Name sniping

Apparently the definition is becoming pretty blurred.

Prior to the release of unused display names last November-February, a few other friends and I had already been collecting display names some time. What we would do is add random words/names like 'Melt', 'Muk', 'Silence', etc., to our ignore lists and when we found one that had changed its name, we would keep it added. When we noticed it either lost its name-change icon or the owner changed their name to something else, we'd take the previous name if it was still available. Never did we refer to this as 'sniping'. In fact, there really wasn't any way to 'snipe' a name back then; you pretty much just had to get lucky and catch the name if you happened to notice it became available.

However, after the releases, the term 'sniping' started to get thrown around as both a form of scamming and a regular means of obtaining a display name. Generally, when I take a new display name, I don't say I "sniped" it, because I myself associate the word with scamming (for the record, I think if you steal a display name you know is being transferred/sold, that should be considered a form of scamming, regardless of what the internet defines it as). Every name I've never taken was either systematically released by Jagex, or entirely disowned by the previous owner.

To "snipe" is to literally hide and wait to take down a target; you're expecting the target, and know the precise moment it will enter your cross-heirs. During the name releases, although you could know the order in which names were going to be released, there was no way of knowing for sure when it was going to be released (sometimes Jagex would pause for a couple minutes or up to a few hours) or if it was going to be released at all (some names would be randomly skipped). Again, you had to get lucky to get the name before anyone else did. I could understand why this could be considered sniping. However, Jagex hasn't released a single name in over 5 months, so the only "sniping" that can be done is on names being sold/transferred.

That's what I feel separates "name sniping" from regular name taking, especially in terms of Name Sales. If you watch a name being sold with the intent of stealing it, and successfully do so, you should be banned. You didn't just casually notice it was available; you had every intent to steal a name you knew was being sold or transferred from owner-to-owner.


tl;dr Sniping should = stealing, which should = ban.

 

The staff did notice that the rules were fuzzy and we are working on updating them.

 

I agree, I may no longer be active in the Name Sales section...but it is never good when a rule is unclear.

 

But how can you prove that someone was watching a name & waiting to snipe,
Against just randomly picking a name & getting lucky?

 

Yeah I made a post in the SL about this on the 17th. We're working on defining a formal definition and punishment, but "name sniping" is one of the more difficult topics to come to a conclusion on.

 

That one kid reese got banned for sniping names lol

 

I do the ignore list thingy right now. Do I get banned?

 

It's difficult to monitor these misendeavors, as this particular act of scamming is a less prominent exercise and the scammer can even remain anonymous if they were to watch a trade go down on the sidelines. Im all for action against known suspects of name sniping, just saying- it won't be as easy to crack down on as one would hope.

 

Unfortunately that's the case. What there needs to be is a better system for trading names implemented by Jagex, but the odds of that ever happening are extremely low...

 

Jagex doesn't support trading names though

 

This lol.

I agree though, SNIPING = STEALING. If I was going to buy a specific name and someone else knew about it and sniped it from me, I'd be so pissed...

 

There's no way to prevent it from happening if someone were to find out your're buying a name and tried to "Snipe" it.

 

why is this not a bannable offence?

 

I fully agree, it should be considered as scamming.

 

Would be hard to prove

 

Although this is the Feedback section, I definitely do not adhere to what you have stated.

What the term 'sniping' paraphrases into should be "someone who watches over the Name Sales section, waiting for a potential seller of a 'rare' display name to find a customer. Once this is located, the 'sniper' then adds the desired 'rare' display name to their friend/ignore list and waits until the moment it is ready to be transferred, sitting at their computer with another account created ready to 'snipe' the display name."

However if for example, it was simply someone (Even such as yourself) adding a display name that you think is cool, seeing it available and immediately creating a new RuneScape account to try and obtain that display name, then that is definitely different to what the term 'sniping' is/should actually mean.

Otherwise how else would anyone obtain a 'rare' display name?

 

Most 'snipers' don't stumble upn names by accident when they are palyng RS, most watch the name sales section and wait until the transfer begins and takes the name out from under the seller. This is, as FireZ put it, a pre-meditated crime. If it takes that much research and effort to take it then you have to think about it, you don't just stumble upon a name. I agree that it is a scam and as such anyone admitting that they have done it, or it is proved that have done it should be punished as a scammer.

 

I'm not sure if I'm just misreading what you're saying, but it seems you just summarized what I posted

 

Thanks for posting, I agree that it should be considered as scamming. It's taking something that wasn't sold to you... stealing.

Name sniping is stupid and should be treated just like any other form of scam.

Also, yes the term sniping has been misused as of late.

 

This is why there needs to be a clear definition...

http://sythe.org/showpost.php?p=9904080&postcount=24