I Have to Ask...

[maxd]

I have a proposal: if you want to invite the rep(s) to participate and keep the hostility towards them at a minimum, which is to say you want it to be about the topic and not about the bickering, try the new Rep Friendly prefix on your thread.

The idea is that this signals to the rep and everyone else that rep participation is both welcome and will be respected. In other words the thread is there to get the rep's input so no flaming, name-calling or general negativity toward the rep(s) will be tolerated.

If at some point the discussion becomes "unfriendly" towards the rep(s) us mods can either call for peace or close the thread since, by definition, it is no longer living up to its expressed purpose.

This is an unofficial experiment based on something I've seen in other (totally unrelated) forums. It is (of course) subject to Casinomeister's approval and may disappear at any time without prior notice. For now it is only available in this, the Online Casinos, forum. If it is a success and people like it it could, again subject to CM's approval, be extended to other forums.

So pass the word, let other folks know that Rep Friendly is there and how it should be used. Could be a good thing.

UPDATE: CM has just installed a new forum feature called "Thread Ban" which means that an individual can be kicked out of a specific thread but their ability to post elsewhere is unaffected. Obviously thread bans could be used in cases where a person is unwilling or unable to respect the Rep Friendly guidelines. Please feel free to use the "Report Post" feature where such abuse occurs:

[KasinoKing]

I have a proposal: if you want to invite the rep(s) to participate and keep the hostility towards them at a minimum, which is to say you want it to be about the topic and not about the bickering, try the new Rep Friendly prefix on your thread.

The idea is that this signals to the rep and everyone else that rep participation is both welcome and will be respected. In other words the thread is there to get the rep's input so no flaming, name-calling or general negativity toward the rep(s) will be tolerated.

That is the best idea I've heard in ages!

KK

[Casinomeister]

CM approved

[maxd]

There's been a minor update to the Rep Friendly concept, see "UPDATE" in the original post (here).

[petro]

The one thing that is missing, are the reps. Where are they?

Yes, I have noticed this too. There is an ISP forum here in Australia that I regularly visit called "Whirlpool Forums"* and if you make a post about an ISP a rep. will post a reply within a few hours. And usually solve your problems.
I think what is happening here is that the online casinos just don't want to recognise Casinomeister. They want to be a 'law unto themselves.' The only exceptions I have seen are 3Dice and 32Red.


*This forum "Whirlpool Forums" is also very particular about the treatment of the reps. There is no "slagging off" allowed. And the forum is moderated very harshly with lots of banned members, locked topics, and removed posts.

[petro]

While maxd's idea sound good. I think its just a pipe dream. The online casinos are far too uncivilized. There is no way you would get them to sit down and talk things through. It seems to me that the only thing that some casinos will listen to is a court summons.

[maxd]

The online casinos are far too uncivilized. There is no way you would get them to sit down and talk things through.

In my experience casino people are like people everywhere else: some are easy and helpful to talk to, some are stand-offish but will talk if approached respectfully, and some are dicks that you're probably wasting your breath on. In over 10 years in the biz I haven't seen that they have an unusual tendency toward any one position or the other.

What I have seen time and time again though is that the player community is generally hostile towards the casino people and/or anyone who supports them, however circumstantially. This may be understandable -- players are after all at a huge disadvantage when it comes to the power balance because the casino, if you'll forgive the phrase, holds all the cards -- but it does absolutely nothing to make the situation any better.

In fact players more often than not hurt themselves and their fellow players by being so hostile: not only does it provide a serious disincentive for the casino people to participate in the dialog but it goes a long way to creating an entrenched "us VS them" atmosphere which will always end up with the player community becoming balkanized and perpetually on the defensive.

If you make it an "us VS them" situation -- as has become the norm -- you are going to lose because, as I've said, the vast majority of the power and advantage is in their hands. No offense intended but hard-line negative attitudes only reinforce the division and, as ever, this is to the player's considerable disadvantage.

I should say that such entrenched negative attitudes are certainly not unique to players. I'm seeing good casino people go down that same road: the hostility has turned them into combatants too and what a shame and a loss that is for all involved.

I happen to know that when the circumstances are favourable the casino people will "sit down and talk things through". Frankly that's a lot of what I see Casinomeister being about, making it attractive to both parties to participate.

If the Rep Friendly thing helps make it attractive for the casino people to be here -- and I believe it could once the casino peeps see it in action, working well, and creating a "safer" environment for them -- then I think that's a good thing. Notice I said "once", in other words it will take some time to settle in, do its work and for the word to get around.

What I specifically don't see any point in is dismissing the idea before it has even had a chance to get started. It could become an influence for everyone's good, particularly for the players' good, and isn't that pretty much the point?

Please note that Rep Friendly is not just a "hold hands and share the love" thing. It's not about idealism, it's about pragmatics. Casino people will almost never enter into a dialog where they know they can be freely attacked by anyone who cares to. The unfortunate truth is that there are no small number of the online player community who basically get off on starting fights with casino people and do so wherever and whenever they can. These people are what Rep Friendly was created for, it's basically a "No Trespassing" sign for those that come armed with the "total war" attitude. Once the reps know that the hostiles will be shown the door then maybe, just maybe, they'll be willing to come forward more often. That's the hope anyway.

To plagiarize and wound a fine sentiment, all I am saying is give hope a chance.

[petro]

Another good idea is to have "Rep. Friendly" as a subject similar to the "Spammer!" on threads.
You could colour it something friendly like; light green or teal.
Also a info. page about posting etiquette with threads marked as "Rep. Freindly" would help.
Another idea is you can make a seperate forum area for "Rep. Friendly" topics.

EDIT: Seperate threads one for each casino. With the thread title the same name as the casino in question. Also heavily moderated.

[maxd]

All good ideas, thank you. I'll revisit this when we're back from ICE, some of this should be very workable.