Unban Appeal - boltamist - GTA RP

[boltamist]

Server: GTA RP
Character Name: Phillip Twinkletoes
Steam ID: 76561198170194458
Ban ID (just the numbers): 21778
Ban Reason: C1.7 (Chat Ban)
Why do you think you were banned: When creating a Groupie Chat, one of my friends said that the chat was completely private, and that nobody would be able to see what was being typed in the chat. It contained myself, a friend and my brother, and we have all been playing for quite a while, especially recently.

I thought that, because this channel was private, I would be able to use profanity in it, and so I sent a message containing the N-word.

I was then auto-detected by a bot for using this language and was banned as a result.
Why should we unban you: I obviously understand why this kind of language could result in a ban, though I thought that I would be able to use this language in private, with friends, in a Private Group Chat that was going to only contain myself and my real life friends. Whilst I understand that you are not allowed to use this kind of language in a vitriolic way against other people, I thought that it would be fine to use as slang towards my friends.

Despite my rocky track-record and ban-history, I've been keeping myself on a good path. I've discovered a lot of different mechanics in the server with my friends, and I've been putting a lot of time and effort into meeting people, being good-faith, and just generally enjoying the game more.

With this in mind, I hope that I can be unbanned. I hope that it is recognised that I wasn't intending to use this language to insult anyone, or against anyone that wouldn't expect me to say it. I wasn't aware that the messages on phones were monitored by a chat-bot, as I was told that the Groupie system was meant to be completely private - hence why I said what I said.

I also hope that my recent play-time and experiences with other people in the server recently has shown that I have changed my attitudes towards the game, and I play the game more to have fun with friends, rather than to cause trouble.
Please confirm that you have read the unban appeal process and rules: Yes

 

[Phoenix]

Why would you say it at all?

 

[boltamist]

It's just a term that I grew up hearing and using amongst my friends, it's something that I don't say all that often.

I didn't expect the message to be seen by anyone other than my friends, and I wasn't intending it to reach any other audience other than those friends.

I wasn't using this language in a derogatory fashion, or using it against anyone that wouldn't expect me to use the language, and I wasn't using it in a way to cause anyone distress or cause a nuisance.

If it is the case that using that language isn't permitted on the server, then I will refrain from using it in the future - I was simply unaware that this kind of language was prohibited in the context that I was using it.

 

[Phoenix]

I wasn't using this language in a derogatory fashion

The language by its very nature is derogatory.

You read the rules upon joining, you're an adult so you know it isn't something you'd go around saying in online communities and indeed in real life, so why would this be any different?

 

[boltamist]

I think that the view of the term being derogatory is something that is decided by who you are as a person - some people say it, some people don't.

It's fine if you personally see this as being something that is derogatory, but I am in disagreement as someone who hangs out in the Grove Street Area, where NPCs use the n-word often, I would expect that someone who is 18+ playing GTA would expect to hear this kind of language occasionally.

The ban is for Common Sense, which can be different for anyone. It says in the rules that the language is prohibited only if you use it in a way that is as a slur to someone - which I wasn't intending to do. If it is the case that I misunderstood the rules, then I'm happy to not use the language in the future, if the staff team can clarify.

I've been enjoying the progression on the server over the last month and a bit, and I would be gutted to find out that just because of a word that I used to a friend that I will lose all of the progress.

Thanks.