Since Guild Software cannot verify the identities of IRC users who make offensive comments through IRC bots, and since clearly those who own those accounts and those who have administrative priviliges over those IRC channels do not properly moderate the incoming discussion to conform to the RoC, I suggest that IRC bots be banned from the game if they are found to have facilitated RoC violations.

I've long been a proponent of IRC use via plugins because I've felt it enhances the game and provides an overall benefit. But recently some people have been using IRC exclusively to level ongoing sexually explicit harassment towards players in game. And, while /ignore might be sufficient to censor those communications, it still does not seem right that someone can so easily lob hateful, sexually explicit harassment into the public chat of VO without actually having to log in or pay a subcription fee.

Or just start banning the owner of the offending bot....I bet the abuse will stop real quick....

People who choose to run bots need to take responsibility for their usage.

I think using the built-in /vote mute command against the bot running the IRC client would apply the exact repercussions against an individual (in this case it will affect more than just that one individual, but I think this is a fair price to pay if any single ill-intentioned individual were using the IRC client in a negative way) that devs wish to impose on that type of behavior.

This will also serve to hold the owner of the bot accountable, as it is actually only muting the character that he/she owns.

This seems like a waste of Dev time. Personally I don't use irc, but have used /ignore when I've needed to. And vote muted once or twice.

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we had some offensive times via IRC relay but currently its fine. im willing to moderate the irc channels of the relays if it gets out of hand so you can sleep tight!

I appreciate the gesture, Xeha. But IRC admin are not bound by the same set of rules as GS is, and as much as I'd like to think I could trust you to moderate the actions of people on those channels, certainly you can see how there is no real way to hold you accountable for such an offering.

The larger point is that these IRC channels, specifically one that is not a public IRC channel, have been used long term to perpetrate abuse by actors operating outside the game environment. This is a special kind of abuse, as it circumvents the normal ways of communicating in game and makes it impossible for the devs to hold those who actually committed the abuse responsible. Since IRC bots in game have this special circumvention they also have a heightened responsibility for moderating their use. I'm merely suggesting that those bots/accounts who have consistently failed to moderate their use as indicated by repeat sexually explicit abuses/harassment by their users, be forced to cease operating.

I removed posts that were attacking and threadmuted the offender(s). I deleted some dramatic posts and their replies (since they were no longer necessary). Suggestions is a place for civil discussion of suggestions and their merits.

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cause "/ignore relayname" works just fine.

Bot operators: Ban those players who complain about bots from using your bots.

i would ARF but i don't want to invest the time in adding more logic to it

once I'm done with the web side i might suspend irc relaying anyways, the web side does require a login to actually use it.

I don't understand the purpose of this thread. The current status quo is that if a player is failing to control their relay, you should file a ticket with the devs so they can deal with it. What about this does your suggestion seek to change?