Adjustments to exclude specific games from GOTM results

[Bamspeedy]

The driving question that seems to me to be the main issue is if this happened to you, guilty or not, how would you feel, would you appeciate how it was handled? And if it were handled the same way would you then do similar things to what Ribannah supposedly has done, or what would you do?

If I had a game that was disqualified with 'no explanation' as she says, then yes, I would be mad too. If I did not get any explanation and got perm banned, then I would probably PM a couple friends, to have them find out for me why my game(s) were disqualified. But I wouldn't cause a public tirade over it. I woundn't PM total strangers asking them to protest this 'injustice' as she calls it, trying to 'rally the troops' to cause havoc, accuse the moderator of doing it for personal reasons, calling him names, wishing she lived next door to him to do violence against him, etc.

And if a person viewed the information and came to the conclusion that the staff was right, I wouldn't tell this person "I expected so much more from you", as if to say it is your JOB to defend me.

But I have a feeling from what has been previously said, that her games have been routinely suspect, and she has had numerous conversations with the staff about her previous games and you would think a person should see a future ban is going to happen if they continue their ways. I still haven't seen any explanation for her low tps numbers, when she had a game disqualified for that very same reason previously. Maybe the 'trick' to get around the reload counter doesn't work as some people think it does.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Originally posted by Smirk
The driving question that seems to me to be the main issue is if this happened to you, guilty or not, how would you feel, would you appeciate how it was handled? And if it were handled the same way would you then do similar things to what Ribannah supposedly has done, or what would you do?

I know the answer to this: I certainly wouldn't attack the staff personally. I'd communicate my disagreement, and I'd hope that people would understand why I'm unhappy, but then I'd get on with my life. There are lots of other things I can do than play GOTM. Or, if I really wanted to play GOTM, I could always just sign up under a new identity and play, and keep my mouth shut about the whole thing.

If I were so tied up in my "status" and "standings" and "rankings" that it would drive me nuts not to have my past games "count", then I'd call that a sign that I should get some perspective in my life. These things just aren't important.

 

[runifoc]

The information I have seen so far in this thread is that the appearance of cheating occurred over several games, the player was notified of the patterns in question, she was asked to explain some of the patterns, she was warned to change her behavior, and she could not or would not change. This resulted in her expulsion after the situation was discussed among the GOTM staff.

The important issues to me are as follows:
1. The GOTM staff did communicate their concerns to her.
2. The GOTM staff has told us, without naming names, of behavior that is unacceptable in other threads.
3. The GOTM staff appears to have an arbitration process that involves several staff members.

I find it both ironic and fitting that this case came up during the period of greatest growth for the GOTM. It serves as a warning to the newbies, like me, that cheating will not be tolerated.

I have served in and led arbitration committes for PBM gaming. Thus, I can well imagine the amount of discussion among the GOTM staff before a final decision was reached.

Based on experience and the limited information I have, I do not find fault with how this case was handled. Also, the player was not mentioned by the staff until a player announced her name.

In any event, if this were a case of player abuse by the staff, it will surely be followed by similiar cases in the near future. I don't think this is the case; however, if it is, then the GOTM would wither as players left for better communities.

I believe the GOTM staff deserve commendation for how they handled this case and how they have responded to this thread. I think this is clearly one of the better communities.