Pure [US] - CupcakKe - Autobanned

[cupcakke]

Heyo! I was autobanned talking in team chat   May I be unbanned please! I'll behave promise 

Edited Thursday at 08:44 PM by cupcakke
adding details

[a 3/0 sc lauan]

Thank you for appealing.  
 

With the current cancel culture in the world, racism in  all aspects of society is being closely scrutinized.  While we do understand that it still heavily permeates music, comedy, movies, and other media, it is something we do not feel is appropriate to have in our servers.

Words such as what you used, are not welcome in any context.  

Here are resources that you can explore to learn more:

guidetoallyship.com

https://guidetoallyship.com/

Anti-Racism Glossary

https://www.rwjbh.org/why-rwjbarnabas-health-/ending-racism/anti-racism-glossary/

Anti-Racism Resources

https://www.rwjbh.org/why-rwjbarnabas-health-/ending-racism/anti-racism-resources/

That being said, you will get a second chance. Just one.
The ban will be lifted once 72 hours have passed, but it will remain on your record.  There will be no additional chances as this post should encourage you to change how you speak in our servers and to abide by the rules.

Take a few minutes before rejoining, and refresh yourself on the rules to avoid any chance of breaking them. If you are unclear on any of them, or aren't sure what is permitted, reach out to the staff and we'll be happy to clarify them for you.

No raiding, griefing or looting of any kind.

No mic or chat spam, player disrespect, politics, racism or harassment.

No camping loot rooms, monuments or any highly concentrated areas.

You may build in caves but you must ensure safe passage for other players.

No blocking water ways, building around monuments or large areas of unused land.

(Please read the splash page as well, as each server type has slight variations regarding specific features of those servers.)

Welcome back.  
(Please bear in mind, this is a one-time ban reversal. No further rule infractions of this nature can happen. Thank you!)

-A3

 

[cupcakke]

Thank you for lifting the ban. I understand the server’s language rules.

I do want to be transparent that I’m disappointed by how this was handled. This was my first offense since I began playing regularly in August. I am a Black woman, and the message occurred in a private chat between my husband and me. I’ve consistently participated in and supported the server, including events and contests, without any prior issues or warnings.

I recognize that the server enforces blanket rules, and I understand the need for moderation consistency. That said, context matters to players, especially those who have shown good faith and long-term support.

I appreciate the reconsideration. However, I have decided to stop playing on this server. I wish you all the best.

[a 3/0 sc lauan]

sorry to hear that and we sincerely wish you the best in your future gaming endeavors! 

as an aside, to make you aware of all your options here, you are welcome to appeal this to leadership if you would like, if you feel it's been handled unfairly or improperly. 

-A3

[cupcakke]

@a 3/0 sc lauan 

Thank you for letting me know. I would like to appeal this to leadership for review.

Please let me know the appropriate channel to submit this so it can be formally documented. Thanks! 

[a 3/0 sc lauan]

i have made them aware of your request and a member of leadership should hop into the conversation when able  

-A3

[Samakeen]

Hey there @cupcakke!

Thanks for reaching out to us & taking the time to share your thoughts.

Something that I don't think was made clear above, is that your ban was actually an automated one that just flagged based on the wording used - this wasn't a ban from one of our admin team. Unfortunately though, automation isnt perfect - it can only look for words and not context. That is why in cases like this, our admin team do need to review and lift the ban based on the circumstances.

We’re also not in a position to know a player’s race or background, which can make it difficult for us to determine intent or context around the use of certain language.

We do our best to make sure we can try and keep our servers a safe place for our players, which is why the word you used isn't permitted in our servers.

Hopefully the above helps clarify a little, but if there's more you would like to discuss please let me know!


Samakeen

[cupcakke]

Hi @Samakeen ! 

Thank you for taking the time to explain how automation and review function within your moderation process. I appreciate the transparency and understand the limitations of automated systems when it comes to assessing context and intent.

That said, I want to clearly state the concern that prompted me to escalate this. My chat was between myself and my husband. This was my first offense after approximately six months of consistent, positive participation on the server. There was no public disruption, no harassment, and no victim. I am a Black woman, and this occurred in a one-on-one, private interaction. I understand the automated ban being triggered by the system; the issue arose once human review occurred.

After appealing, I received a standardized response that did not meaningfully account for context, intent, or player history. Even after human review confirmed there was no harm and no harassment, the full 72-hour ban still remained, and I was given a “second chance” stemming from a situation that caused no harm to any player. At that point, the outcome no longer appears tied to player safety or harm prevention, but rather to preserving consistency within the system itself. 

While automation may be neutral in design, its effects are not always neutral in practice. Players of color are more likely to be flagged by word-based systems for reclaimed or culturally contextual language used privately, and even when bans are reviewed or lifted, the residual punishment and record can still create alienation and loss of trust.

This concern is reinforced by a prior appeal from October 30, 2025 involving another Black player, Thorkell. That case was handled by the same reviewer using nearly identical language, framing, and resources. It similarly involved intra-community language used among friends in a non-public context and resulted in a temporary ban labeled as a “second chance.” This suggests my experience is not isolated, but rather a repeatable outcome of how the policy is currently applied.

I want to be clear that I am not alleging bad faith or malicious intent by staff or leadership. My intent in sharing this is to highlight how consistency without proportionality can unintentionally undermine the welcoming environment the server aims to maintain. Even when rules are applied equally, their impact is not always equitable.

This is not about the length of the ban itself, and I am not seeking reinstatement. It is about ensuring leadership is aware of how the system currently teaches players that context, history, and relationship may not meaningfully matter, even when no harm occurs, and how that lesson disproportionately affects players of color who otherwise engage positively and in good faith.

I genuinely valued this community and considered it one of my best Rust experiences. I was an active, engaged player who chose to support the server because I believed in the environment being built here. Walking away is hard for me, but given how this policy has been applied, I no longer feel comfortable, welcomed, or supported continuing in a space where cultural context is not considered, even in private or team interactions.

I share this feedback in the spirit of education and improvement, with the hope that it helps reduce unintended harm and future player attrition. My intent in raising this is also to help ensure the community remains welcoming and equitable for players of color from all backgrounds moving forward, so that others do not experience the same sense of alienation or loss of trust I have felt as a result of context-free enforcement that fails to distinguish intent, relationship, and impact.

Thank you again for your time and for listening. I’ll legit miss you guys. 

Best,
CupcakKe