|
Harassment
Policy
Definitions:
IC: In Character (Virtual mode -the character being played)
OOC: Out of Character (Real Life mode -the player behind
the character)
RL: Real Life (Life outside the domain of the MUCK)
The anonymity the network allows has both its positive and
negative aspects. One of the side effects of this anonymity
is people have the ability to behave in ways that RL society
would not allow. This can be both positive in regard to
exploring ideas and themes outside the normal confines of
polite society and negative in regard to people taking advantage
of this anonymity to behave in ways that are harmful. It
is this harmful behavior with which this policy deals.
The
legal definition of harassment is, "a course of conduct
directed at a specific person that causes substantial emotional
distress in such a person and serves no legitimate purpose."
Hence a player threatening a player OOCly in any way, making
slurs of any kind regarding any facet of a player (i.e.
sex, race, religion, sexual preference) or any obvious sexual
advance (without OOC consent) is considered harassment.
In order for some act to be considered harassment, it must
be directed to a specific group or person and be malicious
in nature.
In
the definition of harassment, the key word is "substantial."
Someone calling you an 'asshole' or 'bitch' in a volatile
situation is not reasonably considered to cause substantial
emotional distress. Someone saying, 'All fags, including
you, should be killed' or, 'You Christians should all be
placed against the wall and shot' is considered a mild form
of harassment. Stronger forms of harassment include, but
are not limited to, the following:
- Statements
of RL threat
- OOC
insults, taunts or challenges committed with the intent
to provoke violent or disorderly response
- OOC
or IC Communication using offensive or alarming language
that has been requested to cease
- Sexual
advances (i.e. mild/moderate contact that could be construed
as sexual in nature) made without prior OOC
consent
- Violence
in any form without OOC consent
- Non-consensual
acts of sex or violent aggression
- Not
respecting a safeword
- Continuing
contact with a player when requested you not do so OOCly
- Intolerance
of activites condoned by this MUCK
- Intolerance
of an individual or group's 'kinks'
- Slanderous
and/or libelous remarks made OOCly in a public forum
Actions:
If you feel you are the victim of harassment, there is an
order of procedure in making a claim. The following illustrates
the steps that should be taken:
- Request
OOCly in page or whisper the activity cease and/or use
a safeword (if the activity stops immediately, the wizzes
will not consider the activity of the other player to
be in violation of this policy except in the cases of
severe harassment)
- If
the activity continues, make a log file and a secondary
OOC request the activity cease
-
If a wiz is not currently online: send the log file to
the Head Player Relations Wiz *and* the Head Wiz(zes).
If the player continues to harass you, leave the situation
and ignore them.
-
If a wiz is currently online: page the wizard and ask
for assistance in the matter. Submit your log file to
them, as well as the Head Wiz(zes) and give them a few
minutes to review it.
-
In both 3. and 4., a wiz will take the appropriate action
necessary
If
you are found guilty of a mild form of harassment, the following
steps may be taken:
-
A detailed assessment of the situation and the type of
harassment committed
-
Depending on the volatility of the situation, you may
be immediately @booted
-
A warning from a wiz that repeated behavior will result
in harsher penalties
-
Continued behavior may result in your character being
@newpassworded for a period not to exceed 30 days
If
you are found guilty of moderate to severe harassment:
-
Immediate @newspasswording of your character not to exceed
six months
- Possible
@toading of your character
If
you are found guilty of severe harassment:
-
Character is immediately @newpassworded
-
Your character will be summarily @toaded by a Head Wiz
|