scroll and I think in my signature.

 

A bit O/T but where is it in your scroll and how do you put something there? I didn't know you could.

[cfmtfm]

A bit O/T but where is it in your scroll and how do you put something there? I didn't know you could.

Name your frozen hatchlings/dragons.

 

Hellen, if they're not on the actual Dragon Cave site or forums, then they don't have to explicitly follow any of our rules. TJ doesn't have that right.

[blobber]

Name your frozen hatchlings/dragons.

 

Hellen, if they're not on the actual Dragon Cave site or forums, then they don't have to explicitly follow any of our rules. TJ doesn't have that right.

Oh yes, I see it now. Thank you.

[Hellen]

How can that be? :/ A user who discusses Dragcave on another board may not even be registered on Dragcave, how is it supposed to be controlled by the DC rules and the DC staff then?

 

Maybe I am wrong, but I have always been sure that things happening on another site are controlled by the staff of that other site. If the staff of the other site see nothing wrong in what's happening there, it should be fine.

 

How can the administration/staff of site A have the right to control what's going on on site B if they do not own it?

What I meant was, that DC related threads, where trading happens and so on, surely fall under the same rules as the board itself and DC.

 

Meaning, if I get a pm on ... let´s say, CS, someone bothering me about an offspring of XY dragon, that I can inform the staff on The CS board, while pointing out that there are rules considering that problem, and ask them to block that user from pm-ing me again.

 

Not only "Dc discussion boards" but those with active users, that are putting pressure on other users and so on.

 

It´s not me wanting the DC staff to controll other boards, but if I encounter something like that, or it happens to me, I can surely ask the staff of the board in question, AND ask the mods on here for help, right?

[skauble]

How can that be? :/ A user who discusses Dragcave on another board may not even be registered on Dragcave, how is it supposed to be controlled by the DC rules and the DC staff then?

 

Maybe I am wrong, but I have always been sure that things happening on another site are controlled by the staff of that other site. If the staff of the other site see nothing wrong in what's happening there, it should be fine.

 

How can the administration/staff of site A have the right to control what's going on on site B if they do not own it?

Harassing players actually breaks two rules -

 

1. The rule in the Terms of Service that says all interaction between players must be willful.

 

2. The forum rules that calls for being respectful of each other.

 

You're right that if someone is on another forum then they're not breaking the forum rules for this site.

 

However, they are breaking the rules for Dragon Cave, the game, itself. Since we all have to agree to obey those rules in order to create a scroll and play, harassing another player anywhere is a violation of the rules.

 

Having said that, that would probably be much harder to prove and I don't know how/who would handle it (if anyone could), but it is still a violation of the games Terms and Conditions if a person is harassing someone, no matter where they're doing it.

[Sheriziya]

_Z_, Thank you very much for posting this! Although I've been fortunate enough to never have to deal with such kind of PM's, it's very sad there is an apparent need to post about it.

 

So far I've only have very nice PM's about possible trades, but it's good to know mods can be contact if PM's take a different kind of tone. Let's just all have joy in our wondrous dragons and spread the joy if and when we want to

[Amazon_warrior]

Harassing players actually breaks two rules -

 

1. The rule in the Terms of Service that says all interaction between players must be willful.

 

2. The forum rules that calls for being respectful of each other.

 

You're right that if someone is on another forum then they're not breaking the forum rules for this site.

 

However, they are breaking the rules for Dragon Cave, the game, itself. Since we all have to agree to obey those rules in order to create a scroll and play, harassing another player anywhere is a violation of the rules.

 

Having said that, that would probably be much harder to prove and I don't know how/who would handle it (if anyone could), but it is still a violation of the games Terms and Conditions if a person is harassing someone, no matter where they're doing it.

Most (sensible) forums have rules regarding considerate behaviour towards other users, though, so I'd think that a complaint of "This user is hassling me" ought to be enough to get it looked into by the on-site staff. Hassling is hassling, regardless of the subject.

[Fuzzbucket]

Not often but yes it does happen.  All of the breeding requests I have ever gotten were always polite and respectful.  But there was one person last year who flat out targeted several people including myself with their demands that I trade high value eggs/hatchlings I had on my scroll for their worthless stuff.  I ignored the first 2 such PMs. After the 3rd, I simply blocked them from being able to send me PMs.  Then when they realized they could not send PMs, they started sending me messages through the email link, I immediately reported them to their email provider as a spammer.  Didn't have any further problems after that LOL. 

 

(quote from fuzzbucket was in here...)

 

I think this was the same person I was dealing with too at that time. 

It was ! You and I PMd I reported him to his email provider, too.

 

What is SO silly is that I have it in my sig that I will breed for free if I get a polite request. So why does an obviously native English speaker (so no "oh poor me I don't have very good English" issue) would send such an offensive request, for - as I recall - about ten assorted rares, phrased as a peremptory order ?

Edited February 19, 2013 by fuzzbucket

[MedievalMystic]

Thank you for this.

 

 

The way I see it, if I PM a user for something, and don't get a reply, I'll wait a few days or a week and send a polite PM once more. If I still don't hear anything, as far as I'm concerned the answer has already been given. Silence, in my mind, says two things. "Leave me alone", or "No." Even if the other forgot, in my book, it's still a no go, and that's that. Whether or not I happen to think they're being 'rude' is pretty irrelevent. I don't PM people for an answer more than twice. Ever.

[Undomiel]

It was ! You and I PMd I reported him to his email provider, too.

 

What is SO silly is that I have it in my sig that I will breed for free if I get a polite request. So why does an obviously native English speaker (so no "oh poor me I don't have very good English" issue) would send such an offensive request, for - as I recall - about ten assorted rares, phrased as a peremptory order ?

Speak and write bad english isn't excuse to be rude. Some of the first things we learn is 'please' and 'thank you' and the meaning of 'no' is very clear.

 

[Oddsoxdi]

Thanks for the thread, _Z_, and sock for this post.

 

I wouldn't mind a second POLITE PM, as I do occasionally accidentally delete and so on, and I do answer first requests or I intend to, even when they are plain rude ("I want a dragon from your thunder, as soon as possible." That kind of PM I only accept from oddsoxdi !!)

 

But on the occasions I have been poked repeatedly and rudely, I simply block that user. Only one once followed it up with emails asking why I hadn't bred them the dragons they asked for (I think he even said "told you to" ) Whatever his age, he cannot have failed to grasp that I had said no - and I know that several others blocked him at the same time as I did.

 

So, sadly, I think this thread is needed, so that we can point the offenders here when we report them.

 

@ ZzelaBusya - I don't care if it does put that kind of person off trying to trade, and I truly don't think it will put nice, civilised players off at all.

Why FuzzieBee - you just warmed my cockles!! So when DO I get my Trio/Silver/Gold/Tinsel????? I want it NAO!!!

 

I'm eternally amazed at the lack of manners shown in the world today, but also eternally amazed at the caring attitudes of a LOT of people in DC (Y'listenin' Fuzz??).

 

Harassment seems to be another form of bullying - a bully is a coward and should be ignored.

 

Hugs to you Fuzzbutt! er bucket.

[Shajana]

I agree! I can`t understand that people don`t stop bothering others when they don´t want to breed or trade, no is no.

[Hellen]

...or keep annoying people with

 

"Can I be on your list now?"

 

"Now?"

 

"Now?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

".............now?"

 

That´s a type of harrassing an user, too.

 

They will give you a message if you are on the list. Or not, if they do not WANT you on their list :c