Impossible Contest or not... you decide!! :) (in Contests)

Contest rules are as follows:
1. I get the final say in the winner.
2. I reserve all rights to deem no one as the winner.
3. All entries must be based on what the normal player can see. (translation admins can't use stuff any regular player doesn't have access to)
4. You must use the definition as found in the ''unofficial FaQ as provided. You may NOT add to it, reword it, twist the words or anything else that takes it out of it's original form.
5. I also reserve the right to hand out bonus prizes as I see fit.
6. The answer ''cause I said'' or anything similar is not a clear explanation.

Definition is as follows:
Do not intentionally provoke others, as this is seen as trolling. Trolling can be basically defined as inciteful or inflammatory chat with the intent to provoke another user.

I'd like to propose that anyone that can definitively define and CLEARLY explain something to me using the above rules and definition the winner gets 100k.

So now tell me...How it is that if person one posts "the game should be shut down due to lack of changes, players, improvements" this is trolling...
but it is not trolling if player two makes a post saying "Hey guess what today is..''

Post before admins shut this thread down!

LOL RANGER ME TOOO!!!

Alex, I'll take "Trying too hard" for 100, please :D

wow zhe me and you don't exactly see eye to eye and I can accept that, but I have to say that was funny made me laugh!

Only 100k for the winner? Clearly not worth my time.

Well Titan if I recall correctly you've already had the pleasure and opportunity to explain this before and failed to do so, as such likely would fail once again LOL!

unofficial - not having official authority or sanction

"4. You must use the definition as found in the ''unofficial FaQ as provided."

I think you even meant to quote "unofficial" as if to be sarcastic. This leads me to believe you do not understand the definition.

The rules basically state that the interpretation is at each individual admin's discretion, with the implicit understanding that most of the admins would have vaguely similar viewpoints on what's inappropriate or not.
Which works well in theory, if you assume perfectly reasonable and calm admins.
Not always that good in practice, since they're just human too, so neither of the prerequisite assumed qualities can be guaranteed at any particular point in time for all of them.

Josh, once again you only prove my point it's only in unofficial... I was told by VERIFEX to read the RULES on trolling. THE RULES don't state trolling at all only the UNOFFICIAL rules so if he's closing a thread based on them well the contest must then go back to them... see how this works?

Sickone while I appreciate your efforts the fact that it's based from admin to admin which may or may not be equal and consistent from case to case that has also been my point and with that there is no CLEAR way to know what IS or ISN'T allowed. Pretty bad when even admins can't state the rules and justify things like this to people.... just saying. Trust me I've asked time and time again which is why I want fairness in the rules.

There are too many admins, too few players and too little oversight from the owner to even have a chance of getting clearer rules in place.
And even if clearer rules would be in place, somebody is bound to want to push those limits (as it always happens) ending in an annoying but technically legal situation, so you're pretty much back to "best judgement" option anyway, so why bother codifying it clearer in the first place.

The game community works like a small village, not like a major city.
City folk can have trouble adapting to a rural way of life.
One either gets used to it or ragequits.

Come now.

Not everything in the world can be defined in such a rigid binary black/white yes/no fashion.

It is up to us all to devine intent. Did that person mean to insult me? Has that person gone too far? Should I have thicker skin? Does this really mean what I think it means?

There are guidlines, there is 'gut feeling', there is experience to guide us.

And some of us, need to make decisions on there highly grey areas, that cannot be so binary in nature.

No one is every going to be 100% correct, on everything, all the time. And should we expect them to be?

There is a no un-pg 'rule' for the site. But no list of 'banned' words. There is guidline on not replacing the vulgar with the clinical, but you can still squeeze a double entendre into the grey area between yes/no. My large BoNE and Johnny's tiny CoC are testamount to that. ;)

Did I just insult Johnny? Was I un-pg? Am I trolling?

I'll let an admin decide. Even if one Admin would give me a different answer to another.

There are some things that just can't be rigidly defined, and the world is more exciting becuase of it.

Thank you for brightening up my day.

:groans:
And all I've got is this large toe pushing my elbow...

You know what they say about large toes (or is it the whole foot?).

Yeah, those two that are active probably are too many. (Three if you count Natasha)

From the Unofficial FAQ under Chat FAQ

Language applied in chat also applies to forums.

With the current state of CB, this is a sensitive subject. That statement appears to be baiting for an emotional response. It may not be a sensitive subject elsewhere on the Internet, but you should be culturally aware.

March 19, 2012. I am so angered that you have forced me to tell you "what today is". It is not just about an provoking / invoking an emotional response, it is just common sense.

Don't feed the trolls.

Just remind them that your big brother is coming across the bridge next.

I'll give a real try to this contest!

Given:
1. Troll: "the game should be shut down due to lack of changes, players, improvements"

2. No Troll: "Hey guess what today is.."

Explanation via FAQ and HELP (I guess official HELP-Files as well as official Forum-Rules do count as well!)

2. Is allowed in the 'General Forum' as of the Forum description itself: "For strategy and OTHER DISCUSSION not germane to one of the other forums."
It count's as 'other discussions'.

So, this would also allow 1, so we need to look for another rule that only prohibits the Troll-Post 1.

Forum FAQ says "Only post things that would be acceptable in chat."

so we take a look at the Chat Rules, which say:

"Do not intentionally provoke others"

So, talking about 'shutting down CB', is for lots of players about the same as saying 'Hey, your 1.000 US$ investment into this game, as well as years of *work* are getting flushed the toilet'.

This is clearly 'provoking', if not even worse. So Posting 1 is definitely Forbidden by the rules as well as it counts as Trolling according to the Rules.

Thanks! Please send 100k to Archy ;)

stabilo, what you failed to do was explain CLEARLY why post 2 is ALLOWED cause from where I stand they both provoke people. I've even asked people outside of CB if that's the case and time and time again I've been told yes.... so that's an issue oops turns out you didn't win :D

Ah, I get this now.

You misunderstand the use of 'provoke' in the rules. Sure, you can provoke a positive response form people, but the general use for Provoke (and not, for example 'inspire') is to induce a negative response/emotion.

Like one of it's definitions;


Also highlighted by Provokes Synonyms;


I think the answer you're looking for (while being a little pedantic) is for the rules to be changed from 'provoke' to;

I see nothing provocative in "Hey guess what today is.."

.. sounds to me like an interesting contest maybe? Or just some fun-discussion? If you are not obsessively pessimistic, e.g. like 'Marvin', then *today* is not really provocative, or is it?

You could be provoking excitement.

Sure, if you _want_ to understand the rules the wrong way, you could also just pretend it's some strange dialect in which all the words have different meanings.

As far as I learned English, the meaning of words is dependent on the context.
In this case, no sane person would read the rules as 'It is forbidden to provoke enthusiastic happiness'. That's just ridiculous.

But if you like, go ahead and read the following rule for traffic-lights 'Stop on red' maybe as stop trolling or stop breathing on red? Your choice! In my opinion that rule also has specific context associated with it. Just to give one example.

have fun!

;)

In this case, no sane person would read the rules as 'It is forbidden to provoke enthusiastic happiness'. That's just ridiculous.

Exactly.

While part of the definition of 'provoke' is;


The context of the rules would make the use of provoke in it's negative connotation quite clear.

yepp, i think we can set this thread to 'Answered' and close it ;)

Split the prize 50/50? ;)

sure ;-)

contest over any prizes that were going to be handed out have been ^_^

So this is THE worst contest ever. you got your answer and you didnt like it...

The rules were clearly stated... LOLOL

I suppose the contest should have been called

"Impossible Contest or not....I decide!"

Also, the only acceptable answer and the only way you will ever shut up about this is if everyone tells you that you're right. You'll clearly never accept anything else.