"FAQ Update: Harassment" Topic

The FAQ – TMP link – has been updated to include an explanation that harassment can include behavior that disrupts the stated purpose of a particular board.

For example, while it is fine to criticize a ruleset, it would be harassment to go on the Flames of War board and tell people they are idiots for playing that ruleset.

While we want to allow members the freedom to express themselves, we also want to allow our members to enjoy the various boards without being provoked by trollish behavior.

Without wishing to be argumentative, how does crossposting affect this rule?

I completely get the clarification above, and its purpose. Taking the FoW example above, it would not be uncommon to see the topic crossposted to WWII Discussion, Battle Reports often a whole raft of other boards … and some where it might be ostensibly appropriate to recommend (what the respondent considers to be) other ways playing the game (but which the above ruling might see as harassment). Does crossposting remove some level of protection?

Phil

For example, while it is fine to criticize a ruleset, it would be harassment to go on the Flames of War board and tell people they are idiots for playing that ruleset.

Now, that I can agree with.
Ditto the Empire Board?
TSATF?

I would say that's just an example and is applicable acrossth board.

Seems to me that if you crosspost to a board, your topic should be appropriate for that board.

Bill – all I can say is that you seem to be setting the bar pretty low in terms of what constitutes harassment.

You may remember you decided to DH me after I posted in a thread you had started "Any interest in gaming ISIS?". The wording of the title invited both positive (interested) and negative responses (i.e. no interest). My 'offending' post was in the negative and I explained my reasons for believing this was not a suitable topic for recreational gaming. All trace of my post has since been removed from the thread, along with a number of others who expressed similar concerns, most more strongly worded than mine.

It is of course your website and you can run it within the law how you like. However categorising disagreement as harassment and imposing what amounts to censorship in the way you did is not an even-handed approach to moderation, and you have lost credibility in my eyes as a result.

All trace of my post has since been removed from the thread, along with a number of others who expressed similar concerns, most more strongly worded than mine.

Exactly. Going to the Ultramodern board to tell people they shouldn't play Ultramodern games is a form of harassment.

N.B. If you crosspost, the last board you crosspost to is the one which shows up on the front page.

Quite a few Fantasy threads (I have Fantasy switched off) get crossposted to Ancients Discussion and as the last crosspost shows, appear on the Front Page as Ancients …

I have at times fallen foul of thinking I am in an ancients (historical) discussion (as that is how the topic has shown up) only to be rounded on by the Poster and fellow travellers that 'duh … that's why it is posted to the Fantasy Boards' (check left … and yes there's a whole list of crosspostings which the originator thought appropriate … but are they?)

I have learnt the hard way to 'look left' before proceeding … but really, as soon as the poster crosses a thread they legitimise discussion as that added category …

Phil

Speaking of harassment, is making a post complaining about the posting habits of other members harassment? Just curious.

Help, help, I'm being repressed :)

YouTube link

Well, the monthly TMP arguement bingo card is filling up nicely

No complaint was made or intended

Phil

Exactly. Going to the Ultramodern board to tell people they shouldn't play Ultramodern games is a form of harassment.

Bill – I will reply as your response is both unfair and inaccurate. I went to the board having seen the thread title because it invited opinions. TMP is after all a discussion forum is it not? And I did not say that playing ultramodern games was inappropriate per se. What I did say was that gaming this particularly brutal and current conflict was in bad taste in my view.

I doubt very much that anyone with the stomach to game ISIS is such a precious flower that they needed protection from conflicting opinions, or genuinely felt harassed. You should save harassment for something more serious than disagreement unless you want your moderation to come across as capricious and/or self interested.

As I understand it, the legal definition of harassment is that you feel that you have been harassed. So, no matter how washy washy, non confrontational your post may be, you could conceivably be harassing a somewhat sensitive or paranoid person. I wonder if any TMPers fall into either or both of those categories.

Seems to me that if you crosspost to a board, your topic should be appropriate for that board.

I would suspect that many people write first, and then think about cross-posting afterwards.

Thus, while their post may overlap with what would be "on-topic" for other boards, the text or its tone may not always be a perfect fit.

"So, no matter how washy washy, non confrontational your post may be, you could conceivably be harassing a somewhat sensitive or paranoid person"

Or a legally savvy person……

The sooner we are all confined to The Matrix as energy sources the better, as it is evidently no longer possible to say or do anything without offending someone.

Chicken. You are fighting a pointless battle. I've come to understand bill is very happy with Ultramodern as it is.
I agree with you that dissent is not harassment but I've decided to no longer comment on ultramodern.

@Some Chicken,
Will you take the red pill or the blue pill?

Mishima – I am sure you are right and will very probably do likewise, so dissent will be suppressed.

Cyrus – Probably the Red. Or maybe the Blue. Either way this definition of harassment seems a bitter pill to swallow.

And hurray! My stifle and ignore counts both went up. Precious flowers indeed.

And hurray! My stifle and ignore counts both went up. Precious flowers indeed.

Aye ditto, thus completing the bingo card. HOUSE!

Will you take the red pill or the blue pill?

the red pill, as red is usually cherry or strawberry, which I like, but blue is always blueberry, which I don't like

I think the simple answer is to simply post all threads to the editors and let the assign them to a board, they could also check them for spelling and to whether they are appropriate.

that harassment can include behavior that disrupts the stated purpose of a particular board.

This seems a rather wide definition. Why would anyone think that necessary? So if I post a message pleading for card driven games on the Dice board I might be harassing? Almost anything might be harassment then….