Questions About Harassment

[The Peacemaker]

In this thread, I'm inviting everyone to ask me questions about what our anti-harassment rule covers, including what actions would be considered harassment or not. You can speak hypothetically or from experience. Note that we will only intervene under special circumstances.

 

Although this rule looks strict on the outside, it only strictly prohibits behavior that's completely outlandish and outside of the norm, so business as usual should continue. Harassment is a term that's used in extreme situations, as extreme as an abuse report would be. The fact that we made a post isn't because we're having any kind of crackdown. We aren't becoming a kindergarten, where your teacher would slap your wrist if you called someone an asshole. This is to manage the dark side of the human condition.

 

Some examples of harassment:

• Repeated bullying and badmouthing about being a recruit
  
• Telling someone to kill themselves and being serious about it
  
• Shit talking someone publicly to the point that it gets reasonably out of hand and toxic
  
• Discriminating against someone in an uncalled-for way for being gay
  

Some examples of behavior not categorized here:

• Being an asshole to a friend who understands the jokes and the context they're in
  
• Calling Sui an uglyass bitch (because he probably wouldn't care, the lil bitch :^) )
  
• Calling HG a "Christian Community" (it's a fucking meme)
  
• Getting into a small argument with someone and accidentally calling them a dick. If you guys can cease arguing and resolve your differences without any issue, it's not a huge deal
  

Here's a link to the rule: https://hellsgamers.com/topic/127670-another-reminder-hg-anti-harassment-policy/

In response to a lot of questions, we posted this after: https://hellsgamers.com/topic/127687-what-did-that-last-announcement-mean/

 

Neither of these gave a proper forum for us to discuss the practical application of these "new" rules. We in leadership will do our best to give you a mock verdict and punishment if it's considered harassment, so fire away.

[The Peacemaker]

I'm making this thread in response to people telling me HG is becoming too sanitized, which I strongly disagree with. We're clearing up the gray area in the rules we already enforce and have been enforcing for years, and I want to make it clear to everyone who asks what management believes is fair game

[The Peacemaker]

Forums edited, you can reply now

[Shadequad]

Okay, this is cool. Say someone is REALLY bad,talking about nastily you behind your back, I.E. Gang chat in JB, can a friend of the person being bad mouthed screenie and send in for a ban?

 

 

Cause i kid you not, I've had over 10 people in my time as recruit constantly laugh at me bout the reapply shite. Gets annoying. So could. Friend report them basically?

Edited January 14, 2017 by Tyrion quadister

[Iron Chef]

Anyone who has screen shots of harassment should share them. Even if it isn't about them.

[JarJarBinks]

Anyone who has screen shots of harassment should share them. Even if it isn't about them.

 

That could also lead to a slippery slope where people might have screenshots or various other things be sent, when no one involved actually saw it as harassment. This would get resolved eventually with no one getting in trouble, but that might cause headaches for anyone involved.

[Iron Chef]

That is a case by case basis. If it has been resolved, the parties will let us know. All parties will be talked to before punishments happen. We do this now anyway.

[optical]

also wondering who reviews the harassement, can it be made publicly?

cause im sure if one of the reviewers is the harasser it will be brushed off as "don"t be so anal about it"

 

also is it harassement if someone insinuates you and a lbunch of your friends are racist based on mere myths and not facts and abuse status to make sure he/she is right even though he/she isnt? just cause someone is ignorant or just rly rly dumb....

[Memes and spam]

Regarding staffing of the TTT server, is homophobia a punishable offense (i.e. a mute)? A lot of people say homophobic things to me because of my voice (understandably so) ,but if I respond harshly I could be punished despite not instigating the conversation with an inflammatory comment. Essentially, if homophobia is not a punishable until it is a prolonged occurence, why is racism punished immediately, severely, and instantly if they are both considered hate speech?

 

I don't really care about someone being homophobic towards others or myself, but I need to know so that I can either respond by contacting a mod or responding using the same, unpunished hate speech.

[epicgamercharchar1312[UK]]

Regarding staffing of the TTT server, is homophobia a punishable offense (i.e. a mute)? A lot of people say homophobic things to me because of my voice (understandably so) ,but if I respond harshly I could be punished despite not instigating the conversation with an inflammatory comment. Essentially, if homophobia is not a punishable until it is a prolonged occurence, why is racism punished immediately, severely, and instantly if they are both considered hate speech?

 

I don't really care about someone being homophobic towards others or myself, but I need to know so that I can either respond by contacting a mod or responding using the same, unpunished hate speech.

 

The CSS and TF2 Divisions don't allow the word f*ggot, however *most* CSGO and, as far as I've seen, GMod mods/staff don't really care as long as it isn't excessive.

[Sit.]

Regarding staffing of the TTT server, is homophobia a punishable offense (i.e. a mute)? A lot of people say homophobic things to me because of my voice (understandably so) ,but if I respond harshly I could be punished despite not instigating the conversation with an inflammatory comment. Essentially, if homophobia is not a punishable until it is a prolonged occurence, why is racism punished immediately, severely, and instantly if they are both considered hate speech?

 

I don't really care about someone being homophobic towards others or myself, but I need to know so that I can either respond by contacting a mod or responding using the same, unpunished hate speech.

 

Nobody should be using homophobic language to attack you. If you feel like someone is using language like that to insult you, tell them to stop. If they continue to harrass you, don't hesitate to post a ban report. CSGO is pretty lenient in terms of letting language like that slide as long as it's not meant to hurt someone, but we draw the line when they try to attack someone with terms like that.

[SPlink :)]

Our harassment rule should be as follows:

 

"Don't be an asshat, we'll ban you"

[James]

Regarding staffing of the TTT server, is homophobia a punishable offense (i.e. a mute)? A lot of people say homophobic things to me because of my voice (understandably so) ,but if I respond harshly I could be punished despite not instigating the conversation with an inflammatory comment. Essentially, if homophobia is not a punishable until it is a prolonged occurence, why is racism punished immediately, severely, and instantly if they are both considered hate speech?

 

I don't really care about someone being homophobic towards others or myself, but I need to know so that I can either respond by contacting a mod or responding using the same, unpunished hate speech.

 

Adding onto what Sit said, on CS:GO you can use homophobic language without the intent of hurting one another. I can call Raptor a f*ggot and him and I know we're joking. But if he tells me to stop/he gets offended I would have to stop because that's harassment.

[Helix]

Discrimination and Harassment do not exist and are only the product of a bored and empty mind.

Also, there shouldn't be a rule for ripping on someone for being a homo.

If anyone feels harassed by someone they should use the block or mute function, or simply ignore it.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and if you don't like it IDGAF.

 

Thank you

[Jeri :)]

Discrimination and Harassment do not exist and are only the product of a bored and empty mind.

Also, there shouldn't be a rule for ripping on someone for being a homo.

If anyone feels harassed by someone they should use the block or mute function, or simply ignore it.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and if you don't like it IDGAF.

 

Thank you

 

Yeah when someone is being a racist as well we should just not have rules for that and should just ignore it. Get this guy on the Staff team asap. There's a reason it's called harassment sure I'm not one for banning someone for calling someone a F*ggot as a joke there is a line where it transitions from a joke to an attack.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Jericho

[Sit.]

Discrimination and Harassment do not exist and are only the product of a bored and empty mind.

Also, there shouldn't be a rule for ripping on someone for being a homo.

If anyone feels harassed by someone they should use the block or mute function, or simply ignore it.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and if you don't like it IDGAF.

 

Thank you

 

Nope. Harassment and discrimination have always been things, and are especially a big thing online due to the fact that you can remain anonymous. Just because someone can block you doesn’t mean you are allowed to harass someone. If you decide to be a dick and attack someone “for being a homo,†you’re going to be banned.

[Helix]

Yeah when someone is being a racist as well we should just not have rules for that and should just ignore it.

I see your point, however different forms of harassment have many different levels of severity. Racism was not exactly on my mind when I wrote this so I will bite the bullet and admit you are correct. We do need rules, I just don't think we should take it to extremes such as banning someone for calling another member a fa**** for beating him in a game. I understand though that these rules are needed to remain a functional community. Also, what was said in my previous post was my personal opinion NOT my professional opinion.

[Finch]

I see your point, however different forms of harassment have many different levels of severity. Racism was not exactly on my mind when I wrote this so I will bite the bullet and admit you are correct. We do need rules, I just don't think we should take it to extremes such as banning someone for calling another member a fa**** for beating him in a game. I understand though that these rules are needed to remain a functional community. Also, what was said in my previous post was my personal opinion NOT my professional opinion.

unless someone is actually calling someone a f*ggot to be rude, not saying its ok, but its also not technically in the rules. and also, personal opinion or not, rules do have to be in place to prevent people from being offended. If we just didnt have any rules and opened the flood gates, no one would play on the serves because of toxic trolls that, because of the lack of rules, could get away with anything. Edited April 18, 2018 by Finch

[The Peacemaker]

I see your point, however different forms of harassment have many different levels of severity. Racism was not exactly on my mind when I wrote this so I will bite the bullet and admit you are correct. We do need rules, I just don't think we should take it to extremes such as banning someone for calling another member a fa**** for beating him in a game. I understand though that these rules are needed to remain a functional community. Also, what was said in my previous post was my personal opinion NOT my professional opinion.

 

Some divisions rule that using fa**** is unacceptable. I think you're mistaking the difference between harassment and banter.

 

I believe I was clear enough about what constitutes harassment in my original post, and I suggest you read over what I had originally said again, because it's in no way different than how HG operated before the policy was enacted. I just put what was an unspoken rule into words.