Saturday, December 21, 2013

RPGnet Vague On Imaginary-Rape-Threat Advocacy Policy

Public asks: Does Skotos Tech encourage or merely tolerate creating imaginary rape threats?

It was revealed this week that RPGnet moderator Paul Ettin / Paul Matijevic both endorsed and publicly encouraged
others to endorse false accusations that a game designer "threatens their critics with rape" 
after, and only after, learning the allegations weren't true.

Other gamers, after being given an opportunity to reconsider their advocacy of the fake accusations
(in the wake of the careful, months-long investigation into the charges on the part of one of the accuser's
friends) rescinded their supportapologizing on Google Plus:




...while many more gamers removed their plusses from the inaccurate post quietly.

Meanwhile, the RPGnet moderator, reflecting what for all we know is RPGnet policy, eagerly


While Ettin's powerful stance in favor of what is arguably libel and what is unarguably bullshit
has clear appeal, it leaves aspiring RPGnet moderators wondering "Is this a requirement?
Or just a suggestion?"

To aid Dongion readers, those unsure may wish to send this letter, or a variation upon it,
to RPGnet proprietor Shannon Appelcline via shannona AT skotos DOT net and CC:
Skotos CEO Christopher Allen christophera AT lifewithalacrity DOT com. 

Dear Mr Appelcline and Mr Allen,
     I would like to one day become an RPGnet moderator.
    After reading about your moderator Paul Ettin's fake-rape-threat-accusation advocacy, I had
a few questions:

     If I want to become a moderator, should I start advocating false charges of rape threats now?
Or should I wait until such time as I become a moderator? Should I make up charges of rape
threats myself? Can I make up reports of rape threats about anyone, or just non-members?
Would alleging that you, Shannon Appelcline and Christopher Allen, threaten people with rape
improve my chances of becoming a moderator?
     Should I make up other facts about RPG personalities? (For example, would: "Ed Greenwood
stole my niece's rollerskates and then farted on them" be acceptable?)  I guess what I'm
asking there is: Are made up facts in general advocated by RPGnet, or just made up facts about
traumatic, life-decimating episodes of sexual violence? Does it have to be libel, or does slander
count?

    I am unsure which course will best express to Skotos the dedication to honest discourse
and unbiased judgement in matters of heated debate becoming of a forum moderator.
Please advise!

Sincerely,

Aspiring

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