Open Letter To Community & Staff

[nath1234567]

it's actually pretty worrying that a few members of staff decided to go on a rampage and go through the server logs to check every instance of the word being used, no matter in what context or who was saying it. there's a fine line between a shithead minge joining to call people slurs and an actual roleplay with a real character (like lasse)

The fact that there's no remorse and just justifications from the staff involved in handing out these bans is very worrying.

Again, I don't know how this situation couldn't have just been handled with a simple warning. Dusty would have been fully compliant in response to one, and none of this drama would've had to happen.

I don't think anybody is arguing that people who use said word ICly in a targeted manner against people that they know would OOCly be offended shouldn't just be permabanned, or a NITRP minge and whatnot. That is not what happened here, so providing that extreme example isn't meaningful when it comes to Dusty being banned for this. I'm not even against slurs being banned outright when it comes to IC, it would just need to be clearly reflected in the rules and people shouldn't be banned for breaking said rule before it is put in place.

 

[dusty]

What are you on about? There will be no 'seating change'. Rule changes I do not know but if so, I doubt it's for whatever reason you think it is. Only a minority agree? Out of how many people in this community that interacted and actually said anything on this post?

So I've gone through all of the replies and compiled them into a list of people who either agree with the focus of the thread, and who disagree. So to clarify, I have given each person either -1 or +1 to gauge how the people replying to this feel. I added either a 0 or a -1 to those who left vague replies without taking any sides. Avoiding unnecessarily inflation to the score.

I've come up with a score of +8 which means that 'only a minority agree' is false.

 

[vilhjalmrf]

Out of everyone who has interacted with this post, I would say the majority agree.

And regarding a minority of the community actually interacting with this post, I can say that I'd feel comfortable if this post was moved to a less obscure part of the forum, maybe general discussions. I feel like you're trying to undermine what we've discussed with the way you've worded everything in this post.

Not at all. You could say I am derailing the topic a little but I am merely strongly voicing against what Zebra has said. His post came off as dishonest. To say that we'll expect someone to be removed (I do not how else I can perceive 'seating change' as in this topic) or rule change because a total of around six people people in a post disagree with another four or five people when we're a community that surpasses both of parties combined by miles?

As for the post being at the far down of the main forum, it also appears on the latest threads for everyone to see which is at the top. I understand what you mean though as I doubt a lot of our users scroll all the way down to the bottom to see what is new there.

Anything IC really shouldn't be taken as offensive OOCly. Other games have something called OOC bleed and this is exactly what this is- using IC interactions to become offended OOCly. Either way, racism and all that good stuff was still live and well before the Combine's regime. Don't like it? Take it up IC!

This is a joke, right? Pardon me for not being constructive with that first sentence here but this reply also comes off as dishonest. There's a difference between using creative writing properly with offensive language then there's someone just abusing it.

 

[dusty]

there's someone just abusing it.

Was I abusing it?

 

[osmangazi]

hi

 

[vilhjalmrf]

Was I abusing it?

Not referring to you when writing that. But if you're asking me personally? No. I don't think so. Or at least I like to think you didn't as I do not like to see that in people. Don't expect my statement to sway how this thread goes, it's just my personal opinion that will more than likely differ from the rest.

I do find a bit of some of your messages just being a little mischievous OOCly when you were talking about smoking IC. Only because most messages I've seen like that were from straight-up minges messing around being like "What? I didn't say a slur! I was talking about cigarettes!" when they know very well what they were doing.

My official stance is the one I share with ClapTrap. He said it best. I just don't trust the GMod community entirely to use it appropriately in roleplay, even if no malicious intent was behind it.

 

[dusty]

I think this thread has served it's purpose, if someone wants to archive it and move it someplace else you can. Or if anyone has anything else to add that's fine too. I hope this thread may be used in the future to further clear up how things should be.

 

[Zebra]

for the record. I meant minority disagree with the original post.

And this whole ’trusting the community to handle this and that’

I’m sorry but why restrict someone’s creative freedom for their character’s actions and personality based on how much you trust them?

You cannot blanket ban people when no one even tried, muchless knew they were breaking a rule

 

[potatogod]

Retroactively banning people for a new rule is maddeningly hard to comprehend in its own right. The reason they were banned is a second shock to me. I have gay, lesbian, transgender, and friends of prejudiced racial groups who would very strongly disagree with this administration’s stance. We’re all writers, we’re all adults. Let’s stop neutering our roleplay on the basis that it may make things a little “uncomfy.” As it turns out, life under the Combine regime is grueling. It brings out the worst in us. Let people have the agency to act it out maturely.

 

[M!NT]

Hello. Right, so I leave for awhile to go to work and get some drinks after- and I get this nice surprise for when I get home. Lovely.

So here is the thing- I understand that you feel upset @dustymetso, or perhaps you just wish to prove some sort of point here about the necessity of using hateful slurs in character on our GMod server. It could also be some mixture of both.

Given that a wide spectrum of opinions have been expressed on this matter in this thread, I don't think it's necessary or helpful for me to chime in on my personal beliefs on this subject.

However, I do believe that the root of this is issue some vague language in the rules which has resulted in people having a pretty large difference of opinion on what is or isn't allowed in this matter. This is the reason why clarifications were made earlier, and further clarifications will soon follow.

In retrospect, in your specific case this should've been a warning. That is why I've decided to remove said 1 day ban and replace it with a warning. You know what they say- 'hindsight is 20-20'. For that, you have my apology. However, I also want to mention that I would've done this regardless of the existance of this abuse report. I believe @Robert has updated your ban appeal with the necessary information. With that, I consider this to matter to be resolved, and I'm going to go and catch up on some sleep.

 

[JustWats]

Hello. Right, so I leave for awhile to go to work and get some drinks after- and I get this nice surprise for when I get home. Lovely.

So here is the thing- I understand that you feel upset @dustymetso, or perhaps you just wish to prove some sort of point here about the necessity of using hateful slurs in character on our GMod server. It could also be some mixture of both.

Given that a wide spectrum of opinions have been expressed on this matter in this thread, I don't think it's necessary or helpful for me to chime in on my personal beliefs on this subject.

However, I do believe that the root of this is issue some vague language in the rules which has resulted in people having a pretty large difference of opinion on what is or isn't allowed in this matter. This is the reason why clarifications were made earlier, and further clarifications will soon follow.

In retrospect, in your specific case this should've been a warning. That is why I've decided to remove said 1 day ban and replace it with a warning. You know what they say- 'hindsight is 20-20'. For that, you have my apology. However, I also want to mention that I would've done this regardless of the existance of this abuse report. I believe @Robert has updated your ban appeal with the necessary information. With that, I consider this to matter to be resolved, and I'm going to go and catch up on some sleep.

Dude, there are racial slurs in the music as a result of the rebel radio that is coded in for the server. I don't understand how the server can uphold a pedestal for being an inclusive community when there are contradictions like this. Call it a lack of knowledge, oversight, or an issue of how it is generated. It doesn't detract that it is allowed for broadcast on the server. The issue isn't the ruleset, but rather the dismissal of certain instances.

 

[Imperator RAD-X]

I've had a chat with all of the management members and I need to clarify that the rules were obscurely created which muddied the waters. This is why I'm personally spearheading a rewrite from top to bottom. It's a huge necessity at this point and I'm going to reach a ground where players are going to actively find themselves comfortable with. Still, this is an administration-related problem in its entirety.

I've been in constant back and forth voice chats and DMs the past two days with people involved with this from players to even Atle, who chimed in good amounts of advice. So, taking all of that on board - I know what I'm going to be doing. But I'm going to lock this thread, because it's gotten out of hand.

Just wait to see what I can cook up, this should be resolved by tomorrow sometime in the afternoon or evening. Blame my Windows for crashing and ruining a full edit at the worst time generally perceived possible, I'd have had it done today but it got slapped.

Thank you, and again apologies these circumstances happened the way it did.