I just don't get it (name rant)

[Tinile]

You know Itek, you have mentioned that you guided a very long time ago. I'm sure things have changed since then and you aren't up on all the current procedures. You sound awfully bitter about leaving the program, btw.

[kiztent]

I'm going to have to agree with Tinile. Not to mention the fact that I know someone who was 65 and got a name change and it didn't violate either rule 1 or 2.

[Draggar]

You know Itek, you have mentioned that you guided a very long time ago. I'm sure things have changed since then and you aren't up on all the current procedures. You sound awfully bitter about leaving the program, btw.

Maybe there were some issues that he can't discuss due to a NDA (non-disclosure agreement)?

Guides and GMs put up with a lot of BS and do a lot of babysitting.

But that's enough off-topic form me (for now).

[Itek]

Hehe...

"You bitter?"
"Yeah. Bit him too."

(old Simpsons quote.... laugh with me)

Extremely. I hold UTTER contempt for the SOE CS managers. And they know it. On other threads I've discussed in greater detail exactly how screwy the "naming policy" enforcement was and is, and exactly how I got booted for enforcing the written policy.

As "the policy" is defined more in the mind of the closest GM / Sr than in the PnP, and as I said, your mileage will certainly vary. Maybe the "35+ reputation exception" only exists on my Play and Former-Guiding servers. As I've only ever logged in to those two servers, with the exception during the first live week when I was playing on my friends account while I visited him, I really couldn't say.

But if you want to see exactly WHY this is a sore subject with me wander over to the EQLive site. Check up on the "name change" list for the server BristleBane. Nearly 50% of the name changes (approved by SOE GMs) are from and/or TO ILLEGAL (under the written policy) names. No kidding. SOE let people pay money to GET names that are prohibited.

Look at it this way and see if it gives you some insight.

Pretend I worked (volunteered) at Goodwill.

Setting: Goodwill store

Characters:
Itek - a peon cashier/stocker (Full Guide)
Missy - the (paid) store manager (Server GM)
Sally - a (volunteer) asst. store manager (Sr. Guide)
Crazy Larry - street preacher
Harry Moe - random customer

*voice over speaker system* "Itek please deal with a problem at the front door"

Itek: What seems to be the problem?
Crazy Larry: Missy is a worthless piece of drek and should be fired!!
Itek: I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises. We've had trouble with you before. I'm calling the police.
Crazy Larry: Oops, sorry.

*Itek is on the phone with the police making a report*
*Itek observes Harry Moe put a pair of socks under his shirt, and walk to the door without paying*

Itek: Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to pay for those socks.
Harry Moe: How dare you question me?
Itek: Um, you clearly have a pair of socks under your shirt and didn't pay for them. This violates our "no shoplifting" policy.
Harry Moe: I'm a good customer, and I didn't know about the "shoplifting" policy.
Itek: Sorry, that's no excuse. If you want you can talk it over with Missy when she gets in to work in about 2 hours.
Harry Moe: You are a *CENSORED* and have no right to talk to me this way.
Itek: Ok, now I'm going to ask you to leave and in addition to shoplifting I'll add employee harassment to the list of charges.

*later*

Missy: Itek can I see you in my office?
Itek: Sure.
Missy: Why do I have 3 police reports on my desk from you?
Itek: Crazy Larry, who you had arrested perviously for public disturbance came back and bad-mouthed you.
Missy: Ah... and you threw him off the property, even though you really didn't have the authority, and called for another police report. Good job.
Itek: Then while I was on the phone I say Harry Moe shoplifting. I called him on it and he got abusive with me. I'd have let it go with a warning if he'd just paid for the socks.
Missy: Hmmm... well he is a paying customer...

*2 days later*

Missy: Welcome to the monthly awards meeting.
Sally: Congrats Itek on 3 months service.
*Itek blushes*

*Next day*

Itek: Sally my ID card won't let me into the break room before my shift.
Sally: We fired you, because you upset Harry Moe.
Itek: That was 3 days ago.
Sally: Yeah, but we decided to let you run the store all day Saturday and close Saturday night and do the deposit so you could finish out the three months. We felt you had done a wonderful job and deserved to get your 3 month service certificate. Bye now.
Itek: I intend to appeal your decision to the governing board.
Sally: We thought you would. Best of luck. Oh, by the way, we've never been overturned.

*Itek files an appeal*

*Itek follows up on the appeal after a month*

*Itek follows up on the follow up after 2 months*

*Over 90 days after the filed appeal Itek learns of a new GM assigned to the appeals board, and directly emails them, using a list of email addresses he had from before*

*90 minutes after the email is sent*
GM-Newly: Itek, I'm sorry to hear your appeal has taken so long to be processed. I'll check into it and see what's going on.

*26 minutes after GM-Newly's email is sent*
SR-Stuffy: Itek, after a full review of your employment records we are denying your appeal. Best of luck in all your endevours.

No kidding. I waited 3 full MONTHS for them to spend less than 26 MINUTES reviewing my appeal.

BITTER? You haven't seen the tip of the iceberg. It LITTERALY took over a year before I logged my main play character back in.

On at least 3 occasions I've had Guides and Sr. Guides on my play server invite me to re-apply. No, I can't set myself up for that kind of pain again. But, and I always say this, I strongly encourage everyone to apply to be a Guide. The guides are always short handed and if you aren't willing to be a Guide you have no right to complain about slow or non-existant response to petitions.

[Lickity]

I had a feeling the system went something like that. I have applied to be a guide 3 times now, and have yet to have an answer on them, granted this first time I probably wouldn't have chosen me either now that I look back and think of the ridiculous answers I put in some of the blanks (I was new, and uninformed.)

Back to the main thread...GRRR Naming Policy is a joke, however, I have had rather good luck with getting offensive surnames changed for 60+ characters, however, I do not think I have really tried with first names. (Saddamslayer was my most recent victory.) Seeing some of the names that were overtly approved by the GMs irritates me, but as far as the non-fantasy names that get through (mine probably included,) there are so many characters created that I am sure trying to review the names is just near impossible. I saw a new little level 1 character in market named Lesbian yesterday, it gave many people a good laugh and they started taking a pool on how long it would take to get changed. any bets? I give it at LEAST 4 months...