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Update to Open Chat

2
AuthorMessage
Survivor
Jan 31, 2009
1
Thats hard i need to use a credit card is just way to hard to try an get open chat wit a credit card :(

Armiger
May 10, 2010
2080
Professor Greyrose wrote:
Gift Cards (also known as Pre-Paid Cards) have NEVER qualified for unlocking 18+ Open Chat.

The valid CREDIT CARD is needed to verify that the age of the purchaser is over 18. Since anyone of any age can purchase a Gift Card, they cannot be used to provide proof of age.

We will continue to be diligent in protecting our younger players.


Ok, I am a current subscriber via a credit card! I will always have my credit card on file, but I was thinking of purchasing the areas, so as to always have the game! So, because I will buy my areas, with my credit card still on file, that verifies my age, I will no longer be able to have open chat? Seriously? I can understand needing the age verification! But one way or another, you are getting our money!

Honestly, you don't give crowns for subscriptions, you have no incentive other than open chat and posting to keep my subscription rather than buy the areas. Yes, I will deal with the chat the way it will be, but I wont be happy about it, considering I am an Adult and you do Have my Credit Card on File to Verify my Age! I really think this needs more thought!

Survivor
Jun 24, 2008
33
i personal think that open chat is filter a bit even though people try to find clever ways to get around it.
i think open chat should have been giving to everyone
allow the parents to restrict chat
and those that can not talk civil get there open chat taken away for however long.
this really makes it impossible to help someone with text chat
cause they can't ask you what they need help with and they cant see your response.
for example someone with text chat can't come up and say
hey where you get that pet or clothing
and i don't use wizard central it is worst fan site i have ever came across
i think in the long run this will be a mega mistake

Survivor
Jul 24, 2009
3
Ok, I can understand why you need a credit card to prove your 18+ but i had bought a 2 month subscription and it ends in a week, I do not want to wait that long ( its not a long wait but i am impatient ). You people at KI either MUST add an option to cancel your subscription ( for giftcard, paypal etc. ) and NOT just for the credit card. I am very irritated with wizard101 right now and i am thinking of quitting. If you dont change this you will be losing a lot of players 18+ and be stuck with menu chatters and some text chatters.

Survivor
Apr 25, 2009
14
Professor Greyrose wrote:
Gift Cards (also known as Pre-Paid Cards) have NEVER qualified for unlocking 18+ Open Chat.

The valid CREDIT CARD is needed to verify that the age of the purchaser is over 18. Since anyone of any age can purchase a Gift Card, they cannot be used to provide proof of age.

We will continue to be diligent in protecting our younger players.


So why not make open chat available to users with a valid credit card on file? Instead of forcing them to pay for subscription, when they've already paid another way? There are conflicting messages here.

Explorer
Mar 14, 2010
70
How about this KI, since I know the driving force is money. How about, one month payment using a legal credit card is poof enough that the account is an adult account indefinitely. Is that fair? Does that sound like a fair compromise? I've never been so infuriated over something so minuscule. It's not my fault children and stealing their parent's credit cards to get filtered chat off, it should be the problem of the parents, not us.

Explorer
Mar 14, 2010
70
ricksoria wrote:
Oh my gosh, i am loving this! It is about time they set rules on who has open chat, and who doesnt. I really believe this will make the game much more safe and enjoyable for KIDS and adult out there. Good job KI, I am loving this update!
keep up the good work!


There were already rules in place for who has open chat and who doesn't. They just broke something that wasn't broken in the first place. Give me one good reason why you like this, and omit "and adults" because this is ruining it for adults. Now instead of age 8-60 it's going to be age 8-17. Mark my words, KI.

Survivor
Oct 09, 2009
2
I think that this is a great idea KI, it makes Wizard101 a safer environment for a family game. I don't know why so many people are quiting just because of this little update. Most of you said you just bought crowns, or just got a gift card. Don't quit now if you don't plan on using them.

Good Job!


Survivor
Feb 28, 2010
1
I am a subcriber and am not happy with the no open chat for crown players. Not eveyone uses credit cards especially with games. They should not be decriminated against. With this said I do not feel like I will continue to be a subcriber for myself and family that plays. My kids will be mad but I am going to cancel it for I feel it is not right to the people that spent crowns on game and being punished for not using credit cards. Think about it they are the smart ones cause credit cards are evil troubles if not managed right. Dont understand why kingsile would do this. I hate how many people they will lose by making this as a choice. I will give it a little time to see if it is corrected if not my mind is made up to end subscribtion. SORRY wizard101 my family a good customer of you!

Survivor
Jun 08, 2010
1
I would like to thank KI for taking away the open chat for non subscribers. I have a credit card on file, and am over 18. But I choose to buy gift cards for my monthly subscription. I would just like to thank them for saving me $10 a month. I will not be playing after my current time expires. I think it is ridiculous that they did this. we all pay the same amount of money each month, and it is just unfair. The reason they give does not fly. They have my card on file, they know I'm of age. So if they don't want my money, Fine by me. They should reconsider before a lot more players leave.

Defender
Sep 11, 2010
154
Protecting the children is NOT an issue of who has, or has not, open chat.

The issue is who can SEE open chat.

Parental Controls exist allowing parents to prevent their children from seeing inappropriate text. If KI would default all accounts created to absolutely no contact with anyone, for anything, EVERYTIME a new wizard is created, AND require use of the parental controls password before ANY social options can be changed ... the problem is solved.

This method negates the need to age verify anybody except the person who sets up the parental control password for the account. For these purposes, if you are old enough to own a credit card, you are old enough to be an "adult". And DO NOT hand me any hokum about "under age kids" being "given" credit cards is now the "norm" ... if they are UNDER legal age their parents MUST SIGN a waiver accepting responsibility for ANYTHING their child does with that card. There IS an adult legally responsible for ANY actions conducted with that card. It is the parent.

Nobody can SEE open chat until a parental control password for the account has been established by an adult whose age has been verified by credit card. The credit card DOES NOT have to be kept on file. It is in KI's best interest if it is NOT kept on file. There are other means of documenting you have done your due diligence towards the children here WITHOUT storing credit card numbers on your servers.

Now, it doesn't matter how the account was PAID for, only that an age verified adult has DECIDED to let their child have access to SEEING open chat. In fact, open chat can be given to EVERYBODY, and no child will ever be at risk without a concious act permitting it ... made by their parent, or, the adult responsible for setting up and using the parental password.

And for the record, the coding effort needed to change the social defaults as suggested and force the use of the parental control password to change them is a LOT less expensive than what I have read here as the chosen path.

LOL .... I don't even USE this stuff!!!

Survivor
Mar 23, 2009
11
Professor Greyrose wrote:
Gift Cards (also known as Pre-Paid Cards) have NEVER qualified for unlocking 18+ Open Chat.

The valid CREDIT CARD is needed to verify that the age of the purchaser is over 18. Since anyone of any age can purchase a Gift Card, they cannot be used to provide proof of age.

We will continue to be diligent in protecting our younger players.


Professor, your statement above does not make sense. I completely understand that confirming someone is over 18 can be more easy and accurate by having a verified credit card on file. However, as long as a valid card is associated with an account, there is absolutely no difference between using the card to purchase a monthly subscription and using the card to purchase crowns to unlock new areas.

Survivor
Jan 13, 2009
18
My problem is the fact that they were telling people in the last few weeks that the gift certificates and crowns specials gave "all the benefits of subscribing" and then pull this. Many many people used these to sub for anywhere from a few months to a year and now have to wait for those subs to expire before they can get their open chat ability back! That was underhanded and imo cruel. Many of those people were credit card subscribers and have had open chat since it was released. I have used a gift card as a filler while waiting for the $60.00 special to come back. If I do this in the future I will lose my ability to open chat even though I will still have a credit card on file and am the same person. This makes no sense. If I have a credit card on file and have used it for my subs I should be allowed to get a pet every now and again, without being punished for it.

Below is the original announcement from KI regarding the open chat feature:
*Accounts must be 18+ and must be an active subscriber with a valid credit card on file.*
It did not say you had to use a credit card every single month to pay or pay for every single renewal with a credit card! Changing this now is unfair and anti-player. I see that the realms are all full or crowded almost every day now and the probalility is that 72% of these players are FTP and in Wizard City (its the only place I ever see a crowd) must be a huge drain on KI's resources but this change is only going to drive the paying public towards other games.

ricksoria Jan/19/2011 10:49 am Subject: Re:Update to Open Chat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh my gosh, i am loving this! It is about time they set rules on who has open chat, and who doesnt. I really believe this will make the game much more safe and enjoyable for KIDS and adult out there. Good job KI, I am loving this update!
keep up the good work!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
How does this make anyone safer? We always had to be 18+ to get open chat. Kids can't see what is said on open chat, they see dots..... actually making them safer then seeing the filter go arounds. This statement makes absolutely no sense.


Survivor
Jun 05, 2009
5
alex321694 wrote:
Protecting the children is NOT an issue of who has, or has not, open chat.

The issue is who can SEE open chat.

Parental Controls exist allowing parents to prevent their children from seeing inappropriate text. If KI would default all accounts created to absolutely no contact with anyone, for anything, EVERYTIME a new wizard is created, AND require use of the parental controls password before ANY social options can be changed ... the problem is solved.

This method negates the need to age verify anybody except the person who sets up the parental control password for the account. For these purposes, if you are old enough to own a credit card, you are old enough to be an "adult". And DO NOT hand me any hokum about "under age kids" being "given" credit cards is now the "norm" ... if they are UNDER legal age their parents MUST SIGN a waiver accepting responsibility for ANYTHING their child does with that card. There IS an adult legally responsible for ANY actions conducted with that card. It is the parent.

Nobody can SEE open chat until a parental control password for the account has been established by an adult whose age has been verified by credit card. The credit card DOES NOT have to be kept on file. It is in KI's best interest if it is NOT kept on file. There are other means of documenting you have done your due diligence towards the children here WITHOUT storing credit card numbers on your servers.

Now, it doesn't matter how the account was PAID for, only that an age verified adult has DECIDED to let their child have access to SEEING open chat. In fact, open chat can be given to EVERYBODY, and no child will ever be at risk without a concious act permitting it ... made by their parent, or, the adult responsible for setting up and using the parental password.

And for the record, the coding effort needed to change the social defaults as suggested and force the use of the parental control password to change them is a LOT less expensive than what I have read here as the chosen path.

LOL .... I don't even USE this stuff!!!


Thank you! This is just what I was trying to say! I'm just not that good at words and am still kind of upset lol. Like I said thanks!

Survivor
Jul 24, 2009
3
DaVaughnKinabrew wrote:
I think that this is a great idea KI, it makes Wizard101 a safer environment for a family game. I don't know why so many people are quiting just because of this little update. Most of you said you just bought crowns, or just got a gift card. Don't quit now if you don't plan on using them.

Good Job! ;)



Ok, heres what doesnt make sense for me. I have bought crowns with my credit card ( before i knew about open chat) so then when i heard about it i started buying gift cards. Shouldnt they've keep my open chat since they have my credit card stored but i only used gift cards for description. I really hate this update it is stupid. I can understand why you are protecting the kids out there, but still you should have just left the people with their open chat. Like i said above you will be losing a lot of players because of this "minor" update.

Survivor
Dec 29, 2009
3
I really don't like this idea because i always use gift cards. I think that if KI does this, they are going to lose a lot of players because the majority of players are kids and they all like open chat. I don't want to be offending but I think you should change it :-(

Brady RavenBreaker- Magus Pyromancer

Defender
Feb 28, 2010
114
As I am not a citizen of the USA, this information might be incorrect, so somebody please confirm. When you open a bank account, do you not receive a point of sale debit card that also has the Visa logo on it? This card is considered a Visa right? Can children with a bank account not have one of these cards? If they do and pay for their own wizard account with it, isn't it considered a credit card even though technically it isn't?

Illuminator
May 22, 2009
1310
Although I understand the need for this change, I do believe some warning should have been given before doing this update.

For the people that say they will quit because of this, I say that is silly. I started playing before open chat. Having the filters in place never took away from the enjoyment of the game.

Many of the people who had open chat shouldn't have had. A lot of the young people opened their own accounts therefore put in their own parental password. I would say a good amount of parents don't have the parental password.

I do understand why it is upsetting to people who opened the areas with crowns, but from the start open chat was for someone who had a sub. When you opened the area with crowns, you had no more need for a sub and no more need to pay monthly or yearly. That is a 'perk' for you. Many times i have heard the people with subs get shorted because they have to pay more and don't get crowns. Well we can say the ability to have open chat with an auto renewed sub is a 'perk'.

We can also look at this from another angle. A parent gives their child a month subscription to the game and uses their credit card. Some parents don't understand the parental controls, so therefore the kid puts the information in. They enable open chat. After that month, the parent decides not to use their credit card, but purchases gift cards for the game and give them to the child. KI does not know who is behind the computer. They only know a valid credit card is not being used to purchase that month sub. Without that valid credit card being used for that month, they don't know if it is a child or an adult, so it doesn't matter if a credit card was used in the past. They can only make their decisions on the present.

I was on the game earlier and like many other times the first 2 pages of the realms were full and the rest were crowded or normal. So, IMO there are not that many people quitting because of this update.

Hannah Lifebringer Level 60 Life

Survivor
Mar 01, 2009
27
LadyJacki wrote:
I really don't like this! I have been a subscriber for two years. I recently decided to buy the crowns and keep the game because I enjoyed it so much! I am over 18 and have been for sometime! It makes more sense for those of us who want to keep the game to be allowed open chat when you know we are over 18. The reasons you list for taking away open chat for crowns users are extremely stupid. I am now seriously debating if I want to continue. I have gotten many of my friends to play this game as well as many family members. I am highly offended!
its because you being able to keep the game does not increase their profit margin

Survivor
Jul 11, 2009
4
While this update does not affect me(I have a 1 year sub), I do feel the change should not have been made. I realize the rule was put in place quite some time ago before we had the incentives and options like we do now. You are making people choose between getting a sub or using gift cards or crowns. I have met many people who like to use a combination of several of the above options. With the addition of new pets and pet system, gift cards are quite appealing. By enforcing the change, you are basicly saying, if you want a cool pet or the massive fantacy palace, you loose your open chat or you have to pay twice.

The chat option should be based on age not on the type of sub you have. It is my feeling that as long as there is a CC number on the file as proof of age, you should have the ablity to have open chat.

Defender
Feb 28, 2010
114
Well I have another spin on this. KI is obviously trying to change it so that minors do not have fully open 18+ chat. They probably wouldn't have had to do this if any of the following were done:

-Parents ensured that the chat filter was enabled so that their children could not be saying anything they want. As a lot of parents are not as tech savvy as their kids, they may give responsibility to their child to set up options in the settings area, not knowing what to do on their own.

-Parents do not take for granted that their children and others children are acting responsibly in the game. Parents that don't play and don't take an interest in this game, thus never spending any time on it, would never see some of the stuff that happens in areas like the commons. I'm sure most parents who are oblivious to this and seeing it for the first time would immediately enable the chat filter.

It actually amazes me now, going through the commons seeing how many limited chat bubbles there are, and also only menu chat. This tells me that most of these kids were given open chat without a thought to the content being produced by individuals in the game.

Defender
Feb 28, 2010
114
How many of you parents logging on to this message string have actually read this before letting your kids play? Just curious

https://www.wizard101.com/game/safety

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