Message 1 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sun Jun 13 10:06:39 1993 PDT From: Quo_Vadis (#53118) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: 2 modifications I'd like to have one thing added to `help manners': abusing guest characters in the living room should not be tolerated. The living room is the first place newbies see when they visit Lambda. Each and everytime I have invited friends to come and see Lambda, their first experience has been a rather unpleasant one. My second point is that player killing in the RPG, although cowardly, is not against the `rules' of the RPG. I personally don't like player killers and I don't associate with them, but what can and can't be done in the RPG falls outside the scope of `help manners'. If player killing is to be disallowed, the G_M modify his attack verbs to disallow it. -------------------------- Message 2 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sun Jun 13 14:22:59 1993 PDT From: Dagard (#49807) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Read 181 on *rpg-stuph for my idea re: player killers -------------------------- Message 3 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Jun 17 15:07:02 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: edit I have just, after some delay, edited newhelpmanners again, and completed the text i had left unfinished. I decided not to mention player killing at all. I have used Grump's text or slight variations thereof in several cases, and have striven for clarity throughout. I will make another pass through, once I have collected more comments, and adjust layout, particularly since the tab change recently. I greatly welcome comments of any kind, advice, complaints, additions, praise, nitpicking, flames, etc. Send it all here. Try to be as specific as possible, and I will attempt to adjust the text in accordance with popular opinion, since that's the point. Gently, -------------------------- Message 4 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Jun 17 21:27:16 1993 PDT From: Grump (#122) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Use for 'help manners' In the discussion of the Arbitration petition which recently passed, several people commented that they wanted a set of guidelines that arbitrators were expected to use in judging cases. I think a revised 'help manners' which was voted on by a 2/3 majority would go a long way toward satisfying that desire. So, specifically, take the part of this that might be guidelines for arbitration, and specifically mark it as such. It will make the job of getting this petition right more difficult, but, as you might imagine, it's difficult to know when someone's actions might 'threaten the functional integrity of the MOO', and, especially, it is quite difficult to judge whether those actions are accidental mistakes or malicious mischief. How is 'the player responsible' determined? Is throwing the player responsible off the right action, always? Forever? You say something about 'spammage'. One of the ways in which players are rude to others is spamming them. There are, unfortunately, verbs around that players use on each other that repeatedly send them the message 'you are being a jerk' or 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' or 'whale meat is falling on your head' or whatever, to the point where the victim cannot remain connected, or type anything and get a response. -------------------------- Message 5 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sat Jun 19 20:35:25 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: help manners as arbit guide "Damn. I think Grump's right. Sigh. That makes my job harder. Anyone have any thoughts or help on this one? -------------------------- Message 6 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Fri Jun 25 00:34:11 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: all right! Well, nobody's saying anything at all, which disappoints me. But I guess that probably means y'all like it, unless you're just ignoring it. Except Grump, who thinks it should be a guide for arbitrators as well as a guide to self-restraint. I've been thinking about this, and I've come to the opinion that criteria for judgement should come after "help manners". And i'm not sure i want to write them. If anyone has a major problem with this, speak up now, as i'm going to sign this puppy soon otherwise. Gently, Pat. -------------------------- Message 7 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Fri Jun 25 14:22:57 1993 PDT From: Mickey (#52413) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Mickey's observations on this petition - I find myself wondering if `manners' is the wrong word here. We are elevating this to a status of legality. Traditionally, `manners' has not connoted anything so strong. It may cause people to read it more lightly than they should. - I think you should be more clear about what "required reading" means. I think it should only mean that a message is typed out saying something like If you have not already done so, please read and understand ``help manners''. It outlines acceptable rules of conduct. Ignorance of this information is not a defense for improper action. I don't want to see every guest being forced to do `help manners' every time, which is one possible reading of your text. - "behaviour" => "behavior" - Put the "LET THE MOO FUNCTION" stuff last. It's not relevant to non-programmers and will risk causing them to believe this material is too technical to read on. - My preference is to make a bullet list for the things in the abuse section, rather than putting it in paragraph form. It may be slightly longer but is much easier to skim that way. It also makes it easier to add explanatory sentences later, in a way that is too cumbersome to do in a comma-ified, single-sentence list. - I'm worried about the "Don't be annoyed to easily" section. Please re-read this in the context of thinking how a moo-rapist could use this paragraph as a DEFENSE of bad behavior. I don't want this paragraph to be abused that way. What is needed here is to say that you're only talking about the minor borderline cases and not intending to provide safe haven from the need to be nice to people by saying that those you might verbally abuse should just be more mellow about it. - I'm a little concerned about the statement ``we're all here to have fun of one kind or another.'' It's certainly true in some weak sense, but in another sense I think it's clear that some people take MOOing very seriously (viz the "THIS ISN'T A GAME" that you get when you attach to JaysHouseMOO). Your statement comes dangerously close to saying ``we're all here to play a game'', which I think isn't true. The Moo is a microcosm of the human existence. In the world in general, no one's quite sure why they're there or what they're supposed to be doing while they are there; the goal is, at some level, to figure that out. I think the Moo kind of mirrors this situation. I think what we want to say is that people each have their own reasons for being on the Moo, and you should try to respect the fact that other people's needs and goals are not necessarily yours. -------------------------- Message 8 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Fri Jun 25 20:58:59 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Thanks to Mickey for his comments here, and to Joe, who sent me MOOmail. This is exactly the kind of critique I'm looking for. Both of you have clearly thought about this carefully, and I'll try to edit in accordance with your comments. Concerning the linewrap ugliness: yeah, I know. It's a mess. It'll be nicer before I actually sign it. I'm not looking forward to fixing it. Concerning "behaviour": I use British spellings of many words, being British by birth. I guess I'll change it, since Mickey and WhiteRabbit have both complained. The fact that "help manners" may not be an appropriate title for the new document had occurred to me also, but I'm not sure what to do about it. "help manners" is the familiar title. If anyone has a better idea, I am open to suggestions. I'll address your other comments more thoroughly after I've spent some more time with them and the text. I agree with most of your criticisms, and my answer in most cases will consist of changes to the text. Gently, Pat (hoping for comments from others) -------------------------- Message 9 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Aug 3 15:20:24 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: sign away! I have just signed this petition, considering it done (at last). Please look it over and sign if your conscience so dictates. -------------------------- Message 10 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Aug 3 20:22:39 1993 PDT From: newhelpmanners (#49201) To: *Wizard-List (#6428), PatGently (#37637), and *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Request for vetting Reply-to: PatGently (#37637), *Wizard-List (#6428), and *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) PatGently, the author of Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201): `New Help Manners', has acquired 13 signatures on eir petition and is submitting it to you, the wizards, for vetting. Please look it over and either 1) type `approve #49201' to grant it your mark of approval or 2) type `deny #49201' to refuse such approval and then send mail to *Petition:newhelpmanners explaining your reasons for doing so. Thank you for your attention to this matter. -------------------------- Message 11 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Aug 3 20:46:28 1993 PDT From: Miles (#50636) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) The guideline that made the most sense to me and the one that I liked best was: 'Try not to be too easily annoyed', but I see that's been edited out. I also liked the part about we're all here to have fun, but I see that's gone too. I suspect that when Purple_Guest looks at 'itself' and sees 'By definition, guests appear nondescript. This one, however, is somewhat smaller .. and purple.', it will know what we mean. ---------- Miles -------------------------- Message 12 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Aug 3 23:57:15 1993 PDT From: Mickey (#52413) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Looks good to me Unlike Miles, I was surprised and pleased to see the "try not to be too easily annoyed" guideline removed. I do think it's a reasonable strategy for coping with life, but I don't think it has anything to do with manners. If someone manages to annoy somebody, I don't want to see a defense based around a claim that the person complaining is using bad manners and should be more mellow. All in all, I think the latest rev looks pretty good, Pat. I say, ``let's ship it.'' --M -------------------------- Message 13 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Aug 4 00:14:51 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) While I do think "try not to be too easily annoyed" and "we're all here to have fun" are good things to remember, I got criticisms on both, and i couldn't figure a way to phrase that really added to the intended effect without either sounding just dumb or implying things i didn't want to. I ended up just deciding to get on with it without them. -------------------------- Message 14 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Aug 4 13:24:31 1993 PDT From: newhelpmanners (#49201) To: PatGently (#37637), *Wizard-List (#6428), and *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Petition approved Reply-to: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) The wizard Nosredna has granted her mark of approval to Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201): `New Help Manners'. -------------------------- Message 15 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Aug 4 13:29:10 1993 PDT From: Nosredna (#2487) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Formatting Having vetted this petition, I am going to assume that formatting is also something that may be done without a vote of the community. In particular, it is imperative that the penultimate paragraph be formatted into separate 70-column lines. (Actually I'd like to see that penultimate paragraph swapped with the ultimate one. Again, I'd use my "formatting is OK to futz with as long as it doesn't change meaning" rule to just go ahead and do that without a vote.) --Nosredna -------------------------- Message 16 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Aug 5 13:35:16 1993 PDT From: Lambda (#50) To: Nosredna (#2487) and *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Re: Formatting This was my interpretation too. -------------------------- Message 17 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Aug 5 14:27:41 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) oops, a point. makes sense to me. -------------------------- Message 18 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sun Aug 8 19:23:16 1993 PDT From: Puff (#1449) To: PatGently (#37637) and *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: To Sign or Not To Sign I came back from getting dinner to find a page from you asking me to sign your new help manners petition, since I'd signed an earlier incarnation. I thought I'd give you an explanation of my current inactivity. First, realize that I care greatly about this community. However, the demands of real life sometimes become overwhelming, so I must choose between inactivity and insufficient activity. All too often, lately, I choose to remain silent rather than to speak out without making the full committment. Right now, for example, I should be in another window, finishing up a book for publication... I signed an earlier incarnation, that's true. I'm not precisely sure which version I signed - life has been vague for me these past few months - but I don't feel comfortable signing the current petition. This is for a few reasons. The first, and strongest, is that I feel this petition is unclear about the purpose and intent. What IS "help manners"? If it's simply a document that people can sign to indicate that they subscribe to these standards, I'm all for signing it. I seem to recall an early attempt that was precisely that - not a petition in the "official" sense. However, what I do *not* wish to do is sign something that becomes a force of law. I define what *I* feel is acceptable *manners*. Not what I think other should obey as a matter of law. This means that while I will be happy to abide by help manners (the old, and the new perhaps) I don't wish to feel BOUND by it, nor to feel that I am binding others by it. If it is the intent of the petition to make a voluntary statement of what a majority of the MOO community FEEL should be a voluntarily adhered to set of manners, then I am all for it, but it needs to be clearly stated. Otherwise there is too much chance for people to turn it into a law. There are other minor quibbles I have with the phrasing and organization of the petition, mainly that I feel it is too unclear to provide a proper guideline to new users. I currently reside in Colorado, a state which half a year or so ago passed a highly controversial Amendment Two, which allows people to discriminate against those who practice alternate lifestyles. The only reason Amendment Two passed, IMHO, was because of the poor phrasing and the lack of clarity in stating its purpose and effects in the political arena. I get an uneasy feeling akin to what I felt when Amendment Two was voted in, when I consider the New Help Manners petition. Puff -------------------------- Message 19 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sat Aug 14 23:13:30 1993 PDT From: Richelieu (#49805) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Sorry to get into things so late, but I'm not really saying much, so I guess it doesn't matter much. As the petition gives no specification of the intent, scope, or severity of 'help manners', I feel that this can only be interpreted as meaning that these aspects of 'help manners' shall not be changed from the current incarnation. This means that 'help manners' is not law, nor a guide for arbitration, nor even something that users are necessarily required to follow, but is simply, as it has always been, a set of guidelines for what behavior is considered appropriate unless otherwise specified by the people involved in a particular interaction. I believe this to be a good thing, and I also believe that the term 'help manners' is perfectly appropriate, given this situation. I also note that if our political system is functioning properly, any attempt to change the purpose or ramifications of 'help manners' (such as turning it into law) would have to be done by democratic means such as a petition, therefore this eventuality and the vagueness of the proposed text should not be great concerns at this point in the process, and given the current intent of 'help manners', the current feel is probably beneficial to the purpose (if you make things full of legaleze, people either don't understand it, or feel unnecessarily restricted). I'm a little bit unclear as to what's 'help manners' text and what's petition text. It seems to me that the paragraph between self-defense and the "If you couldn't read the above..." is (or at least should be) part of the petition, not the help text, but its position suggests otherwise... -R -------------------------- Message 20 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sun Aug 15 10:54:31 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: "Thanks for your comments, Richelieu--I agree, I don't know to what purposes "help manners" might be put in the future, and I wasn't attempting to determine that with this move, but to leave it open. "help manners" is as much of a set of rules as we have, for personal behavior or as a guideline for arbitrators, even if it's not particularly strong in either of those roles. Concerning the paragraph where I describe how the text can be changed, compare the current help manners text, which includes a comparable note. I don't know of a better place to put such a note than in the document itself, unless we want to make a standard rule for all such publicly written documents. Gently, Pat. -------------------------- Message 21 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sun Aug 15 21:43:55 1993 PDT From: Richelieu (#49805) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: petition vs. manners text well, there are a couple of reasons why I'm not sure that the aforementioned paragraph should be where it is. The most important is that, as 'help manners' text and not petition text, it is not technically binding should this petition pass (because 'help manners' is not a legally binding document). The other problem I have with it is that it doesn't really have anything to do with manners (it's a political issue), and also, it might be confusing to new users reading 'help manners' as to exactly what it means for them. (though I admit that this last is probably a fairly minor concern) Anyway, I don't think it'll be a tragedy if things stay the way they are. I just wanted to point out some potential ramifications. -R -------------------------- Message 22 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Sep 16 10:13:01 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) and *social-issues (#7233) Subject: new help manners This petition has gotten a fair amount of support but nothing spectacular, and if it's taking this long to gain the required number of signatures to make a ballot, I am concerned that it may not have enough support to pass when it gets there, which I think it will eventually. If I hear suggestions that will genuinely improve its reflection of the community standard of behaviour, such as we have one, I'll consider scrapping the current version and trying again. I may just try passing the existing text, or at least something less revised from it, as a publicly-approved text, and forget revamping it as much as I have been attempting to. I don't think I'm likely to pull this petition right away, in any case--I would very much like to see it pass in its current form. If anyone has simply not gooten aroudn to signing it, *please* do so, I want to see the support it has. Gently, Pat. -------------------------- Message 23 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Oct 7 17:20:18 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: input! Oh, come on. Either you like it, in which case please sign, or you don't like it, in which case please give me a clue what you think is wrong, so I can try to accommodate. I can reflect the will of the MOO populace in this document only insofar as I get feedback. This not getting anything at all is very frustrating. -------------------------- Message 24 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Fri Oct 8 07:55:40 1993 PDT From: Puff (#1449) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Re: input! PatGently sez: > Oh, come on. Either you like it, in which case please sign, or you > don't like it, in which case please give me a clue what you think > is wrong, so I can try to accommodate. I refer you to message 18 on this list. I'm not aware that the petition changed much since then. A statement of purpose and intent would do wonders to help my peace of mind. Many of my concerns still exist, allayed only a little by Richilieu's comments. HE may see it that way, and I would hope others would, but in absence of a statement of purpose, it's too easy to see somebody pointing to it as a "law" because that text was voted in by petition. Let's face it, for a long while, "help manners" was the defacto law, the document the wizards pointed to when justifying @newting or @toading somebody. The inclusion of the paragraph about hacking does little to dispel that image. Hacking isn't a matter of manners, it's a matter of security. A brief reference (perhaps even that single sentence I just typed) should be enough. Also, I'm leery of editing help manners by petition. As a professional writer, I know that you can't rely on documents to stay set in stone. Too many outside factors interfere. I'd much prefer this petition to be a) a statement of purpose, and b) a statement of principles. Leave implementation (i.e. explicit writing of those principles) up to the wizards or a duly deputized flunky. For example: Purpose: This petition sets the policy of "help manners". "help manners" reflects the consensus of the community on what acceptable manners are. "help manners" has no "legal" effect on behavior, it is only a guideline to determining what most other MOOers will find acceptable. The writing and editing of "help manners" is left to the wizards, so long as they adhere to the policies set here. Policies: 1) Hacking isn't a matter of manners, it's a matter of security. 2) The MOO is used by many people; don't use resources without considering the effect you will have on others. (@create thoughtfully, @recycle unused objects, @rmmail when done with it, don't @copy verbs when you could use a feature object, don't create and recycle and create objects seeking "interesting numbers", write code so it's efficient (long-running tasks should suspend regularly), etc.). 3) Don't harass other players. (spamming, nonconsensual teleporting, emoted violence or obscenities, shouting, spoofing impolitely, spying, etc). 4) Respect other players' privacy. Certainly, they have the means to enforce their privacy, but making it necessary for them to do so is rude (leave when asked, don't stick around until they @eject you, don't make spying tools, even if they could @sweep, etc). 5) Respect other players' sensibilities. (be aware that the people here come in all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, racial, ethnic and religious groups. Consider that what you may not find offensive, they might, and try to minimize the risk of offending others' sensibilities by accident). Puff -------------------------- Message 25 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Fri Oct 8 10:16:30 1993 PDT From: Mickey (#52413) To: Puff (#1449) and *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Re: input! I largely agree with Puff on the procedural issue. This is not to say that I think any work already done needs to go to waste, though. Here's how I suggest you proceed: Save the text of the newhelpmanners petition in a note, and suggest to the wizards when this passes that it implements the petition. Then replace the text of your petition with something like what Puff suggests and allow the discussion to proceed from there. Not worrying about the exact wording should simplify reading of the petition for potential signers, should simplify maintenance of the petition for you, and should simplify later legal issues regarding the maintenance of a help text whose content is mandated by petition. --M -------------------------- Message 26 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Oct 19 11:49:30 1993 PDT From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) To everyone who's signed, thank you for your support, and please prod your friends to sign too if they haven't. Since I am seeing renewed signing now (which is good, since as soon as it's implemented, we'll have a time limit!), I'm not giving up on this version becoming a ballot. -------------------------- Message 27 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Nov 10 11:07:30 1993 PST From: Greene (#49795) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) and *social-issues (#7233) Subject: A Document Of No Little Significance I found this in the 'help new users' doc on a MUD called MicroMuse. I thought it was pretty amusing. Listen. 4) Unwanted advances of hostile or forward nature are unacceptable. As in real life, if you wish to form a new relationship you are expected to begin first as friends. If you think someone might be interested in developing a closer personal relationship, it is your responsibility to make absolutely sure of this before saying or doing anything that would be considered inappropriate in real life. Such inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to, suggestive remarks; violation of the other person's space; forward, intimate or suggestive conduct. People on MicroMuse are of all ages and backgrounds. Some are young children; some are in high school or college; some are older. Some are married. Most are not here specifically to form intimate relationships, and it is inappropriate to assume that someone is so interested unless you have received clear indications of it. If you are unsure whether your behavior is appropriate, STOP, and ASK. Many people are hesitant to say 'go away' in so many words because they do not wish to be rude. It is your responsibility to make sure they are saying 'yes' before pursuing a close personal relationship. Although this is anal, it's also very valid. What do we think of this? -------------------------- Message 28 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Nov 10 15:46:21 1993 PST From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Exactly. -------------------------- Message 29 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Nov 10 20:58:40 1993 PST From: Gru (#122) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: petition flaws I think this petition is flawed, and that you shouldn't sign it, because I don't think `manners' should be in the `constitution', so to speak. It's too hard to change. If we pass one `help manners' it will mean that it will be difficult to add things or change them without another ballot. I'd rather see someone build a credible system for letting people say what they think constitutes `bad manners', without having to formalize it with a petition. Maybe other people who haven't signed this agree -- they're not so much opposed to what PatGently has written (which isn't really controversial), but just aren't sure they want it to go to ballot. What do you think? -------------------------- Message 30 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Nov 11 00:41:25 1993 PST From: PatGently (#37637) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Okay, Grump. So this petition will not make it any easier than it already is to change the text of help manners. I don't see how that's a flaw in it, or how it interferes with anyone's efforts to set up a new system that will do so. -------------------------- Message 31 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Nov 11 18:48:52 1993 PST From: Xiombarg (#37636) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: yeah I have to agree with Pat here. This text, which mainly is supposed to reflect the new social realities of LambdaMOO, does not exclude a petition like Gru wants. -Xi -------------------------- Message 32 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Thu Nov 11 21:34:08 1993 PST From: Mickey (#52413) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: An alternate way to go An alternate spin on this petition would be something like the following... ----- Bring the text of "help manners" up-to-date, according the principles outlined below. Principles: 1. LambdaMOO is a social community. Users are expected to adhere to a minimum set of behavioral guidelines, or manners. 2. The guidelines are motivated by these principles: a. No citizen should threaten the functional integrity of the MOO. b. No citizen should cause legal trouble for the MOO's supporters. c. Citizens should report (not exploit) security bugs and loopholes. 3. The following summarizes the behavioral guidelines: a. Let the MOO function. Be conscious of resource usage of various kinds. Such resources include but are not limited to time usage, db usage, and human time. b. Don't abuse other players. Be polite. Do not harrass others. Examples of unwanted behavior include but are not limited to spamming (excessive typeout), unrequested teleporting, emoted violence or obscenities, spoofing (messages with improper attribution), and spying. In general, respect others' rights to control themselves and their moo property. Be conscious of the fact that MOO users come from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. c. Resolve conflicts peacefully. Avoid revenge. Prefer solutions which avoid conflict to ones that escalate it. More serious problems can be solved by mediation. 4. The following topics are beyond the scope of "manners" but might be referred to as auxiliary references: a. cracking (see "help cracking") b. mediation (see "help mediation") The note #nnnnn provided as a companion to this document, is offered as an example of a help text which would satisfy this petition. This petition permits, but does not require use of that document. (Also, since this does not require specific text, it permits further small changes (those of an editorial nature) at the discretion of the wizards without the need for further petitions.) -------------------------- Message 33 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sat Nov 20 01:53:00 1993 PST From: Shungnak (#50276) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: ramblings, suggestions, thoughts, ravings..... Overall, after comparing the Help manners presently in place and this one...this one is much more to my likeing. Simple thoughts ....I would like to see this shorter if possible. To achieve this I would suggest a second petition (written by someone more qualified than myself) implimenting a Help Programing. Help programming would be automatically sent to anyone receiving a programing bit, and outline the Moo ethics of programming. If this were implimented, Help manners could be cut shortened and tailored more towards guests and first time mooers and Help programmers could be more in depth for programmers do and don't. Being nit picky.....I feel the word society has a better connotation than the word community, but wouldn't really suggest changing that alone. -------------------------- Message 34 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sat Nov 20 02:09:00 1993 PST From: Shungnak (#50276) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: lateness sorry for the late show if intrest on my part. I get kinda ambivalant when there are so many things to read. Thanks Rusty for point this out to me, and Jens for posting something about it too. If you wana get it passed, I'd suggest talking to someone like Moriah who got her ballot passed and see how she did it...time is running out now. -------------------------- Message 35 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Sat Nov 20 07:42:36 1993 PST From: kessura (#49710) To: *Petition:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: rules I don't like the petition's statement of social rules like "don't spam", etc.. I'd much prefer something like the following: ----------------- This notice describes some standards of behavior which the population of LambdaMOO finds conducive to social conduct. It does not have the force of "law" (whatever that is here) but merely functions as a set of guidelines which people may wish to follow if they want to be perceived as being polite and pleasant to be around. Be aware that if you persistently engage in behavior that others feel to be rude, then you will become the object of social sanctions. Such sanctions may involve being banned from certain areas of the MOO, or in certain cases, being banned from connecting altogether. The following are generally accepted to be rude behaviors: [list]. The advice in this notice is not binding in all circumstances, but if there are complaints against an individual, this notice may be taken into account by a mediator. This notice does not preclude the establishment of areas within the MOO in which the herein-described social conventions are suspended, however notice of the intention to suspend them may be helpful in setting people's expectations appropriately and in stemming complaints. This notice especially does not set rules about what people may do in locations that they own-- if you disagree with someone's behavior, don't visit them. In summary, if you annoy people in public places you may get sent to your room. -------------------- I just threw that together, so it's probably stated infelicitously, but it captures my general idea. - kessura -------------------------- Message 36 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Wed Nov 24 21:53:29 1993 PST From: Froxx (#49853) To: *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: implementation notes written This petition now has implementation notes. `impl #49201' will show them to you. -------------------------- Message 37 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Dec 7 17:46:51 1993 PST From: newhelpmanners (#49201) To: *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Voting closes on ballot #49201: Final Results The voting period for Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): `New Help Manners' has ended. The final vote count is as follows: In favor: 337 Against: 75 Abstaining: 181 The proposal has passed and will be implemented by the wizards as soon as possible. -------------------------- Message 38 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Tue Dec 7 18:08:14 1993 PST From: newhelpmanners (#49201) To: *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201) and *Wizard-List (#6428) Subject: Ballot statistics A total of 1581 eligible voters logged in during the ballot period. Of these, 593people or 37% cast votes of any sort; 412people or 26% cast `yes' or `no' votes. -------------------------- Message 39 from *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201): Date: Mon Mar 20 06:47:02 1995 PST From: TheCat (#90040) To: *Wizard-List (#6428), HumbertHumbert (#64152), and *Ballot:newhelpmanners (#49201) Subject: Addition of text to 'help manners' I have added the following text to #3223.manners, in accordance with *B:newhelpmanners. I presume that it was taken as meta-text when the ballot was implemented, but as HumbertHumbert has pointed out, the passage actually does belong in the 'help manners' text itself. --- This text may be changed by later petitions. In addition, wizards may add mention of new self-defense, mediation, help, or related techniques or verbs without the need for separate public approval of the added text. ------------------------------------------------ -TheCat --------------------------