OOC <target> option?

[catchall]

A nice compromise would be a brief OOC option that hid only OOCs targeted to others.  So you wouldn't have to see them if you didn't want to, but you can if you want.

On the GDB people tend to talk about abuse like it's a very black and white thing, and always happens flagrantly and intentionally in the "LOL WHATS UR SKYPE" fashion.   I don't think that's what we should really be concerned about.  Much more worrisome are those subtle grey areas where a player can easily plead ignorance (and might legitimately not have considered the abuse potential).   This kind of situation happens all the time.

For example, Amos and Talia have a plan to knock out and kidnap Malik.  The three have met up, and Amos thinks it's about time to put the plan into action.  He does 'ooc talia remember, mercy on '  How helpful, right?  Just a little OOC reminder about a code setting, much like often we see people OOC before sparring.  Well in doing so, he's also communicated to poTalia that he's probably about to jump Malik now, getting her primed for coded combat, without any legitimate IC communication.  "But I'd trust poTalia not to use that information!"  Sorry, trust has zip to do with it.  It's the "Don't think of an elephant" problem. The player has received the information and can't un-receive it.  It's neurology.  She's been primed for what will happen, and it is forever impossible to prove how (not 'if' ) it affected her actions. 

Malik doesn't know what happened, so he doesn't file a player complaint.  The text of the OOC itself is very unlikely to grab staff attention amid the logs of other OOCs. It has to be contextualized to even be able to debate whether it was abusive or not, or else staff need to be monitoring the event in real time.  Even in the unlikely event that any kind of reprimand happens as a result, Amos can reasonably, and maybe honestly, say he had no idea that it was potentially abusive.  He certainly won't lose karma.  The outcome of the event IC definitely can't be changed; it's forever chiseled in stone. As for Amos, it's extremely likely that he'll continue to tread in the same grey area, because he'll still fail to notice the "big deal" with other subtle abuses in that grey area.

There is no good reason why players in this kind of game need private OOC.  If your OOCs aren't abusive, than all players present should have the option to read them (trust goes both ways, after all).  It's just good manners.  It's reasonable to have targeted OOCs that other players can choose not to receive, but I'd go as far as to say that abuse is really the only substantial reason to have totally secret OOCs.

[Fathi]

I like target OOC.

If only because, So often when I am trying to help a newbie, there is more then one in the room, and even worse, I am trying to help the big tall man, but also in the room is the tall big man. Neither of which do I know the names of.

Currently OOC is somewhat awkward to use when only 1 person needs it.

THOUGH, that being said, I do not agree that it should be hidden to people who are not the target.
It is amazing how often you will OOC to somebody and 3 other PCs in the rooms will be like "Really, Thanks, I did not know that." OR "No, wait, don't do that, that will get you dead/jailed...do it this way instead"

OOC should be open, but targetting would be nice.

IAWX-D.

On the GDB people tend to talk about abuse like it's a very black and white thing, and always happens flagrantly and intentionally in the "LOL WHATS UR SKYPE" fashion.   I don't think that's what we should really be concerned about.  Much more worrisome are those subtle grey areas where a player can easily plead ignorance (and might legitimately not have considered the abuse potential).   This kind of situation happens all the time.

This is a very eloquent way of stating something that's been nagging me a lot during many of the ages-old discussions of what constitutes abuse in this game.



I like the idea of being able to target OOCs like says or tells, but I don't like the idea of it being private. I DO like the idea of being able to brief OOCs that are targeted to someone else. That way, bcw's example of missing someone asking for consent won't occur, because obviously the templar would ask the entire room if he's being a good templar.

To be completely honest, while I appreciate the spirit of people who don't want to interrupt others' RP, if I see people using OOC to help newbies, my brain just kind of automatically filters it out. I don't find OOC usage immersion-breaking at all because I just ignore it. That said, I understand it's possible other people don't feel that way.

[Fredd]

I like target OOC.

If only because, So often when I am trying to help a newbie, there is more then one in the room, and even worse, I am trying to help the big tall man, but also in the room is the tall big man. Neither of which do I know the names of.

Currently OOC is somewhat awkward to use when only 1 person needs it.

THOUGH, that being said, I do not agree that it should be hidden to people who are not the target.
It is amazing how often you will OOC to somebody and 3 other PCs in the rooms will be like "Really, Thanks, I did not know that." OR "No, wait, don't do that, that will get you dead/jailed...do it this way instead"

OOC should be open, but targetting would be nice.

IAWX-D.

On the GDB people tend to talk about abuse like it's a very black and white thing, and always happens flagrantly and intentionally in the "LOL WHATS UR SKYPE" fashion.   I don't think that's what we should really be concerned about.  Much more worrisome are those subtle grey areas where a player can easily plead ignorance (and might legitimately not have considered the abuse potential).   This kind of situation happens all the time.

This is a very eloquent way of stating something that's been nagging me a lot during many of the ages-old discussions of what constitutes abuse in this game.



I like the idea of being able to target OOCs like says or tells, but I don't like the idea of it being private. I DO like the idea of being able to brief OOCs that are targeted to someone else. That way, bcw's example of missing someone asking for consent won't occur, because obviously the templar would ask the entire room if he's being a good templar.

To be completely honest, while I appreciate the spirit of people who don't want to interrupt others' RP, if I see people using OOC to help newbies, my brain just kind of automatically filters it out. I don't find OOC usage immersion-breaking at all because I just ignore it. That said, I understand it's possible other people don't feel that way.

Agreed. And generally I'm one of the ones that chimes in. I love helping noobs. Dunno why. But I always have, probably because I love the game so much, and I remember 4 years ago starting, and even with MUD experience, being confused.