http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/28/not-safe-for-work-techcrunch-arrington 

Whatever. I couldn't even bring myself to skim that, but I scrolled down to the 5 rules or wtf they're supposed to be.

Look, it's simple, there is a world of difference between banter and abuse, between taking the piss between people who know each other (even just in an online context) and active hostility.

(And personally for me, in the online arena, there is a clear line between taking the piss out of what you know about someone online, and crossing the boundary into personal information...)

My offline mates and I take the piss all the time, same with people I get on with online - and that includes you #func_terrafusion crowd. I respect almost everyone involved in this little scene, and like quite a few of you, from what I've seen online anyway. Mappers, players, site maintainers, commentators, people who just say the occasional thing of interest or humour - there is a bond (albeit often a faint one) there. Any banter that goes on is within the context of that bond, within the context of the community.

There has ALWAYS been piss-taking and banter in this community, and hopefully there always will. It's a good laugh and it encourages me to be part of it.

Ugh, there may be more later. FFS. 

In certain cases, there's a level of familiarity that I'm not really comfortable with. That's all. Joking around with your friends in a bar is a whole different thing - you know each very well and nobody is going to take something the wrong way. Why would they?

Online ... I don't know you from any other stranger I might meet on the street. "Shambler"? "czg"? These are words in a web browser. I have zero connection to you as a person, and vice versa. So to joke around with me the same way you would with your real life friends isn't always appropriate. Know what I mean?

Anyway, it doesn't really matter I suppose. I just don't see myself as having the same liberties with online strangers as I do with real life friends. 

TBH I dont really mind, but its not always easy to tell when someone is making a joke and taking the piss out of me.

So someone says something unpleasant, I go off the handle, then everyone says "ooh, well you shouldnt take it so seriously" then I feel like an idiot for going off the handle.

And everybody laughs at me anyway, I cant win.

But I'm not about to start winding people up for kicks, so that makes me a _______ !

(fill in blank with your own ending for that sentance)

Anyway I'm sensitive, so just BACK OFF, OK?!?!?! Dont touch me. 

Your mamma is so fat that:

A - I rolled over three times and I was still on top of the bitch

B - She gets up off the sofa once a week and buildings fall down in Dubai

C - ______________________.

(who wants to fill in C?) 

Less talk and more mapping please!

I finally learned that i prefer to keep my time mapping then bitching in here.

***Make maps not war***

Shambler never is to late to start mapping... if u need help just type in irc

/msg Trinca helpppppppppppppppp

:)

your maps will be much better then my first tree for sure... 

a weird face in the glance of two homs
they served me a new artobject as unfinished
the back of a swine, cut midthrough and
a mirror at the break of the corps.
if I hadn't tried twice, I would be wise. 

I have a hard time not taking the piss, both online and off. It's almost always meant with love though. Unless it's directed at shambler.



can not stop 

Seems to me that most of the "friction" has been between relatively new members and old timers... how you interpret the tone of what's being written here will undoubtedly be colored by if you're fresh or have been around for a decade. 

Roll her in flour and find the damp spot. 

Forgot the love ewe symbol. 

See, changing that into:

"How do you fuck Shambler's Mom?"

Turns it into a funny Momma joke rather than a lesson in misogyny. 

Look, Willem, Ricky, Trinca - as well as being the highest quality 3 contenders in the amazing Func's Biggest Twat (A Poll) thread, you are also all relative n00bs to this community at least...

(incidentally you are also all n00bs who have made a big and welcome mark whether it's spectacular maps, general mapping contribution, enthusiastic playing or intelligent gaming debate - but that doesn't let you off the hook, OKAY??)

...and all people who don't seem to want to accept the level of banter around here. It's the way that it is. People here respect each other's work and gaming attitudes, and often like each other (in a strictly manly balls-aren't-touching online sort of way), and take the piss at the same time. Take CZG, a prime icon of cockitude if ever there was one. I would struggle to say a complimentary word about him in #tf, but at the same time he's an entertaining guy sometimes, and I will always admire him for his awesome map series. Same with you guys - you fully deserve to be on the FBT(AP) thread, for the simple obvious reason of your responses to it, BUT at the same time I think you're all cool and I totally respect your work/contributions too. One doesn't negate the other.

About the n00b thing....n00bs are totally welcome / encouraged / desired here. The life-blood of the scene and you guys are proving it. But equally it's possible to settle into the whole #tfunc vibe and be part of that... Like Than and Daz and Moz were all relative n00bs once and have plenty of good banter going (although that might be because they're British and therefore have a sense of humour), or like Negke and Bambuz and Ijed who don't really join in the banter but don't get wound up either...

Having said all that, maybe I shouldn't complain, there is plenty of value in people who still get their handbags out at dawn about it all....maybe you guys should just continue ;)


P.S. Incidentally I have a mate near me, and we spend on average at least an hour each day taking the piss over MSN (gaylord this, choad that, batty man the other), occasionally to the point where one of us logs off in disgust. He's a great mate and I just went out and bought him a �20 book on the spur of the moment, just because. 

I was going for +10 offensive. 

you bastard, I was eating when I read that one about the flour 

with shambler. especially about the balls-not-touching thing. 

 

Have you thought about it, what if they're right and you're wrong and you do make everything mostly worse and offensive and most people don't actually think it's fun, but are unafraid to say since they might themselves become targets?

Just saying that *what if*, I don't really believe the above is an accurate description of reality.

And the other way round too of course...

I don't know what it's called, passive aggressive tactics or something, first irritate someone until they get worked up, then blame them for that.

There's a possibility that things could be different and better.

If you look at societies, some places people die at the age of 50, are sick alcoholists and get murdered by masses and abused, yet in the neighbouring country most things are fine and people are friendly and trusting towards each other.
Yet the starting points and physical conditions like natural resources of the two societies could be quite similar.
The problem could be called lack of social capital in the first society.
Acting in the miserable society as if it was inevitable and unchangeable that it was so would be very foolish. 

You do talk a load of shite sometimes though. 

#16145 - possibly, but if they're right they're the minority*, this community has worked for a lot of the rest of, FFS many of us have been here for a decade.

* - or, if not, it's a silent majority, if that's the case, if enough people speak up, then yeah things might change....if they need to.

To be honest, and blunt, I have been amazed by the reactions of some ppl these days, I find the sensitivity a bit hard to grasp - god knows what would have happened in the bad old days of on-line gaming flame wars...


#16146 - exactly, it's my job here now :). 

i'm often surprised when someone posts an angry reply to something that seemed like just a joke or whatever. i think some people just have really thin skin for an internet board.

just my opinion of course, feel free to discard. 

It is important to realise that many of the old-timers here have known each other for 10 years or so at this point.

Shambler #16147: I share your amazement. 

remove n00bs out of the way! 

"It is important to realise that many of the old-timers here have known each other for 10 years or so at this point. "

Fair point. But maybe some consideration could come the other way as well and remember that -I- don't know -THEM-. Text on the internet is sometimes hard to interpret as light hearted ribbing or fuck-you insults. 

That's what I was trying to make clear in my post. -You- are welcome aboard. You are a good mapper and an interesting commentator on the gaming/mapping scene. I respect you and think you're cool in the usual non-balls-touching kinda way. Same with Ricky and Trinca and pretty much everyone else. So take it for granted that it just banter...

If I have beef with anyone I'll raise that in a boring and sensible way. If I have serious beef than I will completely ignore them.