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Comment by GuB-42 | Hacker News Reader

The first part of the TOS is standard, even something as simple as showing a thumbnail of a posted picture (which discord does) requires it.

AutoHotKey have their own relatively active Discord server, so obviously, you can talk about it. What is banned is the use of macros on the Discord client itself.

As for seeing every single message, then yes, certainly. That's how you get the entire conversation history when you first log into a server, search, previews, etc... Discord is not privacy oriented, it is a convenient platform, and great for semi-public conversations. It is not a replacement for Signal, and vice-versa.

Modern communication platforms don't have to be all privacy-oriented. Just like in real life, there are public and private places, with different expectations.

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This is the most well-thought-out response in the thread. My initial knee-jerk is too extreme. Thank you for the sanity check.

And that was a mature response from you. Glad to see this exchange :D

Not only is the first part of the TOS sort of standard, its the decent version. It ends with the "in connection with the service". Many TOS just give a carte blanche permission for any reason at all. This one is at least the reason you expect: You upload or write content into this, and Discord can act like Discord with that content.

> Modern communication platforms don't have to be all privacy-oriented. Just like in real life, there are public and private places, with different expectations.

I wish more people understood this. Discord's primary design is large open public spaces; layers of encryption and e2e make no sense.

Well, it's not necessarily either/or. Discord could also include tools for private conversations. A lot of people started using as a replacement for Teamspeak, after all. I don't think it would get nearly as much initial traction if they were just a chat room platform.

"What is banned is the use of macros on the Discord client itself."

Good luck stopping that when the functionality is built-into my Logitech G15 (when the drivers are installed instead of using the default HID input drivers.) Built by gamers for gamers, HAH!

Why are macros banned? What kind of stuff can you do with macros? Spam?

Discord is primarily "gamer" focused, so macros are often pointed out as a means of cheating or otherwise gaining unfair advantage. AutoHotkey (https://www.autohotkey.com/) could be used to chain a bunch of actions in a game together and perform some sort of difficult action with minimal effort, so that's discouraged.

But the rule is very odd. Most "gaming" focused mice/keyboards have software and buttons dedicated to performing macro functions, and they're present on major brands like Razer and Logitech equipment.

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