Change your avatar to support Anti-Bullying Week!

Done (I think - this post will be the test)!

EDIT: To those asking how changing a picture can help, just think about the millions of campaigns that do similar.. awareness is as important as money and action in many cases - particularly when something is preventable as easily as bullying without any financial impact.

When I first saw the avatars, first I thought I was seeing one person posting a lot, then I realised it was different people. Only then I though it was a default avatar for people who didn't have avatars. I certainly didn't know what the abbreviations were supposed to stand for. To be brutally honest, it doesn't raise awareness of anything except for people thinking there's an avatar fad going on as an in-joke they're not part of.

Be as brutally honest as you like - but tbh it only takes a couple of seconds and if it makes a few people wonder "what's that about?" And then find out, then it's done its job.

Also if you have any better ideas that would be more effective I'm sure Milostar would be happy to hear them .

Better idea #1: make it obvious what's being promoted. Only a strange, small minority are going to actively try and find out what people's avatars mean, most will move on with their lives. Need I even point out that the whole point of a campaign is that it promotes something, not confuses who it's targeting (unless it is later revealed). So keep your attitude off the thread.

Better idea #1: make it obvious what's being promoted. Only a strange, small minority are going to actively try and find out what people's avatars mean, most will move on with their lives. Need I even point out that the whole point of a campaign is that it promotes something, not confuses who it's targeting (unless it is later revealed). So keep your attitude off the thread.

I don't understand this at all, why are we only reminded about it for a week?

What of the other 51 weeks the poor guys and gals are being bullied for...

Raising awareness should be a full time thing, not just a one week change your avatar to no effect thing.

It's just a bit pointless imo.

Me too...

No one should have to worry about going to school or university because of bullying, and no one should be made miserable by cruel words and taunts on the internet.

Anti-Bullying Week highlights the issue of bullying and its devastating impact, and reminds us that if want to cut bullying from the curriculum, we all need to do our bit.

Get together with TSR to make a big public statement - we're working together to create a world where there's no place for bullying.

Show your support for Anti-Bullying Week by changing your avatar to one of our special anti-bullying blobs.

To do this, just go to 'customise my TSR' on your home menu, or use this handy link. You can find the ABW blobs in the 'various' category. If you're a subscriber, have a look in the sub-only 'various' menu for some bigger ones.

Once you've changed your avatar, check in on his thread

I wonder when the Anti-Bullying week ends. Or came this supporting to an end yet?

It should never really end, but hey that's society.

What would you suggest to figh against bullying at any time? should bullying be punished and if yes, what is a proper punishment?

(...) 'Should bullying be punished' is a silly question (...)

I meant what can TSR and the members do? to report comments in which someone is bullied? what is the consequence or asked differently what should be the consequence to prevent bullying on TSR at least?

Reporting comments is a game of luck because it depends which mod gets it. There's a certain mod who'll allow any insult to go as long as it's preceded with "or", for example "you either didn't read my post properly or you're a complete moron who should die slowly". So certainly, if mods are to be taken seriously, they should be treated seriously by their peers and 'bosses'. Any bullying or allowing bullying should have severe punishment, from a warning, to suspension, to removal of mod abilities, to a ban.

On the non-moderator side, those who are bullied should learn not to take it seriously. It's only words from a bit of code, essentially. Unlike the real world, completely ignoring it actually works. Those who see bullying shouldn't join in, even to attack the bully, as there might be more to the story. Report it if they want.

Punishment is harder since there is no real punishment out there. People who are banned just make new accounts, abusive posts that are deleted have still been read. So still the only real option is actually awareness, but awareness in the psychology of the internet bully. These are people who are hitting rock bottom in their life. If everyone realised that, they wouldn't take them seriously, rather than get baited.

Also encourage people not to call others 'trolls' and 'haters', somehow raise awareness in OPINIONS. I have to admit the concept of a 'troll' is true, as unbelievable as it is, but 99% of people who are accused of 'trolling' aren't. They simply have a different opinion.

But that's the problem, the internet has become a stage for most people to turn into omniscient keyboard warriors. You can't make them aware of anything, because being made aware requires first to accept that one was wrong about something.