[Feature Request] Hide Custom Pronouns Without Streamer Mode
Entorix
Request:
- The ability to hide custom pronouns under nameplates without needing to be in streamer mode
Reason:
- While I fully support pronouns under nameplates, the feature has immedietely and overwhelmingly become misused and abused, and I am tired of seeing random non pronoun (and occasionally offensive) jokes in place of them
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淫神 Nafryti
I just thought of a solution, under shield settings they could easily add pronouns or rather "Nameplate Customizations" to the list of hidden/shown based on trust level and then would be overridden when you manually override the shield setting when showing someone's avatar. Adding it to the Shield Settings could make it far easier to implement into VRC. This not only fits in with the rest of the features here, but also allows you to customize it per user when showing/hiding avatars. This makes it much easier to implement into the game, and if it's easier to add it will more likely be added, instead of creating a whole new component.
IF adding "Nameplate Customizations" to the Shield Safety Settings, this could then allow the ability to hide offensive groups, icons, and statuses (statusi?) so that only the username and nothing else is shown.
Rusty Beans
The people that would be offensive with them can just be offensive with their status or bio or name or group after the pronouns are hidden. As we know in VRChat, if a user wants to be verbally abusive then they will use any method available. Having a custom input text adds another avenue for them to abuse others and it can be highly targeted to lgbt users, which turns the useful feature into a weapon used by those who want to abuse lgbt+ people. But stripping away the custom pronouns takes away from the very premise of the pronouns feature, and actively advocates for the use of selective pronouns. This diminishes users power to express their identity, which is exactly what the transphobes want. So the people wanting to express their identity are restricted and the people who wish to abuse them get their way. I think it's important to carefully consider that the group using the pronouns feature are much more likely to be targeted by harassment. The amount of harassment our trans friends go through is
horrifying
and it disgusts me to think that babysitting trolls would be a higher priority than uplifting and empowering lgbt+ people. With that said, I know that this is not an easy decision and I'm sure VRChat would like to be considerate of people. I would like to amplify a suggestion from another commenter. A catch all option ("ask for pronouns") like Chirping_Cat suggested would empower people to express themselves freely, while keeping it reasonably restricted so that it's not a vessel for verbal abuse.
😺
Entorix
Rusty Beans I'm not asking that they remove the feature. I'm asking for the ability to hide custom pronouns under nameplates like what streamer mode already does, but without using streamer mode.
Rusty Beans
Entorix I'm addressing the reasoning. I'm agreeing with you.
madcaker
I see two options when it comes to dealing with the trolls. Either give people a much larger list of preset options and remove the custom option, or be much stricter on moderation of custom pronouns.
Both unfortunately open vrchat to criticism for essentially having to choose what pronouns are and aren't valid.
At the very least I would want to see a larger preset pool, options to mix and match, and an option to disable seeing custom pronouns.
Entorix
madcakerI had thought about the presets option, but as you said, they would then have to choose which pronouns are "valid" and that would not be ideal. This is why I suggested just the ability to hide custom pronouns. I don't think the kind of people who would hide custom pronouns are the kind of people who would do it because they don't "recognize them as real", since most people using them legitimately are using the presets anyway. It seems to me just the simplest way to deal with having to see people abuse/not take seriously a system that is important to people.
淫神 Nafryti
Just hide the nameplates then, I feel that nameplates themselves ruin my overall experience and immersion. I had no idea there were new pronouns added to VRChat for a while and someone was asking why I didn't have mine on there... Well I almost never turn on Nameplates, so that's why I never knew lol.
Entorix
淫神 Nafryti I prefer to play with nametags on so that I can tell at a glance peoples' names for both moderation uses, and to recognize friends who may be in different avatars.
Chirping_Cat
While I agree that the feature is frequently misused, hiding pronoun plates globally doesn't treat the root cause of the problem, and is likely to be requested and used by those who wish to disempower players who have legitimate pronouns.
I feel that the better option here is for VRChat to replace the completely custom pronouns feature with a drop-down of known pronouns, to be responsive to Canny threads for emerging pronouns, and have the catch-all option of "Ask for Pronouns"
淫神 Nafryti
Chirping_Cat Hello! fancy bumping into you here lol, I like the idea of using preset pronouns, but they could just add a filter to it and prevent vulgarities to be used like their filter for images.
That and I couldn't fit my Naf/God/Goddess pronouns it was too long and unless God/Goddess is an officially recognized pronoun, I doubt it honestly, then I'd be stuck without since Naf isn't in the list lol.
I believe it would go over far better if they just added a profanity filter to it, I'd like for it to be just a few characters longer but meh, I'm okay with Naf/Goddess
Entorix
Chirping_Cat As I stated in a different reply, I genuinely don't think that the type of people to want to hide custom pronouns are going to be doing it to de-legitimize legitimate use of custom pronouns but rather to restore the original purpose of the feature in the first place. I think people would agree with me that seeing people use it for shitposting is disrespectful.
Rusty Beans
Chirping_Cat ask for pronouns is a great idea, it allows free expression while preventing abusive text. Ask for pronouns says a lot, it implies "my pronouns aren't any of the known ones, and I would like others to be aware" (compared to "any" or just not having a preference/not providing info) which is what the "other" option implies.