The last update for Minecraft introduced a chat reporting system. This allows players to report behavior that is deemed offensive or unacceptable. Many players are unhappy about this, as they believe they should be allowed to self-moderate the servers they pay for and host. However, developer Mojang Studios has clarified that it is not back peddling on the decision.
Mojang’s community manager Michelle Bules, better known by MojangMeesh, took to Reddit to respond to the community concerns and acknowledge the obvious pushback to the report system. Meesh made it clear that while Mojang values player feedback, that feedback will not “change the design principles Mojang Studios adheres to.”
That’s a nice way of saying that Mojang intends to keep chat reporting in Minecraft. The community manager admits that this “may not be the answer some of you were hoping for,” but that won’t change Mojang’s decision. It is deciding to prioritize the safety of players above all else. It believes that without human moderation online communities can become unwelcoming, toxic, and even dangerous.
Meesh also addressed the recent abuse that various Mojang employees have faced at the hands of players. She warns players that this behavior discourages employees from reaching out to the community. Having strong feelings about chat reporting being in Minecraft is fine, but there are better ways of expressing them. Resorting to harassing developers doesn’t help anyone.
Minecraft 1.19.1
This latest update for Minecraft is a relatively minor one. The new features include allay duplication, sculk catalysts tweaks, and various improvements to the in-game chat window. It isn’t too surprising that this is a smaller update, though, as it follows 1.19, The Wild Update. The Wild Update was a huge update for Minecraft that added multiple biomes and several mobs for players to defeat.
MojangMeesh’s full response (Source: Reddit)
