1. There is no such thing as a "pending" ban or Steam admin. Anyone threatening your account is a scammer trying to scare you. Read more.

Retracted TF2SwapShop Community Application

Discussion in 'Archived Applications' started by Darksoul, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. Darksoul

    Darksoul New User

    Messages:
    180
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:41878305
    1. SteamRep Integration
    a. Do you run Trade Servers? Please list the URL/IP of each server in your community that runs the SteamRep plugin and how many days each has been running it.

    #1 69.163.43.186:27015 1020 Days

    #2 64.79.109.247:27015 1020 Days

    #3 64.79.109.248:27015 1020 Days

    #4 64.79.109.249:27015 1020 Days

    #5 64.79.109.250:27015 1020 Days

    #6 64.79.109.246:27016 1020 Days

    #7 64.79.109.247:27016 1020 Days

    #8 64.79.109.248:27016 1020 Days

    #9 64.79.109.249:27016 1020 Days

    #10 64.79.109.250:27016 1020 Days

    #11 64.79.109.246:27017 1020 Days

    #12 64.79.109.247:27017 1020 Days

    #13 64.79.109.248:27017 1020 Days

    #14 64.79.109.249:27017 1020 Days

    #15 64.79.109.250:27017 1020 Days

    #16 64.79.109.246:27018 60+ Days

    #17 64.79.109.247:27018 60+ Days

    #18 64.79.109.248:27018 60+ Days

    #19 64.79.109.249:27018 60+ Days

    #20 64.79.109.250:27018 60+ Days

    #21 69.163.43.186:27015 60+ Days

    #22 69.163.43.187:27015 60+ Days

    #23 69.163.43.188:27015 60+ Days

    #24 69.163.43.189:27015 60+ Days

    #25 69.163.43.186:27016 60+ Days

    #26 69.163.43.187:27016 60+ Days

    #27 69.163.43.188:27016 60+ Days

    #28 69.163.43.189:27016 60+ Days

    #29 69.163.43.186:27017 60+ Days

    #30 69.163.43.187:27017 60+ Days

    #31 69.163.43.188:27017 60+ Days

    #32 69.163.43.189:27017 60+ Days

    #33 69.163.43.186:27018 60+ Days

    #34 69.163.43.187:27018 60+ Days

    #35 69.163.43.188:27018 60+ Days

    #36 69.163.43.189:27018 60+ Days

    #37 69.163.43.186:27019 60+ Days

    #38 69.163.43.187:27019 60+ Days

    #39 69.163.43.188:27019 60+ Days

    #40 69.163.43.189:27019 60+ Days



    b. Do you run a trade-related web application or community? List the URLs of the sites that run the SteamRep Web API and how many days each has been utilizing the API to block or mark scammers.
    N/A


    2. Have you made any modifications or changes to the SteamRep plugin or are you running an unofficial plugin? If so, please explain.
    No changes have been made to the plugin.


    3. Please list the URL of your community's Steam group.
    http://steamcommunity.com/groups/tf2swapshop/

    4. Please list the URL of your Steam group containing your community's administrators.
    http://steamcommunity.com/groups/SwapShopAdmins

    5. Please list ALL admins (not in the above group) and/or moderators of your community below with links to their SteamRep profile (e.g. HelenAngel - http://steamrep.com/profiles/76561197977521239)
    N/A

    All Administrators at the time of promotion are added to the group.


    6. What are your community's policies on scamming & scamming-related activities?
    We do not tolerate any act of scamming.


    7. Why does your community wish to exchange banners and become a Friend of SteamRep?
    We wish to further harden our players' confidence in our ability to maintain a safe trading environment across all of our servers. We believe that by being affiliated with SteamRep it will further increase players' trust in our ability and that our servers are a friendly trading environment.


    8. Please provide a link to your community's website (if applicable)
    http://tf2swapshop.com/forum/index.php

    9. Please provide a link to your community's Sourcebans or ban/report forum.
    Forum: http://tf2swapshop.com/forum/index.php?board=27.0
    Sourcebans: http://tf2swapshop.com/sourcebans/index.php?p=banlist

    10. Please provide a link to your community's stats page, hlstatsx or GameMe (if applicable).
    N/A

    11. Please provide additional details about your community such as how it came to be, how long it has been around, the primary goals of it, what it does, etc.

    TF2SwapShop started out with just one server named Murder In The First. Unfortunately, due to problems with multiple hosting companies, Murder In The First had to be shut down for a few months until something new came up. Sometime later a new host was found and all seemed promising, however due to switching hosts multiple times all the regular players would lose the information needed to join the servers. Fourteen other servers came up in addition to Murder In The First. At first these others were just running stock maps in hopes of having players being sent there by Steam to have a good time. The staff quickly realized that it would not work out and it indeed was not working out. Any other maps thought/found to be interesting we add to the other servers after that. The maps continued to evolve (change) into what they are now, as have the staff members. As time has gone on, we have added more servers as the others that had been added continued to fill up close to max. We moved half of the servers to East and the others to a location West so that players could join a SwapShop server without too much lag. We strive to maintain a trading environment that is free of scamming. We do allow scammers on our servers for the following reasons:

    1. We were not there at the time of their act of scamming and therefore have no idea as to what happened.

    2. They have done nothing wrong except joining to play on our servers.

    3. Saying that a scammer tag automatically is grounds to be banned is like saying because a man has a history of one DUI that he should be denied automatically for a job.

    We have faith in our users to use tools such as backpack.tf's plugin to do research on prices, using our backpack plugin that allows players to view someones backpack, etc. to do prompt research before trading with someone. Email confirmations introduced by Valve help further decrease the chances that someone will be scammed.



    12. Please post your community's desired banner (if not already on SR). Banners should be 225x48. Example: [​IMG]

    Attached Files:

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    Darksoul, Sep 28, 2015
    #1
  2. Death - TF2SwapShop.com

    Death - TF2SwapShop.com New User

    Messages:
    10
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:1942167
    Seems this place is officially useless...
    Death - TF2SwapShop.com, Feb 6, 2016
    #2
  3. ^Σ§Ƈ^ Mofo #Sick

    ^Σ§Ƈ^ Mofo #Sick New User

    Messages:
    17
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:51078243
    Reviewing applications will take time. Not every admin is free to be reviewing ALL applications within 5 minutes upon posting
    ^Σ§Ƈ^ Mofo #Sick, Feb 8, 2016
    #3
  4. Death - TF2SwapShop.com

    Death - TF2SwapShop.com New User

    Messages:
    10
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:1942167
    Thats funny as applicants after us have gotten a response...
    Death - TF2SwapShop.com, Feb 12, 2016
    #4
  5. Death - TF2SwapShop.com

    Death - TF2SwapShop.com New User

    Messages:
    10
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:1942167
    Within 5 minutes of posting? Again LOL! The applicated is dated September 28th
    Death - TF2SwapShop.com, Feb 12, 2016
    #5
  6. =USE=SonicShot

    =USE=SonicShot New User

    Messages:
    3
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:38058472
    So, 6 months later and yet no reply? Doesn't seem staff is doing there job to the communities expectations.
    =USE=SonicShot, Feb 12, 2016
    #6
  7. Hamtaro72

    Hamtaro72 New User

    Messages:
    1
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:82312518
    I must say it feels a bit too long without even a reply until last saturday.
    Hamtaro72, Feb 12, 2016
    #7
  8. BloodRain

    BloodRain New User

    Messages:
    1
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:56580689
    Hello, I am one of the Admins of TF2SS. I highly recommend that the higher authority of this site can make a reply to this thread.

    According to Death, this thread started on September 28th, 2015. It is now February 12th 2016, and we still have yet to recieve a response from an Administrator on this site.

    Please, at least give a response.

    Thanks, Blood
    BloodRain, Feb 12, 2016
    #8
  9. Psykotik

    Psykotik New User

    Messages:
    1
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:48199803
    What's taking you guys so long?
    Psykotik, Feb 12, 2016
    #9
  10. Pointlessness

    Pointlessness New User

    Messages:
    15
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:61888952
    Bumping will only delay your application, no matter how long it's been up. I would refrain from doing it.
    Pointlessness, Feb 12, 2016
    #10
  11. Penguin The Fluffy

    Penguin The Fluffy Articus Birdicus Defenderus Retired Staff

    Messages:
    774
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:10455403
    Your application has not waited as long as others I am processing. Needless to say asking people to bump your application or calling the staff mentally challenged does not help the case either.

    I will review this application and put it through the process soon*.....






    * Refers to Valve time increments:
    https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Time
    Penguin The Fluffy, Feb 12, 2016
    #11
    Tio José das Vacas, Pointlessness, Roudydogg1 and 2 others like this.
  12. Nephewz|Nationn

    Nephewz|Nationn New User

    Messages:
    1
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:0:43682655
    Guys, you responded to every resent applications but not Deaths...
    Nephewz|Nationn, Feb 12, 2016
    #12
  13. Sixteen

    Sixteen New User

    Messages:
    1
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:42001602
    Hello everyone, my name with regards Steam is Sixteen. If you would prefer to speak to me with my IRL name, then you can call me Sean. Either way, it seems we have some things to talk about.

    I would like to apologize for what has been done so far. Any harsh words stated weren't actually to make fun of anyone or make others mad, it was just a release of stress and confusion. At SwapShop, we get maybe a post per day on our forums about a new applicant or a problem someone is having on our servers. As a result, we are too used to having everyone respond instantly because they aren't swamped with posts. SteamRep on the other hand is a much larger community and is very important to about every single TF2 server out there. I would not be surprised if you guys get a large amount of posts each day and therefore get swamped. As for the bumping, once again we have a different perspective. I apologize, I and everyone else here, I'm sure, had no idea that bumping was a bad idea.

    I would also like to thank Penguin The Fluffy a great deal. Just the flat out making a comment is all we could really ask for right now. Of course, we would love to hear of a decision ASAP but we have to wait until Christmas to open our gifts. And we shall wait. Rushing an application is never a good thing, and I would rather you guys take your time whether it be for better or for worse.

    Also, if there are any problems, please do let us know. I know back when I first applied for administrator at SwapShop, my logic for being admin was very skewed and if I continued using that logic I had, I would have been a terrible admin. But they showed me my errors and pointed me in the right direction and from there on I did what seemed to be a lot of good for the server. Therefore if you find anything problematic, please let us know so that we can all benefit from it. Hopefully we can reach a medium on any problems that may or may not arise.

    SteamRep is very important to SwapShop. We use it very often. If there is a player in question, all I need to do is sm_plist or Status, get their ID, go to SteamRep, and boom. I have everything I need. Seriously, SteamRep is very important to SwapShop which is partly why we would like to be partners.

    So to conclude before I start rambling, I would like to thank all of you here for your time, and please take it, there is no rush.

    ~16
    Sixteen, Feb 13, 2016
    #13
    a Gentleman, Roudydogg1 and Enstage like this.
  14. Death - TF2SwapShop.com

    Death - TF2SwapShop.com New User

    Messages:
    10
    Steam:
    STEAM_0:1:1942167
    As time goes by waiting for this application to begin the revue process iv been contacted by many players that your plugin assigned a scammer tag to. I have been scolded in the past for not insta banning users tagged by steamrep but I don't have blind faith in the steamrep system. What I have found with a large portion of players who contacted me was the fact they tried to get a resolution here on steamrep but much like our application... It also fell on deaf ears. It is for this reason I have chosen to remove steamreps plugin from all my servers and formally withdraw this application.

    I am sorry but I cannot support a community that does not offer a reasonable timeline for player resolutions.
    Death - TF2SwapShop.com, Mar 23, 2016
    #14
  15. Horse

    Horse Administrator SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    76,181
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:34690691
    This application is YOUNG very young... you've not given it enough time I think.
    We just had a major amount of policy changes go into effect at the start of the year that still has dust settling.
    Horse, Mar 23, 2016
    #15
    Roudydogg1 likes this.
  16. Lava

    Lava Public Relations SteamRep Admin

    Messages:
    5,858
    SteamRep Admin:
    STEAM_0:1:46187366
    I am sorry your application took so long. Unfortunately in a position like this, with obvious potential for very high-impact abuse, it's very difficult to find people we can trust as admins over the internet. Most of those capable of committing to this degree of responsibility also know what the job entails, and hence don't apply, leaving mostly scammer alts and brand new traders of questionable motivation to fill the void of applicants. We had a number of admins resign all at once in the past couple years, and have been trying to recruit (and train) new staff in their place, which takes quite a bit of time. Sadly, that void has left us short-handed to promptly handle community applications as we struggled to keep up with other affairs. Between vetting candidates for staff, working in appeals, revising policies such as the trade-with-scammer rule, and attempts to revise or streamline other processes such as staff/community applications (hence Penguin's wave of accepted communities) we simply weren't able to fill the void left by the departure of staff originally responsible for community applications, and a backlog of community applications was a natural consequence. I'm not trying to justify it, just giving you a straight answer regarding what took so long.
    The purpose of a scammer tag is not retribution or justice, nor is it to punish or teach a lesson, but to serve as a warning for other traders who may consider trusting the known scammer. In that light, it's usually acceptable for a community, at least up until partner and including friend communities, to allow marked scammers on their servers if clearly labeling them as such, which is a configurable option in the plugin. Conceptually, traders are free to trade with a marked scammer should they see it fit, but they do so at their own risk. Whether a community wishes to ban such scammers is at their discretion, but as a friend community we would ask that at minimum you warn your userbase when a scammer is present, which as you know is fully supported within the server plugin. Although email/mobile confirmations do little if anything to protect against scammers (hijacking aside), and I don't agree with your analogies, I do feel you have solid reasoning behind this decision to allow marked scammers on your servers (with an adequate warning system). Were your application under consideration, I do not believe that would be held against you.

    I am saddened to hear that you are so upset with your application timeframe you have decided protecting your playerbase from fraud is no longer important to you. The appeal backlog is a legitimate complaint and concern, and I truly sympathize for any innocent traders affected by it - it's one of the main reasons I signed on to volunteer for SteamRep - but while innocent people may fall through the cracks (no system is perfect) I can say with a high degree of confidence the vast majority of those with tags are, in fact, scammers. Tags are not handed out lightly, and actually require quite a bit of evidence and fact checking/validation. Additionally, if it's any consolation to you, appeals are pre-screened before being added to the queue just to try and prevent innocent players from falling through cracks; while some older appeals may lack proper evidence or result from misunderstandings (this comes from the "golden age" where we gave faster responses to scam reports, hence lower evidence standards), many of the more recent appeals are confirmed scammers claiming a "change of heart". Furthermore, if friend or partner community admins have concerns about specific cases, we do encourage them to address their concerns with SteamRep staff so we can audit and expedite that case if needed, which has happened with a few appeals. I myself firmly believe marked scammers still pose a risk to your community, and while I can understand allowing marked scammers to participate in your community out of concern for a few who may be wrongly marked, I still believe they should be clearly identified as risks for your players to make the call. But alas, if you want a server cluster to support scammers you feel were treated unfairly, that is not my decision to make.

    Looking back at your reason for applying,
    I do have to question your dedication to protecting your players, or whether you are merely concerned with your own reputation. Your own statement here indicates you're concerned about traders' confidence and trust in your "safe trading environment", but on a personal level I have to question whether you really cared about traders' safety to begin with, or if you only ran the plugin as a way of appearing to care so your playerbase would trust you more. I.e. associating with this anti-scamming coalition to look credible and show you care about scamming, but not really caring about your traders' safety beyond ad revenue, then removing the plugin when you didn't get the prompt endorsement you sought. If you ran the plugin with the intention of protecting your userbase, and warning them before they freely chose to trade with someone known to have committed fraud previously, then I feel you wouldn't have removed the plugin in spite. But with that in mind, as well as apparently directing others to "bump" or brigade your application, ultimately leading up to your decision to pull out, I kind of feel like the only thing you cared about from the beginning was an official endorsement as a "safe" community without actually caring about safety of your community. If that is in fact true, then you may not have been a good fit after all, and I can only hope that you have a change of heart at a later date. Should you reconsider, and decide to unconditionally protect your players whether or not we acknowledge you as a friend community, I would invite you to re-apply at a later date. For now though, per your request, I am closing out your application.

    If this community has decided they no longer wish to support us, to the point of no longer flagging known scammers in protest to their application's timeframe, I think their mind is pretty well made up that they want nothing to do with us. You can't force anyone to be friends with you.
    Lava, Mar 26, 2016
    #16
    Enstage, Edward., schmed and 1 other person like this.