Be part of the solution

Where I use dramatic historical quotations and a scary image of the Blizzard punishment pyramid to plead my case to you. Contains some NSFW language. (img:battle.net)

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing.           -Edmund Burke

I'm not a fan of Blizzard's player-reporting system, especially as it sits in its current form. I think it's impersonal, generic, and doesn't provide the feedback a player needs in order to feel they've made a difference. I do understand why the system has evolved over the game's life. Years ago when a player witnessed some sort of reportable offense, they'd submit a ticket to customer service---essentially, a written report of what had taken place. For reasons I think are obvious (time/budget/resources), this really wasn't a practical way to combat negative player behavior. There's simply too much data for a human being to sift through in order to make a judgement one way or another.

The current system offers "right-click-and-report" functionality, allowing the user to choose from four general "offenses:" spamming, name, language and cheating. In most of those cases, players aren't given the option to provide any additional information---the right-click temporarily ignores the reported player, some sort of log is sent to Blizzard and...that's it. It's over with. Done. And you will likely be frustrated when you see that same player using the same language the next day. Of course, the four options don't go very far when it comes to the variety of negative behavior a player can encounter in-game.

If you've run only a handful of LFRs you've surely encountered player behavior that because of the limitations of Blizzard's reporting system couldn't even be reported. Couple the inability to report toxic players in some situations with the absolute absence of feedback when you actually use the in-game functios and it can leave a player feeling like their efforts are an absolute waste of time. They're an ant facing a juggernaut. And it can foster feelings of resentment towards the parent company. I've read some fucked up stuff in Trade---but perhaps this morning's description of performing a sex act on a cow takes the cake.

Why must this be something we as players have to deal with on a daily basis? Newsflash: there is no free speech in Azeroth. Blizzard have their own terms, even if the enforcement rests in a grey area. 

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. -Albert Einstein

But see, the thing is, acting positively towards your fellow player is actually in your best interest! That's not to say good behavior should be rewarded---I think that's contrary to what I'm saying here. Good behavior should be the norm...can be the norm, but it's we, the players, who need to re-introduce consequence into the game. Blizzard just can't keep up with the sheer volume of idiots who pay for their products. That's the sad reality. One can argue for better and for worse that Blizzard have introduced system changes (Looking-For-Dungeon, Looking-For-Raid, etc.) that make the experience more akin to a single-player game where you sometimes run into other players, rather than a true MMO experience. 

Formerly frequent group quests have been toned down or outright removed from the game. LFD allows you to quickly and easily group with people you'll probably never see again. Heck, once you hit max level, you'll have an option to raid---complete without the need to be in a guild, without the need to communicate with your fellow players, without the need to care for or be responsible to anyone but yourself. Whether a player isolates themselves from the community by choice or by their behavior, the incurred consequences nowadays are pretty much non-existent: in Vanilla, Burning Crusade and most of Wrath, you could only do so much, get so far, by your lonesome. 

Personally, I'm in one of those situations where I'm getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. I loathe heading into major cities with the choice of either putting up with verbal excrement in Trade and spending more time than I should reporting players, or muting Trade chat, in essence cutting myself off from the most high-traffic communication channel in-game. I've either got to endure it, or isolate myself because of other players' toxic behavior.

This is so not what I wanted my World of Warcraft experience to become. But I'm not going to let other players push me out of the game. I'm not going to compile a list of suggestions for Blizzard to consider in order to make the game environment more pleasant, either. There are simple things that WE, the players, can do. Because ultimately, it's up to us to change this climate, this culture. To take it back from the idiots. 

I'm done keeping my mouth shut. I'm going to report everything. And more, I'm going to remind everyone within earshot (eyeshot?) they should be reporting, too. I'm calling on all players who truly grasp the idea of a positive, non-toxic gaming environment to take a stand where the standard BS is no longer tolerated. Don't get me wrong---if two people would like to chat about performing a sex act on a cow while in-game, that's their choice. However, they don't get to have that conversation publicly.

WE need to put a stop to this. I could be wrong, but until it's proven that way I refuse to believe that it's the majority of us who are OK with players throwing around words like nigger and faggot, describing sexual encounters in graphic detail, and threatening rape without a second thought. I believe it's the majority of us who are silent, and that is what needs to change.

So I'm gonna be that guy, and I hope you'll join me and be that guy/gal, too. The person who gets told to "STFU faggot" after using Trade to remind players they should report all inappropriate behavior and chat...every time.

Will you be part of the solution?

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.                  -Martin Luther King, Jr.