TF2 Outpost's group description (excerpt): All of the rules on the website apply here too, so spamming or insulting other users will result in a ban from the group, and if the incident is serious enough may result in a ban on the website.




inb4 perm or temp ban from the group and/or the site from staff .-.


Well ladies and (for the most part) gentlemen, nearly three weeks ago, I was banned from Outpost for one day. Just a simple temp-ban for violating the non-existent rules. Their reasons behind the temp-ban? This trade: http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14783675. The trade violated non of Outpost's rules in any way. It was a legitimate trade, the items advertised were being sold, I wasn't building weps to an unusual, I had not commented on the prices of items, I had not hijacked a trade, I had not posted a phishing link, etc... So why then was it closed? Because Garry *insert generic insult here*.

So in a nutshell, I was banned (temporarily) for violating NONE of Outpost's rules about trading.

That sure doesn't sound corrupt in any way! Nope. Not at all.


First, let me show you some of the market for explicit objectors (there's much more I've seen but most trades are either closed by staff or are sold quickly and quietly in order to avoid bans; this is all I could scoop together in the amount of time I spent researching this):
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14808628 (sold all)
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14693801 (sold for 10 ref)
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14543686 (sold all for idk how much) ZEMN APPROVED :O
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14308513 (sold all for 12 ref in items)
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14281538 (sold all for 10 ref in hats)
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/13911192 (sold all for 1.8 keys in items)
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14303955 (sold for 1 ref)
In the past I remember seeing a user who was specifically buying objectors with pictures of his favorite pornstar on them (closed, assumedly by staff)
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/15012154 (seems to have accepted 2.66 on his objector)
On the above trade, someone said that they had had their trade closed for having explicit material on his objector as well.


These trades show some of the market that explicit objectors have, and TF2 Outpost, a website used for marketing items and assistance in trading, would sound as though these would be allowed as they have a market.


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Now, back to Garry (the mod who temp banned me... yea, him)

I later added Garry and talked to him about this issue. He basically stated that it was:
1. Against OP's rules
2. Younger users/kids use this site
3. It's common sense not to post explicit content onto a site in any way
4. Against the Steam Subscriber Agreement
5. Can get your Steam account banned, so why do it at all

Let's prove all of those points false shall we?

1. Easy. OP has no rules concerning younger audiences or explicit material

2. I understand that younger children use this site, but that means younger children are playing/are exposed to a game with blood, killing, and all kinds of users of varying ages who say and do questionable/explicit things such as cuss and spray mature content in-game. LONG STORY SHORT: It's the internet, look away and live on with your life (even though I do understand his concern about this one)
Well, if OP is so kid-friendly, why are things like this not closed (inb4 two trades =/= every trade)?
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14972664
http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14762028 (not explicit as in "17+", but it's a guy giving you the finger... that's DEFINITELY younger-user-appropriate..)

3. It's also common sense in TF2 trading to make profit off of sales and to have objective progress.

4. Against the ToS eh? I think not. I've read over the ToS three times now, and this is the closest thing to explicit material in the rules:
----------4. ONLINE CONDUCT, CHEATING AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR

----------You agree that you will be personally responsible for the use of your Account and for all of the communication and activity on Steam that results from use of your Account. Your online conduct and interaction with other Subscribers should be guided by common sense and basic etiquette. Specific requirements may also be found in the Steam Online Conduct rules at http://steampowered.com/index.php?area=online_conduct, other Rules of Use, the Subscription Terms, or in terms of use imposed by third parties who host particular games or other services.

The above states that, in a nutshell, speific terms to mateials' validity applies differently to games and, more specifially, to server hosters (like Skial, Lotus, Pheonix, Sodahappy, to name a few off the top of my head, who have specific server rules as to content that cannot be displayed). And, as far as TF2's perspective on explicit materials posted onto objectors:

http://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/3/33/TF2decalToS.jpg?t=20111019024046
The item has potential to be removed if it is offensive or if it violates (directly) the ToS by (indirectly) violating servers' rules.

5. As stated (indirectly) in the above point, your account will not be banned, and at worst, the item will be removed from existence.
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http://www.tf2outpost.com/trade/14887240
Finally, is this allowed without having the trade closed? If this is the case, those of us with explicit material'd objectors can set up our trades in a sort of "child-friendly" way so that younger users do not see our products while allowing those interested to buy/sell via Outpost.




What I WOULD LIKE and HIGHLY APPRECIATE is for some reasonable compromise to be reached with Outpost and those of us who do these types of things so that our trades can remain open without offending anyone and etc...


inb4 TL;DR
inb4 anti-bronies
inb4 people who are biased
inb4 people who are stubbornly passionate about whatever side they choose
inb4 Garry banning me
inb4 Blue Screen banning me as well
inb4 Zemn laughing
inb4 using as BP.TF proof
inb4 staff closing this without giving any consideration to anything
inb4 cc. Tyc oon facepalming
inb4 Gaben smiting me dead with lightning for posting this



Zemn-approved