An unspoken rule?

[FurorPaxx]

I just got a warning from TNT for a conversation with another player about some cancer benefit concert last night. At some point I tried to explain why cancer research is so fascinating (the topic being how a cell or its DNA changes after contact with a carcinogen) and after revising the message several times (but I'm not using profanity or anything even remotely sexual!) I noticed a warning:

 

"Do not discuss adult real world topics or situations on this site. This is an all-ages site where some topics are not appropriate. This includes issues such as pregnancy, drugs, suicide, sexual orientation, health issues (including your weight), abuse, etc. We want to make Neopets a comfortable atmosphere for all of our users - so we will warn/freeze accounts for discussions of this nature."

 

My Gast has been flabbered. I saw no mention of this on the Neo Rules page. It's not even the fact that cancer isn't an 'adult' topic (I can understand why certain health issues shouldn't be shared) but why not post it on the Rules page! I would have deflected the question if I had known the topic wasn't allowed. Now I'm afraid to use Neomail at all for fear of triggering some magical trap door that will catapult my account into nothingness.

 

So here are my questions:

 

1) What other rules have been discovered the hard way?

2) Is there any chance of TNT updating their list of rules?

3) If a Neopet cries and its owner is frozen, does the owner hear it?

 

 

Thoughts?

[Rebecca~]

It sounds like you had to retype your message a number of times to get it past the filters, yeah? Generally, that's a giveaway that what you're saying probably isn't okay.

Sometimes weird words can set off their filters (I once had it go off when I was talking about the stove in my basement suite-- I'm pretty sure the wrong word was 'basement'), but yeah, if TNT tells you that what you're talking about isn't kosher, you probably shouldn't try to get around it.

As far as 'adult' topics go, I think that cancer, and other illnesses are generally a no-go zone. They often lead to hospitalisations or, in way too many cases, death. People often use Neopets as a get away from real life stuff like that, so I can see why they want to limit it.

 

But yeah, I think that they need to seriously update their rules!

[andaraen]

They need to change their filters or something. I was talking to someone about NeoQuest 2 and it absolutely refused to let me say the word "skills." I'm totally corrupting some kid's innocence with that word.

[chiaroscruo]

Ah, filters. Years ago I was trying to buy a transmogrification potion on the TP. Apparently the only acceptable abbreviation for that obscenely long word was "transmogrific". Banning trans, sure. Transmog, um okay. Transmogrif...seriously TNT? *sigh* It seems they haven't updated the filters in awhile.

 

Also I hope I never have to find out the answer to question 3.

[dummydumpty]

I never use the boards, and haven't used the neomail function to have discussion that isn't related to Neopets. Reading about this only makes me not want to use their social features at all.

[FurorPaxx]

It sounds like you had to retype your message a number of times to get it past the filters, yeah? Generally, that's a giveaway that what you're saying probably isn't okay.

Sometimes weird words can set off their filters (I once had it go off when I was talking about the stove in my basement suite-- I'm pretty sure the wrong word was 'basement'), but yeah, if TNT tells you that what you're talking about isn't kosher, you probably shouldn't try to get around it.

As far as 'adult' topics go, I think that cancer, and other illnesses are generally a no-go zone. They often lead to hospitalisations or, in way too many cases, death. People often use Neopets as a get away from real life stuff like that, so I can see why they want to limit it.

 

But yeah, I think that they need to seriously update their rules!

 

I thought I might have been having the same issue with a bizarre word triggering the message. I checked and double checked - I got rid of any suspicious word combos, like "proteins expressed" then I thought, hmm, perhaps there's some new dirty lingo that youngins are using these days, so I reworded anything that might possibly be corrupted by a perverted 12 year old. Finally, I removed the word carcinogen, and bam. It went through and I noticed the warning email.

 

I wish I had known sooner. I wouldn't have bothered if they had given an informative error message to begin with. Part of me feels like quitting Neopets, though. If censorship extends to answering someone's question of what causes cancer and encouraging them to do their own research about it, then there's more wrong than an automated filter.

[Mouseykins]

TNT doesn't want people talking about real life events or our personal lives even if we're not giving any identifiable details. It's still frowned upon. It's a pain but really no way around it. As for why you got warned I believe it's probably because you were trying to discuss a sensitive topic.

[Xepha]

I'm pretty sure your warning refers to this blab in the terms and conditions (it used to be written in a shorter way but when they revamped the page they got rid of it) :

 

1. Posting Content Via Site Functionality. The Nickelodeon Virtual Worlds contain various features that may permit players, consistent with applicable laws, to post ideas, content, information and opinions ("Postings"). In no event do we assume or have any responsibility or liability for anything posted by you or another player. You hereby represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights in and to all Postings you provide and all information they contain and that such Postings shall not infringe any proprietary or other rights of third parties or contain any libelous, tortious, obscene, pornographic, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, abusive, illegal, or otherwise objectionable, or that would constitute or encourage a criminal offense, violate the rights of any person, or otherwise violate any law or give rise to liability. Further, you agree not to abuse our communication features by "spamming" (posting numerous identical messages).

 

The communication features on the Nickelodeon Virtual Worlds may be used for noncommercial purposes only. You are not permitted, without our express written approval, to distribute or otherwise publish any Postings containing any solicitation of funds, endorsements (including of a religious, political, sexual orientation, or social cause nature), promotions, or advertising or solicitations of any kind or nature. You specifically acknowledge that soliciting other players of the Nickelodeon Virtual Worlds to join or become members of any commercial online service or other organization or group (profit, non-profit, religious, social, political, or otherwise) is expressly prohibited.

 

Each site may have there own particular rules regarding communicating with other players but some basic guidelines apply to all of the Nickelodeon Virtual Worlds. First, be respectful of other players and always remember that children may be playing on the Nickelodeon Virtual Worlds. If you try to post something that we deem inappropriate, in our sole discretion, your account will be terminated. Second, we don't allow players to try to get other players to communicate off the Nickelodeon Virtual Worlds. Thus, your account may be terminated is you ask for information such as other players' IM, email address, physical address or suggest that you and the other player should go to a third party site so you can communicate more freely. Likewise, do not supply any such information about yourself to other players. Remember all communications are filtered and may be viewed by monitors to make sure your communications with others are appropriate.

[karmacow]

I discovered the hard way that you may not use the word "dead". I got a warning for posting that a board was dead. I was completely shocked. I understand why we can't talk about death and I should have figured that I shouldn't use that word, but it didn't occur to me, since it wasn't literally about death.

[crrryde]

Yeah, I got silenced for the first time ever about a month ago for asking my real life friend (we know each other from school and have hung out many times, but I understand that TNT have no way of knowing that, haha) about a Tinychat via Neomail. I should've just contacted her on Twitter, but I saw that she was online. (Note: Can I just say how awesome it is to have an IRL friend that plays Neopets too? haha) I should've known that you can't mention outside websites, especially a video chat one, but apparently I wasn't thinking straight that day. My heart skipped a beat when I got that dreaded "You have been silenced" neomail. Since then I have not used the Neomail function for fear of saying something else to set them off. I've read all the rules since then, but I'm still scared. My new account is only 3 weeks old, but I would still hate to get frozen out of nowhere and have to start all over again. My suggestion would be to just go with Facebook or Twitter for non Neopet-related chats. No sense in running the risk of never getting to see your precious pets ever again. Yikes!

[N4t4713]

I have had multiple accounts BANNED, yes BANNED for reasons that I'm still not sure of.. I never even use neomail but the occasional time i would communicate with someone through it they would accuse me of doing all sorts of things, report me (i think?) then id get banned! So I dont use neomail AT ALL now.

 

 

 

This topic has been edited by a member of staff (Vyvren) because of a violation of the forum rules.

Please do not bump topics that are no longer relevant.

Please check your user inbox to see if you have been contacted regarding this incident, then review our rules.

Per the reason above, this topic has been LOCKED. Please contact Vyvren if you have any questions regarding this action.

[evil_minx]

They need to update the rules and the filters. Annoying as it can be, I have younger children that love Neopets too, so I do appreciate the measures they take to keep it safe for them.