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An interesting gap in the rules.

Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
It was brought to my attention recently, through an infraction that shan't be the topic of discussion here, that no where in the rules does it say "don't talk about breaking the law"

We have the rule about "warez and romz and the like" but we do not have a rule about breaking the law except in H&A where we only have a rule that talks about not asking for help in breaking the law.

Should the Penny-Arcade forums have a rule that says "Do not talk about breaking the law, planning to break the law, or ways in which you have broken the law" this might be a replacement rule for the warez issue which would fall under such a rule.

That's my idea for the day, thanks.

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Captain Vash on

Posts

  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    One thing to bear in mind is that these boards are somewhat international, and there is not a general consensus on what is the law.

    Also a lot of laws are currently contested. IIRC it is still illegal to rip a CD in some countries simply because the law hasn't yet caught up with the tech.

    An outright ban of 'illegal' topics would not only be hard to enforce, but also impossible to do with 100% consistency.

    I personally don't feel that the current system of using common sense has caused any major problems, at least none that I know of.

    All imho...

    LewieP on
  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    While your points are valid, and I agree to an extent, we do currently have moderators exacting punishments for things that aren't actually against any rules.
    In this example, we have someone who's been "infracted" 2 points for asking if other people thought he should or shouldn't proceed with a plan that wasn't apparently illegal to the poster.
    Again, I don't want to make this about me, I'm perfectly at peace with what happened, I'll use better judgment in the future, my only concern here is that we do not have any defined rules against talking about committing illegal acts.
    I don't know what the rule would look like when you consider the international nature of the forums, but I do think we need something in written form.

    EDIT:

    I guess my main point here is that if we don't define the rule it's left up to each moderator's judgment, and while they're trusted individuals they won't all have the same stance and that could very well cause upset and confusion for members who get cleared by one mod and then are infracted by another who disagrees. See where I'm going with this?

    Captain Vash on
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  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2008
    It shouldn't have to be laid out because it's just common sense.

    FyreWulff on
  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    But you see, so is not trolling, so is not posting pornography, so is not making repeat threads, but we have rules for all of these things and more, this is the internet son, common sense is actually uncommon here.

    Captain Vash on
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  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Just because something isn't explicitly stated in the rules doesn't mean you can't get punished for it.

    DarkPrimus on
  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Just because something isn't explicitly stated in the rules doesn't mean you can't get punished for it.

    I know, and I'm not debating my punishment, I'm campaigning for a rule that defines how these conversations can and can't be handled.

    Captain Vash on
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  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    While your points are valid, and I agree to an extent, we do currently have moderators exacting punishments for things that aren't actually against any rules.
    In this example, we have someone who's been "infracted" 2 points for asking if other people thought he should or shouldn't proceed with a plan that wasn't apparently illegal to the poster.
    Again, I don't want to make this about me, I'm perfectly at peace with what happened, I'll use better judgment in the future, my only concern here is that we do not have any defined rules against talking about committing illegal acts.
    I don't know what the rule would look like when you consider the international nature of the forums, but I do think we need something in written form.

    EDIT:

    I guess my main point here is that if we don't define the rule it's left up to each moderator's judgment, and while they're trusted individuals they won't all have the same stance and that could very well cause upset and confusion for members who get cleared by one mod and then are infracted by another who disagrees. See where I'm going with this?

    Sure, but (a) moderation is left up, in many cases, to a moderator's discretion; that's just how it works, really and (b) I am fairly certain that "controversial" bans/jailings/infractions would either have been discussed between moderators beforehand or would be afterward and rectified if need be.

    You cannot really have a policy that encompasses every situation that a moderator might find it necessary to deal with, especially when you get into specific scenarios.

    Drez on
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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited January 2008
    I will explain to you why we don't have this rule.

    A few months ago, someone posted something like "you should go to that guy's house and beat him to death with a claw hammer"

    He got an infraction.

    He then found every instance of anyone talking about pot on the boards and messaged it to me to show how brutally unfair my regime is.

    Long story short, we cover it with "don't be a dick". If you talk about how you once shoplifted something, probably nothing is going to happen. If you talk about how you once savagely raped someone, you'll probably get an infraction, or more likely banned.

    Just be a decent human being and you won't get infractions.

    Tube on
  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Okay. I can see that.

    Captain Vash on
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  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    He then found every instance of anyone talking about pot on the boards and messaged it to me to show how brutally unfair my regime is.

    Holy crap, that's disgustingly thorough of someone. Do we really have people that bitter here? <.<

    Henroid on
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Especially considering that smoking marijuana is not illegal in all places.

    DarkPrimus on
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Banning talking about anything illegal would also bar about half of the forum population from talking about porn, drinking, smoking, and sex.

    Fallout on
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  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Maybe a phrase along the lines of "If you want to discuss something of dubious legality, check with a mod." would be useful, it essentially is a roundabout way of saying "use common sense when dicussion of topics which may be considered to be illegal.

    LewieP on
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    LewieP wrote: »
    Maybe a phrase along the lines of "If you want to discuss something of dubious legality, check with a mod."

    Yeah, that doesn't make the place sound shady at all.

    Fallout on
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  • AldoAldo Hippo Hooray Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Henroid wrote: »
    He then found every instance of anyone talking about pot on the boards and messaged it to me to show how brutally unfair my regime is.

    Holy crap, that's disgustingly thorough of someone. Do we really have people that bitter here? <.<

    Not anymore.

    Or at least, not that dude. I think I saw him pop up in the ban-thread.

    Aldo on
  • ApathyKillsApathyKills __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2008
    why was this thread necessary?

    ApathyKills on
    deleted courtesy orikae
  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    why was this thread necessary?

    For future reference, when we feel like a thread has no merit and/or is unnecessary instead of posting in it asinine commentary we find that just ignoring the thread typically is the best course of action, seeing as with that course of action the thread becomes dis-interesting, floats towards the bottom of the page and is considered "dead".

    I gather from your name that ignoring things is not one of your virtues, but still, lame posts like the one you made, especially in a section as slow as this one aren't helping anyone.

    Furthermore, in answer to your question, this thread was necessary because I had a question that I wanted answered. don't be a jerk about it.

    Captain Vash on
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  • The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2008
    hey vash

    hey

    don't be a dick

    The Cat on
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  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I'm really not trying to be.
    I just thought that the guy's spam post was pretty dickish and deserved a somewhat sarcastic yet high in vitamin-information post.
    My apologies, I suck at this whole playing nice thing.

    Edit:

    At any rate, as the OP I am done with this thread, unless anyone else has meaningful contribution I vote for a locking.

    Captain Vash on
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  • The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2008
    Funny, that's what I thought about your OP.

    The Cat on
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  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    hey Cat

    hey

    don't be a dick

    LewieP on
  • Captain VashCaptain Vash Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Hey, so I know you're the mod and all, but the way I see it, lets get back on topic or lock.
    Edit:
    Haha, nice use of irony lewieP. I appreciate the support. :P

    Captain Vash on
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  • RamiusRamius Joined: July 19, 2000 Administrator, ClubPA admin
    edited January 2008
    But seriously, vash, even though you are the OP, so this is in effect "your thread" you really shouldn't be playing moderator.

    Just FYI.

    Ramius on
This discussion has been closed.