Last week I had a really drunk guy as a tank in a RDF. He was super depressed, it seemed, so I talked with him for a few. Think I actually helped him, at least I hope I did.
See, thing is, most people dont talk because…most people dont talk. If you try to start a conversation, chances are someone in the group will respond…Unless its clear its one of those “get in, get out, bobs your uncle” groups, in which case I stay silent and do my job.
If I’m being brutally honest.
If this community had gotten to the point that it required draconian robots to purge everything that is even slightly offensive that people are afraid to say anything at all…
That speaks volumes to how bad the community was up to that point.
Really curious what kinds of things you want to say that you’re “scared”.
Generally the only time we have to fear that is when we’re well aware that what we’re about to say could be offensive.
Are you afraid to say, “hey guys” because you think someone will report you for saying “guys” without verifying the gender identity of the player or some nonsense like that?
I chat in guild chat and randomly in a TW dungeon. What I never use is discord. I got nothing to say to WoW folks. Ever.
I’m on an Australian server, and we have some volatile conversations without any of us being banned – I wouldn’t say any of us are scared 
Unless you’re actively a jerk who’s rather toxic in being so, with perhaps direct insults & harassing — I’d say it’s generally pretty safe.
Amazing how so few people get this.
i dont play the game to talk to ppl. i play to play the game lol.
in defense of everyone else, I stopped talking to people way before the agreements and all that crap.
end of legion some foul mouthed players started foaming down in LFR, really kinda showed me how bad some people are. Screaming at new players over some stupid mistakes that werent a big deal.
I thought that was a one off, but thru the end of legion and early BFA the behavior only got worse.
I dont know if maybe some miserables moved to my realm or what, likely, but it just got to the point of not wanting to deal with them. Not being grouped with them. Not talking to them. Not associating with them at all.
and here we are.
I dont talk unless absolutely necessary in game.
No, its not even the majority of players who are like that, but like this forum, it only takes a dozen or so to ruin the entire experience…so why bother.
In here I dont respect or care enough so if the kiddies false report me, so what.
But Im not getting my game account suspended or banned because some child is foaming in there, i respond and now 40 of his lousy buddies are reporting every move I make.
Screw that.
I’ll keep to myself and enjoy MY game, thanks.
naturally.
Only a small percent of people get their bank accounts cleaned out because of fraud.
I choose not to be one of those ‘rare’ occasions who do, so I do what I need to do to make sure it doesnt happen.
Same here.
I say hello and if the group seems pretty chill I joke about the run and stuff. But most friends hang out in Discord.
It shouldn’t be hard to not be offensive just don’t talk about controversy?
I don’t talk much ingame because I’m not a good multitasker. I can’t type and play the game at the same time.
I almost never really talk in PUGs, sure the “Hey there” when invited and “GG” when we are done but other than that I only really talk in guild groups and then it is discord where I don’t really have to worry about it.
Been playing since TBC, never offended anybody. I was brought up to be tactful and polite and then my job required being tactful and thinking about how others react to what you are saying. Text chat in game is not like something slipping out in conversation, text does not go out until you hit enter. You have every opportunity to revise what you are saying or to think better of hitting enter at all. I have no sympathy for people who get in trouble because they have no self control. Freedom of speech comes with the caveat that your fellow humans are also free to ostracize you and express their dissatisfaction with your words or your behavior.
That thought hasn’t crossed my mind. I don’t chat a lot but it has nothing to do with fear in offending someone.
Only with guildies. Everyone else is boring or hates pineapples on pizza.
The heathens, how dare they!
I’m just a dull and boring person.
Random battlegrounds used to the quite the cesspool. I suppose it comes with the territorry. But really, even so, from BC to DF, I only ever reported anyone once. Just once in 15 years of vitriol!
I think most people are too busy trying not to get stunlocked or whatever to even read the chat, and when they do see it, well, we’re all just kind of use to it and still busy anyway. 
i really don’t type much even in a group. If i need to type its generally a question i have or an answer to someone else question. I type more in guild because you know guild. Just be polite things always go better if your polite. Avoid politics not because you are ashamed of your positions ( I am a MAGA conservative) , but because you can in no way convince someone the rightness of your Cause over a chat anywhere on the internet. That is generally my ingame rules for talking.
Sounds like your paranoid, people dont get banned for talking