add a command /vote joinmute 'name'

You also become muted for the same duration as the muted player that you joined.

A random channel is assigned that all 'name' joinmuters are joined to, and can talk on. No one else can join it.

All 'name' joinmuters can msg each other, but no one else.

It seems like we could take some of the load off the devs by managing our own behavior while they stick to stuff only they can do.

Exactly so, Whistler.

Give the players a few simple tools, to manage 'our' behavior, and take some load off the devs, so they can stick to stuff only they can do.

I am personally in favor of much more liberal use of /vote mute. It is just a tad short of a player driven appeal system.

If I hear "...itty bitty little..." one more time... How is this person not muted nearly all the time? And who is going to join a mute with this person?

It is a double edged sword. An appeals process, that makes the failure of appeal, a vindication of the original muting. Run by the players. A voluntary netsplit. Get it off the public channels, send every one to their respective corners, and let them either play the game, or sulk quietly, without bothering general channels.

And let the devs, and guides, get on to other things.

I'm pretty liberal with my muting, just like some of you are liberal with your spam alts. I've certainly muted people for less than a racist tirade. In fact I /vote muted a spammer last night. He got the point and created a new alt to "chat". People literally make alts to spam 100 with fucktarted comments.

I think the mute system is currently functional. Though, things do break.