Capesh Posted Thursday at 02:10 Posted Thursday at 02:10 BYOND Key: Capesh Staff BYOND Key: Noble Row Game ID: cyP-aauS Reason for complaint: Attempted a test-drive run of Aurora after a long time of hiatus, utilizing my AI Arlo which I inducted into Aurora's fold around 2018, only to be blindsided by a demand to change the AI's name by Moderator Noble Row. Now, as they explicitly noted me to indeed file a complaint should I so desire, I have elected to do so. The demand for name change stems from Arlo also being the name of a surveillance security company originating from 2014. That is, as stated, the entire issue. I gently object to this decision on the grounds that A, such was not an issue before; B, an AI's name is quite substantially more important to their character's self (and reflection to others) given they are just a voice; and C, admitting 'this issue should have been caught sooner' is something I can certainly accept for fresh-made creations, but not one from 2018 with a prolific history and recognition. If we are indeed talking about erasing character identities, then a seven year gap between start to finish should at least - in my humble opinion - warrant a grandfathering-in. The name 'Arlo' is old-english for 'fortified hill,' or 'endless energy' - two perfectly applicable definitions for an AI. It is not as if I called the AI 'Amazon'. Or should we rename the SCCV Horizon something else, as there was a German cruiseship named Horizon for forty years between 1980 and 2020? Beyond this there was a remark made by Noble Row that sat oddly with me, if only because they stated their server titles as synth lore writer and a member of the AI whitelist team. The remark (also present in below image) went as follows: "It's just a name, my dude, it's not that bad." I find this remark considerably tone-deaf to the discussion's contents, especially as - stated above - looking beyond the sheer fact this is a 'legacy' character, it is also one without a body. The name of an AI is, next to their behavior, their most identifying characteristic; and to be part of both lore and whitelists while not seeming to understand that, alternatively doing just so and completely disregarding it, rubbed me very wrong. Images of round information and the ahelp in its entirety posted below. Additional remarks: - The ticket was closed by the Moderator after their last message. 1
Owen Posted Thursday at 14:49 Posted Thursday at 14:49 I will be handling this with @maxspells and @Triogenix. We'll try to get to this later today. In the meantime, @Noble Row please go ahead and post your side of things.
Noble Row Posted Thursday at 19:04 Posted Thursday at 19:04 Hello, The issue here is that the name Arlo is used by a security camera company. Artificial intelligences down to their core are essentially surveillance for the crew, especially since their only vision is through Cameras. It was determined by me that this name and its associations are much to on-the-nose to be in compliance with our server rules about references. If the Arlo company was any other brand, say, cooking appliances, then this would no issue at all. However, the name Arlo is, as mentioned, a surveillance brand, and since it is such, it is 1:1 with what an AI can be interpreted as and is treated as a reference, which is in violation of server rules. I did not make my decision without consulting my fellow staff members. I went to the relevant team, the AI Whitelist team, who handles AI's regulation in the server, and it was unanimously agreed by the AI whitelist team that this name was crossing the line and was inappropriate for an AI to have. Here on Aurora, we have bwoinked people for making reference names and requested them to change it, whether the reference was accidental or not. We have always had the player change the name in regards to references. It is S.O.P. This is just another case of that. Additionally, players can break the rules and go unnoticed, but this does not excuse the rule-break. It does not matter how long the player has been breaking the rules, whether intentional or not, amount of time of play does not excuse disregard for the rules established on the server. Even moreso, when a name is on the line of acceptability, the moderation team turned and consulted the relevant whitelist team, such as the species lore teams, or the AI whitelist team, for their approval of the name. In this case, the relevant whitelist team is the AI whitelist team, which was consulted, and again all agreed the name is an issue. The rule violated in question is as follows: When Googling Arlo, the surveillance company is the first search option you receive: Arlo is a very popular surveillance company for homes, businesses, and smart-homes, and holds a place in many American households and businesses. The company has been around for 11 years, predating the character, providing no excuse for the reference name. Now, the name might've been unintentional, however, it is still very much on the nose in reference to this company. If Arlo could open doors (which it might have smart-locks, I'm not personally a consumer), then it would be almost exactly what an AI can do down to the letter. It has been agreed upon by the team in charge of AI's, the AI whitelist team, that this name is too far, and is in violation of our server rules and the wishes of the relevant whitelist team, and the team would like it changed. Our rules may have been different in 2017, I didn't play here in 2017, but now they are what they are, and no one is exempt from them.
Triogenix Posted Thursday at 22:18 Posted Thursday at 22:18 Hi. After careful consideration, myself, Owen, and Max have come to the conclusion to overturn this decision. While we understand the reason Noble initiated this ticket, we do not believe Arlo classifies as a reference name that would warrant a rename. If any of the parties involved wish to contest this decision, please file a staff complaint. This post will be locked and archived in 24 hours, thank you. 1
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