What Is COPPA - A Guide
Are you confused about COPPA? Don't know what it is? Not sure how to react to a trade from a COPPA? Nowadays I see a lot of questions and misconceptions about what COPPA is all around CS, mainly on the 'Suggestions/Problems' board. I want to make this guide to answer the questions about COPPA- 'What Is It?', 'What can COPPA's Do?', 'What Are Misconceptions About COPPA?' and 'How Do I Respond To A COPPA Trade?' So look no further, here comes tons of information.
Find us on the wiki: here! Thanks Nick!
Are you confused about COPPA? Don't know what it is? Not sure how to react to a trade from a COPPA? Nowadays I see a lot of questions and misconceptions about what COPPA is all around CS, mainly on the 'Suggestions/Problems' board. I want to make this guide to answer the questions about COPPA- 'What Is It?', 'What can COPPA's Do?', 'What Are Misconceptions About COPPA?' and 'How Do I Respond To A COPPA Trade?' So look no further, here comes tons of information.
Find us on the wiki: here! Thanks Nick!
UPDATE!
To get in touch with the CS staff, click here. Click the 'Some other question only admins can see', since admins are the only ones who could do anything. Once you've done that, explain your problem below. The short description could be something like 'My friend/sibling/cousin/I was/am accidentally COPPA'd'. Your long explanation would have to include the username of the person and then the problem, which would be that they actually don't live in the US. If you explain this clear enough, they should be able to help you!
Tess wrote:If you think you or someone you know was given COPPA protection but lives outside of the US, get in touch with CS staff. Occasionally it can be given to members from other countries by mistake if the forum has trouble working out which country you're logging in from when you sign up. It may also be applied to children if they've visited the US temporarily and logged in while there, even if they're not there any more.
To get in touch with the CS staff, click here. Click the 'Some other question only admins can see', since admins are the only ones who could do anything. Once you've done that, explain your problem below. The short description could be something like 'My friend/sibling/cousin/I was/am accidentally COPPA'd'. Your long explanation would have to include the username of the person and then the problem, which would be that they actually don't live in the US. If you explain this clear enough, they should be able to help you!
What Is COPPA?
On CS COPPA is used in two ways, one to describe the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and two, to describe players protected by that law. Below is Ocelot at Soul's description of the COPPA law, as well as a site which explains COPPA in depth. Below that is my simple explanation of a COPPA player.
What Is COPPA- A More Boring & Thorough Explanation
What Can COPPA's Do?
On below are the list of things COPPA's can and can't do on CS. NOTE: COPPA's are able to do everything once their parents sign and mail/fax a special permission slip to Tess and Nick. This permission slip makes them unCOPPA'd.
They Can:
Collect Pets
Name Pets (Pet Names Are Not Visible In A Trade)
Name Groups
Make/ Post on the Oekaki (Mods Must Approve These Posts)
Put Items on Pets
Make a Wishlist
View All Forums Except 18+ and Human Roleplay (I think)
Read Trade Messages
They Cannot:
Make Trade Rules
Send Trade Messages
Read PMs
Send PMs
Post On Any Forum But The Oekaki
Read The 18+ Forum/ The Human Roleplay Forum
(If I missed anything, please say.)
What Are Misconceptions About COPPAs?
Anyone who's seen the 'Trade Rant Thread' has probabily noticed a rant or two about COPPAs. I want to put a stop to these common misconceptions that seem to make some users think that all COPPAs are bad. They're not. So, here we go.
On CS COPPA is used in two ways, one to describe the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and two, to describe players protected by that law. Below is Ocelot at Soul's description of the COPPA law, as well as a site which explains COPPA in depth. Below that is my simple explanation of a COPPA player.
Ocelot at Soul wrote:COPPA stands for Child Online Privacy Protection Act. It is a law in the US that prevents a child 13 or younger from posting online without a parent's permission. The parent has to fill out a form and fax or mail it to the admin of the site. It keeps young kids from posting information like name, age, or location to keep them safe. So on here, they can't post on the forums, make trade rules, send trade messages, or send private messages to keep them safe. They can post in Oekaki, but every post has to be approved by a moderator.
What Is COPPA- A More Boring & Thorough Explanation
'Mione wrote:A player who is referred to as a COPPA is a player who is under 13 and lives in the United States. Their "membership group", so to speak, is "Registered COPPA Users".
What Can COPPA's Do?
On below are the list of things COPPA's can and can't do on CS. NOTE: COPPA's are able to do everything once their parents sign and mail/fax a special permission slip to Tess and Nick. This permission slip makes them unCOPPA'd.
They Can:
Collect Pets
Name Pets (Pet Names Are Not Visible In A Trade)
Name Groups
Make/ Post on the Oekaki (Mods Must Approve These Posts)
Put Items on Pets
Make a Wishlist
View All Forums Except 18+ and Human Roleplay (I think)
Read Trade Messages
They Cannot:
Make Trade Rules
Send Trade Messages
Read PMs
Send PMs
Post On Any Forum But The Oekaki
Read The 18+ Forum/ The Human Roleplay Forum
(If I missed anything, please say.)
Hekomi wrote:It might be a good idea to note as well, once a coppa'd member trades you a pet, it's name seems to disappear. ^^; As in, if they named the pet, it comes onto your account with no name.
What Are Misconceptions About COPPAs?
Anyone who's seen the 'Trade Rant Thread' has probabily noticed a rant or two about COPPAs. I want to put a stop to these common misconceptions that seem to make some users think that all COPPAs are bad. They're not. So, here we go.
1) COPPAs can't/don't ever read trade rules and send bad trades.
Not true. COPPA memebers get thanked all the time on the 'Good Trade Thread', and most COPPAs know how to read. I mean really think of most, let's say, 8-13 year olds. I'm pretty sure the majority of them can read. Now, there are some people who just don't read, and do break rules, but the majority of COPPAs can read your rule and will read them.
2)All COPPAs are Noobs/Stupid.
Again, not even close to being true. Most COPPAs are smart. They may not be as smart as you, because your older, and they may make some mistakes (Doesn't everyone make mistakes?), but they aren't all stupid.
How Do I Respond To A COPPA Trade?
Help! Some COPPA sent me a trade with nothing on my side, but something on their side. Is it a gift or do they want me to edit?
What you need to do is send back the trade, asking if it's a gift. If it is, they'll most likely accept, if it isn't, they'll probabily send it back to you. Remember, names on COPPA users pets don't show up in a trade.
A COPPA sent me a trade with nothing on their side, but something on my side. What do I do?
Edit the trade to make it fair, then send it back to them asking if it's okay. Most likely they want the pets and aren't trying to beg, but they don't know what you want for the pets. If they don't have anything you want or anything to make the trade fair, simply cancel it with a message explaining why you canceled.
A COPPA completely breaks my rules- what do I do?
Just cancel the trade without a nasty message. Explain why you canceled and try to be kind about it.
(Any other trade problems? Post them here.)
So I hope I helped people understand about COPPAs. If you have any unanswered questions, please post them here. Thanks for reading!
So I hope I helped people understand about COPPAs. If you have any unanswered questions, please post them here. Thanks for reading!
