Chat ban

[justdonkme]

So here is what happened to me recently on stars. Was playing a sng and was chatting with drewjax(railing). So we are bs'n back and forth and all of a sudden this other player named Lysa20 jumps in our conversation and says "What are guys talking about smoking?", to which I JOKINGLY replied "CRACK NIGGA." So next thing you know she says "I'm black and the mod is coming".
Within seconds, a message popped up stating I was in violation of chat policy blah, blah, check email. Go to the email, it says for that one single comment not even directed really at her, (and I had no idea she was black?) they suspend my chat for an entire MONTH. So i email them, pleading my case (sorry didn't save draft of the I sent them first) and they responded with this letter.




Hello Tim,

Thank you for your email.

I appreciate your situation, however the other 7 or 8 players at the tables
simply have no clue whether it is a joke or not. Another player called the
Chat Moderator because they found your comments to be offensive. I must
agree that your comments were offensive. In reality, your last chat
suspension for 3 hours should have been a 1 month chat suspension as well,
but due to a Chat Moderator error, you benefitted from this error.

You have had numerous other chat violations, therefore we feel you are
aware of our chat policies. After a first chat violation all subsequent
chat suspensions become gradually longer until eventually a chat revocation
may be issued. The Chat Moderator acted accordingly in this matter.

I wish you the best of luck in your future poker gaming, wherever it may be.

Regards,
Rob
PokerStars Chat Supervisor

I guess I have had "numerous other chat violatons" (HATE it when the cat walks across the keyboard)!

I don't think that one comment should result in a banned chat for that long. I mean I could see if I was degrading her, but I thought I was joking with the person. Even if she didn't like something I said couldn't she just mute me? No, I think she was mad because I won a few pots off of here. She even had a railbird in our $3.40 razz game! So I don't know get why people are so thin skinned. Even drewjax recieved a 3 hour chat ban (LOL) and he never said anything wrong??? Weird. So no more donkey play cuss outs for awhile for me.

[Reel Deal]

I agree with them.

[Talking Poker]

Yep.

[melioris]

when RD and I agree on sometime it means Yep, you are the asshole.


The notion that you submit the OP to a public forum, expressing the ideas and beliefs contained within the original post in an earnest manner, is an indication of why this country is going to hell. Grow the fuck up, take responsibility for yourself and start using your head for more than just shit-storage.

[Zybomb]

oh lighten up people its said in a joking manner, unbutton your top button

[Reel Deal]

You don't agree that Stars should ban his chat for that?

[Invigilator]

I side with Stars on this one. Offensive language is offensive language regardless of intent; offense is a function of perception

I meet a lot of people who think "just joking" allows them to say anything.

I would love to hear from our resident lawyer on this issue.

[Zybomb]

given the context no.

What if justdonk was black (in fact how do u he's not) where the term nigga is used frequently... in new york its actually used by people of all races white asian indian black spanish...jus as another word for homie... but i understand in other states its generally not cool if a non black (or for some reason non spanish) person uses it.

Note how this is different from the word ending in er, which is a racial slur, or if it was used in a derogatory way i.e shut up you stupid .... ,

should someone who sees a friend of theirs in chat and says 'what up nigga' be banned as well? Does it matter if their black or spanish or white when determining this?

[MAYHEM45]

Pretty sure you have to be over 18 to play online poker. People should be allowed to say whatever the fuck they want. You guys are crybabies.

[melioris]

just to clarify, what pisses me off is not whatever was said to get his chat banned, but that justdonkme would come offer the OP as his defense.


As far as I am concerned offensive language>>>>>>>>>>>displaying your stupidity proudly.

And Mayhem, you are thinking of it all wrong. It is a business decision, pure and simple. If Stars thinks your chat will negatively affect their bottom line, it is in their best interest to ban your chat and well within their right to do so.

[melioris]

and Zy, I tried to + rep you for this, but I have to spread it around but I can hit you up again. So instead I will just post this. Well done, I literally LOL

[Zybomb]

Not attacking, but out of curiousity what about his language was offensive? Does it matter if he is black or white? Does it matter if the other person wasn't black? Could a white person report two black people/be offended by two black people saying what up nigga to each other?

[Zybomb]

Haha... thanks

[melioris]

What is offensive or not is besides the point, Stars alone determines what is offensive in Stars chat. Don't say anything in chat that Stars can construe as possibly fucking with their ability to collect as much rake as possible. They felt that some dipshit using nigga affects their bottom line and acted.


this whole thing reminds me of how Dave Chappelle said part of the reason he quit was because no matter how obvious he made it, the people he was making fun of (upper/middle class white suburban kids) couldn't figure out that he was laughing at them, not with them.

While your defense is valid, justdonkme reveals several times throughout the OP that he was not using the term as you suggest. Justdonkme could have come here and posted something demonstrating that this is not a racial issue but an issue of evolving language, but instead writes this?

[Zybomb]

What he said (The quoted passage of his that u had at the end of last post) is extremely ignorant and stupid, i agree 100% with you

[PShabi]

It's obvious the OP was written "tongue-in-cheek."

[PShabi]

Oh brother. Call a lawyer and tell them you were playing an online poker based off of US soil and that you typed "nigga" in chat and got your chat privileges revoked.

WTF?

[PShabi]

Not.

Let's say you own a diner, and your clientele is a bunch of senior citizens who like to come in and drink their coffee and talk about how Obama is a terrorist. They're doing their merry little thing and a couple of 20 year olds come in and start verball assaulting them. Is that acceptable?

Of course not, you donkey ass motherfucker.

[MAYHEM45]

So many levels my head is spinning. Well done.

[Spuddy]

I agree with stars decision, however its terms of using that word......


Go and listen to 5 rap songs and you'll hear that language (and specifically that word) in at least 4 songs. Whats that trying to say for society, especially for the young and easily influenced. Considering the music industry is not regulated in terms of language released and the strong precautions in using that "word" makes one wonder why it is considered "okay" in music and wrong in terms of a pokerstars chat.

Still doesn't make what you sound right, and pokerstars did do the correct thing in your case.

[PShabi]

Very simple. You can release that song and sell it. If you choose to purchase that CD, great, enjoy it. If you come into my place of business (use the diner from above for ease of understanding) and you've got a radio playing the song, I've got every right to tell you to turn that shit off.

"Freedom of Speech" doesn't mean you can say whatever you want, where ever you want. Some people can't grasp that concept.

[drunkinirishlad]

what is wrong here is everyone on crack here

whata first post

[Robbie Robb]

{Insert Ice-T's "Freedom of Speech" lyrics here to agree with Shabi}

[Invigilator]

I meant to hear his take on the idea of offending someone with this sort of language and then saying it was just a joke.

I see kids every day that are openly insulting, abusive and harrassing of each other, and they say "I'm just joking" like it's aget out of jail free card.

The word in this chase is interesting on it's own. We have, at this time in our society a word that people of one race can use with impunity, but when used another race is racist. Granted it was interesting to hear of it's cross racial application in Zyb's neck of the woods.

Gotta love the English language.

p.s. on that note, thanks to Mayhem for the Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo link.

[Invigilator]

+ve Rep