Unmoderated Sub Forums for Every Discussion Page

[Covidian Masktard]

It'd be nice to be able to talk about whatever we'd like, somewhere on each product's forums. Sometimes you just wanna talk about whatever's on your mind because you're human (i.e. not an NPC). It could be unpopular criticism of the game or something totally irrelevant. Popculture, politics, religion, hobbies, dank memes, puppies and kitties, you name it. A tiny little corner of the internet to kill a little time and share your thoughts about whatever, just because. "For the lulz" or "for ♥♥♥♥'s sake." You know, a "safe-space" for free speech? Something that would be considered a universal basic human right, in a civilized world. Crazy idea, huh?

It'd be it's own little thing, listed under "SUB FORUMS." Don't wanna read what's there because it might hurt your feelings or make you question things you don't like to think about? Don't click on it! Steam wouldn't be responsible for anything there and you don't ever have to be there. Never, ever!... just like any other social media platform. It's as simple as that. This particular sub forum could even be titled with all CAPS and in spooky RED TEXT. Call it what it is: a Free Speech Zone; dystopian but honest. And for good measure, it can even have an emoji - for the people who definitely don't belong there. It'd be as distinct as possible, so you don't "accidentally" click on it, get traumatized and need psychotherapy for the rest of your sheltered life because you couldn't handle the pixels you were exposed to.

If you do dare to visit, be aware that while you are free to say whatever you'd like, that means you're also responsible for whatever you say!... So don't be an idiot! Dangerous freedom. Scary to some folks, sacred to others! Something a lot of us took for granted not long ago but can't seem to find nowadays. A refreshing oasis in a dead desert or a perhaps just a cesspool. Probably both, depending on what links you click on.

Of course, you'd probably need to check a few boxes before being let in, acknowledging that you understand the risks and whatnot. It'd be like the age-verification check on all the rated M games, but regarding mental maturity. Some people might be very physically mature but mentally immature... the SJWs, Karens, crybullies, thought police, useful idiots, whatever you wanna call them... it's not for them.

If you have an opinion, good or bad, share it. Have an academic, polite discussion that benefits the entire world or make an ass out of yourself by going on a poorly written, hate-filled diatribe just because! Let the textual diarrhea flow for as long as your fingers can type!... or concisely share your grandma's cookie recipes because you love her and want her legacy to live on. Anything that comes to mind. Whatever floats your boat.

Don't like what someone said? Don't whine to the moderators, they'd be out of their jurisdiction here (and they don't care because you're a whiny baby); just block whoever got your panties in a bunch! You're offended? That's you're problem. You resolve it. It just takes a few clicks; much less work/time than whining/reporting.

It's the ultimate solution for so-called "hate speech" (which is just free speech that haters hate). Use that block button! That's what it's meant for! Block all the meanies and morons; everyone you dislike! Anyone different than you! Block the entire world! Don't like this post, for example? Don't report me (that'd be an abuse of the system), block me! Block all communication and never interact with me! Go ahead, please. Right now! Form your own little safe space from the people who'd rather be free than protected. Banish yourself by banning others! Segregation! (Yeah, I said it.) It's a win-win for both of us!

I think it'd be great, even as a punishment. Maybe you've been permanently banned from a forum (because, let's be honest: the moderators have too much power and abuse it)? Get sent to the digital ghetto instead of having your online persona murdered by being completely silenced. Go live out a life-sentence in the Steam Community prison for thought criminals aka The Kool Kids Klub: the unmoderated sub forums.

Make it a thing and I'd volunteer to get sent there if that's what it'd take to get it started. Imprison me so I can be free! Make a martyr outta me! I'll be inmate #1. King of the castle, leader of the looney bin; shouting in solitary confinement, waiting for others to join me.

P.S. I'm pretty sure at least one word got blocked out, above. If you'd rather read the word than see it censored, the proposed subforum would be for you! Join me. Join the dark side... we have cookies... or, we will at least. It'd just be a matter of time.

TLDR: Censorship is not cool, bruh. Respeck muh free-speech (by at least letting me whisper to myself in the shadows like a crazy person), ya muffin fluffin' naggers!... please. Thank you.

[Covidian Masktard]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Zoopy:

It's not happening. If you want to debate...

I never wanted to debate you, as you're clearly biased, have no real interest in the subject and are unknowledgeable. I don't even want to mention it, I'm just responding to you for mentioning such a thing. So funny... mention "holocaust," get all emotional, you're not willing to talk about the topic (because you're ignorant), think you're funny by mentioning wendy's. It's so stupid. You add nothing of value to the conversation.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Zoopy:

And btw, Steam is moderated by real people. There is no AI scanning everything you post.

All you gotta do is type a bad word and see how it gets censored. That's AI, not a person. You really think someone at Steam is reading and editing everything you write, in real time? LOL, just be quiet. I'd demonstrate, but then you'd report me for bullying or something and try to get me banned.

[Tito Shivan]

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Problem with harbouring such a subforum on Steam, it would spill out on the whole set of forums.
Harassment and hatespeech and so on.

It would and it has in the past.

Fun story time: Back in 2015 when Reddit purged several toxic subreddits (like r/fatpeoplehate) a study was conducted to see the effects overall Reddit. It turned out removing these toxic subreddits resulted in a reduction of toxicity amongst the rest of the subreddit.
https://comp.social.gatech.edu/papers/cscw18-chand-hate.pdf

Working from over 100M Reddit posts and comments, we generate hate speech lexicons to examine variations in hate speech usage via causal inference methods. We find that the ban worked for Reddit. More accounts than expected discontinued using the site; those that stayed drastically decreased their hate speech usage—by at least 80%. Though many subreddits saw an influx of r/fatpeoplehate and r/CoonTown “migrants,” those subreddits saw no significant
changes in hate speech usage. In other words, other subreddits did not inherit the problem.

When you normalize a toxic behaviour in a part of the forums, you are normalizing such behavior which effectively have it slip into the rest of the place

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

First of all, you don't know how many reports would be created.

I do.

[Wayward]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

All you gotta do is type a bad word and see how it gets censored. That's AI, not a person. You really think someone at Steam is reading and editing everything you write, in real time? LOL, just be quiet. I'd demonstrate, but then you'd report me for bullying or something and try to get me banned.

It's not AI, and it's not a person either. It's a simple word filter. Those have existed long before AI. And your the bad words are not edited out of the post either, it's simply covered up by the filter. However, when you quote a post which contains a filtered word, you can actually see it in the text field. When you send it though, it will go back to being filtered.

[The End]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Tito Shivan:

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Problem with harbouring such a subforum on Steam, it would spill out on the whole set of forums.
Harassment and hatespeech and so on.

It would and it has in the past.

Fun story time: Back in 2015 when Reddit purged several toxic subreddits (like r/fatpeoplehate) a study was conducted to see the effects overall Reddit. It turned out removing these toxic subreddits resulted in a reduction of toxicity amongst the rest of the subreddit.
https://comp.social.gatech.edu/papers/cscw18-chand-hate.pdf

Working from over 100M Reddit posts and comments, we generate hate speech lexicons to examine variations in hate speech usage via causal inference methods. We find that the ban worked for Reddit. More accounts than expected discontinued using the site; those that stayed drastically decreased their hate speech usage—by at least 80%. Though many subreddits saw an influx of r/fatpeoplehate and r/CoonTown “migrants,” those subreddits saw no significant
changes in hate speech usage. In other words, other subreddits did not inherit the problem.

When you normalize a toxic behaviour in a part of the forums, you are normalizing such behavior which effectively have it slip into the rest of the place

Exactly and it would make Steam a really toxic place to be.

[Zoopy]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

All you gotta do is type a bad word and see how it gets censored. That's AI, not a person. You really think someone at Steam is reading and editing everything you write, in real time? LOL, just be quiet. I'd demonstrate, but then you'd report me for bullying or something and try to get me banned.

Uhm, that's not AI. That's simple string replacement that even beginner programmers could code in a few minutes without knowing the first thing about AI.

This feature has existed on forums for decades. It's not massively sophisticated code and doing it via AI would be massively overcomplicating a simple feature.

Steam is not moderated by AI. Unless your definition of AI is so broad that something a high school kid with limited programming knowledge could write is AI.

[Aachen]

“But it’s not illegal” isn’t some great argument to support a thing’s potential availability.

[Covidian Masktard]

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Not at all. You are not entitled to free speech on a privately owned gaming platform.

I like how you cut out the part where i mentioned how it's literally the topic of the discussion, which you found by going to "all discussions > steam forums > SUGGESTIONS / Ideas."

I never said anyone was entitled to anything. I merely *SUGGESTED* having a teeny tiny spot for people who don't want/need mommy/daddy moderator breathing down their backs constantly. Obviously that does not interest you, so why do such people decide to talk to me? It's just boring at this point. And why are you being rude? "Get on a soapbox if you want free speech"? Wtf? Who talks like that? You should get a box of soap and eat the contents. Like I said in the first post, just block me if you don't like the concept of free speech in this or any other context. We've got nothing to discuss, so cease contact.

[Brian9824]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

All you gotta do is type a bad word and see how it gets censored. That's AI, not a person. You really think someone at Steam is reading and editing everything you write, in real time? LOL, just be quiet. I'd demonstrate, but then you'd report me for bullying or something and try to get me banned.

Um lol that is not AI, its just a script that detects specific words loaded into a list and blocks them before being posted. Its been a thing since basically chat rooms existed. It just parses your text and if sees a word in the bad list it replaces it.

Anyways a big no to your idea. There are plenty of forums available for you to rant and go all uncensored. No need for Steam to try to cater to that as it would just cause even more fights, drama, and issues.

[The End]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Not at all. You are not entitled to free speech on a privately owned gaming platform.

I like how you cut out the part where i mentioned how it's literally the topic of the discussion, which you found by going to "all discussions > steam forums > SUGGESTIONS / Ideas."

I never said anyone was entitled to anything.

Let's have a look.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

Opprinnelig skrevet av SlowMango:

Free speech doesn't have anything to do with this forum.

Sure it does.

To me it looks like you claim that free speech has something to do with Steam forums.

And that is wrong. It has nothing to do with Steam forums.

/I'm out. Have a great day.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

Opprinnelig skrevet av SlowMango:

Free speech doesn't have anything to do with this forum.

Sure it does. Somehow, you found your way to: "All Discussion > Steam Forums> Suggestions/Ideas> (We should have) Unmoderated Sub Forums in Every Discussion Page."

It's literally the topic of this suggestion/idea. Don't like it? Leave. Go do anything else; play a game, research the holohoax, get some sleep, whatever. Block me too while you're at it, please; you and anyone else who just don't understand or appreciate the value of thinking/speaking freely. Bye!

That value doesn't exist here because it is a private platform. Even SCOTUS agrees.

[Zoopy]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

Obviously that does not interest you, so why do such people decide to talk to me?

Because this is an open subforum for the community and we're allowed to respond to your posts.

But further, as Tito Shivan pointed out, when you allow hate to fester on your platform, it ends up degrading the overall experience over time.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

And why are you being rude?

This is a bit ironic coming from the person who has insulted multiple people in this thread.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

We've got nothing to discuss, so cease contact.

This is an open forum. If you don't like that people are responding to you, either block or consider posting somewhere else. But it's super ironic to suggest an unmoderated forum and then ask people to leave your thread because you don't like what they're saying.

[Brian9824]

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

I like how you cut out the part where i mentioned how it's literally the topic of the discussion, which you found by going to "all discussions > steam forums > SUGGESTIONS / Ideas."

I never said anyone was entitled to anything.

Let's have a look.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Covidian Masktard:

Sure it does.

To me it looks like you claim that free speech has something to do with Steam forums.

And that is wrong. It has nothing to do with Steam forums.

If only there was an artwork that sums up free speech....

Oh wait
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2923469968

[Tito Shivan]

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Exactly and it would make Steam a really toxic place to be.

IMO Steam has already done enough increasing the toxicity by removing the no politics/religious/prone to huge arguments rule off the site.

Opprinnelig skrevet av Zoopy:

Steam is not moderated by AI. Unless your definition of AI is so broad that something a high school kid with limited programming knowledge could write is AI.

Today I learnt REGEX is a form of AI.

[The End]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Tito Shivan:

Opprinnelig skrevet av The End:

Exactly and it would make Steam a really toxic place to be.

IMO Steam has already done enough increasing the toxicity by removing the no politics/religious/prone to huge arguments rule off the site.

100% agree, that was a bad decision.

[Zoopy]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Tito Shivan:

IMO Steam has already done enough increasing the toxicity by removing the no politics/religious/prone to huge arguments rule off the site.

I wasn't aware that the rule was rolled back, though it does explain why things have gotten so bad lately.