Too many players are getting silenced lately. It really disrupts any chance at communication.
I went ten years before my first penalty, then twice in less than a week. I have done nothing different than the previous ten years. To make things worse, I first get a canned response about the TOS. I don’t believe I broke any TOS, and say so in the appeal. So, the blizzard team memeber replied that because I would try to circumvent the rules, they can’t tell me what rule I broke. Make it make sense. The math ain’t mathing.
This brings me to the next thing. It isn’t just me. In all my games, there is at least one more silenced person. HOTS is a team game, and communication is required. Playing with anyone who is silenced makes the game beyond frustrating. I would much rather hear all the crazy shenanigans from someone if they also tell me what they are trying to do.
Let me protect me from words. Unlike sticks and stones, words will never hurt me. Plus, there are already many remedies to people I don’t want to hear from. I can mute players, there are filters, and I can just ignore them. You know like everywhere else in life
PinkTheColor,
Please refer to the large message banner at the top every page here.
This forum is for feedback on the support website itself, not for moderation.
So, this is not to provide feedback on the support staff’s terrible policies? If so, then this seems to be appropriate. IF not, please direct me to the place for such feedback.
No, it’s not. As I mentioned in my first reply, it’s for feedback on the support website.
Additionally, it’s not the support staff’s policies. Support simply enforces the policies put into place by the company.
I did in my first reply to you.
Obviuosly, we have a failure to communicate. I read it. To me it says this is where I belong. If I am wrong, Please direct me to where this would be appropriate.
To clarify further, I don’t have issues with technical support, or game specific issues. The problem I want addressed is how the support staff makes decisions. If not on the support site feedback page, then where? Instead of saying what I should not do, tell me what I should, according to you.
It does not tell you to post here.
If you have a problem with something related to Heroes of the Storm, again please refer to the meaasge banner at the top of each and every page here, PinkTheColor. It will lead you where to the proper forums for Heroes of the Storm.
Simple as that. No miscommunication.
While Blizzard as a company has some overarching policy rules, many decisions about that are up to the game Devs for each game team. They decide things specific for their game.
To provide feedback to the game team, you need to post on the forums for that specific game. So for HOTS feedback, you would want the HOTS forums.
The CS/GM team you reach via support does not make any rules, and they don’t make policies. They answer tickets for billing, account services, appeals, and some in-game issues for WoW. They handle all Blizzard tickets, not a specific game. If they get a Social infraction report they check the logs for simple yes/no on rules. Any profanity, masked profanity, slurs, insults, illegal references, sexual references, spam, etc would be a social chat violation. They just hit the “yes/no” box on it based on what policies they are told to enforce.
This particular forum you are on right now is for talking about how the Support Website works (not the policies). Things like the ticket options, Knowledge base articles, etc.
The website folks here also have no say on Blizzard’s policies or enforcement. They only make website features.
This was very enlightening. You have been the best representative from blizzard. So, who does make the policies, so that I might better understand how blizzard defines these terms, as they are all very subjective. Not to mention, but since kindergarten we all have been instructed that sticks and stones can break our bones, but words can’t hurt me. So what if someone says “mean words” to me? No harm has actually been done. If anyone does happen to get to me, I can mute them. If they use language I do not like, I can use your handy-dandy filter.
With that in mind, who needs to hear me? Who can change this enforcement of a non-problem?
Btw, been a fan of yours for quite a while.
That is kind of you to say, but I am not a Blizzard rep. I am an old, grey, retired person who has time to help answer player questions. I am just another player like yourself. MVPs do not work for Blizzard nor do they speak for, or represent Blizzard.
Blizzard policies are made at the top by senior folks and lawyers. The individual game dev teams do have some ability to make decisions on in-game reporting tools, penalties, etc. CS/GM teams have zero ability to do anything except review a report and determine if it contains language or behavior that is not allowed. They have a simple yes/no job.
That is a line to help children deal with bullies behaving in ways that break the rules and are just outright socially rude/inappropriate. We also learned in kindergarten to use our manners, be polite, share, keep our hands off people, wash our hands, follow directions, and that snacks and naps are good 
If you really want to know the whole history of all this and the background, here goes! Grab coffee it is a bit of a read.
Blizzards rules apply to ALL Blizzard games, not just WoW, or HOTS individually. The game rating applies to the pre-made game content Blizz makes that gets rated by the ESRB. Player made content (names and chat) is not rated and has to follow the game company policies. So even an M rated Blizzard game has the same family friendly player chat rules. The main rules are found in the EULA Blizzard End User License Agreement - Legal – Blizzard Entertainment
From there it points you to the Code of Conduct, which also applies to all games. Blizzard's In-Game Code of Conduct - Blizzard Support
Blizzard games offer a fun and safe place to interact with one another across various game worlds. We encourage our players to cooperate and compete in our games, but crossing the line into abuse is never acceptable. If you come across a player violating the policies below, you should report them.
Communication
When participating in communication of any kind (chat, voice communication, group finder), you are responsible for how you express yourself. You may not use language that could be offensive or vulgar to others.
Hate speech and discriminatory language is inappropriate, as is any obscene or disruptive language. Threatening or harassing another player is always unacceptable, regardless of language used. Violating any of these expectations will result in account restrictions. More serious and repeated violations will result in greater restrictions.
Those tools are fantastic and exist to help players manage those who won’t, or can’t, follow rules until the GM team can deal with it. They are best used in conjunction with the reporting tools. Blizz does not go looking for violations, they depend on player reports which capture the name, time, date, chat logs, etc. GMs can review those reports and handle sanctions.
The question you ask though, is as old as WoW - where Blizzard first really enforced these policies. The tools do not mean people are allowed to break the rules they agreed to.
The rules in place have not changed to speak of in the 20 years since they rolled out the WoW TOS - and since they have been applied in all Blizzard games at a top level down.
No profanity, masked profanity, slurs, hateful speech, insulting/being toxic, discussions of illegal things, discussions of sexual things, trolling to disrupt the game (religion/politics esp), spam, advertising in the wrong channel, etc.
The best level of detail is the Forum Code of Conduct. It does a pretty good job talking about the types of language that Blizzard will action if reported. It is not exclusive of course, players are creative and Blizz will action as needed based on situations.
I apologize, as I assumed you were employed by blizzard.
Unfortunately, what I am hearing is that there is no recourse for this. The GM/CS have to enforce things that do not affect fun gameplay, but ignore the things that do. This is such a bad take that needs correcting. The games need to be fun.
Thank you for the in depth conversation and your wisdom. However, I am truly let down by blizzard. I miss blizzard north immensley. When fun games were made by actual gamers, and not this crap that is determined by lawyers.
Miss them, sure. Lot’s do. But mom n’ pop shop companies are nothing like mega corporations. Its a reality anyone who wants to play has to accept, or not play.