Why does this site keep lying about who is who? Once again it has been brought to my attention that different people are being accused of being the same person under different names when I know perfectly well they are not. Why is this happening, and when will it sop?
In the past couple of months the admins have responded to reviews faster, and overall the option that permits reporting groups and posts for sexualizing children is very much on point. It used to take months and even years, I do know it is due to being understaffed.
[b] I still do have one concern, I was given the impression ,in private messages and communication with the staff, that posts which speak as the first person, narrating child abuse, in a way that doesn't denounce it and have replies basically cheering to it, aren't tackled with the same standards.
Perhaps for legal reasons.
They can be left up and not deleted. And lot depends on the number of reports being made.
I believe anyone who does have concern for the minority that dealt with child abuse, the minors in this website, and the minors potentially using adult accounts will find it very disagreeable.[/b]
So please consider creating a solution in the future for that. ❤️ It is important. I do realize drawing the boundaries is a tricky business
I will also appreciate it if the whole situation is taken less personally by all parties. No me vs you tone. Even negative criticism in this regard can be used for good purposes but from now one, it should not have accusatory tone from either party. A lot of those who addressed you in the posts of last year I believe you have been referring to have been respectful and did have concerns including me, they regularly report the activity. Maybe others besides myself have been PMing you for this specific violations too. And you do respond to my mail within a reasonable frequency and dedicate a lot to address our concerns.
[quote=@Miram]In the past couple of months the admins have responded to reviews faster[/quote]
Just to be clear (or make aware), many of these successful cases against predators and offenders on SW, have already been submitted and resolved long ago, before all of these public complaints started popping up.
We have been active at tackling predators from the very beginning, the first weeks/months of SW's launch.
In fact, [b]one of the users facing a "life sentence", as mentioned, was reported by SW staff years ago, and jailed since 2017.[/b]
[quote=@Miram]I still do have one concern, I was given the impression ,in private messages and communication with the staff, that posts which speak as the first person, narrating child abuse, in a way that doesn't denounce it and have replies basically cheering to it, aren't tackled with the same standards. [/quote]
I believe you are referring to stories like:
"I was touched by my uncle when I was 13 years old, and now I like guys."
Basically, where users claim to be recounting past experiences (most of which seems fictitious anyway).
Some of these types of posts are not very straightforward to deal with.
For one, it is difficult for us to tell a (potential) past victim how they should be responding to past abuse,
and also especially difficult to avoid additional pain/harm towards that person, if we were to scold them or cause them feelings of shame or guilt.
We don't tolerate anyone celebrating child abuse. At the same time, a victim of abuse may have more right in sharing about their own past.
It's an all around complex issue to deal with at times, and does not indicate that SW Staff turns a blind eye to these issues.
At the same time, there are numerous minors in immediate danger of predation and abuse.
It is more ideal that we focus more attention and resources, towards these more serious issues, vs running after every (possibly fictitious) post that talks about past cases of their own abuse.
I do know the boundaries are very tricky, it is why I am expecting a consideration instead of a quick fix and an immediate response. I did have time to think about it and do some research when it comes to legal action. There aren't much to be used if one wishes to pursue cases in a few countries, but those stories do have consequences especially when others join in to encourage the content.
Not everything is solved top-down and it is a shared responsibility, you aren't enabling it.
Thank you for keeping the communication open and all you do to improve the site
I’ve reported posts which I feel venture into child pornography or into fantasies of such and the staff have always been prompt to review those accounts and take action.
I’m convinced SW has no tolerance for them on this site. Thanks for your hard work, and hopefully the victims of the people you’ve helped put away have a better life due to your actions.
I’m not sure how severe the material that you come across, but I hope the company provides support. I know that other social media sites are starting too, after the scandals of the past regarding the issue.
[c=#004A59][b]Thanks to all of you who help in keeping our community safe! [/b] By way of reporting: Legitimate offences/incidents, illegal activity, suspected predators and other offenders.
Do know that you have played a valuable part in not only keeping users safe on this website, but also, victims and potential victims of serious crimes, in the real (offline) world, are now much safer and no longer endangered by these identified serious offenders.[/c]
[sep]
[b][u]RE: Complaints/Concerns[/u][/b]
[quote]Reports on this post for "Harassing Users".[/quote]
Not a problem, you are correct in that the username should not be posted here. (Our apologies for that.)
The post was simply quickly Copy + Pasted, exactly is, as a new post, so that other related offenders may come across it as well. (but not to make an Admin Announcement of it)
It would be good if attention remained focused on more serious matters.
The "user" is actually on here illegally in the first place, after already being Suspended/Banned from using our services.
[sep]
[quote]Also are you sure they were fully convicted? And by life, actually means life (and not just 20 years or less)?[/quote]
We've mentioned numerous times, that we work & communicate directly with Law Enforcement, Government Agencies and Child Protection services.
Why would we* not sure of the status of these cases?
[i](Again, we would not be negligent as to publicly state this, if it were untrue. It seems as though many still doubt these claims.)[/i]
[b]We are either updated on these cases directly by law enforcement, or by assisting divisions (such as Child Protection Services).[/b]
The incarceration status of these offenders are typically publicly logged, and some may also appear published in articles.
We can see that this ex-SW user, for example, is still incarcerated (and will be for life).
[i](Tiny segments of article + Incarceration Status)[/i]
Some convicted ex-SW user's sentences can be "40 to 80 years", for example, but at the offender's age, it is basically a [u]Life Sentence[/u].
Yes. Any other user would get a warning on their profile for that. He's admitted he shouldn't have named and shamed Kirie but I don't see a warning on the SW-Admin account reflecting that.
I suspect he's also potentially libelling Kirie by making this post about child abuse issues and attempting to portray Admin as being the good guys throughout despite Kirie's track record of speaking out against it.
It's everything you expect from a classic case of passive aggressive behaviour IMO and does absolutely nothing to enhance Admin's reputation. @InOtterWords
Wow. I am glad you see the admins confirming these actions they are taking. I'm not sure specifically what this post is about, but I can say, from my own experience, that when I found what appeared to be adult persons engaging with underage persons in a very inappropriate manner(and some were posting them in albums on their profiles) that the admins had their accounts restricted within a very short amount of time and not only replied to my report but also sent me a personal message letting me know they were taking actions and giving me more options to report it as well. I reported it to a friend of mine as well. Those profiles are no longer here and the awful things, although I'll never ever forget the awful images were quickly hidden as well. I don't think the admins are out to get anyone that is following TOS and laws of their country(or anyone for that matter), but I think that is the perception of some because if there are multiple reports they may or may not answer everyone but it is getting looked into. I may not always get a reply but I will notice a person was banned in my feeds or they have a banner because of something i reported. The admins told us upfront that was the way they were handling it. But if I think it was something really bad like a child predator I give it a day or so and send a message to one of the folks listed at the bottom of the people page. I'm sure they get a lot of petty stuff and have to.weed through it so it is up to us to make sure the important stuff is seen fast. Just my opinion.
@HootyTheNightOwl Yes, it does look like an odd, stream of consciousness, meandering post. I hope they communicate with lawyers in a more straightforward manner.
What about suspending innocent members when they haven't violated the TOS, and falsely accusing them of being someone else's sockpuppets when I know they are not? You know who and what I'm talking about.
@Lostpoet Nobody is more determined to squash them than me. As we all know, nobody (no matter who they are) should ever listen to rumours unless it's a Fleetwood Mac album.
@ThePerfectUsername Psst... Kirie is no longer showing in any searches - I checked because I think that the member was someone who I don't want to associate with...
So for clarification, does naming another user in our post (such as you did), violate the terms of usage... which I believe some claim?
Also are you sure they were fully convicted? And by life, actually means life (and not just 20 years or less)?
I wonder if there should be a wall of shame... for the people that have been convicted in real life for their actions on SW. It'd be a wall of you guys doing your job...
Now I believe in credit where credit is due. For those instances where someone have committed heinous acts and the SW staff has taken part in ensuring they have been brought to justice, the staff deserves respect and gratitude.
Admins are humans too. We users may spot a bad post here and there, feel revolted and click report. While we may stumble upon a few, the staff will get a torrent of these bad posts sent directly to them through reports. I hope they get the support they need for dealing with that, 'cause that sure can't be easy.
And people going around spreading some really bad stuff about the staff, be it in the form of posts on other platforms or review sites is something they should crack down on. I understand and support the need to take action against the defamatory stuff, but have also seen companies over time go further and further into treating any and all criticism as "falsehoods that must be crushed". I hope that you will keep a cool and clear head when dealing with this and not go that far down the path.
[sep]
But this is where my disappointment starts. The choice of words and way this post is presented is nothing short of amazing... in a not so good way. There is a disconnect between the intended message and the way it is conveyed.
I'm absolutely not saying that the claims made are false, but they are presented in a way that comes off to me as argumentative, threatening, unprofessional and somewhat incoherent. More like "I want to win the argument" and less like "we're trying to educate users in a clear manner". I don't doubt that you may be great devs with good intentions, but - without meaning to be rude - the public relations part could do with some polish.
[sep]
But in trying to make a constructive reply I'll add a suggestion related to this.
A lot of frustrations seem to be with users having an impression that nothing is being done and things aren't being taken seriously. How about spending one hour a month (or some similarly appropriate timeframe) to write and post a regular [i]"State of SimilarWorlds"[/i] thread focusing more on plans and broader scale facts/stats? It lets users see that things are happening and progressing without large timegaps even if it isn't visible to the eye just yet at the cost of one workhour.
Let's say you make these posts once a month as an example. Without injecting opinion, frustration an such unless absolutely necessary, among other stuff post report stats.
For instance (and I'm not claiming these are actual numbers, but there to act as an example): [quote][b]This month[/b] [u]667[/u] posts/groups reported of which [u]36[/u] was from last month [c=#005E2F][u]172[/u] valid reports[/c] [c=#800000][u]324[/u] rejected reports[/c]
Despite being a small staff who also have to deal with development and general maintenance, as well as follow-up with authorities, you still managed to: [b]*[/b] Deal with almost 17 reports a day on average. [b]*[/b] There is a backlog of 161 reports passes to next month. [b]*[/b] About 76% of reports in queue was dealt with this month (not bad 'eh!) [b]*[/b] A lot of seemingly bogus reports are being made. [b]*[/b] Most valid reports likely lead to a mild response that isn't worth a full warning or suspension. [b]*[/b] Users who keep breaking rules aren't just deleting themselves, but are being removed.
It gives insight into just how much of a workload you get on a regular basis and shows that even though some people have to wait you have still done a lot of work with reports, and without feeling like you're waving around the hammer of smiting while doing so.
If you feel people don't believe you take illegal stuff seriously, every now and then add stats for that too into the [i]"State of SW"[/i] post... perhaps at a slightly less regular rate than report stats (since legal systems and whatnot takes time to process cases).
@PirateMonkeyCabinet, we appreciate the time taken to share your thoughts and feedback.
[quote=@PirateMonkeyCabinet]But this is where my disappointment starts. The choice of words and way this post is presented is nothing short of amazing... in a not so good way. There is a disconnect between the intended message and the way it is conveyed.[/quote]
The post itself may seem a bit out of context (and thus confusing) to some users.
1) It was a direct Copy + Paste to a comment response made on the thread of the offending user. So the context isn't perfect, as a new post.
2) This issue has been long ongoing with this offending user, and several others. So again, it can seem confusing to those who were not involved in the prior conflicts.
[quote=@PirateMonkeyCabinet]More like "I want to win the argument" and less like "we're trying to educate users in a clear manner".
...
For instance (and I'm not claiming these are actual numbers, but there to act as an example):[/quote]
We have already taken the time and care to do exactly these things (post actual back-end statistics, with regards to reports, cases of abuse, etc..) In an attempt to "work with users", and answer their concerns.
Those efforts are usually taken well by the good-meaning users.
However, there are certain groups of users who are in no way willing or aiming to cooperate or assist with tackling the real issue of child predators.
Regardless of how much information we share on how and why we handle such sensitive issues, every response from these users are incessant attacks on the character of SW staff.
Some users have recently crossed the line, with escalating their public libel against SW staff, so we are making it very clear now, that legal action will be taken.
The post has nothing to do with "trying to win an argument".
We are making a clear and public statement, so that no offending user needs to be "surprised" when they are unexpectedly hit with legal cases.
We've spent months.. years.. "educating users" with regards to our handling of criminal activity on SW.
This post was not specifically aimed at doing that at this point.
I think he is suggesting that you have a regular announcement of stats instead of it being in replies to members' criticisms. It sounds like a good idea and gives a general picture to those who seem to think nothing is getting done. It can also serve as a warning.
@Miram I understand, and it is something we have thought along the lines of before.
However, we know predictably all too well, that there are certain users who will take the opportunity to attack us on such posts, regardless of the factual and useful information we provide.
Users doing this tend to draw the most attention to themselves, and can mislead other users regarding what we are actually doing to keep this community safe.
We realize from experience that it isn't worth the hassle, and unfortunately due to the behavior of some users, decided to step back a bit from this very forward, open approach.
People do have a right to review a site unfavorably? If it's saying you are criminals or committing criminal acts and such,okay,that's ligitment enough.
You do work hard and have tried to make this a pleasant site,but if people feel threatened and not protected they may not wish to stay here. Not just the trouble makers.
I never have had a problem with you taking reports seriously or taking action. So, I do thank you for that.
Can you please explain why I got a warning on my profile after reporting a duplicate profile which is encouraging pedophelia and underage sex of school children by their teachers.
You only listened to the first report that was made and suspended the one profile.
After the user was suspended they came back with a similar username and commented on their perverted stories right where they left off and older men on here encouraged that sexual fantasy.
I have not been here long but I am very disappointed by this. Are admins automated robots? Because if you were actual humans you could easily follow that it was a pervert's duplicate profile.
Other users also reported the second profile as a duplicate fake profile encouraging harm to minors!
I would advise SW Admin to refute the most popular post on Site Jabber: where the claim is that SW is run by homosexuals who prey on male users of all ages: violating entrusted information and sending them nude pictures of themselves.
I appreciate all your hard work.😔And thank you for helping me get back on line here. I had a vpn but it got hacked, the techs I work with removed the "screamer" they put on it causing me to constantly get knocked off of here?! They are relentless cowards to say the least! P.S. I edited this because I didn't explain it properly.
Could you please then revisit my past ? You banned me on total hearsay and false accusations and possibly fabrications. You have never responded to me nor as far as I aware have you done anything towards the totally malicious accuser. I would be very happy if you did actually something towards the person who was busily circulating that I was some kind of Indian male, called Jeff etc etc etc. You have never even apologised to me so I doubt you take the above seriously.
SW-User
Good Lord. This is going to take time for me to finish reading this.
We are you warning you, to don't repeatedly break the rules, especially child porn, we will get law enforcement on you, and you could spend decades in prison if you do this nonsense.
@quitwhendone Of course they are doing a great job. Believing lies told by trolls with personal grudges and deleting innocent people because of that. Of course that was what made Great Britain Great, wasn't it? NOT!
