This isn't a change, but it's auxiliary information people may find helpful. Note that this is the statement of a policy. I (Pam, the author of this FAQ) am not necessarily saying it's good, or bad, or anything at all. It's simply The Way Things Are.
In a series of articles to comp.sys.mac.games.adventure, Joe wrote (edited together by Pam):
We feel that if we were to draw a line in the sand, the snerts would go right up to the line and frolic. So there is no published standard of behavior. Clan Lord is for grown-ups. Try to act like one and we'll all be OK.One of my policies is to deal with unpleasantness quietly. If we banish or punish a character or player, we don't make an announcement or comment on it, except to the affected player. My theory is that this should reduce arguments from the bystanders, but maybe it increases the perception that we don't do anything.
Many people have made comments like, "They're just lucky that nasty snert isn't around, or isn't doing that any more," when in fact we coerced or ejected that person.
In general, though, we try to be as inactive about that sort of thing as we can and still have the world be smooth and happy. Big Brother is worse than Little Snert.
If somebody's bugging you, there are several things you can do:
Do not expect instant response from GMs. The GMs are not, and will not be, thought police. There are substantial portions of time that there are no GMs on. We do not (and will not) consider it our obligation to monitor the minute-to-minute behavior of players.
- Clearly ask them to stop.
- /ignore them.
- /curse them.
- Tell Compla or use /report.
- Do not encourage their behavior by further interacting with them.
- In the worst cases, /pray.
If you see a real problem that you think the GMs should intervene in, don't let waiting for the GM stop you from using the court against the offender. If you want instant action, get it in court. Multiple times, if necessary. Being in jail gives one time to rethink one's behavior.
If you can't convince a jury, you probably won't convince the GMs -- we're a lot more pro-free speech than most people.
We do review the complaints logged by Compla and /report -- use them.
Compiled and edited by Pamela Greene <pamg@alumni.rice.edu>. Additions, corrections, and suggestions for this file are welcomed!