Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

Admin Announcements

[b]Greetings to all of SW![/b] 🌟
Many new improvements have now been released.

[sep]


• [b]Private Messages[/b]
Finally, one of the most requested features is now available on Similar Worlds!
A couple of our new privacy options will help to prevent unwanted contact.
Security measures and limitations are implemented to help prevent abuses and spam.
Uploaded images go to your Private Album.
Auto Blur Images for added protection.
Edit messages for the purpose of fixing errors/typos. Only possible for a short period of time (to prevent security issues).
Additional privacy controls for who can contact you via messages will be implemented in the coming days.

[c=#800000][b][Note]:[/b] There is a default [b]5 minute waiting period[/b] between creating [b]New[/b] Private Message Conversations .
This limit does [b]Not[/b] apply to already [b]Existing[/b] Conversations.

As your reputation increases on this site, the 5 minute waiting period will gradually decrease for you as well.[/c]



• [b]Account Reputation and Adult Rating Levels[/b]
These factors are calculated by various algorithms (Artificial Intelligence) we have developed.

Having a better [b]Account Reputation[/b] reduces limitations on your account, so that you are able to use this site more freely.
Having a bad Account Reputation, oppositely, can restrict your account usage in many ways.
Be a good member on this site, following the rules and not abusing other members, to gain a positive Account Reputation over time.

[b]Adult Rating Levels[/b] helps to protect our community as a whole from predatory behavior and unwanted contact.
Its function is to separate the SW community into large sub-communities, of varying levels of maturity and adult content.

Being an adult on this site does not automatically restrict you from communicating with minors, however, our algorithms play a role in determining which members from different age groups should be able to connect with one another.

You may notice the photos of some members being blurred, or may you not see certain members' posts at all, depending on the discrepancies between perceived maturity levels.

We will be listening closely to member feedback and will observe how these recent changes impact the community.
Adjustment/Improvements will be made over time to maintain good levels of connection between members, while keeping security a priority.



• [b]Text Formatting / Form Tools[/b]
You are now able to add Photos and Videos to your Posts/Messages.
Style them with a variety of colors and other formatting options.
Photo uploads are also a step in preparation for full Public and Friend Only Photo Albums.



• [b]New Privacy Settings[/b]
Our new privacy settings help you to better control who and what you see on this site, as well as who can see you.
Block Friend Requests and Messages from users within the provided age ranges.
Block ALL forms of content and contact from users within the provided age ranges.



• [b]Improvements on Spamming/Trolling Prevention[/b]
We have made great improvements with regards to stopping spam and "trolls" on this site.

Our site now has one of the best spam prevention systems in the world.
It is much more difficult for abusers to cause problems in this community than in almost any other online platform.

Right now we have almost non-existent levels of spam/trolls on Similar Worlds, thanks to our expertise in security and spam control.



• [b]Group Images[/b]
We have migrated group images from Experience Project to Similar Worlds.
We are still the process of cleaning up our group images and finding more appropriate photos for many of them.
Revamped Group pages/lists.



• [b]Server Upgrade[/b]
Similar Worlds is now being run on more powerful servers.
Improved Reliability and Data Protection.
Our community is growing very rapidly, so this was an important improvement to facilitate this growth.
Improvements on infrastructure were also needed as a result, which caused us more work and time (and delays) than previously expected.



• [b]Lots of other fixes and improvements in Functionality, Performance and User Interface.[/b]


[sep]

Thanks again for being a part of our Similar Worlds community!
[i][c=#005E2F]- The SW Team[/c][/i]
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
Andrew · Admin
Regarding the concerns over Blocking and Reporting harming your reputation, here is an example to put things into better perspective:

Because features like Reporting or Blocking "may" count as factors towards our algorithms, this doesn't mean that every Report or Blocking action may ever have any effect at all on your account.


For example, we could assume that the average member may be Blocked 2-3 times per day, maybe more.

This isn't a problem to us, it is expected behavior amongst members.


However, if someone has been getting [b]blocked 50-100 times in one day[/b], obviously that would raise some red-flags for anyone who is thinking rationally.

In such a case, a user could expect to see some negative consequences of our algorithms on their account.


As said before, and I repeat once again:
[quote]Our calculations already strongly takes into consideration the occurrence of false reporting.[/quote]

We aren't just going to go about Suspending or Limiting everyone who picks up a few reports or blocks here or there.

We observe, and understand what is a normal level of negative feedback, and more or less your reputation isn't affected once this is kept within normal levels.

If it grows to out of the ordinary levels, then it makes sense that something should be done.

[sep]

There seems to be a lot of preemptive fears over our algorithms, when most of your accounts appear to be working very fine without noticeable limitations.


For those who refer to the limitation to access of minors, we don't think this should be an urgent concern for most adults, that immediate access to minors is a necessity.
There are lots of members aged 18+ on this site you can communicate with and befriend as well.

Many adult accounts on this site can contact minors, however, our algorithms may also decide that many can not.

Still, we plan to keep improving our calculations to make things as fair as possible for everyone, while keeping security for children at the front of our efforts.