A Question of Context

[Strike For The South]

It may be pretty clear, but in the same vein I am 100% sure Fragony does not care. He knows it's a bit of teasing and being the grown man that he is, he will be able to get past it. Him and Louis have a long history that is full of these jabs. It's a bit of fun.

If we warn him for this then we need to warn him for all the times we described our sex life, because that is actually happening. And it is just as much of a breach of the rules.

[Louis VI the Fat]

It may be pretty clear, but in the same vein I am 100% sure Fragony does not care. He knows it's a bit of teasing and being the grown man that he is, he will be able to get past it. Him and Louis have a long history that is full of these jabs. It's a bit of fun.

Fragony would be most pleased to find himself poked fun at. Even though back when it was posted I used it to mildly tease him about his, shall we say, 'exploration of a minority point of view' about the incident in Norway.

That's a great function of humour too, isn't it? One can shout and scream at Fragony over his views of Islam and gay rights. Or instead if he goes a bit too far one can gently give him a nod with the quick mild tease. I daresay the latter makes for a far more relaxed atmosphere than the first.



But others read it too. We do not need to chase away anybody unfamiliar with jabs between friends.
But then, we also do not want to chase away anybody with a heavy handed atmosphere of rampant PC, such as raged in academia in the 1990s.

Where to find the right balance between these considerations?

[Rhyfelwyr]

IMO Louis crossed the line. Context should be considered while moderating so I would say...

1. The context shows he clearly used the word "fag" as a derogatory word for homosexuals, and not cigarettes, sausages, or Mr. Brain's pork faggots.

2. The context also shows that Louis was not malicious. He knew Fragony would not be offended. And so this offence was less serious IMO than when Shibumi showed a real lack of respect for the 9/11 victims.

I think Louis did break the rules and if a mod edited his posted and maybe gave a 0-point warning that would be fine.

While it is fine to point out moderating inconsistencies, to compare Louis post to Shibumi's as if they were similar offences is IMO ridiculous.

One way playful (if inappropriate) banter, the other was real nasty. And you're allowed to have nasty opinions on these forums, I specialise in them after all. But you've got to be respectful in how you portray them and how you conduct yourself.

EDIT: Woah, I voted option 3, but I just realised how misleading the poll is. That was a bit cheeky there Louis IMO. "Fag" should be allowe if someone is clearly talking about, say, having a cigarette. But it should not be allowed when clearly referring to homosexuals.

[Louis VI the Fat]

The context also shows that Louis was not malicious. He knew Fragony would not be offended.

Fragony, like the others, loved to be in that post. On the contrary, people were sad to not find themselves included. However, there remains the casual visitor.

I think Louis did break the rules

The rules have always been that we allow fag for humorous use. (At least in the Backroom). The question here is if we want to change the rules to account for today's sensitivities.

To quote EnglishAssassin's hallmark wordplay, the one who taught me the word: 'Five minutes? That's twice, including the fag afterwards'. Sadly, our solicitor is no longer around to amuse us with his wit. I've always wondered whether he did it just for the looks on the faces of our North American friends.