Tip.It Times Presents: Preaching to the Choir

[Kiara_Kat]

This week's Tip.It Times has been released. This week, we present a piece from guest author Sligo. Feel free to discuss the article or post any comments. If you have any criticism, please make sure it's constructive! :D

 

 

 

Preaching to the Choir

 

Sligo

 

 

 

A lot of attention has been paid to the numerous forms and types of scamming that take place in the world of RuneScape. In this article, I'd like to explore some theories as to why this takes place, and what the rest of us can do about it.

 

 

 

Click here to read the rest of this article.

[youknowwho]

1st post!!!

 

 

 

oooo that was a very truthfull article i like it alot it was quite interesting to read

 

 

 

 

 

But why? The assumption that these people are isolated individuals inhabiting a dark basement or an attic bedroom I think is false. However, I do think there is something that may be common among them ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ lack of accountability. As kids, they aren't accountable to their parents (or guardians). As adults, they don't answer to a spouse. I think that their behaviour in-game is a microcosm of their real life. These are people who have little or no responsibility and don't take responsibility seriously. They lack integrity and have the mistaken belief that they are the centre of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

that made me laugh

[Freesia]

2nd post!

 

Great article! Keep them coming :thumbsup:

 

Also mentions tips about DOs and DO NOTs to avoid being scammed

[Bubsa]

This is Sligo's 2nd article now, yes? I really enjoyed his first and I think this one is an equally good read. The title encapsulates it all, the "preaching to the converted" theme is present, but the content still urges us to fight through and peservere.

 

 

 

Great job =D>

[Wachtwoord]

I liked the first part of the article, the analysis why people scam.

 

but the rest, to me it was pretty basic, but maybe its very usefull for newer players.

 

 

 

conclusion: his other article was way better (i really loved that one)

[motherduck1returns]

Wow, good read. =D>

 

You say your not a psycologist or anything, but you certinly would make a good one, you said things that other people wouldn't have thought of, and really get into the minds of scammers. I also like you part you wrote about you life in rs reflects yor real life, it made me feel good about myself as when the opportunity for me to make a possibly scam or cheat comes up, i think about and then decide against it, because it would mean cheating to say you are something. That makes me feel good about me in my real life, basically working hard and not cheating to achieve something. I once again will congratulate you on your write. :mrgreen:

[Stilev]

very good, i enjoyed the anaylis of different types of people and agree 100% with it :thumbsup:

[Adamskii]

This is by far one of the best articles I have read from the Tip.It Times. (Yes I have read them all).

 

 

 

It was very well written and perfectly summises my own feelings for the scammers of RuneScape.

 

 

 

Regardless of what people may think, when you put your time into working your 'pixelated account' it does hurt when someone takes something away from through dishonesty or deciet.

 

 

 

My only hope is that many people read this article, and remember it is never too late to change your ways.

 

 

 

Thanks for the great article Sligo.

[halosponge]

I saw the bit about sharing info the and it made me remember one of the times i got scammed. I had been scammed out of my brand new set of addy (a while ago), i was annoyed but i set to work getting more cash to rebuy. I just about got the cash so i went into the bank and said the usual rubbish "buying x y z"

 

I was then scammed out of more money.

 

 

 

Maybe im an idiot but my point is this, after you have been scammed calm down and think about it, in my opinion you are more likely to get scammed after you have been scammed. If you are unfortunat enough to get scammed, don't let it happn again.

[nashy19]

well siad =D>

[kubert7]

=D> Always a good read from teh tip.it times, interesting points, keep the articles coming.

[Omali]

Great article, except this part:

 

 

 

encourage them to get involved in online fansite communities like this one.

 

 

 

which would be advertising, which can get you banned.

[Nickelliston]

Nice one! :thumbsup:

[Duke_Freedom]

These are the same people who seek out and use autoers and macroers.

 

 

 

I wouldn't put autoers on the same level as scammers. Scammers directly hurt fellow players, while autoers indirectly hurt fellow players. Scammers tend to take pleasure in ruining someone else's fun, while autoers (mainly) do it to enhance their own fun.

 

 

 

These are people who have little or no responsibility and don't take responsibility seriously.

 

 

 

I think a better conclusion is that they don't take the game seriously, instead of not taking responsibility seriously. Or that they just don't have a conscience.

 

 

 

Jagex is trying extremely hard to eradicate the problem

 

 

 

Jagex is too hesistant to ban the (main) accounts of scammers IMO. Admitted, even if they would do a better job at that, scamming would not totally go away. However, I do think that it would be much less of a problem then it is now. In the end, their main reason is usually the profits. If that is continously taken away from them, many would stop.

 

 

 

If someone is trying to run a common scam (e.g. "Free armour trimming"), go ahead and report them, but this is what you should say: "Armour cannot be trimmed. Don't fall for the scam." The scammer will shut up and go elsewhere, if only to get away from you.

 

:lol:

 

 

 

Apparently you haven't been around in the popular trading places oftenly. Otherwise you would have known that scammers are the most stubborn people around. Even if there are several players around them saying they are scamming, they'll still continue to try and scam people.

[Dexek]

Nice article. It should help remind those who are forgetting or do not yet know some of these important tips. Seems like something Jagex would release as a reminder. :lol:

[SirHartlar]

That was a very good way of telling people what they should already know. Well done :thumbsup:

[sligo]

Great article, except this part:

 

 

 

encourage them to get involved in online fansite communities like this one.

 

 

 

which would be advertising, which can get you banned.

 

 

 

You are referring to (taken directly from Runescape.com)

 

 

 

Rule 11 - Advertising/Website

 

You are not allowed to actively advertise in the RuneScape game or RuneScape forums.

 

 

 

This includes advertising any website or product and no web addresses are allowed. Telling other players any web-address is not allowed.

 

 

 

Related Questions

 

Below are some related questions which may help you to further understand and follow this rule.

 

 

 

Why do we have this rule?

 

 

 

 

 

Links to sites can sometimes be dangerous to players (by leading you to sites with inappropriate content) or your computer (by downloading a virus when you go to the site). So, this precaution has been taken in order that no links to any sites may be advertised in-game or in the RuneScape Forums, thereby protecting you and your computer.

 

 

 

Does this rule include giving out the link to my clan/fan site?

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. Unfortunately we just donÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t have the resources to check every website being mentioned, and even well meaning sites could inadvertently contain risks. So this rule covers ALL websites.

 

 

 

Can I advertise my website in RuneScape?

 

 

 

 

 

No, you cannot. As you may know, some sites are used to harvest unsuspecting players' passwords which spoils players enjoyment of the game. We take password security very seriously and therefore have to enforce a rule whereby no websites are advertised in game.

 

 

 

Clearly this may result in an injustice against players who create websites designed to help the RuneScape Community. However, we need to ensure that player accounts are absolutely secure, and to this end we have developed this policy. We hope that at some point in the future this can change, and more community sites will take the place of hack sites. For the time being though, account security is absolutely essential.

 

 

 

Do you have any conditions that you would like Fan Sites to abide by?

 

 

 

 

 

Yes we do. Please see the below:

 

 

 

 

 

* The site should abide by the Terms of Service for RuneScape.

 

 

 

* The site should not promote any activity that is against our Rules of Conduct.

 

 

 

* The site should not publish an article or text taken from the Jagex, or RuneScape website without permission. If you do use any text or images you must acknowledge runescape.com as the source, and link back to our site.

 

 

 

* The site should not link to or promote any adult sites, or sites that conflict with Jagex interests.

 

 

 

* The site should not promote any sites or information that provide or support hacking, software piracy, or other illegal activities. Emphasis added

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can I promote my Clan website in the game or in the forums?

 

 

 

 

 

It is a breach of the rules to post anything promoting a website in the forums or in the game. As such if you do post the URL for your clan site you could get banned.

 

 

 

We understand this will cause you inconvenience but please remember that this rule is there to make it impossible for people to send players to scam sites.

 

 

 

To keep RuneScape enjoyable for everyone please observe and follow this rule. We will not tolerate disruptive players, and if you break our rules your account is likely to be banned. Members who are banned for breaking our rules are not entitled to any sort of refund.

 

 

 

 

What is a FanSite?

 

A fansite is a website created and maintained by the fans of a particular cultural phenomenon. The phenomenon can be anything from a computer game to a television show.

 

 

 

RuneScape has various fansites surrounding it and they offer information about quests, skills and provide an opportunity to talk to other fans of the game.

 

 

 

Please note that ALL fansites are entirely separate from RuneScape and Jagex and we are NOT responsible for any content which appears on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it ok for me to make a fan site?

 

Yes, of course. We encourage the creation of fan sites and many of our players use them to gain information about our game.

 

 

 

There are a few pointers that you need to follow:

 

 

 

1) You must visibly acknowledge that the images are the property of Jagex Ltd,

 

and that Jagex and RuneScape are registered trademarks of Jagex Limited, and you

 

must provide a link to the official http://www.runescape.com website.

 

 

 

2) The images or our trademarks must NOT under any circumstances be used on or

 

in conjunction with any website which encourages or helps users infringe our

 

terms+conditions or break our rules. Using them on a scamming, hacking, password

 

stealing, or cheating website is NOT allowed.

 

 

 

3) You must not use these images or our trademarks in a deliberately deceptive

 

way. Your website must not portray itself as an official RuneScape website.

 

Allowing you to use these images does not mean we endorse your website.

 

 

 

4) We may withdraw your permission to use these images at any time if we feel

 

you are misusing them.

 

 

 

 

As long as a fansite follows the rules, Jagex doesn't have any problem with them.

 

 

 

The way I understand this (Player mods, please clarify if you don't mind): You can talk about a fan site privately to your friends an acquaintences as long as you don't actually say the url. However, if you stand in a crowded area and publicly shout "everyone go to the tip.it forum and check out my bank sale auction!" you would be in violation.

 

 

 

Oh, by the way, thanks for the positive remarks on the article.

 

 

 

- Sligo

[Zibl]

Absolutely perfect :thumbsup: . Well written, brilliantly thought out, and nicely organized and easy to understand.

 

 

 

Wonderful article. =D> .

[Warned]

nice article

 

 

 

just one little thing

 

 

 

If it is borderline, ask the advice of a trusted friend first. It is better that a rule breaker gets away with something than for someone innocent to be punished.

 

 

 

and the runescape site guides say

 

 

 

Be assured that we look at all abuse reports thoroughly and if you are unsure then we can always make the decision for you so if in doubt, send a report.

[Zibl]

nice article

 

 

 

just one little thing

 

 

 

If it is borderline, ask the advice of a trusted friend first. It is better that a rule breaker gets away with something than for someone innocent to be punished.

 

 

 

and the runescape site guides say

 

 

 

Be assured that we look at all abuse reports thoroughly and if you are unsure then we can always make the decision for you so if in doubt, send a report.

 

 

 

I highly doubt all abuse reports are looked over. Many a times in my past years of play I had been reported for vulger things (never for cheating or anything of that sort). I've never even recieved a message from Jagex about me getting reported.

 

 

 

Plus, if you think about it, 100k+ people play Runescape every day. All these tards who send in reports for ever little thing you do adds up. I'd be willing to bet Jagex gets ATLEAST 10,000 abuse reports a day. Around 70k+ reports per week? How do you expect a small company like Jagex to fully review each report?

 

 

 

Bull.

[sligo]

I agree with both the points you make. However, my point in the article is to avoid being too quick to report someone. If you read this forum, how many times do you see people complaining that they've been banned for something that was borderline at best.

 

 

 

Many times I've seen people posting here on Tip.It that they were banned for some insignificant violation. Most likely they were reported by some vigilante hoping to get noticed by making as many reports as possible. However, upon review of the ban, it seems as if the ban was unfair. I've also noticed that Jagex is less likely to review and reverse a ban in F2P than in P2P.

 

 

 

- Sligo

[hellbellz]

Nice article. =D>

[diverboy699]

Wow! Really nice article! At first when I saw the beginning of it, all that went though my mind was "Oh great, another article about scamming/hacking/cheating." I can't specifically say why, but I just feel like for the most part too many people have made articles basically saying "Scammers are bad and should all die." type of thing. But this wasn't like that at all.

 

 

 

I'll have to say, first and foremost, the idea for this article was an extremely well thought out one. As you stated near the beginning you haven't gone to school for psychology or anything of the sort, but still, you've had some real world experience. And that, I think, may have contributed to the fact that your article was extremely good.

 

 

 

One of the points that you addressed, was that the very same people in RS were the same ones that out in the real world may not be used to having to listen to people. Whether it be not respecting their parents or guardians (as I've heard before "If you treat them like dirt, then they'll act like dirt"), or they don't care about their spouse, or other family members, they're all the same basic types of people. Ones that may not care if by scamming that the money they just stole will make the other person work back to get what should be there's. And the process of earning back those possessions may be both emotion, and possibly traumatic to whomever is affected.

 

 

 

But also, as I said before, you didn't go on the route before of "We should wage war and genocide all the people who have ever even thought about scamming/hacking/cheating." You managed to remember another type of scammer out there, the ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅExperimenterÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃ

[ikraz66]

Nice article sligo 8-)! You've always been one of the most intelligent people on this forum and i'd be surprised if you haven't already gotten requests to join the tip.it staff.

 

 

 

Btw, sometimes i wonder how its possible that there are so many scammers in runescape, and how they are ALL THE SAME! Is there some international runescape cheaters convention or something? Because thats my only LOGICAL theory! :wall:

[Scotteh]

Don't let people get under your skin. People will try to bait you and trick you. They use techniques designed to get an emotional response. If you succumb, you've given control to them.

 

 

 

 

 

How is that scamming? I've used that has a buying/selling tecnique for a long time. Basic psychology for the win on W2. It's not like I insult them or feed them bogus information. I just use positioning, quick-declines and persistance to get what I want... And it works 8-)

 

 

 

It's an art, not scamming :