Rape Threads

[Nathan Yospe]

This has gone too far. Please, people. I am a survivor of something related
myself, and the statements flying around - especially from JCL, right now -
are extremely disturbing. If this doesn't stop, I will unsubscribe. I'm not
joking here... there are things that are just too utterly irresponsible, in
context of scientific experimentation or not. JCL - much as your mechanics,
and the resultant environment, interest me, actively supporting and
encouraging rape is detestable. As for shell shock - Jeff - also from my
own history (gang related, not real war, but still) - shell shock is not
nearly as permanent and scaring a trauma. There has only been one thing in
my life worse than my childhood, and that was failing to protect someone
I loved from being victimized in the same manner. This is very real for me,
and to see it trivialized and bolstered in this manner is thoroughly
unpleasant. Can we please get back to muds, the design of same, and so
forth? This may be entirely signal - the issue is an important ethical
one for mud design - but the idea of actively encouraging it, knowing you,
Chris, is something you almost certainly adopted primarily for its shock
value - its contrariness to the norms. I must beg you, consider something
besides violating norms for this issue - consider the real consequences,
and their scope. If you missed my recent spark-stirring post on rgma, I
must reiterate - when we choose to open an environment, whatever the sort,
for communities to form in, we are implicitely and inherently responsible
for the consequences. This is not a request, this is a simple statement of
facts. If you are going to insist on irresponsible decisions, that is your
choice, and I cannot do anything about it. Nevertheless, I will think less
of you, and seriously believe, technical skill aside, you should not be
running a mud, at least not one open to people not fully briefed and with
complete awareness of the situation. "Warning: you may well be raped. The
administration will do nothing to prevent this, and in fact actively
encourages it."
</rant>
--

"You? We can't take you," said the Dean, glaring at the Librarian.
"You don't know a thing about guerilla warfare." - Reaper Man,
Nathan F. Yospe  Registered Looney                   by Terry Pratchett
yospe at hawaii.edu   http://www2.hawaii.edu/~yospe           Meow