Discussions about Race/Sexuality/etc. Going Forward
Oct 27, 2017 9:19:51 GMT -5
El Pollo Guerrera, A Platypus Rave, and 34 more like this
Post by HMARK Center on Oct 27, 2017 9:19:51 GMT -5
The following are two announcements concerning an uptick in posts and reports on this board in which matters of race, ethnicity, and other related matters have been at issue. Everyone should read these announcements, at minimum. If you have any questions or want a more thorough explanation of them, click the spoiler tag below for a full write-up that should hopefully provide answers. This may be considered an addendum to Madison’s announcement concerning posting in the WWE section of the board; these are serious matters to the mods and as such as we will be approaching them in a similarly serious and decisive manner.
Firstly, and most importantly as it applies to everyone, if you find yourself posting in a thread where matters of race, identity, stereotypes, and other matters are brought up, please exercise common sense and decency. Abide by rule no. 15 and have some respect for other people posting here who may come from very different backgrounds; from people who are considered racial or ethnic minorities, to those who identify as LGBTQ, to those who may be living with a mental or physical condition. Understand that just because you don’t see any offense in what you are posting it doesn’t mean your words don’t impact others who see them in the light of their own identity and lived experiences. If you are in such a thread and question whether your intent or phrasing on matters like this might be taken the wrong way or if “some might find this offensive”, err on the side of caution and simply observe, or participate in the conversation in a respectful, deferential manner.
Secondly, there’s an aspect of this that at times cuts the other way, as well. Mods here will always encourage posters to report posts when they feel a rule has been broken, and someone insulting or denigrating the identities of fellow posters is considered one of the worst offenses one can commit on this board. However, when making such reports, and even more importantly when publicly posting in ways that all members can see, please do not automatically assume that the offending poster or the mods are fully aware that an offense has been made in the first place. As mods we can fairly easily root out overt bigotry from our boards, but unfortunately things like racism, misogyny, ableism, and LGBTQ-phobia can be much more subtle and unconscious; we’re here to help smooth such issues over when they arise, but sometimes they will slip under the radar. In such circumstances, we simply ask for your patience and cooperation.
Thank you for reading. For those looking for a more complete explanation or who may have questions arising from this, please read below for the full text of this announcement; hopefully it can provide the answers you’re looking for:
Firstly, and most importantly as it applies to everyone, if you find yourself posting in a thread where matters of race, identity, stereotypes, and other matters are brought up, please exercise common sense and decency. Abide by rule no. 15 and have some respect for other people posting here who may come from very different backgrounds; from people who are considered racial or ethnic minorities, to those who identify as LGBTQ, to those who may be living with a mental or physical condition. Understand that just because you don’t see any offense in what you are posting it doesn’t mean your words don’t impact others who see them in the light of their own identity and lived experiences. If you are in such a thread and question whether your intent or phrasing on matters like this might be taken the wrong way or if “some might find this offensive”, err on the side of caution and simply observe, or participate in the conversation in a respectful, deferential manner.
Secondly, there’s an aspect of this that at times cuts the other way, as well. Mods here will always encourage posters to report posts when they feel a rule has been broken, and someone insulting or denigrating the identities of fellow posters is considered one of the worst offenses one can commit on this board. However, when making such reports, and even more importantly when publicly posting in ways that all members can see, please do not automatically assume that the offending poster or the mods are fully aware that an offense has been made in the first place. As mods we can fairly easily root out overt bigotry from our boards, but unfortunately things like racism, misogyny, ableism, and LGBTQ-phobia can be much more subtle and unconscious; we’re here to help smooth such issues over when they arise, but sometimes they will slip under the radar. In such circumstances, we simply ask for your patience and cooperation.
Thank you for reading. For those looking for a more complete explanation or who may have questions arising from this, please read below for the full text of this announcement; hopefully it can provide the answers you’re looking for:
{Spoiler}{Spoiler}It has come to the attention of the mod staff that there has been an uptick in matters on the board where race (or racism) or cultural and sexual stereotyping have been key focuses. We understand that many of our posters here currently live in a charged social and political environment, which there will be no further comment on as this is not the venue, but which might be having an impact on the way many of us are discussing or interpreting posts we read and the people writing them. With this in mind, we want to go over a few things that are already established, and make a few things clear about board practices going forward.
It goes without saying that the board rules clearly dictate treating one another respect (rule no. 15), and doing so without prejudice (rule no. 8). These rules are among our most sacrosanct with regards to how posters are to treat one another, even posters who may cause an individual stress or undue annoyance. In most situations where one poster simply cannot tolerate another, the staff would direct that person to make use of the “block” function, and/or flat-out ignore the person whose posts they feel they cannot tolerate.
What is clear, however, is that matters pertaining to race and identity may go beyond that as, left unchecked, they can alter a poster’s perception of the entire board, not simply individual members, and create situations where some might not feel comfortable fully participating in the board community. This feeling is the antithesis of what we strive for here, and thus we take any instance of it happening in a way that could be avoided very seriously.
With this in mind, there are two main messages that management and moderation wish to pass along, messages which all members are expected to abide by going forward:
Firstly, and most importantly as it applies to everyone, if you find yourself posting in a thread where matters of race, identity, stereotypes, and other matters are brought up, please exercise common sense and decency. Abide by rule no. 15 and have some respect for other people posting here who may come from very different backgrounds; from people who are considered racial or ethnic minorities, to those who identify as LGBTQ, to those who may be living with a mental or physical condition. Understand that just because you don’t see any offense in what you are posting it doesn’t mean your words don’t impact others who see them in the light of their own identity and lived experiences. If you are in such a thread and question whether your intent or phrasing on matters like this might be taken the wrong way or if “some might find this offensive”, err on the side of caution and simply observe, or participate in the conversation in a respectful, deferential manner.
Secondly, there’s an aspect of this that at times cuts the other way, as well. Mods here will always encourage posters to report posts when they feel a rule has been broken, and someone insulting or denigrating the identities of fellow posters is considered one of the worst offenses one can commit on this board. However, when making such reports, and even more importantly when publicly posting in ways that all members can see, please do not automatically assume that the offending poster or the mods are fully aware that an offense has been made in the first place. We appreciate how delicate this issue is and how this may seem a bit confusing, so we will take this time to expound in a way that makes it clear that, as with the above guideline, this really does apply to all posters.
It goes without saying that issues of identity are among the most difficult for many people to wrap their heads around for a multitude of reasons, chief among them that those who are not members of groups that have suffered from oppression or systemic mistreatment may not fully comprehend what may bring about an offended reaction to a given statement. This goes to the heart of what makes a lot of these matters very complex: while bigotry is fairly simple to pick up on, moderate, and strike from our community, racism, misogyny, transphobia, and other systemic matters may be expressed unintentionally, and thus can be much more difficult to moderate in the same way.
There is a key difference between these words. The staff and management at FAN has long been proud that we have maintained a large scale forum where bigotry is not tolerated. Bigotry is seen in expressions of hatred, anger, and resentment toward “the other”; it is overt, it is noxious, and it has not and will not be tolerated on these boards.
The various -isms and -phobias mentioned above, though, are systemic; they are at times subtle, ingrained in the societies and cultures most of us have been raised in, part of our daily lives and routines in ways that many of us often cannot detect as we take their existence for granted and may be completely unaware that they are hurting people from the groups that suffer their effects.
This is not to excuse ignorance, but it’s to make a point: while bigotry is a clear cross section of hatred and ignorance, racism, sexism, ableism, et. al. are an and/or phenomenon; the people perpetrating the former are easy to point out and they intend to harm others, while those responsible for the latter may not have meant to cause offense.
We appreciate how difficult a matter this is; for members of traditionally oppressed groups it can be exhausting to feel like one has to frequently remind, prod, or outright teach others about what’s acceptable and what isn’t in polite conversation or even jokes on these matters. However, we are a large community here, and while such conduct may be exhausting, it is still asked of all members here: to not assume the worst of our fellow posters. Yes, a statement may be sexist, it might be transphobic, it might be any number of problematic things, and we as a staff are here to help address these matters; to hopefully educate and course correct unintentional offenses. But while we can pinpoint and strike out bigotry, the subtler issues, which often did not intend offense yet caused it unknowingly, may require more patience and cooperation between all of us.
In summary, going forward we have a statement and a request:
The statement: if you post on these boards and partake in bigotry, then we don’t want to hear from you, and will quickly show you the door. This is a zero tolerance policy, just as it has been and shall continue to be.
The request: if you feel a post or poster is making statements you feel are offensive in one of the systemic ways mentioned above, please reach out to staff members, even directly, to discuss how we may address the matter both now and going forward. Please do not make passive-aggressive posts on the matter, do not turn a thread around on the matter; instead take the opportunity to reach out, speak with those of us in a position to do something more directly about it, and help us reach a better understanding community-wide.
Again, we appreciate the delicate nature of these matters, and want to thank you for taking the time to read this announcement. We look forward to your cooperation and understanding.
It goes without saying that the board rules clearly dictate treating one another respect (rule no. 15), and doing so without prejudice (rule no. 8). These rules are among our most sacrosanct with regards to how posters are to treat one another, even posters who may cause an individual stress or undue annoyance. In most situations where one poster simply cannot tolerate another, the staff would direct that person to make use of the “block” function, and/or flat-out ignore the person whose posts they feel they cannot tolerate.
What is clear, however, is that matters pertaining to race and identity may go beyond that as, left unchecked, they can alter a poster’s perception of the entire board, not simply individual members, and create situations where some might not feel comfortable fully participating in the board community. This feeling is the antithesis of what we strive for here, and thus we take any instance of it happening in a way that could be avoided very seriously.
With this in mind, there are two main messages that management and moderation wish to pass along, messages which all members are expected to abide by going forward:
Firstly, and most importantly as it applies to everyone, if you find yourself posting in a thread where matters of race, identity, stereotypes, and other matters are brought up, please exercise common sense and decency. Abide by rule no. 15 and have some respect for other people posting here who may come from very different backgrounds; from people who are considered racial or ethnic minorities, to those who identify as LGBTQ, to those who may be living with a mental or physical condition. Understand that just because you don’t see any offense in what you are posting it doesn’t mean your words don’t impact others who see them in the light of their own identity and lived experiences. If you are in such a thread and question whether your intent or phrasing on matters like this might be taken the wrong way or if “some might find this offensive”, err on the side of caution and simply observe, or participate in the conversation in a respectful, deferential manner.
Secondly, there’s an aspect of this that at times cuts the other way, as well. Mods here will always encourage posters to report posts when they feel a rule has been broken, and someone insulting or denigrating the identities of fellow posters is considered one of the worst offenses one can commit on this board. However, when making such reports, and even more importantly when publicly posting in ways that all members can see, please do not automatically assume that the offending poster or the mods are fully aware that an offense has been made in the first place. We appreciate how delicate this issue is and how this may seem a bit confusing, so we will take this time to expound in a way that makes it clear that, as with the above guideline, this really does apply to all posters.
It goes without saying that issues of identity are among the most difficult for many people to wrap their heads around for a multitude of reasons, chief among them that those who are not members of groups that have suffered from oppression or systemic mistreatment may not fully comprehend what may bring about an offended reaction to a given statement. This goes to the heart of what makes a lot of these matters very complex: while bigotry is fairly simple to pick up on, moderate, and strike from our community, racism, misogyny, transphobia, and other systemic matters may be expressed unintentionally, and thus can be much more difficult to moderate in the same way.
There is a key difference between these words. The staff and management at FAN has long been proud that we have maintained a large scale forum where bigotry is not tolerated. Bigotry is seen in expressions of hatred, anger, and resentment toward “the other”; it is overt, it is noxious, and it has not and will not be tolerated on these boards.
The various -isms and -phobias mentioned above, though, are systemic; they are at times subtle, ingrained in the societies and cultures most of us have been raised in, part of our daily lives and routines in ways that many of us often cannot detect as we take their existence for granted and may be completely unaware that they are hurting people from the groups that suffer their effects.
This is not to excuse ignorance, but it’s to make a point: while bigotry is a clear cross section of hatred and ignorance, racism, sexism, ableism, et. al. are an and/or phenomenon; the people perpetrating the former are easy to point out and they intend to harm others, while those responsible for the latter may not have meant to cause offense.
We appreciate how difficult a matter this is; for members of traditionally oppressed groups it can be exhausting to feel like one has to frequently remind, prod, or outright teach others about what’s acceptable and what isn’t in polite conversation or even jokes on these matters. However, we are a large community here, and while such conduct may be exhausting, it is still asked of all members here: to not assume the worst of our fellow posters. Yes, a statement may be sexist, it might be transphobic, it might be any number of problematic things, and we as a staff are here to help address these matters; to hopefully educate and course correct unintentional offenses. But while we can pinpoint and strike out bigotry, the subtler issues, which often did not intend offense yet caused it unknowingly, may require more patience and cooperation between all of us.
In summary, going forward we have a statement and a request:
The statement: if you post on these boards and partake in bigotry, then we don’t want to hear from you, and will quickly show you the door. This is a zero tolerance policy, just as it has been and shall continue to be.
The request: if you feel a post or poster is making statements you feel are offensive in one of the systemic ways mentioned above, please reach out to staff members, even directly, to discuss how we may address the matter both now and going forward. Please do not make passive-aggressive posts on the matter, do not turn a thread around on the matter; instead take the opportunity to reach out, speak with those of us in a position to do something more directly about it, and help us reach a better understanding community-wide.
Again, we appreciate the delicate nature of these matters, and want to thank you for taking the time to read this announcement. We look forward to your cooperation and understanding.
