Notes

There will be an Appeals Procedure

The new system allows players send chat messages to multiplayer games, but the community is concerned about the consequences.



A Mojang community manager has stated that Mojang will not be reversing its decision to implement a controversial new player reporting feature. The manager also demanded an end to harassment of Mojang employees.



MojangMeesh posted on Reddit to clarify that while Mojang Studios values feedback from its players, it won't necessarily change the design guidelines Mojang Studios follows-this includes the forthcoming report system. They asked users to stop "following Mojang employees here on Reddit" and harass them on unrelated threads. At the time when this article was written, the post was receiving close to 2000 downvotes.



Minecraft players have been arguing over the new player reporting system since it was announced a month ago but it was finally implemented in yesterday's 1.19.1 update. It allows players on both private and Mojang-hosted servers to report inappropriate messages in chat for review by Mojang investigators, which could result in suspensions and bans for those who do not adhere to Minecraft's rules for community participation, even on servers hosted by a third party. Some players are concerned that the system will result in bans for players who post messages that are taken out of context, and more broadly that it gives Microsoft too much power to dictate the content of discussions on its platform.



I don't believe their argument is without merit even if some players are behaving terribly about it. It is hard to imagine a scenario in which this system doesn't ban anyone for making jokes with friends. There will be an appeals process, though it's also the case that there are a lot of misconceptions flying around about how the system actually works. Scroll through any thread about the subject and it won't be long before you see someone complaining about having their private server's chat monitored' by Microsoft or concerned that they'll be banned for cursing: neither of which are feasible according to Mojang's own FAQ on the reporting system.



Mojang is in a a bind on this one. A thread from Stuart Duncan, who is the administrator of a Minecraft server for children with autism-reveals how much awful stuff Minecraft plays host to on a regular basis. Duncan showcases studies and reports from the ADL and the BBC and others which tell tales of predators and racists who play Minecraft in a way that is abominable. Providing tools to combat that behaviour seems important. While it's true that 'think of the child" and other scary stories are often used to justify repressive policies in real life and a tool that lets players report suspicious chat messages in Minecraft isn't the end of a severe wedge.



Please stop trying to speak for everyone when you say "no one asked for this" or "the whole community is against it" or "no one really needs this. "If you are worried about the exploitation of others, that's excellent. I'm too. It's not perfect, but real people can be saved by it. July 27 2022



In other Minecraft news, Mojang has announced that the game won't include NFTs because they don't align with the "values of creative inclusion". The move at least received enthusiastic support from the playerbase but there's been no word yet on what the AI they've created to play Minecraft thinks about it.
Gui Mods


Josh's first memories involve playing Quake 2 on his family's computer when he was five. He's been irreparably game-oriented since the time he was a kid. Since then, his writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He can play nearly every game, and has written about everything, from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His biggest passions are CRPGs as well as immersive sims. He believes you're far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.


Homepage: https://guimods.com/