More "KILLING" references on Chess.com

STATUS: UNRESOLVED

ISSUE: Here is another thread with users joking about killing, stabbing, poisoning, and murdering others: https://www.chess.com/forum/view/off-topic/kiss-marry-or-kill-the-person-above-you-96456399

Yes, they are joking.

Yes, Chess.com allows users to joke about killing, stabbing, poisoning, and murdering others.

Your children will be exposed to this on Chess.com.

If you have experienced a murder, stabbing, poisoning, or any other type of violence in your life, you will be exposed to this on Chess.com

Is this a chess platform? Or a free speech platform where people can joke about killing and harming others?

You are resurrecting a month-dormant thread.

And you just bumped it – thanks!

In case I missed anything important, what was the result of the previous discussion? I've looked around quite extensively, and it doesn't look like anything has changed. Joking about killing, murder, stabbing, poisoning, and suggesting that others kill themselves seems to be okay here.

Are you okay with that? Do you have a spouse, kids, grandchildren, or anyone that you would be proud to show those comments to on your next visit here?

This is a chess platform – not a platform to joke about violence that harms others.

Nice suggestion, and you are correct – "This is a chess site".

If indeed this is a chess site, then why is there an off-topic forum? The current off-topic forum is subject to the ToS as the other forums, but topics related to killing and violence still permeate those forum pages. Why is that?

Additionally, a user does not have to visit the off-topic forums to be exposed to other forms of hate and violence.

To take your suggestion to the extreme, I could 1) not visit any of the forums on Chess.com, or 2) I could just cancel my membership to Chess.com.

Neither of these options is acceptable because this is a chess platform and I am here to learn about chess – and not see message headers and posts about violence, killing, and prostitution.

@RevenantTheCleansed Let me try to explain my position more time, and then we may have to agree to disagree:

If I pay to enter a theme park, I expect to walk-around, have fun, and be entertained – NOT to find attractions containing words and images relating to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

If I purchase an airline ticket to travel from Point-A to Point-B, I expect to travel in a safe and efficient manner – NOT to be subjected to in-flight announcements or literature hidden in the seat-back pocket related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

If I go to the grocery store, I expect to shop for food and goods for my family – NOT to turn down Aisle #7 and find anything related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

If I pay to see a college sporting event, I expect to see some type of music or theatrical production during the halftime show – NOT images related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

If I pay to enter a museum known to display artistic images of the environment, I expect to be moved by beautiful artwork; NOT to accidentally discover a side room containing images related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

I paid for a Chess.com membership and expect to find blogs, forums, messages, courses, and videos related to chess – NOT words and images related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

I do NOT recall seeing a disclaimer prior to purchasing a Chess.com membership that the platform contains words or images related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

Every paying member at Chess.com should be free to roam the blogs, forums, messages, courses, and videos without seeing or reading anything related to stabbing, poisoning, killing, murder, violence, or prostitution.

If you don't like it don't link it. Also, if you don't want to read it, just don't. Problem solved. Also, theme parks contain horror houses, museums have paintings about stabbing and killing, and grocery store magazines may depict murders. Just stay in the food aisle, the ferris wheel, and the happy section of the museum. ie. Forums strictly for chess. Otherwise, you are as much to blame for what you read as chess.com or the person who posted it. Also, if is truly innaporpriate, disruptive, and off topic, such as mentions to these subjects in a strictly chess forum, there is a report button.

Fair enough Caleb, thanks for sharing.

My guy, you aren't solely describing Chess.com, but the Internet in general.

@vladimir_ivanov07 I left the internet around 5-years ago because of the violence, racism, antisemitism, gender-phobic comments, and the growing hate and discontent. I closed all of my accounts: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google – everything. The only reason I got back online this year is because I started learning and playing chess when I retired.

You and @vinaygore may laugh, and that's fine with me, but I do feel sad when I log-in to my paid account on Chess.com and see so much rubbish accepted by so many on this platform.

Sure... the issues and subjects mentioned above are all over the world and the internet. The issue with me is that so many here (users, moderators, administrators, staff and owners) accept these once-offensive and unacceptable comments as "normal".

The Chess.com management and users could choose to reject the violence and hate that we see on this platform – but so many just accept it... condone it... and allow it to perpetuate on nearly every forum here. Acceptance is supporting; resignation is quitting; doing nothing about it allows evil to fester within the confines of Chess.com.

If you are one of the "normal" people who joke about killing and murdering others on a public platform... laugh about poisoning or raping someone on the forum... ignore the posts about prostitution and sex trafficking... and accept the racist and antisemitic comments as "normal" – then I really have no desire to ever play chess with you, and I wish you the best in this changing world.

Yes, I do know that there are horrors present in the darkest corners of the internet, however, this is obviously an inherent effect of having billions of anonymous people indirectly interacting with each other. Clearly, chess.com has their own limits relating to their tolerance of wicked forums and topics, but this problem is simply out of Chess.com's scope as a company. Chess.com probably ignored the forum you linked (kiss, kill, or marry the person above you) and dismissed it as off-topic nonsense, however there have been much worse ones, which chess.com promptly closed and deleted.

Although I definitely agree with your points, unfortunately there is nothing that can be done to remedy the problem. As an avid internet-goer, what I do is simply ignore said material and focus on what the site is made for - playing chess. I only ever go to the forums to lurk around and occassionally discuss chess-related topics with other players. You said that you paid for your membership for chess content and not for unrelated stuff, so I suppose you can just ignore the off-topic forums or even the forums outright and that will be perfectly fine. There are tons of chess resources here in chess.com especially with the diamond membership. Also, most of those off-topic nonsense are kids and edgy teenagers trying to make a name for themselves here and spread mischief, and you surely know kids these days, so ignoring their bs is probably the solution.

Free Speech is only guaranteed to NOT be infringed upon by the Government. Go back and read the Constitution and Bill of Rights again – or for the first time. Free Speech is never guaranteed when tested within the confines of a private institution such as Chess.com

The problem with your comment here, is that 1) discussions of violence, stabbing, killing, murder, rape, prostitution, and suggesting that someone kill themselves (suicide) are all violations of the ToS that we all agreed to abide by; and 2) these comments are prevalent throughout the forums on Chess.com.

How about 1) you and others abide by ToS; and 2) Chess.com vigorous enforce the ToS?

Just don't violate the ToS.

Just enforce the ToS.

"Off Topic" does not mean that the ToS do not apply in that area of Chess.com

I'm quite certain that I did not say that you spoke about suicide. In fact, it would be against the ToS for me to single you out and publicly accuse you of suggesting that someone kill themselves.

@Boone2023 Have you tried contacting Chess.com about this matter yet? You can try going to the lower left of your screen and click: Help > Make a Suggestion. They could possibly acknowledge your exhortation. If you have already and there has been no response, then there is no other way to do so, and one must simply live with it. Like I said, you can literally just ignore the forums, as for instance, probably 99% of my own chess knowledge have come from Chess.com lessons, puzzles, game review, YouTube videos (shoutout to Naroditsky, chessbrah, and Bartholomew), and a few free Chessable courses. Other than that, the forum is simply a place to unwind, as even chess-related forums may contain satirical topics.

Best regards, my friend, and I hope you will have a satisfactory experience in this site.

@vladimir_ivanov07 Thank for the exchange on this subject.

Yes, I have contacted Chess.com via the methods you suggested. Sometimes I receive a response, while other times I do not. Sometimes the issue appears to get resolved, while other times it does not.

I agree with your statement suggesting that I could "just ignore the forums", but the forums are for Q&A and social interaction. I could use and enjoy some of the social interaction via the forums, but I am truly baffled with how some people "unwind" in the forums, as opposed to sticking with the Forum Title and Tos.

Like you, my experience here has been overwhelmingly positive with regards to learning and exploring chess. The lessons, games, and puzzle review are fun and educational.

Thanks again for your input here.