Part Two

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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