From the Castle Message Board, feb 13, 2001
I know very few actual rules or guidelines for the Castle are actually adopted, but most things that people care deeply about seep into the 'generally accepted' consiousness eventually anyway.
It is my suggestion that:
-people be able to say anything they please, at all, in the Castle main room. Anything. If Blu wants to talk some shit with a mate, go for it. If Blu's character wants to rape an 8 year old girl, jump in (pun not intended). If my character, Cricket, wants to disembowel a pregnant woman in public, fine.
It IS an all-ages, general chat room. It IS allowed, and I also think ACCEPTED (which is more important) in the general ethos of role play and OOC chat for these things to occur.
BUT.
-if anyone, and I mean ANYONE suggests that they are bothered by it, take it PM. The role play, the chat, whatever. Or post in on the message board, if it's a single-player occurance. Tell people in the chat room what you're doing and why you're taking it OOC. If they want to participate or observe, click them on PM.
This gives people CHOICE. If it is a bonding experience for two people to speak in abusive terms to each other (and there really is nothing wrong with that), they can do it just as well in PM. People who will be offended (which is perfectly fair) will not be exposed to it. People can choose to expose themselves or not expose themselves to it.
I, personally, usually place an ooc warning before my characters delve into any truly disgusting descriptions, or my own OOC arguing might become offensive. I usually ask people if they will be offended before the actions or words are posted. This may, howeverm take the sponteniety out of things, and I don't really expect it to become accepted.
While I, personally, do not understand the appeal of abusive language, I do understand other not-generally-accepted things like truly grotesque, detailed and bloody descriptions of murder, or rape, or torture. I enjoy doing those things under the handle of a particular character, so I think I AM on the side of Blu (I can't say Jeramy, because I actually couldn't say what he was talking about). I am also, though, on the side of Chase and the others, because I think people ought to be able to choose, within reason, what they will be exposed to (understand though, that they DID enter a freeform chat room of their own free will).
So PM on request? Does that sound fair? It's already accepted for sex- why not extend it that convention?
Opinions?
the long-winded...
Ali