Becoming a hero

So true.  Thank you. 🙂

puzzlezaddict  ok I have tried posting this response several times...let's see if it works this time!

Ah I see. What I meant by this: 

“I'm not saying that the system should be changed for me. But I do think that maybe there are others with similar issues, and it's an accessibility issue. Because with certain disabilities, we do not have the ability to do the thing, we do not have access to the thing. So maybe certain things could be thought of in different terms as far as what can be available for everyone.”

I was talking about things that people with the hero rank get that make sense for everyone to have access to, like profile pictures. I understand the point of having a hero status, and I can understand perks going along with that status. But because there are those of us who are very much unable to do what it takes to gain that status, possibly due to disabilities, that’s why I said “maybe certain things could be thought of in different terms as far as what can be available for everyone.”

back in the day, disability was thought of as essentially the fault and responsibility of the disabled person. And they were not allowed access to government funds or assistance or other things, and disabled people were not protected against violations of human rights etc. Many protests and so on led to section 504 and the ADA. It’s really inspiring to learn about that whole movement. Actually when disabled people and allies had a sit in that was over 25 days, it is the longest sit in protest to date, the Black panther group took them hot food every day even though government people tried to keep everyone from taking them aid, it was oppressed minorities standing together. So, then there was a shift where people realized that disabled people did not choose their disability and they should not be refused access to the assistance and protection that other people had. This is a simplistic explanation because I have brain damage and my memory is terrible.

The point is, it’s obviously not the same thing, but access to things that everyone should have access to regardless of ability or disability - that is something that will always be important. When you are disabled, you automatically lose and miss out on a great deal of things, that’s what it means to be disabled. That is why people who are disabled grieve over the life lost, the life they were unable to have. But when it is possible to include people in things, especially simple things that just make sense, it just…makes sense.

LaunchSneezes  Reading your post makes me sad. I think it's almost two months since I wrote a feedback that I find the whole system of highlighting the most liked and similar highlights very exclusionary. I will certainly never receive hero status for that point of view.
Your post proves once again that the idea of ranked earned rights makes people who don't see themselves ready to enter that race feel excluded and losers in advance.

I just want to say that whatever your starting point is, you shouldn't feel excluded. You also shouldn't need to find more arguments and write another post to support your position
Our forum should be spacious and a platform everyone can feel at home in. It should be a matter of course that one should be helpful and friendly. It should not be emphasized as a special quality. I think we are all helpful and friendly to the extent that we are capable of it.
I still haven't understood the reason why we haven't all been given the rights to choose a personal profile picture from day one. Certain rules could be set that exclude images that some might find offensive.
I'm not sure if this makes you feel any better, but I just want to say you have my full sympathy. 🥰

I makes some sense to have a "hero" status for forum users who are very helpful and put a lot of time into that, and it's fine to set the requirements for that status in any way that makes sense for the forum.  BUT there are certain things that should NOT be locked behind that rank achievement.  Personal avatar pictures, and signature banners are two things that simmers in general have valued highly and that help us identify each other, share links to our stories, and help the forum feel less like an anonymous crowd.  Those features should not be tied to a specific rank or role.  They should be available for everyone.

Even those of us without significant disabilities find the current system exclusive and frustrating.  Some of us are shy.  Some of us are busy.  Some of us have spotty internet connections and aren't online enough to participate as frequently as needed to fulfill the requirements. 

There are probably other kinds of perks or rewards that could be offered to simmers with the "Hero" status that would be fine.  But custom avatars and signature banners should be for everyone.

How does one become a hero?

You are not alone in your having a disability. I won't get into my own but I get where you are coming from. 

Profile pics should be unlocked for everyone. Everyone having the same few avatars makes it really difficult to remember who is who, it gets super confusing.

LaunchSneezes meeshwood  Did you happen to see this post from EA_David?

The EA Community Superuser Program - 24

The main point here is that EA recognizes people who are helpful on the forums (Answers HQ, this one) in general, not that that help needs to conform to any particular standards.  People are added for everything from technical expertise to game knowledge to high engagement with other users.

But the special ranks shouldn't really be a goal just for their fringe benefits, for example custom avatars.  If you'd like to have access to one of these benefits, for it to be available to general users, it's worth making that argument for its own sake rather than worrying about whether you'd receive the rank at some point.  Custom avatars in particular is a common wish among Sims players, and it's always worth giving more feedback to that effect.