After reading the other players' thoughts and the subsequent explanations and then giving it some thought myself, I'm still a little uneasy/uncertain about these, particularly about making them mandatory. I understand making them a uniform requirement for the game will ease the sense of peer pressure about them, since if everyone has them there's no individual decision to be made and so players just have to live with them or not.
They're a popular enough idea and the reasoning for having them is clear and compelling enough that I encourage individual players to make them if they want them and feel comfortable. However, the idea of requiring them made me instantly uncomfortable, and it's clear I'm not the only one. I have never myself experienced bullying or abuse in my DWRP communities, either anonymously or not, nor have I ever been offended or upset by a person straight-up asking me not to RP with them for any reason (or an unstated reason); I actually find it more upsetting not knowing if people want me to back off or not.
However, I think this is something that should be up to each player. Some people will be more anxious leaving themselves open to being shut out of interactions without knowing why and choose not to make an opt-out post; some people will be more anxious asking people to please step back and encourage the creation and use of these opt-outs by example and by reasoning. I have a feeling this will be a popular idea and a lot of the playerbase WILL engage in opt-out posts, the same way impressions/permissions are popular (and yes, some permissions posts here are mandatory, but those are with clear reasoning). They're like memes; a good idea catches on.
But, ultimately, I don't think these opt-out posts, no matter how well-intentioned, are something the game itself should mandate.
**Also, a lot of people already HAVE opt-out clauses on their permissions posts, and I think most of them ask for no reasoning to be given! I feel like it's kind of like how all Homestucks used to have color opt-out posts on their journals. Encouraged and widely used, enough that it's not weird for other people to pick it up, but not enforced.
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They're a popular enough idea and the reasoning for having them is clear and compelling enough that I encourage individual players to make them if they want them and feel comfortable. However, the idea of requiring them made me instantly uncomfortable, and it's clear I'm not the only one. I have never myself experienced bullying or abuse in my DWRP communities, either anonymously or not, nor have I ever been offended or upset by a person straight-up asking me not to RP with them for any reason (or an unstated reason); I actually find it more upsetting not knowing if people want me to back off or not.
However, I think this is something that should be up to each player. Some people will be more anxious leaving themselves open to being shut out of interactions without knowing why and choose not to make an opt-out post; some people will be more anxious asking people to please step back and encourage the creation and use of these opt-outs by example and by reasoning. I have a feeling this will be a popular idea and a lot of the playerbase WILL engage in opt-out posts, the same way impressions/permissions are popular (and yes, some permissions posts here are mandatory, but those are with clear reasoning). They're like memes; a good idea catches on.
But, ultimately, I don't think these opt-out posts, no matter how well-intentioned, are something the game itself should mandate.
**Also, a lot of people already HAVE opt-out clauses on their permissions posts, and I think most of them ask for no reasoning to be given! I feel like it's kind of like how all Homestucks used to have color opt-out posts on their journals. Encouraged and widely used, enough that it's not weird for other people to pick it up, but not enforced.