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Flag and Flaggability in Automated Moderation: The Case of Reporting Toxic Behavior in an Online Game Community

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Xinning GuiAuthors Info & Claims

CHI '21: Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Article No.: 437, Pages 1 - 12

https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445279

Published: 07 May 2021 Publication History

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Abstract

Online platforms rely upon users or automated tools to flag toxic behaviors, the very first step in online moderation. While much recent research has examined online moderation, the role of flag remains poorly understood. This question becomes even more urgent in automated moderation, where flagging becomes a primary source of human judgment. We conducted a qualitative study of flagging practices in League of Legends (LoL), a popular eSports game. We found stark differences between how flag is designed to identify toxicity, and flaggability, or how players use and appropriate flag. Players distrust flag, but also appropriate flag for instrumental purposes. Thus, flaggability diverges decidedly from the conception of toxicity, and must be understood within the highly competitive gaming context of LoL. These findings help shed light on the situated nature of flaggability, the role of flag in online moderation, as well as implications for designing flag and moderation.

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Flag and Flaggability in Automated Moderation: The Case of Reporting Toxic Behavior in an Online Game Community

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cover image ACM Conferences

CHI '21: Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

May 2021

10862 pages

ISBN:9781450380966

DOI:10.1145/3411764

General Chairs:
Yoshifumi Kitamura
Tohoku University, Japan
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Aaron Quigley
University of New South Wales, Australia
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University of California Santa Cruz, USA
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Takeo Igarashi
The University of Tokyo, Japan
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Pernille Bjørn
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Microsoft Research, USA

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3688828.3700747
Garg RDeshbandhu ARangaswamy N(2025)Dichotomy of Game Design and Gaming Practice: Examining Gaming Toxicity and Online Gaming Communities in IndiaHuman-Computer Interaction. Design and Research10.1007/978-3-031-80832-6_1(3-22)Online publication date: 14-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80832-6_1
Marques TSchumann SMariconti E(2024)Positive behaviour interventions in online gaming: a systematic review of strategies applied in other environmentsCrime Science10.1186/s40163-024-00208-813:1Online publication date: 30-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-024-00208-8
Meriläinen MRuotsalainen M(2024)Online Disinhibition, Normative Hostility, and Banal Toxicity: Young People’s Negative Online Gaming ConductSocial Media + Society10.1177/2056305124127466910:3Online publication date: 11-Sep-2024
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Sparrow LGalwey RJovic DHardwick TButt M(2024)Towards Ethical AI Moderation in Multiplayer GamesProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36771098:CHI PLAY(1-30)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
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