playplay10 Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I am writing to complain about the upsurge in anti Semitic comments I have been receiving. As well as the usual "idiot" comment I was recently told to go to the "gaz chambers where my family are waiting for me ". I put my country as israel. I took a picture of this and sent it to BBO but the player is still playing and has had no consequences for his hate crime comment. I want to know what BBO is doing to deal with this problem which is happening at least once a day when I play. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagles123 Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I'm sorry that's happening, and of course the player in question should be banned if what you say is true, but these reports should be sent to the abuse email and not posted on these forums! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playplay10 Posted April 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 Unfortunately there has been no action from BBO which is precisely why I am writing it here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 Unfortunately there has been no action from BBO which is precisely why I am writing it here.I moved it to the General BBO Discussion forum, since it's not about bridge in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I'm trying to find the report, but I can't find any ticket with your username in it. Do you have a ticket number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrothgar Posted April 24, 2018 Report Share Posted April 24, 2018 I am writing to complain about the upsurge in anti Semitic comments I have been receiving. As well as the usual "idiot" comment I was recently told to go to the "gaz chambers where my family are waiting for me ". I put my country as israel. I took a picture of this and sent it to BBO but the player is still playing and has had no consequences for his hate crime comment. I want to know what BBO is doing to deal with this problem which is happening at least once a day when I play. FWIW, I'm normally quite in favor of freedom of expression, however, even for me anti semitic hate speech is way over the line.To me, the punishment for this sort of thing should start at long term bans... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FelicityR Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I feel truly sorry for you. Whilst all of us must have endured a nasty comment or two on here, when it becomes a hate-filled racist rant it crosses a line where Bridgebase need to deal with it swiftly. Such language should not be tolerated whatsoever. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjennifer Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I feel truly sorry for you. Whilst all of us must have endured a nasty comment or two on here, when it becomes a hate-filled racist rant it crosses a line where Bridgebase need to deal with it swiftly. Such language should not be tolerated whatsoever. I fully agree with you.First thing all of us remember is that all of us are HUMANS.It is inhumanly to admonish or make objectionable unsporting remarks on any one when we are playing a GAME and NOT POLITICS or any thing else.Personally,I would banish such a player FOR LIFE unless he openly expresses an apology. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnu Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 Personally,I would banish such a player FOR LIFE unless he openly expresses an apology. I would have left out "unless he openly expresses an apology". I would rate the chance of a sincere apology when faced with a ban as slightly smaller than the chance that a bridge cheater will stop cheating. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkenner Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I hope that this has been properly passed on to BBO and expect they will take appropriate action.There is no room for this type of "speech" in society let alone in the bridge community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egarofalo Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 Not sure why it needs to be posted in a specific place. When BBO is made aware of this sort of problem it should investigate it immediately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playplay10 Posted April 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 The ticket number for my complaint is # 696484 I have sent more pictures of what was texted to me to abuse@bridgebase. That number is #697260. Thank you for all the support. this is not new I have been playing here for many years. However there is no question that that the rudeness and the hostility has grown immensely. There is no doubt that being "removed by the host" give people a lot of power and is very readily used after there is name calling. I also do not know why this post was moved. This is for sure about Bridge and our enjoyment on this site. Hate is hate and cannot be allowed. I believe strongly that the person who said those hateful sick comments should be barred for life from BBO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD350LC Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 The ticket number for my complaint is # 696484 I have sent more pictures of what was texted to me to abuse@bridgebase. That number is #697260. Thank you for all the support. this is not new I have been playing here for many years. However there is no question that that the rudeness and the hostility has grown immensely. There is no doubt that being "removed by the host" give people a lot of power and is very readily used after there is name calling. I also do not know why this post was moved. This is for sure about Bridge and our enjoyment on this site. Hate is hate and cannot be allowed. I believe strongly that the person who said those hateful sick comments should be barred for life from BBO.I agree completely. There is no place here for such comments. In my profile, at the very top, is the statement "Zero Tolerance for Behavior". That is my number 1 priority, and I will remove players who violate it.When my partner makes a bonehead play, I will either state "Nice Compression Play" (Compressing 9 tricks into 7 for example), or the question "When did you learn to play? I know it was today, but what time today?" (Unless my partner has proven that he knows what he is doing, and then I usually say nothing.)If it gets serious, I will report it, but that person will already have been removed from my table. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I've passed on the details of this incident to our Director of Customer Service and CEO (uday@bridgebase.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Left2Right Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I agree with the need to post this sort of incident when nothing seems to have done. One thing: Why not post a screen image of the incident. When certain Israeli and Italian players were caught using secret signals, Bridgewinners.com posted the entire detail of how the cheating was accomplished along with Kit Woolsey's expert analysis and of course the names of the perpetrators. No expert advice is needed in this case, but identifying the offender is. Nothing serves a perpetrator of wrong doing more than anonymity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampyr Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I also do not know why this post was moved. This is for sure about Bridge and our enjoyment on this site. Hateful comments are not a bridge topic, and something specific to BBO is also not a bridge topic. That’s why this thread was moved. Unfortunately, while the players in question should definitely be banned, they may simply sign up again with a new nickname. Cheaters can do the same. This is why many people (myself included) believe that BBO should require ID for accounts. They can still provide the anonymity they value by not disclosing the real names. This sort of thing can be achieved by, for example, charging a small amount by credit card and then refunding it back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilG007 Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 I am writing to complain about the upsurge in anti Semitic comments I have been receiving. As well as the usual "idiot" comment I was recently told to go to the "gaz chambers where my family are waiting for me ". I put my country as israel. I took a picture of this and sent it to BBO but the player is still playing and has had no consequences for his hate crime comment. I want to know what BBO is doing to deal with this problem which is happening at least once a day when I play. Send a message to Uday he's the boss of BBO. I'm sure he'll be horrified by your story and will move swiftly to deal with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted April 26, 2018 Report Share Posted April 26, 2018 I agree with the need to post this sort of incident when nothing seems to have done. One thing: Why not post a screen image of the incident. When certain Israeli and Italian players were caught using secret signals, Bridgewinners.com posted the entire detail of how the cheating was accomplished along with Kit Woolsey's expert analysis and of course the names of the perpetrators. No expert advice is needed in this case, but identifying the offender is. Nothing serves a perpetrator of wrong doing more than anonymity.Our policy is that the forum should not be used to publicize any complaints about specific BBO users, and we will remove any identifying information from the forum. Abuse and cheating issues should be handled privately with our Customer Support people. When we receive abuse complaints we do not provide details of the rectification we've taken to the complainant, for privacy reasons. We're sorry that the initial complaint was not handled adequately. As I said, I've escalated it to the appropriate people in management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playplay10 Posted April 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 Our policy is that the forum should not be used to publicize any complaints about specific BBO users, and we will remove any identifying information from the forum. Abuse and cheating issues should be handled privately with our Customer Support people. When we receive abuse complaints we do not provide details of the rectification we've taken to the complainant, for privacy reasons. We're sorry that the initial complaint was not handled adequately. As I said, I've escalated it to the appropriate people in management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playplay10 Posted April 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I am not allowed to send here a screenshot of the abuse which is a pity as it is hard to believe that someone could write what was written. It is,I can assure you all, really horrific as was his final comment when I said I would report him "bye bye smokie". I am figuring a way to have everyone see it. "When we receive abuse complaints we do not provide details of the rectification we've taken to the complainant, for privacy reasons". Sorry , but this is one big cop out. The abuser lost his entitlement of any standing when he wrote what he did. I believe I am entitled to know what the consequences of his actions are. I wonder if there are any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pescetom Posted April 30, 2018 Report Share Posted April 30, 2018 I believe I am entitled to know what the consequences of his actions are. I wonder if there are any? If I were you I would be collaborating with BBO and my national police to discover if the offender can be pursued by law.If you, the offender and BBO are all in different countries it could be impossible, but if at least two coincide it might not be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 If I were you I would be collaborating with BBO and my national police to discover if the offender can be pursued by law.If you, the offender and BBO are all in different countries it could be impossible, but if at least two coincide it might not be.I don't know about other countries (I'm in the US), and IANAL, but I don't think racial epithets can be prosecuted because of the 1st Amendment. We have civil rights and hate crime laws, but you actually have to harm the target in some way, or pose a credible threat. Free speech allows you to say hateful and hurtful things, e.g. you can go around shouting "I think all <name ethnic group> should be eradicated!". It only becomes illegal when you take action or incite others to action. This is the price we pay for living in a free society -- it's not always comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pescetom Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 I don't know about other countries (I'm in the US), and IANAL, but I don't think racial epithets can be prosecuted because of the 1st Amendment. We have civil rights and hate crime laws, but you actually have to harm the target in some way, or pose a credible threat. Free speech allows you to say hateful and hurtful things, e.g. you can go around shouting "I think all <name ethnic group> should be eradicated!". It only becomes illegal when you take action or incite others to action. This is the price we pay for living in a free society -- it's not always comfortable. Every respect for that Amendment and the reasoning behind it, but it's not universal in free society. In many European countries the epithets cited here would constitute a crime, even if the author has no means to put people in gas chambers or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted May 1, 2018 Report Share Posted May 1, 2018 Every respect for that Amendment and the reasoning behind it, but it's not universal in free society. In many European countries the epithets cited here would constitute a crime, even if the author has no means to put people in gas chambers or whatever.I said I was only speaking about the US. It's not clear how any of this could be prosecuted if the perpetrator and victim are in different countries, which seems very likely. They might violate a law in the victim's country, but their law enforcement wouldn't have jurisdiction to arrest the perpetrator. So the best you can reasonably hope for from this is that we ban them from BBO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dick Posted May 4, 2018 Report Share Posted May 4, 2018 I feel very strongly that playplay10 should be supported in this matter. It would appear a simple matter to bar the offender from all connection with BBO and announce on the forum that this has been done. I am sure all BBO players would not want to be associated with such behaviour. it seems incredible that, apparently, no action has yet been taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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