Is a Blanket Policy Really Good for BBO?

[spiralscan]

What recourse do BBO members have when they voluntarily disconnect on the sole premise that they are being harassed by a fellow member and/or when the TD is summoned to address an active ethics concern which concludes with the TD failing to adequately protect the harassed member?

 

Why should BBO enact a blanket policy of temporarily revoking members privileges for a defined period of time when the members reason for disconnecting in the first place is not only valid, sufficient, and or necessary? Does BBO honestly expect members who play in tournaments to weather harassment AND directors' woefully substandard of the Laws of the game?

 

It is one thing to say that online bridge is a supposedly more relaxed and thusly less regulated form of the game. It also however cannot expect to function in a manner appropriate to the decorum and expected social norms that the game demands of us all if the very people who are offering the interface coupled with with the eager volunteers who offer us these tourneys, if they decide to arbitrarily assign "punishments" on the fait accompli assumption that members prematurely leave BBO for reasons that are not concretely determined.

 

And what about those households that have more than one active BBO member in it? When one of those members has been suspended the other member quite unfairly has to bear the same level of punishment for actions that the other member simply not commit. This issue alone I have a serious concern --- A suspension of a computer's IP does not adequately protect the legitimate wants, desires, and in some cases, needs of the non-offending member.

 

Does BBO honestly expect to address the problem of premature disconnections under the misguided premise that BBO can now determine whether or not the disconnection was deliberate or accidental? I have serious concerns that for members who use broadband if they have a sudden loss of signal frequency (in my case once a week or more), that they be banned because of a network issue, and not because that member decided to quit BBO for the day because their partner did something they did not like.

 

A much better solution is to bring into the BBO client a button and/or tool that would allow members to report infrigements on the rules of the site - to report it in real time along with enough lines of chat (let's say 40) from the reporting member's client to facilitate the rapid investigation by admins to remove the offending member in an expeditious manner. This button should also summon a TD to the table as a priority Director's call.

 

I am discouraged that BBO has decided to take this course of action. I also feel however that with a clearer understanding of the jurisprudent use of suspensions that it would send an effective message to the membership that certain infractions will be dealt with quickly, calmly and professionally. It is my most sincere hope that something good can come out of this, because quite frankly, I am very upset that people who leave under good auspices so that no further duress will occur are the ones being sanctioned unfairly. I do not feel that simply reporting the issue to UDAY is enough - we as human beings are emotional creatures and if a member is upset then that member should be allowed with some tolerance to disconnect when he or she feels that their enjoyment of the game is being infringed upon.

[csdenmark]

To respect others rights must be the basic in decent human behavior. The law about this is "Rules for these sites" which all needs to apply to. All have the rights to enjoy the offer obeying the law or simply to stay away if they dont like the rules. Leaving a table in the middle of a game is a violation of others rights and therefore also a violation of "Rules for these sites".

 

You mention a household with 2 persons and 1 banned only and then the other one is aut. disabled. To this only my comment - be sure you obey the rules else your partner will suffer too.

 

Do I need to confirm I strongly support the efforts by BBO for creating a good atmosphere respecting the rights of others.

[Free]

Do I need to confirm I strongly support the efforts by BBO for creating a good atmosphere respecting the rights of others.

No you don't Clause :( :( And I fully agree with you!

[Cascade]

You wouldn't be allowed to leave a face to face tournament in the middle of a session why should you do that in an online tourney.

 

BBO has procedures for dealing with problems.

 

My understanding of the tourney bans is that it is a no-blame policy. Whatever your reason for disconnecting you disrupt the tourney. If you disrupt too often your playing privileges are limited. What is the problem?

[spwdo]

hi spiralscan

 

 

try instead of posting these long topics walk for once along a td so you also know more about issues u just mentioned.

 

Or read some prevuios post on the forum, replies from some of the more experienced in this area.

 

There are rules on bbo as some pointed out for you. try read & follow them.

 

 

Tourneys banns are no punischment, they are a reminder of bbo that u are free to enjoy yourself here as long as you live by the rules.

 

 

 

BBO TD FRIENDS

[uday]

A member who is being harassed by a TD and feels the need to leave a T will presumably avoid that TD in the future. This should result in a single disconnection being "charged."

 

There is only the one doper dealing with the abuse, and there are no cycles to spare. Hence, no "press button to report user"; these abuse reports are dreary enough as it is, and the problem would be worse if the reports involved zero effort on the part of the person issuing the complaint.

 

I think the automated tourney bans are here to stay, although the rules they use will need more refining. Someday I'll find a way to do this for the main bridge club as well.

[hallway]

Spiralscan,

 

What you obviously do not realise - BBO is a PRIVATE site - Fred , Sheri and Uday are IT . They are our HOSTS and everything that is done for us , provided for us IS DONE BY THEM !!!

 

I know how many hours of every day I spend dealing with my tiny, tiny corner of BBO - the BIL - where they get the hours from !?!?! let alone the energy to do what they do for the whole of BBO is one of the great mysteries of this decade !!

 

Now, regarding tournaments - scattered throughout various threads you will come across my offer to any and all who are unhappy with any aspect of tournaments to have a complimentary tournament on me

 

Please , please be my guest.

 

You tell me exactly what you want from a tournament and I will be only too pleased to set it up for you - exactly how you want (provided the software can do whatever) - I will put you in as the guest Director and away you go.

 

Send me a message either here or on BBO - give me a date and time .

 

There is, of course, no 'free lunch', I will want you to tell everyone afterwards what you would like to do with the people who disconnect :o (Ben will stand by with his red pen so just say it the way you feel :) )

 

You may strike it lucky - I did last Friday as a matter of fact - not a single disconnect, not a single adjustment to be made , not a single disruptive comment. It really happened :) - maybe I just dreamt that :D

[Fluffy]

I hope that as long as people is concerned they cannot leave a tournament in progress, they will hopefully begin to be, since they will begin being banned hopefully.

 

After people is concrened (lets say, the % of disconnections/leaves on purpose drops from the todays 15%/85% to a 85%/15% or so, if that ever happens), the rule can be 'relaxed' a bit, being the leaving on purpose a 'marginal' case, BBO will be maybe able to analyse if they left on purpose or not (maybe recruiting a 100 yellows :o ).

[aisha759]

Hello Spiralscan;

 

All tournaments specify that there is zero tolerance for rude behavior; IMHO voluntarily disconnecting is also considered to be rude... If a player is harassed by another member there are many other actions he/she can take other than disconnecting.

Was this other member a partner, an opponent at the table? I didn't quite understand. If it's an opponent, one has to put up with them on the average of 16 minutes, therefore no reason to disconnect; if it is a partner, ah well! One has to bite ones tongue for the duration of the tournament, and deal with it in the proper manner afterwards...

Any other member, from lobby, or kibbing, cannot chat to player, so impossible to get harrassed by them during a tournament.

Did the player disconnect after he felt that TD did not take proper action? Also not a valid reason. TD's are very strict about rudeness, and if they are unable to solve the situation during the session, they definitely will afterwards..

It's true, one's emotions take over at times, and disconnecting is the easiest thing to do, it's some sort of automatic reaction. This where one takes a few deep breaths, counts to 20 and continues.. :o otherwise the whole tournament gets disrupted, which is not pleasant. :)

 

I would take Hallway's suggestion if I were you, she has offered this service to another disgruntled player :D

 

Have a nice day

 

Aisha

[inquiry]

Why should BBO enact a blanket policy of temporarily revoking members privileges for a defined period of time when the members reason for disconnecting in the first place is not only valid, sufficient, and or necessary? Does BBO honestly expect members who play in tournaments to weather harassment AND directors' woefully substandard of the Laws of the game?

Hi Spiral,

 

Answer to first question is one disconnect, intentional or nor, necessarry or not, is not sufficient to cause any member a problem. And if you disconnect from a survivor tourneyment, it causes no potential problem at all. As far as the TD's quality, that is varies. They are volunteers, pick TD's to play in where you the TD is up to your "standards".

 

What recourse do BBO members have [if] they are being harassed by a fellow member and the TD failing to adequately protect the harassed member?

 

Write to abuse@bridgebase.com, or contact any yellow on line. The yellows and abuse will do nothing about your Tournment standing, but they will deal with the harrasment.

 

if they [bbo] decide to arbitrarily assign "punishments" on the fait accompli assumption that members prematurely leave BBO for reasons that are not concretely determined.

 

The punishment is not for leaving is not applied until one leaves so many events over a short period of time, and this doesn't count survivor events. Plenty of people get disconnected because they have poor internet connections. Is that fair? Depends upon your point of view. Is it fair to them or is it fair to the other players and the hassled TD? I guess it is a matter of perspective. Quite a few of my friends argue strongly that this is not fair, but a lot of TD argue that it is.

 

[Multiple user households]

 

This is an unfair problem without an adequate solution other than the suspension is only for a week.

 

 

No, they don't address that issue at all. If you can't stay connected to a certain percentage of tournments, you will be banned for 1 week. No attempt is made to determine why you disconnect so often, just a count that you did.

 

I have serious concerns that for members who use broadband if they have a sudden loss of signal frequency (in my case once a week or more), that they be banned because of a network issue, and not because that member decided to quit BBO for the day because their partner did something they did not like.

 

Rather a playere quits frequently because a bad connection or because they are rude and just don't like how their game is going, makes little difference on the disruption of play. Once a week broadband discconection is not a problem. As the software tracks how often you disconnect from a tournment over a six day period. Once is simply not enough, so your concern here should not be a problem (at once or twice a week rate).

 

A much better solution is to bring into the BBO client a button and/or tool that would allow members to report infrigements on the rules of the site

 

We have that. Click on lobby, find the nearest yellow, and report away. Of course, in a TD, you can and should also report to your TD.

 

I do not feel that simply reporting the issue to UDAY is enough - we as human beings are emotional creatures and if a member is upset then that member should be allowed with some tolerance to disconnect when he or she feels that their enjoyment of the game is being infringed upon.

 

You are allowed at least two Tournment disconnects every six days no questions asked, and no punishment issued. Do you have MORE trouble than that? In all the time i have played on BBO, I can never once remember leaving a table during play due to harrassment by opponent (other than when they boot me). It is true I have changed tables after a hand because of it, but in Tournment you will leave after two or three hands anyway. So can this really be an issue for Tournment banning? Report the person, refuse to play if like, mark them as enemy and turn off chat from enemy, call TD, take your averages or average minuses, then move for the next round if you can't stand it. And if it is so bad that you have to do all of that, no doubt either a yellow or TD will handle the situation for you.

 

Ben

[mishovnbg]

I think Uday's penalties for regular disconnections are reasonable, because rights of community are more important than rights of any individual.

But what I never can accept is to be judging by machine (program is kind of it).. I know that in the future most of nightmares of fantast writers will become truth... Like microchip implant's for personal identification - do you know that they are already reallity??? In USA for beginning is suppose to use them in police for weapon indetification - forbid usage of it by anybody except owner. Where it will continue, nobody knows... Atomic energy was very useful for production of electrical power, but we also have atomic bombs now. Implants can be very useful many ways - medicine, rescue, crime... But they are also easy way to control "unsuitable" people. Sorry, I may be was too far from current discussion...

Misho

[spwdo]

I think Uday's penalties for regular disconnections are reasonable, because rights of community are more important than rights of any individual.

But what I never can accept is to be judging by machine (program is kind of it).. I know that in the future most of nightmares of fantast writers will become truth... Like microchip implant's for personal identification - do you know that they are already reallity??? In USA for beginning is suppose to use them in police for weapon indetification - forbid usage of it by anybody except owner. Where it will continue, nobody knows... Atomic energy was very useful for production of electrical power, but we also have atomic bombs now. Implants can be very useful many ways - medicine, rescue, crime... But they are also easy way to control "unsuitable" people. Sorry, I may be was too far from current discussion...

Misho

guess we have to hope a friendly "terminator" will come and rescue us misho:D

 

 

seriuosly in this case how else can they decide, i use to send uday 25 names a week of intentionel/non intentionel/laevers after bad baord and so on players.

 

To many tds probaly did that , one man alone cannot handle this.So i m behind this improvement

 

spwdo

[Frosty]

Here is another good application of the adage that most stress is caused by unrealistic expectations.

 

To expect tournaments to function smoothly without any attempt to stem the tide of intentional disconnects is unrealistic. In this case, a previous poster has hit the nail on the head: the needs of the entire community easily outweight any inconvenience to the few who, for whatever reason, leave tournaments too frequently. Uday's standards are actually quite generous, many of us would make them more strict.

 

If a player is verbally harrassing you, you have the option of marking them as an enemy and muting (silencing) their chat. Then you NEVER see what they say. There are several players that I find offensive enough that I do this as a matter of practice.

 

You also have the option of reporting the harrassment immediately to a Yellow, or your best option, reporting via Email to Abuse@bridgebase.com. If you report via Email it helps to have a log of the offending chat (check your profile to log chat and remember that this will not capture chat that has already occurred). If you are not logging chat and want to capture harrassing remarks you can make a Screen print by pressing the PrtSc button on your keyboard, opening a document (like a MSWord document) and pressing CTRL+V to copy a picture of your screen to a document that you can send with your complaint. Having documentation of the offense is the best way to report harrassment - otherwise it is only your word that you've been harrassed.

 

Leaving the table may seem the easiest option from your perspective, but it is disruptive to the tournament in progress and thus impacts many players who have not harrassed you. Please consider one of the other options - you'll be happier with the end result, and so will everyone else.

 

Frosty ;)