[Kameki Banri]

Hello. It’s me, Thalia.

In real life I specialize in teaching students with Emotional Disturbances and Behavior Issues. It doesn’t surprise me that rule #1 in the General Rules of the site is the same as the first rule in my classroom; Be Respectful. This is basic human decency and in a collaborative/ cooperative forum it is a necessity. What are we doing here if we do not have respect for our fellow roleplayers and staff? We’d be better off spending our time writing independently.

We must be respectful of the differences between us while remembering that we have more in common than our differences; a love of this fandom, a love of the written word, and the simple joy of a social interaction. I believe that roleplayers are some of the most empathetic people because to step so easily into someone else’s point of view means that you recognize the universal truths that apply to us all.

How can we be more respectful on site? We need to keep in mind that we come from many different cultures and lifestyles. Being engaged in a forum is a time consuming endeavor and people have varying degrees of free time but we are all dedicating what time we have to this shared hobby. It is important to note that in some cultures, time is a valuable commodity and deadlines are fixed things that must be met. However in other cultures, the needs of the person come first and deadlines are often flexible. We can all be more respectful and appreciative of the time others are able to invest in the site.

Be appreciative of the time that staff dedicates to reviewing applications and appeals. It is never fun to give people bad news but sometimes it is necessary.
If staff deny a request and you believe they have made an error in their interpretation of the rules, respond politely because everyone makes mistakes and perhaps this was a misunderstanding.
Be appreciative of the precious time and creative energy that other roleplayers do invest in the forum even if they are not currently playing with you.
Be respectful of other people’s property (characters/ claims) and your environment (the forum and discord).
Be kind in your interactions. If you don’t have something nice to say maybe you should keep it to yourself. Don’t talk about people behind their back or to their face while keeping the topic general so you can deny you were taunting them.
Don’t take the bait. Leave that area of chat and contact staff if you have an issue that cannot be resolved with another member.
Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

So, what should happen when members are disrespectful on the forum or discord? In my classroom I would issue one warning. If a student begins a fight they lose all or part of their recess. If the other student continues the fight they also lose recess time, even if they didn’t start it. Whatever the consequences are, they need to be implemented with consistency. This is difficult on a forum where no one is being paid to monitor the chat and we should not expect a staff member to be available at all times of the day.

Let’s all try our best to behave like respectful and reasonable adults so we can all get back to playing pretend ninjas in peace.

Thank you for listening to my TED talk.
-Thalia

[Wahei]

Loved your considerations, Thalia. Thank you!